This ritual can be performed at a home hearth shrine or in a larger nemeton with a minimum of tools or preparations.
When any offering is made, it must have a clear intention: for spiritual wisdom, guidance in one’s life’s path, to open the way to prosperity or love or simply to honor the powers. The focus of a rite can be toward a specific, personal goal or for general religious or spiritual purposes.
This rite is especially proper for the worship of the patron deities of one’s household, but it may be used to entreat any of the three Kindreds – gods and goddesses, dead or nature spirits. It can also be used as a preliminary rite in which the priest or priestess makes offerings to those powers that will preside at a larger work. Before you begin, you should review the article following this one for instructions corresponding to each numbered portion of the rite.
The Rite
Materials Needed:
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- Give nine knells on a bell, or other musical signal, then walk three times around the central hallows. End at the south of the hallows, facing north. Raise hands to the sky, and say:
I am here to honor the gods. Bless me, O Shining Ones, in my working.
- Place the Earth-stone in the offering bowl. Offer a pinch of corn meal into the bowl, saying:
Earth Mother, I am your child. Mother of all, accept this offering and bless my rite.
Place your hand on your heart and open to the light of inspiration, saying:
Power of inspiration, attend the shrine of my soul. Quicken my tongue that I may work the rites in beauty.
Pour a bit of ale to the south of the fire, saying:
All you of the outer dark, any who abide beyond the light of this work’s fire, accept this offering and trouble not my working.
- Ground and center.
- State the purpose of the rite, saying:
I have come to do as the wise ancients did. To make offering to the powers and to (state purpose) . So be it!
- Offer silver into the cauldron, saying:
In the deeps flow the waters of wisdom.
Sacred well, flow within me. - Light the fire and incense. Make an offering of oil into the flame, saying:
I kindle the sacred fire in wisdom, love and power. Sacred fire, burn within me.
- Sprinkle and cense the world-tree, wand or self, saying:
From the deeps to the heights spans the world-tree. Sacred tree, grow within me.
- Sprinkle everything with sacred water, saying:
By the cleansing of water let the primal sea be the boundary of the grove. Let the sea not rise, and all ill turn away.
Raise the incense and cense everything, saying:
By the light of the fire let the shining sky be the roof of the grove. Let the sky not fall and all ill turn away.
Circle the grove once, saying:
By fire and water let the blessed land be the founding of this sacred grove. Let the land hold firm and all ill turn away.
Contemplate the three worlds and the grove, saying:
The fire, the well, the sacred tree, flow and flame and grow in me! In land, sea, and sky, below and on high! Thus is the sacred grove claimed hallowed. So be it!
- Offer oil into the fire, saying:
I make this offering to the keeper of the gates. Join your magic with mine and let the fire open as a gate, let the well open as a gate, let the tree carry the spirits to my sacrifice. By this offering and my magic, let the gates be open!
- Fill the horn with ale and raise it, saying:
I make my offerings to the Kindreds of the worlds, to those who dwell below, to those who dwell above, to the tribes of spirits in land, sea or sky.
Hear your true worshipper (your name) as I make due sacrifice.
Old ones, my ancestors, remember me as I remember you!
Ancestors, accept my sacrifice!Pour a quarter of the ale into the bowl. Raise the horn again, saying:
Spirits of this land,
Aid me as I aid you!
Spirits accept my sacrifice!Pour a quarter of the ale into the bowl. Raise the horn a third time, saying:
Gods and goddesses of elder days
Honor me as I honor you!
Shining Ones, accept my sacrifice!Pour a quarter of the ale into the bowl and set the horn aside. Say:
Gods and dead and spirits three,
Powers of earth and sky and sea,
By fire and well and sacred tree
Offerings I make to thee!
So be it! - Make offerings to the patron powers of the rite, as explained in the liturgical notes.
- Finally, offer the last of the ale and make an offering of oil to the fire. Now is the time to speak a heartfelt prayer, asking the spirits, especially the patrons of the rite, to grant a boon. It might include:
Let my voice arise on the flame
Let my voice resound in the well
O honored ones
(insert names of the patrons)
Hear me now as I offer up this sacrifice.
Accept my worship and reverence.
Grant (state purpose) and give me your blessing! - Take up your divining tool of choice and meditate on the patrons and on the intention of this rite. Cast for a simple omen.
Meditate on the omen, seek to understand what blessings the powers offer in return for the sacrifice. Then, compose of all this – the image, the intention, and the omen – into a single gestalt of energy.
- Refill the horn and breathe the combined energy current into the drink saying:
I pour the ale of inspiration,
I draw water from the well of wisdom
I call upon (patron powers)
to give to me as I have given to you.
O (god) , O (goddess), hallow these waters,
I open my heart to the flow of your blessing;
I, your child and worshipper.
Behold the waters of life!Reverently drink the ale, perhaps sprinkling any object to be consecrated in the work as well. Meditate on the influx of magical current.
- If you have any remaining work, such as spells in pursuit of the intention, they should be completed at this time.
- When all is done, give thanks, saying:
Shining Ones, Mighty Dead, Noble Spirits
I thank you for your aid and blessing.
(Patron powers),
I give you my thanks!
Triple Kindreds, gods, dead and nature spirits:
I thank you for upholding my magic.
Lord of the gates, lord of knowledge, I give you my thanks.
Now let the gates of the worlds be closed!Make a closing triskel by circling the grove once in the opposite direction from beginning.
- Recenter and contemplate the entire working and end, saying:
The fire, the well and the tree
Flow and flame and grow in me!
Peace and blessings.
The rite is ended!
