If you are new to the Modern Druid path, I have provided a ritual you can perform to dedicate yourself to the path. This will also help you to get a feel for ritual and making that spiritual connection at this level. It is also a nice way to set your focus on this course. You may do this ritual in conjunction with a season if you are starting this course at a particular season, or you may perform it separately, at a time of your choosing.
During the ritual, be aware of the feel of the area. Do things seem different than they did before starting the ritual? Do you feel a presence other than yours in the room? What sort of emotional feeling do you find? Do you feel good, uncomfortable or nothing at all?
It is a good idea to get into the habit of writing down your findings at the end of each ritual you perform in order to gauge your preferences, the preferences of the Kindreds as well as your own growth in ritual practice.
Gather the things that you will need ahead of time and set up your sacred space.
For this ritual, you will need:
- Altar
- Water and salt – For honouring Sea and Land
- Bread – For offering to the out dwellers and Deities (have a few pieces of bread)
- Special drink (Wine, juice, etc.)
- Stones that you can dedicate
- Any ritual tools you wish to consecrate
- A piece of jewelry that you would like to dedicate
- Candles for light
- One candle to light for your dedication
- An offering for the spirits of the place – a stone, flowers, something you have made, etc.
Before your ritual, you should sit quietly and reflect upon what it is you are dedicating yourself to.
- Is this truly the path you wish to set yourself upon?
- Does this feel right?
If you are sure this is what you want to do, write up a song, poem or just a simple oath, which you will use to dedicate yourself to your chosen path. It can be long or short, poetic or straight-forward. Above all, it should be from the heart. You may also choose to just speak the words as they come to you rather than pre-writing your oath.
When you feel ready and know that you will not be disturbed, you are ready to start. The traditional place for the altar to face is North (where it is said the Otherworld is) or East.
Claiming Sacred Space – I bid greetings to the Spirits of the Place, Great Guardians who ensure its safety and sanctity! I honour the sanctity of the space and ask your leave to share with you this space for sacred work and celebration…”
| Important! Take a moment of silence at this point – Do you feel that the spirits of the place have approved your use of the space? If so, continue. If you feel uncomfortable or a strong revulsion, do not continue there. Seek out another place to conduct your ritual |
Opening Prayers
| Calling upon the Awen (Divine inspiration) – I call today upon the strength of Awen Light of Sun Radiance of Moon Splendor of Fire Speed of lightening Swiftness of Wind Depth of Sea Stability of Earth Firmness of Stone I give honour to the Earth Mother, She who births us, She who sustains us, She who takes us home at the hour of our Death. May my work here tonight honour Her. (Leave offering of stones or grains) Call for Peace and attune oneself to the Place Hold arm up in salute Let there be peace within our sacred space from all directions! Let there be peace in the North! Let there be peace in the South Let there be peace in the West! Let there be peace in the East! Let there be peace throughout the Worlds this day and every day! |
(As you are affirming peace, you are also standing upon the ground and preparing for ritual through grounding and centering)
I plant myself firmly upon the ground and feel the cool energy of the earth and water rising up through my roots and into my body. I reach up my arms and stretch them out to draw into my body the power of the air and the warmth of the sun. I feel these powers mingling through me as they anchor me from top to bottom, from bottom to top. I feel these powers and am grounded.
Opening Statements –Imbolc/Dedication Impromptu (Not Scripted – I believe statements of purpose should come from the heart) State your purpose here in your own words. I have provided a start.
I stand here in this sacred place to celebrate the Oath I take a Dedicant of my chosen path.
Establishing the Sacred Space or Nemeton / Honouring of the Worlds (Land, Sea,
Sky – upper, middle and under worlds)
- Lighting the Candle and Incense (Sacred Fire) – I light a candle, to light the way back home, to purify the space and make it now my own. Great Kindreds of the Fire (light incense), bless this creature of fire to your service. May I always be respectful of the fire and remember the fire that warms us all and provides us all with sustenance.
