DP#11 Oath Rite
The Oath Rite is the final bit of documentation for the Dedicants' Program in ADF. Some people perform this rite early in their Program to encourage them to finish it and fulfill their chosen oath. I wasn't sure it would happen for me, but after completing the first 10 assigments I was inspired to perform the rite. What I adapted for my own personal use is rather eclectic as ADF rituals go, but it does follow the orthopraxic format. And then, on the chosen day, weird weather patterns arrived...
(non-heathens/pagans enter at your own risk...)
Dedicant’s Oath Rite
PREPARATION:
I have had to do almost a year’s worth of preparation to get to this point. When I started this program, I deliberately chose not to pledge an oath to complete the program (inspiration came to me at last Wellspring’s sumbel, when other people were swearing oaths), because, while I knew I could do the rest of the program, the Dedicant’s Oath was something I wasn’t sure I could make. I’ve had to come to terms with ‘my own druidic’ oath… I am loathe to take an oath I’m not sure I can fulfill, so I have to be careful with what I promise. My preparation has included re-writing the ritual according to my personal needs. I have decided that I can swear to continue in my practice of the old ways as long as it continues to be useful. Thus, in true Celtic fashion, I have provided an “out” in case the need arises to change my path in some fashion that I cannot at the moment foresee. I figure that I have been with ADF since Midsummer 1998 CE, and as it has served mine own and my family’s needs, it may very well continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
I have decided to perform this ritual alone, rather than among family and friends, because it is for my own inner spiritual journey, and it is impossible to take someone with me inside myself (language is only a distillation of thought-experience, rather than direct information). Also, I tend to get distracted by others’ needs/expectations. Therefore, the place for this spiritual journey that pops into mind as most fitting is a place I walk to from my house when I need some ‘alone time’ to meditate-a place too far for my family to walk and for me it suits as solvitur ambulandum-sometimes the meditation state one falls into while walking sets the tone for solving the immediate problem and the subsequent deeper meditation [on the rocks between the beach sand and Lake Erie (erosion protection)] winds up more broadly applicable than the immediate problem. The ‘between-ness’ seems appropriate for two reasons:
For the Mother Earth (Gaia) offering, I chose 3 grains: cornmeal, semolina and basmati rice (these last two I ground up with a mortar & pestle). The fire presents a problem, as the place is always windy-even when it is calm at home. I solved the problem by electing to use an enclosed flame (a scented candle with the title “Inspiration”) and a charcoal briquette with powdered incense. I chose this form of incense on a charcoal briquette to avoid the problems with fire. Since my customary source of powdered incense is gone, I experimented with grinding up cones and it worked. I selected 3 scents that had personal meaning (rose, sandalwood, and “refreshing” [a yellow, fire-inspired concoction]). For the well, I decided the sacred water of Lake Erie would be most appropriate, choosing environmentally friendly offerings in small amounts (dosis sola facit venenum). I decided on 3 sterling silver beads, 3 magnetically charged hematite beads and 3 blue/green glass beads. For the Charms of Blessing, I found an Austrian crystal with 30 facets, a magnetically charged hematite spiral and a blue/green glass bead (as I see blue/green as representing the manifest world, rather than red/green). Hazelnut liquor is my Waters of Life.
I have chosen also to make three Oaths of Perseverance to make along with the normal Dedicant’s Oath, as symbolic of the Action that is a necessary continuation of Spirituality. These are:
PROCESSION:
At home, stand before the hearth shrine, light incense and signal the opening with 9 ‘knells’ on the dolphin ratchet.
Solvitur ambulandum (walking meditation ~1 mile to ritual spot-return journey will parallel)
OPENING PRAYERS:
Gaia as Earth Mother: Gaia, I am your daughter: Please bless & support this rite of commencement of a new phase in my spiritual life. Cornmeal on the rocks.
Inspiration: As I light the sacred fire, may the power of Inspiration kindle a flame within my soul. Light the enclosed candle and briquette.
Outdwellers & Purification: Outdwellers whose purposes run contrary to this working, please accept this offering and trouble not this rite. Shot of whiskey to the south (behind me). Offer incense to the briquette to thank Thor for his protection.