Working the Simple Rite:
A Step by Step Guide
When the blessing has been received it is proper to sit in meditation, contemplating the power’s flow in the self.
- As you walk three times deosil around the hallows, hold in mind the intention of traveling from your common life toward the sacred. If you wish you may sing an arriving chant.
- Take up the Earth Mother offering and give it to the ground or offering bowl. Feel the presence of the All Mother under you, supporting you, and fill your heart with thanks for her constant blessing as you make offering. Feel the light of inspiration filling your eyes and heart as you ask it to be in you. When you ask the Outdwellers to depart, you also decide to set aside from your heart and mind all that keeps you separate from the spirit, and the cosmos.
- Perform the two powers meditation thoroughly. It is important to apply your best skill, to reach deep and high to draw the Earth and sky powers into yourself. This trance of connection should be maintained throughout the rite, renewed whenever concentration lapses. It is, perhaps, through contact with the two powers that our voice is carried to the otherworlds.
- Speak aloud the statement of purpose for the rite. This might include affirmation of connection with the land and the spirits, naming of the gods to be invoked in the rite, and statement of their powers, and a declaration that you will complete the rite and gain the blessing.
- Using your awareness of the powers of Earth and sky, make the hallowing of the fire, well and tree. Feel the Earth power flow into the center through the well, and the sky power shine through the fire. See the world tree reaching deep and high.
- Using your awareness of the powers of Earth and sky, make the hallowing of the fire, well and tree. Feel the Earth power flow into the center through the well, and the sky power shine through the fire. See the world tree reaching deep and high.
- Using your awareness of the powers of Earth and sky, make the hallowing of the fire, well and tree. Feel the Earth power flow into the center through the well, and the sky power shine through the fire. See the world tree reaching deep and high.
- Complete the recreation of the sacred cosmos by affirming the presence of the land, sea and sky. Envision the cosmic sea surrounding the grove, the blue dome of the sky above and the green Earth supporting all.
As you complete the pattern, envision the whole image of the grove:
Underworld Below
Heavens Above
Land on which you stand
Sea that surrounds
Sky overarching
The Holy Center where you are…As you stand at your fire, feel yourself in the center of this pattern. It is at this sacred center that the gate between worlds can open.
- Make an offering and invocation to the gatekeeper deity. Envision whatever deity is proper for the pantheon in which you work, standing with you in the center of the rite. With your contact with the two powers deep and strong, call for the gates to open. Visualize the gate appearing -swirling, shining in rainbow colors, and opening above the fire and beneath the well. Take time to insure that your gate visualization is sure and clear.
- Make the offerings and invocations to the three Kindreds. As you make the calls you will begin to hear or feel the presence of the spirits. They may whisper or shout, be glimpsed in fire or shadow. As you grow in your magic you will grow in your relationship with the Kindreds. It is this section of the rite that provides the best common opportunity to commemorate that relationship, so be sure to approach it with focus and reverence.
- Key Offerings: In many personal rites there may be no need to make special offerings beyond the Kindreds. But equally often there will be specific powers of the occasion to whom a given rite is dedicated. Those powers are invoked and honored at this time.
Invoking the deities can be as simple as sincerely speaking their names and asking them to hear you, to draw near your fire, and accept your offerings. This can be accompanied with a visualization of the deity, or the presence of images or symbols of the key powers of the rite.
In any case, you may approach the gods, goddesses and spirits with simple reverence, and with as much art as is within your skill.
- When the offerings have been completed, you should pause for a time to consider the whole complex of spiritual powers involved in the working. Place yourself and your fire at the center of the mandala of worlds, gods, goddesses and spirits. Let your heart fill with delight and love for the powers, and make a final offering as you recite the prayer of sacrifice. Open your heart to the powers and give them your respect and worship.
- This is the time to take up your runes or ogham or whatever and make a simple reading. Even if you have never worked with these symbols before, you can begin in this simple way:
- Write the runes or ogham letters on small pieces of wood or card, in advance of the ritual. Shuffle or shake them together, and draw three symbols.
- Use whatever resources you have available to interpret them, or just note them for later interpretation.
- This omen is taken to determine the nature of the blessing that the powers offer in return for the offerings. This allows the best use of the magic that flows with the blessing.
If you don’t feel comfortable using the symbols without experience, you might simply prolong your meditation and simply open your heart, asking the powers to guide your work and grant you your needs. However, using the symbols is a fine way to begin to familiarize yourself with their forms and meanings.
- With the omen clearly in mind, call out to the powers to send the blessing. There are several techniques that can be used to fill the cup with the blessing.
- Visualize the figure(s) of the patron power(s) of the rite descending into the waters of life. See the god-form(s) in the horn. When you have drunk, visualize the god-form placed in your heart.
- If you’ve used a runic divination, you can ‘load’ the runes into the waters. Draw the runes of the omen over the top of the blessing cup or horn, on the surface of the waters. Chant the name or phonic of the rune and contemplate its meaning. Drink in that power.
- If there is any magical work or special meditation to do, it should be done now.
- As you begin to recite the closings, renew your vision of the whole mandala of the rite. Renew your flow and balance, and let it shine from your soul to the powers and through the worlds and realms as you give your thanks.
As the energy balances, renew your vision of the gate. See it recede and vanish as you recite the closing.
Finally, any waters, offerings, bits of leftovers are given to the Earth. This is the final “earthing” of the rite’s power, as you thank the Earth Mother for her blessing.
- One final time, renew your center. Feel the Earth and sky energies and let all you need fill your soul. Any unneeded energy should be allowed to flow away through you into the underworld and heavens. Walk three times around the hallows, understanding yourself to be returning to normal life, and perhaps singing an ending song.
