Pre-Ritual Work
Get people to think about their ancestors who worked with the land and potentially any ancestors who might have had psychic gifts as we reach out to them and make offerings. Also explain that we will be inviting faeries to join us. Explain the idea of walking through the trees like hedge walking into their realm as we try to attune ourselves to the patterns and tides of the natural world.
Rhiannon, Dôn, Elen of the Ways, and Blodeuwedd
Rhiannon is a queen from Annwn which makes her a faerie queen who ends up marrying a non-faerie man. Her story can be found in the Mabinogion. Her presence in the book can be summed up as everything that is strong and noble in the face of *unjust) adversity. She also can be described as a “queen’s queen.” She is also known as a horse goddess.
Dôn is the Welsh version of the earth mother figure.
Elen of the Ways (gatekeeper) is a horned goddess (female reindeer have antlers as well) who looked over the pathways and roads of the land.
Blodeuwedd is the goddess of flowers and owls. She was created from flowers and cursed to become an owl for her treachery towards her husband.
Starting the Ritual
Initiating the Rite
Either ring a chime or a Tibetan singing bowl and then state:
“We have come to honor Rhiannon, the nature spirits, and the fair folk.
May our words, actions, and offerings help us make allies of the fair folk and nature spirits
Through our connections to our ancestors, the assistance of Rhiannon, queen of the fair folk,
And our work together on this day.
A blessing on our time together today, a blessing on our lives, and a blessing on the land.”
Walking to the Site
Try to find two trees that would be ideal to walk through to enter into the ritual area to serve as a hedge to walk through, so we will walk through there unless someone has need to bypass that and enter due to physical limitations.
Purification
While the priest walks around with water for people to purify themselves with, everyone else will be taking slow, centering deep breaths in, and slow exhalations out. The priest will say as they dip their fingers into the water and tap it upon their heads (or sprinkle) and over their hearts, “May your cares and worries be washed away.”
Once the deep breathing is finished and everyone has purified themselves, the priest will state aloud:
“We have centered ourselves and we are now stepping away from mundane life.
We have prepared ourselves to work with the three kindred.
Our worries and cares are left behind as we engage in our work here.”
Group Prayer
All: “Remember we are all brothers and sisters
All people, animals, stones, trees, and the wind.
We descend from the gods and goddesses
We live among the nature spirits
And we all become ancestors.
We are connected to this world and the next.
We come together to honor our connection
May we learn from the ancestors,
May we work in harmony with the nature spirits and Fair Folk
And may our actions, words, and deeds honor the shining ones.
So be it.”
Acknowledgement of the Outsiders
Have the host take the offerings and cup and place them outside the ritual area and say:
“To the outsiders interested in our affairs
We acknowledge you all and choose to share
A bit of what we have to distract from our cares,
Our workings, our magic, and our prayers.”
Honoring the Earth Mother
Get the steel cut oats to offer to Dôn before speaking the words, empowering the offering in your hands.
“Great Earth Mother Dôn, we honor you.
We hear the songs of the birds and think of what you’ve created.
We smell the blossoming of the flowers and the cool earth beneath our feet and thank you for these gifts.
We feel the wind upon our cheek and the warmth of the sun upon our skin, feel inspired by Awen as we experience the magic of your creation.
We thank you for all you provide for us and all of your children.
Your blessing is appreciated.
Dôn, accept our offering.”
All: “Dôn, accept our offering.”
Statement of Purpose
“We stand here together to pay our respects to the regal queen of the Fair Folk, Rhiannon. Goddess of horses, proud, strong queen and wife to Pwyll, mother of Pryderi, may our offerings and work in this ritual show you, Rhiannon, the respect we hold for you and your domain.
We also stand here to pay our respects to Rhiannon’s subjects: the Fair Folk and the nature spirits. We hope to be able to connect and better understand and be aware of you all through our workings and offerings today.”
All: “I am a part of all that is
And all that is is a part of me
I belong here in this world
I belong here as who I am.”
Recreating the Cosmos
Here we will empower the fire with an offering, put silver in the well, and our energy and give offerings to the tree. All three people will move to where the pillar of the cosmos they will be empowering and start giving it their energy before and after their spoken piece.
Connecting to the Well
“We come to offer silver to the well so that it may stand as our connection to the mighty dead. May our well connect to the waters that lead to the underworld so the ancestors can find their way to join us here for our ritual and our workings.”
Connecting to the Tree
“We come before the tree and to pay our respects to the spirits of nature and the Fair Folk as it descends into their burrows and connects to the World Woods that connect the lands of the past and present throughout our world. May this tree serve as a beacon to help those Fair Folk and nature spirits that want to work with us in positive and beneficial ways to us for our ritual and our workings.”
Connecting to the Fire
“We come to empower the fire so that it may stand as our connection to Rhiannon and the shining ones. May our fires become a beacon to the gods in the sky so that they may find their ways to join us here for our ritual and our workings.”
Connecting the Fire, Well, and Tree Together
“With this done, the portals are now open to the three realms.”
