Lughnassadh
By Selene Tawny of the Protogrove of the Mystic Ash

Mother – Cornmeal
Well – Silver or Crystal
Fire – Oil
Tree – sprinkled and incensed
Land – Cornmeal
Sea – Water
Sky – Incense
Outdwellers – Ale
Manannan – Shells
Ancestors – Sage
Nature Spirits – Herbal Mix
Shining Ones – Oil
Lugh – Oil & Bread
Praise Offerings – Herbs
Mead & Bread
Thanking – Oil

Consecration of Space followed by Musical Signal when finished
(ring bell a total of nine time in groups of threes)
Processional
(chant – We Approach the Sacred Grove by Sean Miller)

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

Opening Prayer
Senior Druid:
O Ancient Ones, we are here to honor you and to preserve the old ways. We have come tonight to celebrate the harvest and to consecrate its first fruits. We join 
together to renew our connection to you and to the sacred land.
TÁ MUID ANSEO CHUN ONÓIR A 
THABHAIRT DO NA DÉITHE!
(ta mid anshow khun onoh'r a havart do na day-a)
We are here to honor the Gods!

All: We are here to honor the Gods!

Honoring the Mother
(cornmeal)
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:
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 holiday is mainly about Lugh. Lugh started the games at Telltown, of which our celebration is a remnant, in honor of his foster mother, tailtiu. The games there were usually a festival that lasted up to a month long. There were games of martial skill, horse and chariot racing and games of skill and chance. It was the time when all the tribes would come together to meet and play and learn from each other. It was a time when the Druids of the tribe would talk of laws and give out justice. It was a time when fighting, other than in games, was banned. We come together tonight in celebration of that joyous time.

Naming the Deity
Senior Druid:
A Lugh! A Lugh! A Lugh!
Lugh of the shining light, 
Lugh of the long arm,
Master of all skills equally,
We acknowledge your powers!

All: We acknowledge your powers!

Establishing the Vertical Axis
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 our 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 Invocations
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 one with you all.
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 become one with you all. 
Nature Spirits, accept our sacrifice.

All: Nature Spirits, accept our sacrifice.

Gods/Goddesses: (oil)
Gods of old times, our Mothers, our Fathers. 
Share with us your power to regenerate the Earth. 
Speak to our hearts that we may become one with you all. 
Shining Ones, accept our sacrifice.

All: Shining Ones, accept our sacrifice.

Invocation of Lugh 
(oil and bread)
We call to Lugh, Lugh of the Long Arm, master of all arts. 
We ask that you bring your skill to us once again as we ask you here to partake in the first fruits of the harvest. 
You've shown us how to take care of the grains and how to reap the harvest. 
Join with us now Lugh to eat the breads baked with the harvest! 
Our grain has grown heavy and ripe as we've brought back the wheat of our 
ancestors. 
Join with us Lugh and accept our offerings!

All: Lugh, accept our sacrifice.

Grove Patrons and Matrons:
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.

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

The Blessing
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!
SEO AN USICE BEATH!
(show un ishkuh byah)
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 cup of water, horn of mead and loaf of bread are then taken around and given to the people)
Chant:  (by Ian Corrigan and Phoenix)
Pour the waters, raise the cup
Drink your share of wisdom deep
Strength and love now fill us up
As the elder ways we keep
Share the first loaves, break the bread
Eat the fruits of Mother Earth
Strength and love now fill us up
As the elder ways we keep

Thanking Lugh 
(oil)
Senior Druid:
Lugh, we thank you for the skill you have taught us. As this rite is ending, we give you this gift in parting, given out of love, with nothing asked in return.
LUGH, GO RAIBH MAITH AGAT!
(Loo, gora ma-agit)
Lugh, we thank you.

All: Lugh, we thank you!

Thanking the Kindreds
Gods and Goddesses: (oil)
We thank now all the Shining Ones that have joined 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)
Gods and Goddesses, we thank you!
All: Gods and Goddesses, we thank you!
Nature Spirits: (oil)
We thank now all the Spirits of the Earth that have joined 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: (oil)
We thank now all the Ancestors that have joined with us tonight. As this 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!

Senior Druid:
Manannan, once again you have lent your strength to us. You have been our Gatekeeper and Magician. Now that our rite is ending, we give you this gift in parting, given out of love, with nothing asked in return.

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, I ask you once again to join your magic with ours.

(each ritual officer closes their gates)
Well:
Let the Well be again a well.
Fire:
Let the Fire be again a fire.
Tree:
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