Rite of Passing

The following rite was written by Emma Restall Orr, much of it taken from the rite written with Philip Shallcrass (published as a short leaflet) for The British Druid Order.

The Sacred Rite of Passing

Rites of Passing are incredibly varied. Working as closely as possible with the wishes of the one who has passed on, some rituals are solemn, some filled with laughter; some are formal, in clearly defined temple venues, with words read from scripts, together with poetry and old prayers; others are completely fluid, the ritual loosely held together, the spirit flowing wherever it may lead.

It is important to be confident that there is no right way, no wrong way, only the way that feels most comfortable, appropriate and true.

When

The following rite, or aspects of it, might be used at any time from the day of death, for the ceremony of burial or cremation during the following week or so, or as a memorial rite performed later. It can also be used by those still feeling the loss of a loved one or seeking a more significant release some years following a person’s passing into the otherworlds.

While for another rite of passage it might be appropriate or possible to challenge family members with one’s own Pagan or Druidic beliefs, when someone has died this challenge can be unnecessarily dishonourable. For many within the Druidic tradition, a number of rites are done after their passing, allowing members of the family and community opportunities in which to grieve and let go according to their own needs and spiritual visions.

Where

The venue for the ritual is dependent on at what point the rite is done. It can be adapted and added to for a burial in a natural/forest burial ground or cemetery; it could be altered for a crematorium, including a new element honouring the transformative power of fire; in a sacred Grove or other religious or historically sacred site, it could be used as a rite of memorial, for scattering ashes, (where appropriate) planted a tree or setting a standing stone, a cairn, or simply to celebrate the life of the one who has journeyed on.

In a venue that is used by those of other religious or spiritual traditions, such as a crematorium or burial ground, while it is important to make invocations that will bless the rite through one’s own tradition, it is also honourable to ensure that this specific energy does not intrude upon others’.

Preparing of the Venue

If necessary, before the Rite of Passing is performed, a ritual blessing the venue can be conducted in preparation, the site purified and offerings given, ensuring that the spirits of place will accept the rite, witnessing it with honour and inspiration.

Where appropriate, a sacred Circle can be delineated, and decorated as required. Where this is not appropriate, an altar can be created, not only as a place where the items needed in the Rite can be placed, but also to act as a focus. Upon it may be placed flowers or foliage of the season, items held as important or sacred by the deceased, photographs, and so on.

The Participants

The rite is written to be led by a celebrant, a priest who ensures that all that must be done is done, who holds the energy and the sanctity of time and place. However, it may be facilitated less formally, simply by one who is organizing the event.

Words written within this rite, and others added, may be spoken by any member of the gathering. There may be many guests, or just a few. Parts of this ritual may be taken by an individual alone who wishes to honour a deceased loved one, friend or colleague.

The Ceremony

THE TEMPLE IS MADE

The Guests are invited to gather around, forming a circle if appropriate. The priest bids everyone welcome giving an outline of the ceremony if necessary. She calls to the Spirits of Place in order that the rite maybe performed with their guidance and inspiration.

She makes the Call for Peace, turning to the four directions.

Let there be peace in the East, so let it be.
Let there be peace in the South, so let it be.
Let there be peace in the West, so let it be.
Let there be peace in the North, so let it be.
Let there be peace through all the Worlds. So let it be.

We gather in peace, soul to soul, within this sacred place and with clear intent, on this the (calendrical date), the (number) day of (moon) Moon, in the year (date). We stand in the eye of the Sun and upon this hallowed Earth, so to witness the sacred Rite of Passing for (deceased). Together we come to honour (him/her), who—in body– has left our company.

Let us now weave our circle, that the spirits of those who are gathered here may be blended in one purpose, one voice and one sacred space.

The circle is cast tightly or loosely woven, depending on what is required, what is relevant for the venue and the company gathered. It is consecrated and blessed with with incense and water.

There may be calls to the Four Directions using words such as these.

Let us now call to the Four Directions, to the four elements of creation, that we may ask for their blessings at this time of change.

EAST : Hail spirits of the East, spirits of air, bright spear’s shaft of sunrise and of spring, great eagle, you who see far and fly swift and true between the worlds, I call upon you that you may bless and inspire this rite. I bid you hail and welcome!

SOUTH : Hail spirits of the south, spirits of fire, keen-edged sword of summer and the noonday sun, great stag of seven tines, you whose strength of purpose protects the herd from harm, I call upon you that you may bless and inspire this rite. I bid you hail and welcome!

WEST : Hail spirits of the west, sprits of water, cauldron of many changes, of sunset and the year’s fall, sleek salmon of wisdom, you who give the gift of knowing this world and the worlds beyond, I call upon you that you may bless and inspire this rite. I bid you hail and welcome!

