Generic Festival Ritual

Generic Festival Rite

Initiate the Rite  

Process into ritual space, playing/singing music if desired.  

Purification

Using incense, purify participants as they process into the ritual space.

Earth Mother

Earth mother, you who support and sustain all life, through you the cycle of the year continues. I kneel upon you here and ask that you uphold this rite.  Welcome, Earth Mother.

Statement of Purpose

Welcome everyone.  Thank you for joining us.  Today we are gathered at <festival> to honor the Three Kindreds and foster relationships within our community. 

Recreating the Cosmos

Sacred Fire, warm and bright.  Flames of inspiration, flames of passion, flames of our heart.  You connect us to the upper realm. Sacred flames, burn brightly.

Sacred Well, deep and cool.  Waves of knowledge, waters of emotion, waters of the depths.  You connect us to the lower realm.  Sacred waters, flow calmly. 

Sacred Tree, strong and tall.  Branches reaching high, roots growing deep, trunk steady.  You connect our realm to all others.  Sacred tree, grow swiftly. 

Opening the Gates

I call to the gatekeeper, walker between the realms.  You who act as our messenger and guardian.  You guide our steps and open the ways.  Let the smoke rising up from our fire connect us to the realm of the Shining Ones.  Let the waters flowing deep in our well connect to us the realm of the Ancestors.  Let the tree growing deep and stretching high connect all the realms into this sacred space.  Gatekeeper, let the gates be open.

Three Kindreds

Nature Spirits, creatures of fur and scale and feather.  Green growing things and solid stones beneath our feet.  We invite you to our hearth fire and give you this offering.  Welcome, Nature Spirits!

Make offering

Ancestors, loved ones of blood and heart and hearth.  You who passed from this world before us and guide our journey.  We invite you to our hearth fire and give you this offering.  Welcome, Ancestors!

Make offering

Shining Ones, mighty deities of our hearth and others.  You who have taught us much and give us the greatest gifts.  We invite you to our hearth fire and give you this offering.  Welcome, Shining Ones!

Make offering

Key Offering

Nature Spirits, Ancestors, and Shining Ones.  We welcome you into this space and honor you. Just as we work to build relationships with one another, we invite you to our hearth fire so we can also share our hospitality with you.  Welcome, Kindreds All!

Make offering

Prayer of Sacrifice

We have given our gifts freely to honor the Kindreds.  We offer our hospitality and hope that it brings balance.  Mighty Kindreds, accept these offerings!
Make final offering
Omen

Do a 3 stone draw to determine message for this ritual

Blessing:

Hail the Three Kindred who join us in this rite.  Let their blessings flow into these waters.  Let the wisdom of the Ancestors flow into these waters.  Let the patience of the Nature Spirits flow into these waters.  Let the light of the Shining Ones flow into these waters.  Behold, the waters of life!

Depending on group size you can either pass the cup, or you can asperge the crowd with them if it is too large.

Thanking the Beings

Shining Ones, deities of our hearths, may you continue to bless and guide us on our paths.  Shining ones, we thank you.

Ancestors, you who came before us, may you continue to guide us with your knowledge.  Ancestors, we thank you. 

Nature Spirits, honorable ones of groves and waterways, may you continue to guide us with your growth.  Nature Spirits, we thank you.

Closing the Gates

Gatekeeper, you who walk between the worlds, thank you for opening and guarding the way between the realms.  Gatekeeper, we thank you.

I ask you now to join with me once again.  Let the fire be just flames, let the well be just water, let the tree be just a symbol.  Let the Gates be closed. 

Thanking the Earth Mother

Earth Mother, goddess of the cycles of life, we thank you for your presence this evening and always.  Earth Mother, we thank you.

Closing the Rite

We have done as our ancestors did, and as our children will do. Let us go forth knowing that we have done our best.  We’ve made our offerings and the Kindred are pleased.  We go forth under their protection.  This rite is closed.