- Blessing of Water (Well)/Honouring the Sea. Great Kindreds of the Sea, bless this creature of water to your service. May I always remember the waters that give us all life and the waters of the cauldron of rebirth; and may I be respectful to all who dwell within.
- Blessing of Salt (For use in the blessing water)/Honouring the Land.Great Kindreds of the Land, bless this creature of earth to your service. May I always be mindful of the sacred earth and all She provides for us; and may I be respectful of all who dwell upon and within.
Mix the water and salt together
- Blessing of the Wand, Staff or Spear (Tree) – Blessings to the Tree of the World who joins the sky to the land. Connecting all and providing us with the life giving oxygen we breathe and the wood to build our homes, may I always be mindful of the Tree and whose who dwell upon and within.Great Ones of the Sky, bless this creature of air to your service. May we be mindful of the life giving air we breathe and the spirit wind that brings the voices of the Ancient Ones; and may we be respectful of all those who live via the air.
- Blessing of the Blade (The connection of all Worlds and representation of the combination of Fire, Well and Tree – The Celtic smith was held in high regard because of the ability to join all of these things in his/her craft – honouring Brighid as Smith) Great Ones of the Forge, you who have the power to combine the elements, bless this creature of Earth, air, water and fire to your service. May we always be mindful of the duality of its nature and be respectful of the power that comes with wielding it.
Dip the blade into the water as this is being said.
By the child of the elements (hold blade aloft), created through the fire that dwells in all three realms; [Underworld, Upper World, Sky World]
By Land and Sea and Sky;
From the depths and from the heights and from the heights to the depths
Let this grove be hallowed, let this ground be holy, let this ground be claimed this night for my sacred work
Let me be purified, let me be protected, let me be blessed…
Anoint yourself with the water/salt mixture. You may choose to anoint using the Awen symbol (/|\) or any other symbol of your choosing.
Honouring the Out dwellers (the out dwellers are spiritual beings who may attend the rite: Greetings and welcome to all who wish to join us in this our sacred space as we celebrate this rite.
Leave a small offering near the door – I leave this offering in friendship and in trust that all who enter here do so with good intention and respect of this sacred ground.
May my work tonight reflect my values and show respect to this place and those who keep it!
Honouring the Ancestors:
(Facing North)
Great Ancestors of the Land…Great Ones who helped to shape this land and its people; bring you greetings and welcome your presence here!
Great Ancestors of our Heroic Past…Great Ones who helped to shape our ethics and our freedom, I bring you greetings and welcome your presence here!
Great Ancestors of our Blood…Great Ones without whose blood we would not be and without whose blood we cannot carry forth our legacy, I bring you greetings and welcome your presence here!
Invocation of Patron/Matron Powers (Deities) of this rite –Dedicant Rite: All Deities or specific deity(ies) that Dedicant feels close to, if any.
Great and Shining Ones. Most Honoured Ones; Matrons and Patrons. You who have chosen me, you who protect me, you who can guide me to wisdom; I welcome you to share with us this night as I dedicate myself to my chosen path.
(Offer bread) – Bread for nourishment and hospitality
(Offering of Special Drink) – [drink name] for remembrance and welcome
(Offer stones) – Stones to reaffirm the foundation of my practice
(Light a candle) – Fire to warm the heart and be my guiding light as I move forward (light tea candle)
When everything is arranged nicely on the altar – Accept this sacrifice, Honoured Ones, and be welcome in my Grove!
Initial Chant:
Gods and Dead and Spirits all
Accept my offering, Hear my call
From Land and Sky and from the Sea
Now come, I pray you, to the Grove
And bring your Wisdom, Strength and Love.
It is at this point that you will say your own oath. I have given an example below, but it is best if you choose your own words.
I come to you in service and love, to oath myself to the Threefold Path of Service: Service of the Gods, The Community and Myself. May the words spoken here tonight be heard and recognized by all hear as a token of my intent to serve!