MEDITATION & ATTUNEMENT:
Continuation of the procession meditation, changed to sedentary status.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:
I come to this place between the sand and the inland sea, on earth between the realm of the Shining Ones and the realm of the Ancestors, and at a time between day and night. I come to this place to honour the Gods, Dead and Sidhe. I come to this place to ask their blessings in this commencement of my Dedicant’s Oath, a brief point on the spectrum of my spiritual path.
WELL:
In the deeps where the salmon of wisdom swims, potential flows with power. Sacred Well: flow within me.
Offer 3 silver 3 magnetic hematite and 3 blue/green beads to Lake Erie.
FIRE:
In the fire is the light of Inspiration. Sacred Flame: burn within me.
Offer incense powder to the briquette.
TREE:
Between the earth and sky, drawing sustenance from the mix of both within it, spans the Xarthus. Sacred Tree: grow within me.
Blow the incense smoke & springle drops from Lake Erie on the bilé.
SEA, SKY & SOIL:
By the cleansing of water
Let the Primal Water be
The boundary around this rite
Let this great inland sea not rise
And let all ill turn away.
By the light of the fire
Let the Shining Sky be
The roof above this rite
Let the sky not fall
And let all ill turn away.
By water and fire
Let the blessed land be
The foundation supporting this rite
Let the land hold firm
And let all ill turn away.
The Well, the Fire, the Xarthus,
Flow & Flame & Flourish in me!
In Sea, Sky & Soil, Below and Above:
Thus is the sacred space
Hailed & Hallowed.
OPENING THE GATE:
Offer incense to the Gatekeeper. Open the gates.
TRIAD OFFERINGS:
Ancestors: Honoured Ancestors of my blood, heart and head, please be welcome at my fire. You who have guided me before and will guide me in future, please be with me now. I offer to you and ask that you be here to witness and guide this rite.
Sidhe: Kindreds of stone, soil and stream, Kindreds of root, shoot and leaf, Kindreds of fur feather and scale: To all I give welcome to my fire. I offer to you and ask that you be here to witness and uphold this rite.
Gods: Shining Ones, Deities of Antiquity, Divinities that are with us still, please be welcome at my fire. You whom I have honoured and will honour through my future, please be with me now. I offer to you and ask that you be witness and bless this rite.
Song: Gods, Dead & Mighty Sidhe.
*meditation in the presence of the spirits*
KEY OFFERINGS:
OATH OFFERINGS:
I am here to pronounce my Dedicant’s Oath. Not so much is it to create my dedication to druidry, but rather to acknowledge what already lies within. To acknowledge the path I have already undertaken and will continue to do so, unless such time as my profound personal path shall diverge from the path of druidry. To acknowledge the growth and harmony and wisdom that I have found and continue to find along this path. To acknowledge my commitment to personal growth and to others who share this path and to the greater community that shares this existence.
THE OMEN
Make offering and draw the omen. Keep omen in special container for later meditation as continuation into future druidry (part of the spectrum, or multi-coloured continuum).
CHARM OF BLESSING FOR DEDICANT’S CUP:
Underworld-magnetic hematite spiral
Shining Ones-30-facet Austrian crystal
Manifest World-blue/green glass sphere
Ancient & Honoured Ones, I have honoured you here. As a gift calls for a gift, please honour me in return by hallowing these waters. I thirst for your blessing in these waters of Wisdom, Bounty and Rebirth.
May the cool, dark waters of the Underworld, the unfathomable depths of Chaos, the waters of Potential, in which I am rooted, please grant me Wisdom, Love and Empowerment.
May the warming light of the Upperworld, the heights of the World Order, the quickening force from Above, which Attunes my potential, please grant me Wisdom, Love and Empowerment.
May these Two Powers meet within this Cup of Blessing, within this Boundary Place, within this Between Time, which is where I am, and grant me Wisdom, Love and Empowerment.
Please bless my Spirit, my Mind and my Life with Health, Wisdom and Bounty as I drink these sacred waters. Behold: the Waters of Life!
THE BLESSING:
Drink from the Waters of Life. Anoint the Brigh cross. Don the Brigh cross.
