It is a personal ritual, intended to be performed solitary, which is not what I would usually do. This time, however, the circumstances, the timing and the purpose meant standing alone to face my shadows, my ancestors and the spirits of this particular land - the southern coast of the Baltic Sea.
Some clarification is perhaps in order: I am not skilled in actually writing rituals - although I performed quite a few over the past 12 years. My practice has taken me to the point where the rituals I perform are intuitive, spontaneous and the main trigger is always Awen. I have tried to frame my intentions into a ritual script as much as possible and paid attention to describe the proceedings using some of Bradius' Alban Hefin structure. For the sake of clarity, of course.
You will probably notice some elements are perhaps a little surprising - like the use of buckwheat and poppy seeds. These are traditional offerings to the Dead/Ancestors at this time of the year in the West Slavic region where I live (Northern Poland).
Although I usually perform the Samhain ritual on the eve of October 31st, this year was different. The darkness that I had sunken into on the night of Samhain has put me in a trance-like state, all words and actions would fail me and there was something that needed to burst out from the depths of my mind to allow me to breath again and prepare with dignity for the recreation of the sacred treaty between Man and Sidhe. Therefore, the ritual shall be performed tomorrow night, during the Full Moon of Samhain, on the sea shore.
Wishing you all the strength and warmth you need for the coming Winter!
Tin
....
Samhain ritual to be performed at the
sea shore, solitary
Altair shall be embedded in the sand;
only essential parafernalia
Preface
The
sudden Winds tear flesh and bone
The
pounding Waves crush heart and home
The
moving Sand, with nowhere to stand
The hidden Flame will burn again!
Consecration of Time
3 x high-pitched undulating
cries, resembling the voice of a seagull in the distance
This is the Time of the Turning!
The Tree of Life first blossoms then fades
And now it is time for the summer to end
And now it is time for winter to take hold
Samhain is upon us, burn the fires, behold!
Calling of the Quarters
Let there be peace in the East, where the Sun is born
Let there be peace in the South, where the Fire sleeps
Let there be peace in the West, where the Kindred
waits
Let there be peace in the North, where the Shadow
reigns
Wardens of Space and Time, grant peace to my Grove.
Casting the Circle
I cleanse this Grove and all that it holds with Air [walk around the circle clockwise and purify
it with the sound of a swan's feather held against the wind]
I cleanse this Grove and all that it holds with Fire [light candle, walk around the circle
clockwise and purify it with the flickering flame]
I cleanse this Grove and all that it holds with Water [sprinkle sea water walking around the
circle clockwise]
I cleanse this Grove and all that it holds with Earth [take handful of sand and cast it around the
circle clockwise]
And here I stand, between Sea and Land
And Air, as the Boundaries break open.
Invocation
Hear me! Oh, Mighty Ones!
Hear me! Oh, Roots of the Past!
Hear me! Oh, Spirits of the Wilderness!
[face West, where the
Otherworld lies]
I summon the Shadows of the West, to take hold of the
world once more.
I summon the Shadows of the Past, to walk the Earth once
more.
Oh, Great Gatekeeper of the Realms, Manannan, wise Trickster
and most strange of Teachers
I call upon you to thrust the gates open and herald
the sacred gathering of Man and Sidhe
For here I am, Daughter of Twilight and Mother of
Night, to honour the ancient treaty:
As the Dark Half of the Year befalls, the Land once
more shall be ruled by the People of Danu.
As a sign of peace and to honour this most sacred of vows,
I do as Amergin did and open the waves for the Tuatha de Danann to enter these
lands and claim them for the winter [gesture
of invoking the Sea; song.]
And when summer is near at Beltaine once more, I shall
call upon the Sidhe to return underground and give way to my people who walk in
the Sun.
[Turn towards center of the
circle to kindle the Samhain fire]
With this, I accept the treaty and herald summer's
end! Samhain is now upon us.
This, I offer - to the Gods [offer bread, rosemary and
whisky into the fire]; most of all to be honoured at Samhain is Manannan, the
Keeper of All Gates and Son of the Sea; grant me, Wave-Farer, access to the
depths of my heart and the hidden truth. And most of all to be honoured at
Samhain is the Morrigan, Death's Mistress and Queen of the Land; grant me,
Fierce Ruler, the strength and courage I need to outlast my enemies. [offer bread, whisky and rosemary].
Manannan mac Lir, and Morrigan the Fierce, devourers
of blood, exchange these offerings for your blessings to the people of this
land; your guidance to mariners, abundance to fishermen, fortitude to all
people of the sea. [offer whisky]
Behold! The
gates are fully open and my ancestors may join us. Come, my Tribe, and partake
of the fruits I have gathered this year; bless my home and my hearth and watch
over my family through the cold of the winter. [offer poppy seeds and whisky into the fire].
And this I offer to the Spirits, as a token of my
gratitude for allowing me to be a part of this Land [offer buckwheat and whisky into the fire]
[meditation, accepting the
blessings, using the power; thanks to the Gods, Ancestors and Spirits]
Deconsecration of Time and
Space [put out fire]
Final benediction: Awen.
End.
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