My I serve with love, humility, confidence, strength, honour, integrity, good humour, compassion and loving kindness. With good faith and right action may I serve well on this Path and may the Powers of Land, Sea and Sky rise against me if I am forsworn.
At this point, you can consecrate any practical tools you wish to use as you begin your journey. To do this, sprinkle each tool with the water/salt mixture and state what you intend to use each tool for. Ensure that you say that you will use them with respect and dedicate yourself to their proper usage.
Final Offering of the Special Drink: May the Kindreds bless this drink and may I drink of the essence of the Three Worlds. May I be blessed with health, happiness, success in my journeys and good fortune in my decisions. May my actions be done in the Spirit of Service and in a respectful manner. May I always find joy, love and wisdom in my journeys along my path.
If you have a necklace or a piece of jewelry that you will be wearing all the time, you may wish to consecrate that too. Dip the item into the water/salt mixture and say:
By the might of the Waters of Life and the light of the fire, by the three kindreds in the three worlds do I bless this token. May it serve always to remind me of my oath as I wear it near my flesh. Let the blessing of the powers shine and flow in it, turning aside ill and kindling wisdom, love and power in my spirit. So may it be.
Grounding and Centering – This is the time to ground and centre yourself and start coming back to the mundane world again. You may say it aloud, have it pre-recorded and play it, or study it before hand and just do it when it is time to ground and center.
As with all visits to the Otherworld, we need to come back into ourselves and our world of form.
close your eyes and feel the solid ground beneath your feet. Feel how it supports you and feel how you are drawn to it through gravity. Quietly in your mind, I want you to think of yourself as a tree with your roots digging deep into the ground.
While your roots grow, I want you to root yourself with your mundane information…think of your name, your kids, your job, your school, your friends and all that you love in your life as a living being of this realm of existence.
Think: My mundane name is _____________, I stand here at ____________. I work at _________________ (or go to school at ______________). My parents are _____________________________. I was born in _______________________. Etc.
Think of all your mundane information and think it silently to yourself as your roots grow. Let your mundane information root you in this world. Listen to the sound of the traffic outside and the other sounds around you..
You are a creature of this world, you are a creature of flesh and blood, you are a creature with the ability to traverse between the worlds! You are a child of the Gods!
Let us now begin the journey to the end of this celebration…
Final Offerings to seasonal Patrons and closing statements
I thank you, Great and Shining Ones. Honoured ones who have chosen me, protected me and continue to guide me on my journey; for attending this rite and bestowing your blessings upon me.
I thank for your guidance and presence tonight. May I continue to seek my path with courage and may I strive to uphold the standard of service and love.
As I leave this space, may I be mindful of your grace and your will as well as my own.
Sending out of our energy and work into the surroundings
May the work performed here tonight be blessed and carried forth by the Gods of our People, the Spirits of this Space and the Will in my hearts.
Blessings and thanks to all:
Blessings and deepest thanks to all who have come to honour this night with me. Go if you must, stay if you will.
Blessings and thanks to our Kindreds and Spirit Friends who witnessed my dedication. May your journeys be blessed.
Blessings and thanks to the realms of Land and Sea and Sky, may I honour your
sustenance of my life always.
Blessings to the Ancestors
Great ancestors of Land, History and Blood, may your positive wisdom and influence carry through me from this day onwards. Ere you depart to your realms, may here always be peace and harmony between us. Hail and farewell.
Blessings to the Guardians of the Space
Great guardians and Spirits of the Place, may you be always nourished as your presence has nourished me.
May you always find protection and may the energies of your worlds flow freely with love and inspiration. Be forever blessed. Hail and Farewell.
Final closing of ritual and Unclaiming of Sacred Space
This celebration ends in peace as it began. May the work of this rite and the blessings we have received go with us as we depart this night. May it sustain us and strengthen us until again we meet!
At this point, it is wise to ground yourself further with something to eat or drink. Take down your ritual space with care and write in your journal about your experience.
You are now ready to start working through this course. Blessings on your journeys!