Meditation
Here I will do the basic Two Powers guided meditation using “being a tree” imagery, and then perform a short meditation where people have their eyes open and really experience the sounds, smells, sights, and sensations of being outside.
Opening the Gates
“We invite Elen of the Ways, horned goddess of the wild, to open the gates between our realm and the other realms.
Elen who walks the boundaries between the realms, whose time is of between light and darkness, we ask you to join us.
We ask you, Elen, you who walks the paths and trackways, both known and hidden, help us connect with and learn the ways to reach the Otherworld safely. We ask you join us.
Elen of the Ways, wild goddess, we ask that the gates be opened.”
Make the offering to the gatekeeper. “The gates are now open!”
All: “The gates are now open!”
Offerings to the Spirits of Inspiration
“We make an offering so to Cerridwen for the Awen we need to work with those invited. May your cauldron of magic give us the Awen for our words to resonate with power, magic, and wisdom. May the Awen flow within us in love, wisdom, and truth in our words, actions, and deeds so our words may flow as they did for your child, Taliesin, the greatest bard that ever lived.”
“Cerridwen, accept our offering!”
All: “Cerridwen, accept our offering!”
Inviting/Offerings to the Three Kindred
Inviting the Ancestors
Facing the gathered people, but also focused on the well:
“Mighty dead! We call to you to, ancestors of my blood and the blood of others
Who have walked the path of working in and with nature.
We call out to you through the dark waters to the underworld.
We call out to the gardeners, the farmers, the woodsmen and women,
The wise women and men, the hedge witches,
The seidr, the shaman, and those who saw the Fair Folk.
Ancestors of blood and spirit, accept our offering!”
All: “Ancestors of blood and spirit, accept our offering!”
Inviting the Nature Spirits and Fair Folk
Facing the gathered people with one hand pointing towards the tree:
“Blodeuwedd and the spirits of nature! We call to you,
Goddess of flowers and owls,
Of the promise of autumn in the spring,
And to the creatures that swim, walk,
Fly, and crawl, spirits of the land, sky, and sea.
To the Fair Folk of our respective pantheons,
To the elemental spirits of the land,
Spirits of nature, accept this offering!”
All: “Spirits of nature, accept this offering!”
Inviting the Gods and Goddesses
Stand behind the fire, facing the gathered people while focusing your energy and words into it.
“Shining ones from the realms above,
Those who watch from on high and who hear our requests.
Those who love and are attuned to nature,
We call out to you and hope you hear our call.
Gods and goddesses, come join us.
Shining ones, accept our offering!”
All: “Shining ones, accept our offering!”
Welcoming the Kindred
“Gathered kindred, we welcome you to our ritual.”
All: “Gathered kindred, we welcome you to our ritual.”
Key Offerings
Offerings to Selu
“Selu, corn mother of these sacred lands we stand upon,
First woman of the Cherokee, we honor you.
Harvest goddess of the Red Earth and of our grove,
We honor you.
Selu, accept our offering!”
All: “Selu, accept our offering!”
Offerings to Frigg
“Frigg, patron of magic for our grove,
Goddess who guides our hands and hearts when we perform ritual magic, we honor you.
You how know seidr, spa, and galdr, we honor you.
Frigg, accept our offering!”
All: “Frigg, accept our offering!”
Offerings to the Kings and Queens of Our Pantheons
“To the kings and queens of the pantheons of those gathered here,
We thank you for your presence in our lives and in the goddesses and gods we work with. We honor you.
Kings and queens of our pantheons, accept our offerings!”
All: “Kings and queens of our pantheons, accept our offerings!”
Offerings to Rhiannon
“Rhiannon, queen of the Fair Folk, hear our call.
Untamed horse goddess, goddess of strength and nobility, hear our words.
Fearless goddess of the people of the Isle of the Mighty.
Wife of Pwyll and Manawydan, mother of Pryderi.
Rhiannon, come join our ritual!”
All: “Rhiannon, come join our ritual!”
Offerings to the Faeries
“We invite the Fair Folk and their unearthly presence to our ritual. By the Fair Gods, and the eternal light of magic bestowed on Faerie, may the ways to the time and place of our ritual be known to those fae who call any of the people here by the title of friend. May the invitation be open to all of their Fair troop, may it be known we gather to celebrate and feast, and we invite these Fae to do the same.
“The Faerie Gods are the eternal guardians and leaders of the troops of Fae. They are most powerful, and to them all fae owe eternal debt. They guide the Fae, and along the journey between worlds, they call the gods as I do:
“Lord of the Forest, we leave your side,
Again we depart on the Wild Ride.
We follow the path running swift and wide;
We follow the God of the Wild Ride.
We match the Goddess’s beat and stride,
Under her protection on the Wild Ride.”
“I put forth this offering of sweetbread and honeycream to those gods who guide the Faerie Ways.
“As the ages shift the wilds, so too does need shift leadership. Unlike the eternal gods, these leaders of Fae do change, though humans are seldom aware. I put forth this portion of sweetbread and honeycream for the current leaders of the troops of Fae invited here, in special offering to you who would honor us to judge us worthy of the presence this day of not only yourselves, but those of your own troop you would invite to the presence of these mortals.
