Hail to you, Ancestor! 
Thank you for the gifts
that your life has given me.
Without you
I would not be.
Who I am.

Ancestors of Blood, we call to you!  You gave us our flesh and bone so that we might walk in this world.  You adopted, fostered and nurtured us when our blood could not. You who first taught us right from wrong. You who told us the stories of your past and of ours and gave us the traditions we still hold dear in our own homes.

Ancestors of Our Land, we call to you! You stood on this Land where we live before all others. You lived simply, taking from the land only what you needed.  You who were one with nature. You who loved and respected the Land and all Her inhabitants. You from whom we learn to go back to natural ways for healing.

Ancestors of Spirit, we call to you!  You worshiped our gods before us. You walked the lands that gave them birth.  You kept the old ways alive despite the encroaching darkness. Your ways inspire our ways.  Your history and sagas teach us right action. Your artwork and poetry speak to our souls. We hear your voices in the words of our songs. Welcome all of our Ancestors!

{Light candle}

A flame is lit, to bring light and warmth to this home,

Mighty Hestia, glorious goddess of the hearth,

We ask that you bless this home and all who dwell here.

You who embody home and harmonious community,

Guide this family with your light.

And let your hospitality be shown through them.

Through this flame, let their hearts be warmed,

Through this flame, let their home be bright.

Mighty Hestia, bless this house.

Sly Fox, quick to spring, quick to act,

And quick to disappear.

You came into our world, unexpected,

And left us all too soon,

With a void that can never be filled.

But, silly Fox, your departure is not your end,

For your memory lives on,

In the hearts of all of those you left behind,

And your name echoes,

In the dreams that we’ve fulfilled.

Old Fox, my promise to you is one I won’t forget,

The tales will still be told,

And the story will continue

Travel well, dear friend,

I’ll look for you in the shadows.

This is a prayer that I wrote to my mentor when he passed away.  He often went by the name “Fox.” Fox and I had big dreams of being able to start a grove together, and he passed away before that was able to happen.  However, I continued with that dream, created a grove, and named it after his production company, Prairie Shadow.

Mighty Hestia, goddess of the living flame,

and keeper of the home,

guide us with your light.

By lighting this fire,

We claim this space as our own,

And with your name and your blessing,

the fire is lit, a hearth ablaze,

in the heart of this sacred space.

{Light Fire}

With this fire, may our hearts be warmed,

And our homes bright.

By worshiping at our communal hearth

may our community be strong and unified.

Mighty Hermes, herald to the gods,

Guide to lost souls, and friend to travellers,

Great persuader, cunning and swift,

I make this offering to you now and

call to you as the guardian of the road.

{pour mead into the fire}

As I make this offering,

know that I have more to give:

I pray that you grant us safe travels.

Allow us to reach our destination,

And return home again safely

Without hazard or dangers along our way.

If you grant us safe passage,

Making our journey swift and clear,

I will bring forth a case of my finest mead

And offer it all to you.

This is my vow to you, mighty Hermes.

Brigid, glorious goddess of fire,

Fires that blaze in the hearth,

Fires in the forge of hard work,

And fires that burn in my heart,

I call to you now.

May the flames of inspiration

burn away my inhibitions,

May your blessings of poetry

Help to guide my words.

Let your creativity shine through me,

Lady Brigid of the bards,

Hear my call!

Ceridwen, goddess of transformation,

Inspiration, and knowledge,

Mighty magic maker,

And keeper of the Cauldron of Inspiration.

You who birthed Taliesin,

Great poet and bard of Wales.

You are the womb of potential

From which inspiration flows.

I ask for your aid.

Grant me the blessings of inspiration,

From deep within your cauldron.

Let my thoughts transform,

And the words flow through me.

The ancient earth changes

As the seasons spiral round.

The autumn leaves dance

As they flutter to the ground.

The hearth fire burns warm

And keeps our hearts bright.

It helps guide us safely

Through the dark and quiet night.

To the ancient ancestors

Who walked this path before

With who we share our history,

Blood, bone, and so much more.

