Beltainne
By Selene Tawny of the Protogrove of the Mystic Ash

Earth Mother – Cornmeal
Well – Silver or Crystal
Fire – Oil
Tree – Aspurge and Cense
Land – Cornmeal
Sea – Water
Sky – Incense
Gatekeeper – Shells
Outdwellers – Ale
Ancestors – Sage
Nature Spirits – Herbal Mix
Shining Ones – Oil
Deities – Oil
Thanking – Oil

The Sacred Grove is arranged as described. The celebrants hallow the Grove; the Fire is lit, the Well is filled, the Tree is blessed.

Consecration of Space followed by a musical signal

Well:
Sacred well, let your waters flow down, down to all the sweet waters beneath the earth. Once again we ask you to become our mouth of the earth, our eye of the earth, our opening of the earth. Beeche.
Fire:
Sacred fire, become once again all the fires who have burned and who ever will. And may you carry our words, praise and love up to the Gods and Goddesses, Ancestors and 
Nature Spirits. Beeche.
Tree:
Sacred Bile, roots going into our Mother below and your crown stretching to the heavens above. We ask that you connect our world with all the other worlds. Beeche.

Procession
(chant – We Approach the Sacred Grove by Sean Miller)
With singing, arrive and circle the hallows deosil. The Druids complete the sigil, then give the opening prayers.

Aspurging and Censing
Well:
May we wash away all Earthly cares.
Fire:
May the Spirit rise within you.

Honoring the Mother

Chant:  (Author unknown)
Earth Mother, we honor your body
Earth Mother, we honor your bones
Earth Mother, we sing to your spirit
Earth Mother, we sing to your stones

Senior Druid: (cornmeal)
It is the custom among our people, our folk and our grove, to bestow a kiss upon our Mother.
O beloved mother of all
From whose starry womb the green earth springs
You who are the bearer of all life
We pray you bless and uphold this rite.
Mother accept our offering!

All: Mother of all accept our offering

Two Powers Meditation

Historical Precedent

Senior Druid:

This is the time when sweet desire weds wild delight. Beltainne celebrates the beginning of a bold and virile season, when the God of Nature lustily impregnates the Earth Mother. Life springs eternal, with joy and beauty. Now is the time for celebration of the powers of life, sensuousness and newness. For richness and plenty now bless the land. This is the time for all things to grow, a time to build, a time to explore. Let us exult in the glory of the earth, and celebrate our own strengths.

Naming the Deities of the Ritual

God:
Angus Mac Óg (An0gus mac Og)
Son of Daghda and Boann,
God of love, youth and beauty,
Winner of the Brug na Bóinne

Goddess:
Bláithíne (Bla-heane)
Daughter of Midir,
Lover of Cú Chulainn
You gave up all to be with your lover.

In Unison:
We acknowledge you.

All: We acknowledge you!

Well, Fire and Tree

Well: (silver or crystal)
O sacred waters that flow and swirl beneath all
being accept our offering! Let us know the 
elder depths within ourselves the source of all, the well of elder Wisdom 
Tobar naomh, rith isteach mise!
("tuh-bur neev, rih ish-tack mush-uh")
Sacred Well, flow within us!

All: Sacred well, flow within us!

Fire: (oil)
O sacred fire that consumes and transforms
True and holy light of the shining ones
Accept our offering! O sacrificed and 
sacrificer
Let holy flame warm our spirits and our lives.
Tine naomh, loisc isteach mise!
("tinn-uh neev, lishk ish-tack mish-uh")
Sacred Fire, burn within us!

All: Sacred fire, burn within us!

Tree: (sprinkled and censed)
O sacred pillar, boundary of all worlds,
Stand at the center of the sky,
Stand at the center of the sea,
Stand at the center of the land on which we dwell.
Let us be deepened in your depths
Raised to your heights
Strengthened in your strength
Crann naomh, fas isteach mise!
("crown neev, fahss ish-tack mish-uh")
Sacred Tree, grow within us!

All: Sacred tree, grow within us!

Establishing the Boundaries

Land: (cornmeal sprinkled around the outside of the sacred space)
By the Fire and Well. Let the blessed Land be the founding of this sacred Grove. Let the Land hold firm and not open up and swallow us.

Sea: (water sprinkled around the outside of the sacred space)
By the Cleansing of water, let the primal Sea be the boundary of this Grove. Let the Sea not rise up and drown us.

Sky: (incense is thrown into the fire)
By the light of the fire, let the shining sky be the roof of this Grove. May the sky not fall down upon us.

