Imbolic Ritual
Here’s my first attempt at a high day ritual ADF style. Keep in mind I have only ever been to one ADF ritual which was Yule the past year, so please bear with me.
The space has been purified with sage/mugwort smoke, and salt water (1). I ring the silver bell 9 times (2) and place my yoni pendant around my neck, signaling it is time for the ritual to begin.
Blessed Danu, she whose fertile rivers feed her children and purify the land, birth waters that now lay frozen in the chill of the Dark Times, I call Her to stand witness and bless my workings. Spring is stirring awake beneath my feet, whispering in my ears promises that one day soon Danu’s waters will be free, that one day soon the land will know Her fertile touch. I feel Her animal children in deep slumber within Her body. I feel dormant seeds waiting beneath me in the hard ground, seed that will grow to feed our bodies and spirits. Beloved Earth Mother, I long to lie upon your sun warmed soil, to swim in your fertile waters, to feed upon your bounty. I honor you now, as I do always.
I pour orange blossom (3) infused water in the offering bowl.
Though outside the land is covered in a blanket of white that seems to smother all life I can hear the rhythm of creation like a heartbeat beneath me. I come here now to purify myself in preparation of the fertile time, and to celebrate the promise of the coming of the spring. I come before the Shining Ones, the Ancestors, and the Spirits of the Land to honor them and to seek the favor of Brigid, keeper of the sacred flame in hopes she might add her blessings to my workings in service of my community.
I breath in, 1…2…3…4…5…6. I breath out 1…2…3…4…5…6. Nine times I fill and release the cool winter air from my lungs (4) then I begin the Grove meditation. Slow, rhythmic breathing continues throughout. I feel the roots that are my legs and feet reach into the cold earth, seeking the underrealm. My arms reach skyward toward the upperrealms. I feel the heart within my trunk calm, throbbing, sharing a rhythm with my brothers and sisters upon the midrealms. This continues until I am centered and ready.
I turn to face the Fire hallow
Fire burns beneath me
Fire burns within me
All is purified within the Fire
I light the hearthfire in the caldron (5) and cast (incense) into the flames
I turn to my Well and gather my offering of silver from next to it.
Water flows beneath me
Water flows within me
All flows into the well
I place my offering of silver in the well.
I turn to my Dragon Tree and lift the mortar and pestle holding the remains of the sage and mugwort from purification.
The Tree is the World
I am the Tree
All life is connected to the Tree
I grind the herb nine times and then offer a bit of the ash (6) to the earth beneath the tree
The sacred Fire, the Well, and the Tree, together we stand at the center of the world.
Once ready, I face the northeast and cast my offering (7) into the hearth fire.
I call upon my Matron, the Morrigan, to stand as the Gatekeeper of this rite, to serve in her role as walker between the worlds and opener of the sacred doorways. Accept my sacrifice and stand guardian at the doorways, defending this rite and opening passage to only those invited within my sanctuary.
I pick up my lit candle in its silver holder and turn to face my place of Fire.
I call to the Shining Ones, the keepers of the secrets, the creators of all things.
As I seek to know you more, I honor you
As I struggle to unlearn the lessons of the Dominant Deceivers, I honor you
In service to my family, to my community, to the creatures of the land, I honor you.
I ask you forgive my errors as I relearn the Rites my souls had forgotten
Shining Ones, I honor you and ask that you bless my workings and cast away ill will from this my sacred place.
I light each of the three candles, starting with the white.
I make an offering of my doubts. May I never forget the power of youthful fearlessness
I make an offering of my compassion. May I always have enough love for all in need.
I make an offering of my knowledge. May I never stop learning or stop teaching others willing to learn.
Bitheadh e mar sin.
I place the candle in the trigoddess holder. (8)
I turn to the Well.
I call to the ancestors, the keepers of the stories, or our history.
The healers, the mystics, the channelers, the seers
Your blood flows through me, your daughter who has come to honor you.
I ask you forgive my errors as I relearn the Ways my blood has simply forgotten.
Goat’s milks and honey into the offering bowl for the Ancestors
Ancestors, I honor you and ask that you bless my workings and cast away ill will from this my sacred place.
Bitheadh e mar sin.
I turn to the Dragon Tree.
I call to the gentle spirits of the land, keepers of spring, caretakers of the slumbering bud, watchers of the waiting seeds.