Guide us, awesome ancestors

And lead us on our way

Please accept our offerings

As we honor you this day.

Blessed Demeter,

Daughter of Cronus and Rhea,

Goddess of grain, fruits and bread,

Like a mother, you give us the gift of life.

You who made fruit to spring from the lands

So the rich land was filled with leaves and flowers.

You who fill the barns with foods through your joy.

Thank you for the blessings you have given mankind,

For teaching the art of harvest, and that all must end.

For providing us the many foods that sustain us.

Divine, delightful, and lovely Goddess

For all these things and more,

Bounteous Demeter,

We thank you!

Mighty Kindreds,

Today my child steps into the world,

Starting the foundation for their future.

I ask that you watch over them, and guide them.

Grant them patience and perseverance

For those times where school is hard.

Grant them joy and laughter

To spread to those around them,

And let them have fun

And enjoy these moments

That I know will pass too quickly.

Mighty Kindreds, thank you for standing by their side

When I cannot be there to hold their hand.

Earth mother, glorious goddess who supports and sustains all living things,

Thank you for providing us with nourishment and fulfillment,

And the gift of this wonderful food.  

We are grateful for your blessings,

and the blessings of the nature spirits who have given their lives so we can live.

May this food bring strength, joy, and peace to each of us.

Earth mother, we thank you!

Mighty Hermes, herald to the gods,

Guide to lost souls, and friend to travellers,

Great persuader, cunning and swift,

I make this offering to you now and

call to you as the guardian of the road.

{pour mead into the fire}

As I make this offering,

know that I have more to give:

I pray that you grant us safe travels.

Allow us to reach our destination,

And return home again safely

Without hazard or dangers along our way.

If you grant us safe passage,

Making our journey swift and clear,

I will bring forth a case of my finest mead

And offer it all to you.

This is my vow to you, mighty Hermes.

Vision in the darkness

Peeking from the corner.

A piece of comfort

While the world sleeps around me.

Barely visible shadow monsters

Vivid imagination

Making it worse

While the world sleeps around me.

Laughter echoes through the silent hallways

Chasing joyful life to places anew

A type of love that came to me, ablaze

And now has changed my whole entire worldview.

My son, my star, he shines with bliss so bright.

His words are songs that sing straight to my heart.

The life before is not even in sight.

He changed the world around him from the start.

The little star spreads light to all he knows.

A smile warms hearts, like kisses filled with love.

He shines that light to every place he goes

Soaring through life on wings, like he’s a dove.

My son is such a gift, my pride and joy.

I’m so grateful that he’s my little boy.

Early in the morning, the sun is rising

Suddenly I’m yanked from sleep.

Sirens blasting through the air seem to distort the world

My eyes spring open as my shock fills my body

Another day begins with chaos

I reach out to block the horrible screams.

My fingers stretch and everything stops.

Silence!

Each mile seems to last

Like an ungentle doctor

Who hurts more than helps.

He jogs through the tall grass, a smile plastered across his face.  

The kite is up!

And it falls.

Try again.

The bright red diamond contrasts the blue sky.  

He pauses and I kneel next to him,

showing him to release the string and let the kite soar.  

It flies high for the first time.

Dark wings encompass the universe

Out of nothingness Nyx appears, personified chaos.

Fate exhales and through that breath, creation begins.

Chaos births a beautiful egg of gold.

She nurtures the life within, patiently waiting,

Filling the egg with love.

With a simple crack, Eros emerges

And the chaos is filled with light.

The dance between order and chaos,

Perfectly balanced.

The shell of love begins to create the world,

Becoming the earth and the sky.

In this world life begins to form,

Through Nyx’s sacrifice and dedication

Through the creation of love,

The cosmos have been created,

As the upper realm of the Gods

The earth for Nature Spirits

And the underworld for our Ancestors,      

Perfectly balanced.

Terra Mater, mother earth,

You were here before our birth

You uphold our lives, it’s true,

You give gifts and blessings too.

Terra Mater, mother earth,

Please, please join us at our hearth.