“To the Fae present, we welcome you!”
All: “To the Fae present, we welcome you!”
Praise Offerings
x2 with x1 for people who aren’t here.
Prayer of Sacrifice
“To Rhiannon, thank you for hearing our words and accepting our offering!
To the leaders of the Fair Folk and those fair folk who have chosen to join us,
Thank you for hearing our words and accepting our offering!
May what was freely given be happily accepted.
Rhiannon and the Fair Folk, accept our offerings!”
All: “Rhiannon and the Fair Folk, accept our offerings!”
Omen and Blessings
Omen
Here are the three questions:
1. What gifts do the ancestors bestow upon me in return for our offerings?
2. What gifts do the nature spirits bestow upon me in return for our offerings?
3. What gifts do the gods and goddess bestow upon me in return for our offerings?
Calling for the Blessings/Waters of Life
“Gathered kindred, as we have given to you, we ask that you grant your blessings to us.”
Lift up the pitcher, hold it in the direction of the fire to get the energy of the gods and goddesses, then towards the well, and finally towards the tree, pausing at each until it feels like the energy has infused the pitcher from their blessings.
“The mighty dead, the spirts of place, and the shining ones, pour forth your blessing into this vessel I hold in my hands! Grant us your gifts so that we may take them within us!”
Hold the pitcher slightly above you and feel the energy from the gathered kindred and all the work you’ve done entering it.
Hallowing the Blessing
“This vessel now holds the waters of life as blessed by the kindred! We accept your gifts!”
All: “I accept your gifts!”
Affirming the Blessing
Pour the water into the cups.
“May these gifts we have accepted enter into our lives as they entered through each of us. May the blessings spread throughout our lives as the blessed liquid spreads throughout our bodies.”
Workings
Here will be the second meditation where people will attune themselves via holding the tokens that are provided and just experiencing nature with their eyes open.
Points to touch on: Looking at the sky, feeling the wind, staring at the tops of the trees and imagine feeling what the trees feel as their branches sway in the breeze, hear the birds and the sound of the wind playing in the branches, notice the plants in their spring splendor, if barefoot, the feeling of the ground beneath your feet, and so on.
Thanking the Kindred
Thanking the Gods and Goddesses
“Goddesses and gods, we thank you for being here with us tonight and the blessings you have given us. The shining ones, we thank you and bid you farewell.”
All: “The shining ones, we thank you and bid you farewell!”
Thanking the Nature Spirits and Faeries
“Spirits of nature, we hope we are able to make use of the gifts of friendship you gave us and that all the we might do in the present and future in our world. Spirits of nature and the Fair Folk, travel safely and we bid you farewell.”
All: “Spirits of nature and the Fair Folk, travel safely and we bid you farewell!”
Thanking the Ancestors
“Ancestors, we thank you for the wisdom you’ve passed down so that we may connect to the lands through the guidance of your experience, the wisdom of your interactions with nature, the spirits therein, and the Fair Folk we might encounter. May we benefit and learn from what you have to teach us. The mighty dead, we thank you and bid you farewell!”
All: “The mighty dead, we thank you and bid you farewell!”
Thanking the Spirits of Inspiration
“Cerridwen, we thank you for your presence in granting us Awen So that we may speak and perform our ritual with love, wisdom, and truth.
Cerridwen, we thank you and bid you farewell!”
All: “Cerridwen, we thank you and bid you farewell!”
Closing the Gates
Thanking the Gatekeeper
“Elen of the Ways, we thank you for your assistance holding the gates open so we may work with the three kindred and tred safely within their domain. We ask you to assist us once more.”
Closing the Fire
“May this beacon of flame to the shining ones be just a fire.”
Closing the Tree
“May this connection to the World Woods be just an ordinary tree.”
Closing the Well
“May the deep waters that connect us to our beloved ancestors be just water.”
Bring your hands together. “May the gates be closed.”
All: “The shining ones, we thank you and bid you farewell!”
Thanking the Earth Mother
“Dôn, you who keeps our world alive through your creations and systems, We thank you for your presence in this ritual and in our lives. Don, we thank you and bid you farewell!”
All: “Dôn, we thank you and bid you farewell!”
Ending Meditation
Do a simple grounding technique and have people shake out a bit at the end.
Closing Prayer
All: “Remember we are all brothers and sisters
All people, animals, stones, trees, and the wind.
We descend from the gods and goddesses
We live among the nature spirits
And we all become ancestors.
We are connected to this world and the next.
We come together to honor our connection
May we learn from the ancestors,
May we work in harmony with the nature spirits and Fair Folk
And may our actions, words, and deeds honor the shining ones.
So be it.”
Closing the Rite
“As has been done before by those who have come before us, we have thanked and honored the gods, the ancestors, the faeries, and the nature spirits. May their gifts, wisdom, and strength grant us what we need to be able to properly honor them all and continue to do our work to help us all.”
Strike the chime or Tibetan bowl three times to signify the end of the ritual.