Outdwellers

Ancient Dark Ones,
You who dwell in the outer dark,
You cold of heart and dim of mind.
Trouble not our working, for we leave behind our weakness and perversity,
our hatred and spite,
our cowardice and ignorance.
We offer this ale for being the keepers of these energies, so we may continue this rite in Peace and Harmony.

Opening The Gates

Gaelic:
A Manannan, a thiarna na geatai duinn, ta muid ag siul ar do bhealach.
("Ah vah'-nah-nin, ah heeyar-nuh nah gat-ee, tah mwidd egg shyool air duh vell-ock")

English:
O Manannan, Lord of the Gates, Lord of 
Wisdom, open the ways for us. We walk in your holy ways, we walk the Sacred Road. Share your magic with us, ward us as we walk in safety. Manannan MacLir, accept our sacrifice!

All: Manannan MacLir, accept our sacrifice!

Now, lord of ways, join your magic with ours.

(each ritual officer opens their gates)

Fire:
Let the fire open as a gate.
Well:
Let the well open as a gate.
Senior Druid:
Let the tree be the crossroads of all worlds. Open as a road to our voices and to the spirits.
In Unison:
Let the gates be open!

All: Let the gates be open!

Kindred Offerings

Chant:  (by Ian Corrigan)
Gods and Dead and Mighty Sidhe,
Powers of Earth and Sky and Sea,
By Fire and Well, by Sacred Tree
Offerings we make to ye

Ancestors: (sage)
People of old times, our Ancestors, our Kindred. 
Share with us the bond of life upon Earth. 
Share with us comfort, knowledge and blessing. 
Speak to our hearts that we may become on with you all.
A shinseara, glacgi an h-iobairt seo linn!
("ah hin-share-uh, glock-i-gee un hibb-airutt shuh linn")
Ancestors, accept our sacrifice!

All: Ancestors, accept our sacrifice

Nature Spirits: (herbal mix)
Spirits of old times and of this place, our companions, our teachers. 
Share with us the renewal of the Earth. 
Share with us comfort, knowledge and blessing. 
Speak to our hearts that we may be one with you all.
A sprideanna na talaimh, glacigi an h-iobairt seo muid.
("ah shprid-di-nuh-han-tah-liv, glock-I-gee un hibb-airutt shuh linn")
Nature Spirits, accept our sacrifice!

All: Nature Spirits, accept our sacrifice!

Shining Ones: (oil)
Gods of old times, our mothers, our fathers. 
Share with us your power to regeneration. 
Share with us comfort, knowledge and blessing. 
Speak to our hearts that we may be one with you all.
A dheithe, glacigi an h-iobairt seo linn.
("Ah yay-huh, glock-I-gee un hibb-airutt shuh linn")
Shining Ones, accept our sacrifice!

All: Shining Ones, accept our sacrifice!

After all the offerings have been made, the druids recenter the company and lead an attunement to all the spirits that have been called, and a proper chant or hymn is sung to the three kindreds.

Invocation of Deities
(oil)
God:
And now we call upon Angus Mac Óg, son of Daghda, you who resided at Brug na Bóinne. 
Angus the young. 
We ask you to come and join with us. 
We ask you to bring your fertility of youth to join with us here in our ritual. 
And to bring that fertility of youth through to our fields to make our crops grow strong through the summer. 
Angus, to you we give this offering of oil and ask you to join with us tonight. 
Angus Mac Óg, be with us tonight!

All: Angus Mac Óg, be with us tonight!

Goddess:
Bláithine, I have named you and so I call you forth. 
I call with the power within me. 
I call with my own voice. 
I use my hands and my soul as the bridge across. 
Bláithine, I invoke you. 
I have named you blossom. 
I have named you flower face. 
You, whose wisdom comes with the fertility of the land. 
Whose power is in that which shapes our soil whose power is in that which causes trees to grow, flowers to bloom. 
Bláithine, I invoke you. 
I call you forth with the word, with the power within me, with the power of the Folk of the Grove. 
Bláithine, be with us tonight!

All: Blaithine, be with us tonight!.

Senior Druid:
And at this time we call upon our Grove patrons and matrons, Daghda and Danu, Freya and Odin, and ask them to join with us tonight for our working.

Senior Druid:
Now is the time for individual offerings, if there are any among us who would like to make a praise offering, be it song, poem, or story, you may do this now.

Sacrifice and Omen

Senior Druid:
So we have given of our love and our wealth to the lord and lady. 
Now let our voices arise on the fire, 
let our voices sound in the well 
let our words pass the boundary to the otherworlds. 
o lord, o lady, we give you our love, our respect, our devotion as we pray you...
A bhantiarna agus thiarna, glacigi an h-iobairt seo linn!
("Ah vann-tee-ar-nuh ah-guss ah heeyar-nah, glock-I-gee un hibb-airutt shuh linn")
Lady and Lord, accept our sacrifice!