For to long the air had been silent of your laughter.
I long to dance with you under a warm spring sun
I long to tend my garden, knowing you are there waiting to urge the growth, the change
I long for that growth and change within myself, within this world.
I ask you forgive my errors as I reconnect with the land, a need my heart has never forgotten, but that my hands and mind struggle to relearn.
I place pussywillow water and honey in the offering bowl on the Nature Folk shrine and move it to the main shrine.
Spirits, I honor you and ask that you bless my workings and cast away ill will from this my sacred place.
Bitheadh e mar sin.
I collect my cards (9) and shuffle them while speaking.
I ask for an omen from each of the Kindred to help me as I continue my workings over the next year. I bid you teach me, empower me, show me the way so I might continue to serve all those within my community who need my magics. Your daughter is grateful for all you give and honors you.
I lay a card for the Ancestors
I lay a card for the Spirits
I lay a card for the Shining Ones (10)
I return to the trigoddess candle.
Brigid. Lady of the Sacred Flames, Patron of poets, of artists, of all those that create beauty and magic with this hands and their words.
I honor you with this offering of spring flowers, wildflower honey, and nanny’s milk
I serve you in my voice, my dance, my hands as I create and explore.
I offer my passion for learning and creating that I shall never let that creative spirit stagnate in dormancy.
In all this I honor you.
Add the milk, the wildflower honey, and the flowers to the offering bowl.
Brigid, Bringer of Inspiration. I bid your favor and ask that you bless my hand, my heart, and my words in my workings today.
I hold the chalice for the blessing.
The Blood of the Ancestors flows within me, may I be blessed with their wisdom and never forget where I came from.
The Heartwood of the World Tree fills me, may I be blessed with love and compassion even when I must battle for what is right.
The Fire of passion and Inspiration burns within me, may I always honor the Shining Ones with my deed and words, and may I be blessed with knowledge and strength
Beloved Danu, though I can no longer bear the young of our tribe, may I be blessed with fertility enough to serve my community as is needed me to do
Fiery Brigid, I think you for your favor today, and bid you for your blessing so I may go on and serve with inspirited words and actions.
Dark Mother, matron of my deepest heart and keeper of the coming mysteries. I bid you for your blessing that I might find the warrior inside and burn away the doubts that so often cloud my determination.
Changing seasons, spin within me
Fire, Water, Land, and Sky
Mother, Warrior, Artist, Healer
Changing Season, all am I
Repeat three times, each time facing one of the hallows, and then drink from chalice.
I take the tri candle and turn to where my working altar sets (11), knelling before it. I light the candle there with the tri-goddess candle.
Mother of Fire, there is a child in need today, a mother in need even within this hour, this moment. I ask for your aid in my art, your aid in my spell to protect this child from the untrained strength of her own abilities, and from the spirits she calls that could unintentionally or on purpose do her harm.
I call upon my Matron, the Morrigan, in her role of fierce mother and protector. There are beings that cause this child to lash out at those she loves. Prepare me so I might do battle, empower me so that I might add your strength to these workings so that the beings of hate and violence stay far from this our bright spirited child. I offer of myself, so that no more pain be brought on this family by these malevolent spirits.
I place my offering (12) in the well by the statue of the Morrigan.
I call to you, beloved goddesses
Bless the wood, so that the circle contained my spell and protects this child
Bless my sinew that I might weave the web with clean intension and strong magic
Bless my stones that they might link to create the shield the child is too young to create herself
Bless the feather that it might carry the child safely into slumber and spin the energy each morning from the sun to fuel the shield’s work in the evening.
Bless these words with power, with love, and with the strength of community.
Come gentle spirits not the wild
Spare our grove’s beloved child
Bring her peace and mother too
This is what I bid you do
Say these words 9 times to set the space for later working (13) and then take tri-candle back to main altar.
May the Dark Mother, the Morrigan, be honored by my offerings and workings today. I thank Her for Her blessing.
May Bright Lady, Brigid, be honored by my offerings and workings today. I thank Her for Her blessing.
May the Sprits be honored by my offerings and workings today. I thank them for their blessing.
May the Shining Ones be honored by my offerings and workings today. I thank them for their blessing.
May the Ancestors be honored by my offerings and workings today. I thank them for their blessing.
