Welcome to our Celebration!

This sheet is designed to help you understand the basic structure of our ritual. Please read through it before we begin. We would be glad to answer any questions during the briefing just before the ritual starts.

Our rituals have a seven part structure as follows:

1. Procession: Once the site is set up and everyone is ready to begin a large bell will be rung three times. We will begin with an opening prayer and then slowly walk to the Nemeton (sacred grove). As we are walking we will sing our "Grove Approach" song.

   At three different points along the path you will receive a purification. These three purifications are for the sacred realms of land, sea, and sky. Once we have reached the Nemeton, the fire and the well will be consecrated with nine sacred woods and sacred water. Then we will be ready to move to the next step.

2. Honoring the Earth Mother: The Earth Mother is our primary Deity and so we honor her first in our rituals. Just prior to addressing her one of the Grove Bards will call upon a spirit of Bardic Inspiration to grant us clear voices and to assist us in making our invocations and praise offerings.

   Although the Earth Mother is all around us we use the large stone on the edge of our Nemeton as a shrine to her. We will give her offerings and honor her with praise before moving on to the next step in the ritual.

3. Preparing the Participants: We will prepare ourselves to be in the company of the spirits and Gods through the use of a guided meditation to help us connect with our surroundings and the season. We will sing a song together that will affirm that we are united with each other and the world around us. Finally we will be reminded of the purpose of our celebration as we prepare to open the gates between the worlds.
4. Invocation: One of the central magical acts of Druidic ritual is the deliberate opening of gateways between the world of the spirits and our own. This will be accomplished through the use of three traditional Indo-European "portals".

   The first portal will be constructed through the use of our bile' (pronounced bee-lay) or sacred pole that is located in the center of the Nemeton. We will unite this pole with the vertical axis of the cosmos by turning it into a world tree. The second portal will be constructed by making offerings to the fire and uniting it with the cosmic fire that is present in all realms. The third and last portal will be established by making an offering to the well, a traditional portal to the underworld and the essence of the primal waters of life.

   Once these portals are established we will call upon a Gatekeeper God/dess to assist us in opening the portals or gates and guiding our honored guests through. Immediately after the gates have been opened we will acknowledge the chaotic entities in all worlds and ask them to not disturb our rite.

   We will then begin to invite our guests to join us. We will call upon the Spirits of Nature, the Spirits of our Ancestors, and the Gods and Goddesses and welcome them to our shrines. We will also recall the archetypal classes of our Ancestors and the God/desses by honoring the Producers (farmers, hunters, craftspersons), Warriors, and Sages (scholars and bards). Finally we will acknowledge the Deities that are of particular importance to this celebration and season.

5. Praise Offering: We believe that living things have a symbiotic relationship with the Spirits and God/desses. We have things that they need and they have things that we need and we all benefit from our combined strength and sharing of blessings. We put this belief into practice during this portion of the ritual by sending energy to the Spirits in the form of praise offerings, such as singing, poetry, dance, offerings of objects to the fire or well, etc.

   Although this section may have the feel of a bardic circle it is important to remember that the performances are for the God/desses and Spirits and not for us. You should refrain from applauding following performances because it dissipates the energy, instead direct this pleasure and energy outward for the enjoyment of our guests. Respectful silence is requested during these performances. Please inform the Leader of the Ritual before it begins if you would like to contribute a praise offering.

6. The Return Blessing: This portion of the ritual is where we get a chance to enjoy blessings in return for the praise and offerings that we have given. We will begin by performing a divination to see if the Spirits have any messages or warnings for us about the future.

   We will then take a moment to discuss our personal needs and those of our community. Feel free to speak up during this portion (or ask silently if you prefer) so that the things that you need will be granted to you. Once we have the shape of the blessings that we desire firmly in our minds we will consecrate and share two cups (alcoholic and non-alcoholic).

   The next portion of our ceremony is the Cauldron Stone Blessing. Our Grove has a special stone that we charge and use in healing and other magical workings. This stone and the water that it is immersed in have the power to grant three blessings. These are the blessings of health, prosperity, and wisdom. If you desire any of these gifts there will be an opportunity for you to obtain some of the charged water from the cauldron.

   To complete this portion of the ritual the Grove will take a moment to welcome our new members.

7. Unwinding and Closing: We will finish our celebration by thanking the entities that have joined us and wish them well as they journey onward. The Gatekeeper spirit will also be given thanks and then asked to assist us in closing the gates once again and restoring the boundary between the worlds. We will then close the portals (fire, well, and tree) that we have set up.

   Before we end the ritual and go our separate ways we will take a moment to ground and center, leaving behind any excess energies that may be left over. We will wish everyone a safe journey as we leave this site by singing a final song together. To signal the end of the ritual a bell will toll three times. We hope that you will find your time with us enjoyable and will celebrate with us often!

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