Samhain
By Selene Tawny of the Protogrove of the Mystic Ash

Mother – Cornmeal
Well – Silver or Crystal
Fire – Oil
Land – Cornmeal
Sea – Water
Sky – Incense
Outdwellers – Ale
Manannan – Shells
Ancestors – Sage
Nature Spirits – Herbal Mix
Shining Ones – Oil
Gods and Goddesses – Oil
Waters of Life – Mead or Ale and Water

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

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!

Processional
(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
as people enter the area

Well:
May we wash away all Earthly cares.

Fire:
May the Spirit rise within you.

Opening Prayers

Senior Druid:
We come here to this place, this grove of trees, to form a circle of flesh and bone and blood and spirit. This place is wrought with emotion, with desire, with dreams, with sweat and with tears. And yet we still come forth with smiles upon our faces, with    questions in our hearts and with one another's hands held in our own.  
We are here to honor the Gods!

All: We are here to honor the Gods!

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:
Samhain is one of the original Celtic fire festivals and means "Summer's End', when the sun's power wanes, and the strength of the Gods of darkness, winter, and the underworld grows great. As Beltainne marks the beginning of summer, Samhain records its end.
Samhain is regarded as the Celtic New Year and also the 'Festival of the Dead'. It is believed that at this time of the year the souls of the dead can walk amongst the living. On the night of Samhain, the door to realms beyond mortal comprehension is opened, the veil between life and death is at its thinnest, and the evolving wheel guarding the gates of the Spiral Castle has stopped for a brief moment.This night and all of the first week of November once blazed with ritual fires, upon which the early Celts symbolically burned all the frustrations and anxieties of the preceding year.

Naming the Deities of the Ritual

Goddess:
Hear us now, Cailleach Baere, Great Ancient Grandmother, Lady of the Deep Forest, Old Witch of the Roots and Cauldron. We your children pray that you be with us, that you look kindly upon our holy rite, and that you come into our Grove and give us your blessing.
We acknowledge you

In Unison:
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 
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.
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
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 pervisity,
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

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!

Senior Druid:
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: (cornmeal)
The children of the earth call out to the mighty dead. 
Hear us, our ancestors, our kindred.
People of old times, our Ancestors, our Kindred. 
Share with us the bond of life upon the Earth. 
Share with us comfort, knowledge and blessing. 
Speak to our hearts that we may become one with you.
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.
Nature Spirits, accept our sacrifice!

All: Nature Spirits, accept our sacrifice!
Shining Ones: (oil)
Gods of old times, our mother, 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 you. 
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.

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.

Senior Druid:
Welcome to the Gods and Goddesses, the dead and the sidhe! To all of you who have gathered at our fire, we pray you join us in worshipping the patrons of this holy rite here in our sacred Grove.

Invocation of Deities
(oil)
Goddess:
As the Earth falls into sleep the Hag of Baere is wielding her scythe and cutting the green corn down, to sow it again in the later winter's night. She is the Cailleach, the wise and cunning old woman, who passed into seven periods of youth while her husbands passed away behind her, grandmother to peoples and races of the Earth. Her eyes are keen and sparkling like the cold river stream, her hands are gnarled like the twisted roots of ancient trees, and her skin is old and wrinkled like the scattered leaves of autumn. 
When the Cailleach calls, deep within the forest, deep within the land, we can feel it in our bones, like the roots of old. It is time to come home, into the darkness of the woods, where the old hag will cut us open, and we will grow new again, our frailty and weakness cut down like the corn. 
Hear us now, Cailleach Baere, Great Ancient Grandmother, Lady of the Deep Forest, Old Witch of the Roots and Cauldron. We your children pray that you be with us, that you look kindly upon our holy rite, and that you come into our Grove and give us your blessing. 
We give due offering to you. We give you... ( pour into shaft)
Precious stone, that the Bones of the Earth may be clothed again in life. 
(pour into fire)
Whiskey, that the Waters of Life May flow in us and Spirit indwell flesh. 
(sprinkle or tie to Tree)
Bone, that the old and unnecessary fall away into peaceful rest. 
Be welcome among us Cailleach; Great Grandmother, accept our sacrifice! 
All: Cailleach, accept our sacrifice!

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.
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. 
(chant: Power of the Spirits)

Return Flow

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 horn of mead. Gathered Host, we ask this of you!
Behold the Waters of Life!

All: Behold the Waters of Life!

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!

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 the Deities
(oil)
Senior Druid:
The mighty ones have blessed us. With joy in our hearts, let us carry the magic from our sacred grove into our lives and work. Each time we offer to the powers, they become stronger and more aware of our needs and our worship. So now as we prepare to depart, let us give thanks to those who have aided us.

Goddess:
Cailleach Baere, we thank you for being with us tonight. As this rite is ending, we give you this gift in closing, given out of love with nothing asked in return. 
Cailleach Baere, we thank you!

All: Cailleach Baere, we thank you!

Ancestors:
Ancestors, 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. 
Ancestors, we thank you!

All: Ancestors, we thank you!

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. 
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. 
Spirits of the Earth, we thank you!

All: Spirits of the Earth, we thank you!

Gatekeeper:
O gatekeeper, warder of the ways, we thank you for being with us tonight and lending us your magic. 
As this rite is ending, we give you this gift in closing, given out of love with nothing asked in return. 
Gatekeeper, we thank you!

All: Gatekeeper, we thank you!

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
(oil)
Senior Druid:
Now by the keeper of the gates and by our magic, we end what we began.

(each ritual officer closes their gates)

Fire:
Now let the fire be but flame.

Well:
Let the well be but water.

Tree:
Let all be as it was before.

In Unison:
Let the gates be closed!

All: Let the gates be closed!

Reversing the Two Powers

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