May the earth Mother, Danu, be honored by my offerings and workings today. I thank Her for Her blessing.
Keeper of the Gate, Guardian of the rite, I bed thee now to close the passage between worlds. Return this space to as it was. I thank you.
I declare this rite ended. Go in peace. Farwell
Bitheadh e mar sin.
(1) Sage and Saltwater have always seemed right to me for purification, even moreso now with the sage and mugwort being sacred to my Cherokee ancestors, and the Saltwater having a deep connection to the ocean and my Celtic ancestors, if feels right to use to set my space.
(2) 9 times, 3x3, compounding the power of the number. Seems right especially working with a trigoddess.
(3) Orange blossom water = a connection to danu’s birthwaters and spring
(4) I have the window open, to frikken cold to do outdoor ritual in Wisconsin yet :)
(5) Of try to at least…note to self, need to work on keeping the hearthfire going in the cauldron. The dry bamboo leaves do not seem to keep the fire fueled enough, or they seem to interfere with the fire somehow. Adding cloth helps some.
(6) Limiting to what the small tree needs. The rest will be used later, and the remaining goes to be composted.
(7) The offering to my Matron is written in my private journal, meant to be kept between me and her.
(8) The trigoddess candle seems to want to represent Brigid tonight. I felt a connection to her as well as the Morrigan, but in relation to the urge again to sing in ritual…perhaps I need to look deeper into this.
(9) I used my Medicine card tonight…and they worked really well for me. I still plan to explore the runes, but I’m not ready to give these up yet. They give me some great info tonight.
(10) The cards will be read and kept near the working alter as I work on the shield after the ritual’s closing.
(11) The working altar is where I create ritual tools and has a representation of each hallow there as well. It has been purified and prepared. Pics of that will come later in the next few days in the journal if I run out of time tonight.
(12) The offering to my Matron is written in my private journal, meant to be kept between me and her.
(13) The candle at the working alter (the center one) kept going out as I chanted, so when I lit it again at the end of the 9 rounds I felt the urge to pick another omen, this time from the goddesses…I chose two cards, one for Brigid, one for Morrigan…and then glancing at the bottom card at the deck I suddenly just knew it was a poke from Danu. I will list all the cards from tonight in another post.
The space has been purified with sage/mugwort smoke, and salt water (1). I ring the silver bell 9 times (2) and place my yoni pendant around my neck, signaling it is time for the ritual to begin.
Blessed Danu, she whose fertile rivers feed her children and purify the land, birth waters that now lay frozen in the chill of the Dark Times, I call Her to stand witness and bless my workings. Spring is stirring awake beneath my feet, whispering in my ears promises that one day soon Danu’s waters will be free, that one day soon the land will know Her fertile touch. I feel Her animal children in deep slumber within Her body. I feel dormant seeds waiting beneath me in the hard ground, seed that will grow to feed our bodies and spirits. Beloved Earth Mother, I long to lie upon your sun warmed soil, to swim in your fertile waters, to feed upon your bounty. I honor you now, as I do always.
I pour orange blossom (3) infused water in the offering bowl.
Though outside the land is covered in a blanket of white that seems to smother all life I can hear the rhythm of creation like a heartbeat beneath me. I come here now to purify myself in preparation of the fertile time, and to celebrate the promise of the coming of the spring. I come before the Shining Ones, the Ancestors, and the Spirits of the Land to honor them and to seek the favor of Brigid, keeper of the sacred flame in hopes she might add her blessings to my workings in service of my community.
I breath in, 1…2…3…4…5…6. I breath out 1…2…3…4…5…6. Nine times I fill and release the cool winter air from my lungs (4) then I begin the Grove meditation. Slow, rhythmic breathing continues throughout. I feel the roots that are my legs and feet reach into the cold earth, seeking the underrealm. My arms reach skyward toward the upperrealms. I feel the heart within my trunk calm, throbbing, sharing a rhythm with my brothers and sisters upon the midrealms. This continues until I am centered and ready.
I turn to face the Fire hallow
Fire burns beneath me
Fire burns within me
All is purified within the Fire
I light the hearthfire in the caldron (5) and cast (incense) into the flames
I turn to my Well and gather my offering of silver from next to it.
Water flows beneath me
Water flows within me
All flows into the well
I place my offering of silver in the well.