All: Lady and Lord, accept our sacrifice!

All are led to send their energy through the gates to the powers, meditating on the deities and the nobles.

Senior Druid:
Having prayed to the powers, let us open to them,
asking what blessings they offer us in return.

Omen is taken as usual. The seer then interprets the omen, leading the company to contemplate the things they would ask of the powers, 
especially as suggested by the omen. Company recenters in preparation for the blessing.

The Blessing
Ale and water is poured into the horns and elevated.

Senior Druid:
Close your eyes and let your body still. Using your inner vision, let your mind roam to look around and above us. Look at the crowd of friends gathered on this plane and on the other planes. Spirits of this place, Ancestors and Shining Ones, all of them looking at us with love in their hearts! We ask you now, gathered host, return to us your blessings! Give them to us into this cup of water and this cup of mead. Gathered Host, we ask this of you!
Is iad sea na uisci na beatha!
("Iss ee-udd shuh nah hish-kee nah ba-hah")
Behold the Waters of Life!

All: Behold the waters of life!
Senior Druid:
We give this first offering to those of the Fold and of the members of the Grove that couldn't be with us tonight. May these blessings give them the strength and 
nourishment to do what they need!

The horns are passed and all drink as a proper hymn is sung – chant Pour the Waters.

Thanking the Deities
(oil)
Goddess:
Bláithine, we thank you for joining with us and for bringing your fertility to our fields. As this rite is ending, we give you this gift in parting, given out of love, with nothing asked in return.
Bláithine, we thank you!
BLAITHINE, GO RAIBH MAITH AGAT!
(Bla-heane, gora ma-agit)

All: Blaithine, we thank you!

God:
Angus Mac Og, we thank you for joining with us and for bringing your fertility to our fields. As this rite is ending, we give you this gift in parting, given out of love, with nothing asked in return.
Angus Mac Og, we thank you!
ANGUS MAC OG GO RAIBH MAITH AGAT!
(An-gus mac Og, gora ma-agit)

All: Angus Mac Og, we thank you!

Thanking the Kindreds
(oil)
Shining Ones:
Shining Ones, we thank you for being with us tonight. As this rite is ending, we give you this gift in parting, given out of love, with nothing asked in return.
NA DÉITHE, GO RAIBH MAITH AGAIBH!
(Na Day-uh, gora ma-agiv)
Shining Ones, we thank you!

All: Shining Ones, we thank you!

Nature Spirits:
Spirits of this Place, we thank you for being with us tonight. As this rite is ending, we give you this gift in parting, given out of love, with nothing asked in return.
A SPRIDEANNA NA TALAIMH, GO RAIBH MAITH AGAIBH!
(Ah shprih-dennuh nuh tulluv, gora ma-agiv)
Spirits of the Earth, we thank you!

All: Spirits of the Earth, we thank you!

Ancestors:
Ancestors, we thank you for being with us 
tonight. Asthis rite is ending, we give you this gift in parting, given out of love, with nothing asked in return.
ÁR SINSIR, GO RAIBH MAITH AGAIBH!
(Aur shinshur, gora ma-agiv)
Ancestors, we thank you!

All: Ancestors, we thank you!

Thanking the Gatekeeper and 
(oil)
Senior Druid:
I call out to the gatekeepers, openers of the ways between, guardians of the portals. I call now to Manannan MacLir. We thank you for allowing us to walk between the worlds, and to follow the secret trails. Our ritual is coming to a close, so it is time once again to close the gates, knowing that every time we open them, the ways between become clearer!

Senior Druid:
Mother of all, to you we return all we leave unused. 
Uphold us now in the world as you have in our rite. 
Mother of all, we thank you!

All: Mother of all, we thank you!

Closing the Gates

Manannan, again I ask you to join your power to ours.

(each ritual officer closes their gates)

Well:
Let the Well be again a well.
Fire:
Let the Fire be again a fire.
Senior Druid:
Let the Tree be again a tree.
In Unison:
A MHANANNAIN, DÚNTAR NA GAETAÍ!
(Ah wananan, doontur na gyatee)
O Manannan, let the gates be closed!

All: O Manannan, let the gates be closed!

Reversing the Two Powers Meditation

Closing

Senior Druid:
Go now children of the Earth, in peace and harmony, this rite has ended.

Chant:  (by Inish)
Let us journey on
Children of the Earth
Carry the Nemetons blessings
Into our lives and work

As we journey on
Children of the Earth
Let the Nemetons blessings
Bring peace to home and hearth