NORTH : Sprits of the north, spirits of earth, stone of fate, of winter and of midnight dark, bear mother, you who nurture your young, holding them within your cavern warmth through the long night, I call upon you that you may bless and inspire this rite. I bid you hail and welcome!

The three worlds are honoured, the sources of our inspiration sought within nature.

Spirits of the high skies that guide us to stretch and grow; gentle lord of the sun, distant stars, ancestral light; cloud folk who paint such art above us; breath of life, soft breeze and chasing winds; feathered folk who know the dance of freedom upon the wing.

Spirits of the dark earth that holds and feeds us; mud of our lands, rich and fertile soil into which we so deeply root; rocks and stones, gems of the earth, you who give us stability underfoot; trees and plants, creatures four footed and two.

Spirits of the open seas that wash and shape the shores of these lands; meandering rivers, guiding our direction, birthing springs of new life, deep still pools holding us upon our journey; you of the tidal waters, emerging and receding, blood and rain, swimming, diving.

Spirits of this place, power of nature, who you offer us the breath of life, the fire of passion, the sweet taste of love, the ground upon which we walk, know that you are honoured here. Let us feel your presence, let us share the awen.

THE ANCESTORS ARE HONOURED

I call in peace to the ancestors of these sacred islands, you whose feet have walked the fields and forests, the valleys and hills, those whose hands have worked the earth and touched the waters of the seas, you whose stories lie in the mud and sing in the wind, whose breath we now breathe. I call to you that we may feel your presence here, that you may know you are honoured here.

I call in peace to the ancestors of our spiritual heritage, teachers of old who guide us now, whose wisdom whispers in our hearts and minds. I call to you that we may hear your wisdom here, that you may know you are honoured here.

I call in peace to the ancestors of our blood, those to whom we are joined through brith and death, heart to heart, womb to womb, whose love and tears, strength and weaknesses, remain as stories in our bones. I call to you that we may accept the gifts you bring, that you may know you are honoured here.

I call in peace to the ancestors of (deceased), those of the blood line that have lost this their companion. Gathering together as the hidden company on this sacred day, joining those who have come to say farewell, guiding the soul of (deceased) and honouring (his/her) life, know that you are welcome here in peace.

Those who would join us in peace, be with us within our Circle, consecrated and blessed with beauty and wakefulness. May this rite be blessed by your presence. May we have ears for those who have gone before.

Hail ancestors, hail and welcome!

THE SHARING OF STORIES

Within this sacred space do we now call to the gods and guides of those who are grieving that their presence may help to fill this time of loss with soul-deep recollections of the life we have gathered here to honour.

I now ask all you, who have come to this Rite, to share with this gathering, expressing love and honour, friendship and kinship, in music and poetry, in prayers and acknowledgement, with thanks and as a blessing and farewell. Let each according to his or her own soul and sources of inspiration come forward into the Circle and make their offering.

All gathered are then encouraged to share as they can, speaking to the deceased, the gods or the grieving, giving their offerings of words and music. This can be formal, orchestrated and solemn, it can be a time of laughter and tears, informally shared.

It is a powerful time of letting go and, while the structure of the event perhaps should be held within that envisaged by the principal mourners, it can also be important not to limit this time of honouring unnecessarily.

So do we give thanks for all that we have learned and shared through the life of our departed friend whose soul, nourished by our words, prepares for the long awaited and most sacred journey from this world towards the otherworld that lies beyond the setting sun.

THE FEAST

Let us now make our feast, sharing all we have with the blessed dead, our ancestors and the one departed.

Traditionally within Druidry, the ritual feast is of bread and mead. However, relevance is more important than tradition for some at this time, and bread may be substituted for a favourite food, and mead for a preferred drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic).

The feast is blessed by the priest, or another in the gathering, invoking simple concepts of deity. Specific gods or spirits may be preferred for this blessing.

Mother Earth, in the name of our gods, the gods of our land and of our ancestors, we give you thanks. You nourish us body and soul with your gifts of beauty and abundance. As you honour us with precious life, so may we honour you.

Father Sky, in the name of our gods, the gods of our land and of our ancestors, we give you thanks. Light of the sun and blessings of rain fall upon the body of our Mother, bring forth her gifts. As you honour us with your blessings, so may we honour you.

The first is offered back to the earth and the spirits of the place. The second is given to the ancestors and the deceased, through the fire if one is present, into the grave, onto the ground, or other appropriate place according to the venue and time.

We offer apples, fruit of immortality, that he who has departed will know the beauty of life, blessed with awen. We offer apples, fruit of fertility, that he who has departed will touch the magical power that is nature’s gift of renewal, regeneration, rebirth. We offer apples, fruit of this sacred land, that he who has departed will know he is loved and remembered.