I turn to my Dragon Tree and lift the mortar and pestle holding the remains of the sage and mugwort from purification.
The Tree is the World
I am the Tree
All life is connected to the Tree
I grind the herb nine times and then offer a bit of the ash (6) to the earth beneath the tree
The sacred Fire, the Well, and the Tree, together we stand at the center of the world.
Once ready, I face the northeast and cast my offering (7) into the hearth fire.
I call upon my Matron, the Morrigan, to stand as the Gatekeeper of this rite, to serve in her role as walker between the worlds and opener of the sacred doorways. Accept my sacrifice and stand guardian at the doorways, defending this rite and opening passage to only those invited within my sanctuary.
I pick up my lit candle in its silver holder and turn to face my place of Fire.
I call to the Shining Ones, the keepers of the secrets, the creators of all things.
As I seek to know you more, I honor you
As I struggle to unlearn the lessons of the Dominant Deceivers, I honor you
In service to my family, to my community, to the creatures of the land, I honor you.
I ask you forgive my errors as I relearn the Rites my souls had forgotten
Shining Ones, I honor you and ask that you bless my workings and cast away ill will from this my sacred place.
I light each of the three candles, starting with the white.
I make an offering of my doubts. May I never forget the power of youthful fearlessness
I make an offering of my compassion. May I always have enough love for all in need.
I make an offering of my knowledge. May I never stop learning or stop teaching others willing to learn.
Bitheadh e mar sin.
I place the candle in the trigoddess holder. (8)
I turn to the Well.
I call to the ancestors, the keepers of the stories, or our history.
The healers, the mystics, the channelers, the seers
Your blood flows through me, your daughter who has come to honor you.
I ask you forgive my errors as I relearn the Ways my blood has simply forgotten.
Goat’s milks and honey into the offering bowl for the Ancestors
Ancestors, I honor you and ask that you bless my workings and cast away ill will from this my sacred place.
Bitheadh e mar sin.
I turn to the Dragon Tree.
I call to the gentle spirits of the land, keepers of spring, caretakers of the slumbering bud, watchers of the waiting seeds.
For to long the air had been silent of your laughter.
I long to dance with you under a warm spring sun
I long to tend my garden, knowing you are there waiting to urge the growth, the change
I long for that growth and change within myself, within this world.
I ask you forgive my errors as I reconnect with the land, a need my heart has never forgotten, but that my hands and mind struggle to relearn.
I place pussywillow water and honey in the offering bowl on the Nature Folk shrine and move it to the main shrine.
Spirits, I honor you and ask that you bless my workings and cast away ill will from this my sacred place.
Bitheadh e mar sin.
I collect my cards (9) and shuffle them while speaking.
I ask for an omen from each of the Kindred to help me as I continue my workings over the next year. I bid you teach me, empower me, show me the way so I might continue to serve all those within my community who need my magics. Your daughter is grateful for all you give and honors you.
I lay a card for the Ancestors
I lay a card for the Spirits
I lay a card for the Shining Ones (10)
I return to the trigoddess candle.
Brigid. Lady of the Sacred Flames, Patron of poets, of artists, of all those that create beauty and magic with this hands and their words.
I honor you with this offering of spring flowers, wildflower honey, and nanny’s milk
I serve you in my voice, my dance, my hands as I create and explore.
I offer my passion for learning and creating that I shall never let that creative spirit stagnate in dormancy.
In all this I honor you.
Add the milk, the wildflower honey, and the flowers to the offering bowl.
Brigid, Bringer of Inspiration. I bid your favor and ask that you bless my hand, my heart, and my words in my workings today.
I hold the chalice for the blessing.
The Blood of the Ancestors flows within me, may I be blessed with their wisdom and never forget where I came from.
The Heartwood of the World Tree fills me, may I be blessed with love and compassion even when I must battle for what is right.
The Fire of passion and Inspiration burns within me, may I always honor the Shining Ones with my deed and words, and may I be blessed with knowledge and strength
Beloved Danu, though I can no longer bear the young of our tribe, may I be blessed with fertility enough to serve my community as is needed me to do
Fiery Brigid, I think you for your favor today, and bid you for your blessing so I may go on and serve with inspirited words and actions.