The apples are given whole, or cut and shared in the nature of the bread and mead, or simply given to the deceased as above.

THE FAREWELL

In the tradition of our ancestors, it was understood that the soul travelled across the western ocean to the place of the sunset, diving there to the otherworldly islands of paradise that lie beneath the sea. There they rest, their spirits fed and nurtured, bathed in the beauty and abundance, finding the healing they need before they return along the path of the sun, through the darkness beneath the worlds, to rebirth with the rising sun in the east.

Within this sacred place, we call to the gods that (deceased) may know this road and travel it with courage and with joy, accompanied by friends, companions and loved ones. May (he/she) find the mead sweet and the bread always fresh upon his way. So may it be.

The farewell to the deceased is then made, formally by the priest and/or informally by all who are gathered.

Death is merely that place where souls are detained only long enough to be sained with the purifying smoke, fanned by the white wings of the sacred winds, until they are whiter than the swans of the songs, white than the seagull of the waves, whiter than the snow of the peaks, whiter than the pure love of heroes. Death is no oblivion, but a journey through cleansing, healing and change. We will meet again those whom we have loved. Such is the law of existence.

So do I call to the guide and guardian of the dead, you who ride the night with the wild hunt, gathering the souls of the departed, leading them along the hidden ways to Annwn, the place is no place, where they will rest after the struggles of this life, nourished and healed for their journey of rebirth.

Guide well the soul of (deceased) on that journey of the setting sun, through the darkness of night to the place of peace.

May those who have gone before prepare a joyous welcome among their company in that blessed land, far beyond the shores of this world. May understanding grow there with the stories told, may nourishment be found in the food of angels, with remembrance of love and the soul’s release into perfect freedom. So may it be.

The coffin is then placed into the ground, the ashes scattered, the tree planted, the cairn built, or whatever is arranged for this rite.

As a parting gift, (deceased) has left us this memorial of his life. May it guide us through the moontides to come, through the days and nights of grieving and releasing, that we may remember well the beauty of (deceased)’s living and the potential of our own, and so honour the gift of life. So may it be.

Final gifts are given to the deceased, into the fire, the grave or the earth, in accordance with what is appropriate for the occasion. These are often flowers, sacred tools, a phial of tears, photographs, or what may be required for the journey.

Some poetry is often told as this is done, music, words of honour, or invocations to the gods.

In order to allow the spirit of our companion to make the journey in strength, we must now hand over to those from the otherworlds who would guide him.

There is a period of silence.

THE CLOSING OF THE RITE

Let us now close our Circle that we may return to the worlds we share, held by the beauty of our memories, respectful and releasing, well blessed, that we may give into life encouraged by the power of what we have gained, in wisdom and love, as a result of this departing.

The priest gives thanks for the gods invoked through the rite. The ancestors are honoured.

All you who have come in peace, seen and unseen, ancestors of this sacred land and of our spiritual heritage, we give you thanks for your presence, your guidance and inspiration. To those joined in blood to the one honoured in this rite, (deceased), we give you special thanks. May you feel blessed by this rite just as your presence has been a poignant and rich blessing to us. Return to your realms in peace, as in peace you came. With thanks, with respect, in the name of the old gods, we bid you hail and farewell!

The four directions are honoured, with words such as these.

NORTH : Spirits of the north, spirits of earth, we give you thanks for all that you have offered us through the sanctity of this rite. May your wisdom remain with (deceased) upon (his/her) way, and with those who grieve for (his/her) parting. Hail and farewell!

WEST : Spirits of the west, spirits of water, we give you thanks for all that you have offered us through the sanctity of this rite. May your wisdom remain with (deceased) upon (his/her) way, and with those who grieve for (his/her) parting. Hail and farewell!

SOUTH : Spirits of the south, spirits of fire, we give you thanks for all that you have offered us through the sanctity of this rite. May your wisdom remain with (deceased) upon (his/her) way, and with those who grieve for (his/her) parting. Hail and farewell!

EAST : Spirits of the east, spirits of air, we give you thanks for all that you have offered us through the sanctity of this rite. May your wisdom remain with (deceased) upon (his/her) way, and with those who grieve for (his/her) parting. Hail and farewell!

Spirit of this Place, we give you thanks for your blessings. Hail, O ancestors, O great Gods of old, we give you thanks for your presence, your guidance and your inspiration. May these gifts remain with us as we bid you hail and farewell!

Let the Circle be opened that these blessings be shared through out the world.

The priest makes the final offerings and uncasts/unweaves the Circle.

This celebration ends in peace as in peace it began. May the spirit of this rite and the blessings we have received go with us all as we depart this place, to nourish, strengthen and sustain us until we meet again.

The gathering departs the Circle, the priest being the last to leave after making the final prayers of closing.

Here ends this rite.
Blessed be as blessed is!