Dark Mother, matron of my deepest heart and keeper of the coming mysteries. I bid you for your blessing that I might find the warrior inside and burn away the doubts that so often cloud my determination.
Changing seasons, spin within me
Fire, Water, Land, and Sky
Mother, Warrior, Artist, Healer
Changing Season, all am I
Repeat three times, each time facing one of the hallows, and then drink from chalice.
I take the tri candle and turn to where my working altar sets (11), knelling before it. I light the candle there with the tri-goddess candle.
Mother of Fire, there is a child in need today, a mother in need even within this hour, this moment. I ask for your aid in my art, your aid in my spell to protect this child from the untrained strength of her own abilities, and from the spirits she calls that could unintentionally or on purpose do her harm.
I call upon my Matron, the Morrigan, in her role of fierce mother and protector. There are beings that cause this child to lash out at those she loves. Prepare me so I might do battle, empower me so that I might add your strength to these workings so that the beings of hate and violence stay far from this our bright spirited child. I offer of myself, so that no more pain be brought on this family by these malevolent spirits.
I place my offering (12) in the well by the statue of the Morrigan.
I call to you, beloved goddesses
Bless the wood, so that the circle contained my spell and protects this child
Bless my sinew that I might weave the web with clean intension and strong magic
Bless my stones that they might link to create the shield the child is too young to create herself
Bless the feather that it might carry the child safely into slumber and spin the energy each morning from the sun to fuel the shield’s work in the evening.
Bless these words with power, with love, and with the strength of community.
Come gentle spirits not the wild
Spare our grove’s beloved child
Bring her peace and mother too
This is what I bid you do
Say these words 9 times to set the space for later working (13) and then take tri-candle back to main altar.
May the Dark Mother, the Morrigan, be honored by my offerings and workings today. I thank Her for Her blessing.
May Bright Lady, Brigid, be honored by my offerings and workings today. I thank Her for Her blessing.
May the Sprits be honored by my offerings and workings today. I thank them for their blessing.
May the Shining Ones be honored by my offerings and workings today. I thank them for their blessing.
May the Ancestors be honored by my offerings and workings today. I thank them for their blessing.
May the earth Mother, Danu, be honored by my offerings and workings today. I thank Her for Her blessing.
Keeper of the Gate, Guardian of the rite, I bed thee now to close the passage between worlds. Return this space to as it was. I thank you.
I declare this rite ended. Go in peace. Farwell
Bitheadh e mar sin.
(1) Sage and Saltwater have always seemed right to me for purification, even moreso now with the sage and mugwort being sacred to my Cherokee ancestors, and the Saltwater having a deep connection to the ocean and my Celtic ancestors, if feels right to use to set my space.
(2) 9 times, 3x3, compounding the power of the number. Seems right especially working with a trigoddess.
(3) Orange blossom water = a connection to danu’s birthwaters and spring
(4) I have the window open, to frikken cold to do outdoor ritual in Wisconsin yet :)
(5) Of try to at least…note to self, need to work on keeping the hearthfire going in the cauldron. The dry bamboo leaves do not seem to keep the fire fueled enough, or they seem to interfere with the fire somehow. Adding cloth helps some.
(6) Limiting to what the small tree needs. The rest will be used later, and the remaining goes to be composted.
(7) The offering to my Matron is written in my private journal, meant to be kept between me and her.
(8) The trigoddess candle seems to want to represent Brigid tonight. I felt a connection to her as well as the Morrigan, but in relation to the urge again to sing in ritual…perhaps I need to look deeper into this.
(9) I used my Medicine card tonight…and they worked really well for me. I still plan to explore the runes, but I’m not ready to give these up yet. They give me some great info tonight.
(10) The cards will be read and kept near the working alter as I work on the shield after the ritual’s closing.
(11) The working altar is where I create ritual tools and has a representation of each hallow there as well. It has been purified and prepared. Pics of that will come later in the next few days in the journal if I run out of time tonight.
(12) The offering to my Matron is written in my private journal, meant to be kept between me and her.
(13) The candle at the working alter (the center one) kept going out as I chanted, so when I lit it again at the end of the 9 rounds I felt the urge to pick another omen, this time from the goddesses…I chose two cards, one for Brigid, one for Morrigan…and then glancing at the bottom card at the deck I suddenly just knew it was a poke from Danu. I will list all the cards from tonight in another post.