CLOSING:
Shining Ones, Wise Ancestors, Noble Sidhe: I thank you for your presence, guidance and blessing. Most especially: I thank you, Gaia; I thank you, Brigh; and I thank you, Serendipity. Triple Kindreds: I thank you. Thor, I thank you for parting the storm of last night. And thank you, Gatekeeper, for holding the ways between.
Close the gates.
GROUNDING:
Slowly, deliberately, reverently: place remaining ritual items back in basket. Solvitur ambulandum: slowly return to the mundane by walking home, observing life manifesting around me.
EVALUATION:
First, I feel it necessary to talk about the actual day of the rite. When I finished the rest of the DP requirements a few weeks before, I was enthused with the knowledge that I could do the Oath rite. First, I rewrote the rite based on inspiration received during meditation. Then, I set about gathering the materials to take with me-finding a small wooden chest with 3 fasteners and a handle, placing all the materials as they were purchased into the chest and finishing items that needed work done to them. It took several weeks, with inspiration guiding changes in choices as I went along. I looked up when the next full moon was and decided on Sunday, 24th April. Unfortunately, the weather turned foul (indeed, SNOW fell!), and although I determined to bundle up and attempt the ritual despite the weather, a migraine hit me mid-afternoon. I spent the evening finishing Robert Pirsig’s book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance-which seems to have a lot of relevance to my DP-and painting some of the tiny boxes I’m using to carry ritual materials. Looking at the weather again, I was tentatively planning to go out Monday or Tuesday evening, but it seemed that the weather made the choice obvious: The unseasonable snow knocked out the phone system at work (has never happened before in my entire life) and I suddenly had the day off work on Monday. In the afternoon, the sky cleared and the sun warmed the air. I’m reminded of a similar weather the day I spent cleaning my yard after some environmentally irresponsible people finally left. All the rest of my materials are ready and so it seems like a sign that I need to do it today. And I have changed the rite slightly to honour Thor for wrestling with the storm-Etin to clear the skies for it.
AFTER THE RITE:
I felt it necessary not to rush performing the rite. I did not keep track of the time as I got ready. After making sure my materials were altogether and ready, I took a shower and washed my hair. I used lavender liquid soap (a gift, which is not what I use normally) and lavender moisturizer afterwards. I dressed warmly and in a new shirt never worn before, but my favorite colour. We had an unexpected visitor with whom I shared what I was about to do by showing the contents of my ritual box (she is not pagan, but is part of the community mostly comprised of alternative thinkers). Somehow her arrival seemed serendipitous. When I was finally ready (the moment seemed to sneak up on me), I lit the incense at home and was in the middle of the 9 knells when my friend (oblivious) interrupted me. Rather than being irritated, I just responded by moving my head, and continued with the knells. My departure seemed a bit casual, as after the knells I simply stated to the household that I was leaving.
On the way to the rite, I saw people walking dogs and folks returning home from work. A variety of bird calls sounded out, changing from the suburban type to the lake dwellers. When I got to the rock wall, the waves were crashing on the places I had previously scoped out for the ritual. So a new place with 3 rocks-one for ritual materials, one for me to sit, and one behind me for the outdweller offering-appeared to me. I was in the right frame of mind just to “go with the flow.” As anticipated, I had a hard time getting fires lit. I went through many matches, but luckily I had a huge box of them with which to work. Getting the fires started distracted me from internal spirituality. The wind, the water, the balancing act on non-level rocks, the ducks and geese on the water and even the humans walking on the beach distracted me from being inwardly focused. However, my preparation-most especially forethought in putting the ritual onto note cards-allowed me to keep the ritual flowing through the distractions. During the ritual, I was slightly nervous that perhaps I was not as involved in the spiritual side of things, but I kept to “the script” anyway, seeing where things took me.
When it came to the key offerings, the sun emerged from behind a cloud (the sky was mostly blue with clouds merely dotting the sky), and shone directly on my face. Each deity invoked, with concentration on the aspects of each in turn, and a generous helping of incense for each, was accompanied by a splash from the Lake. Only one other time did the crashing waves reach me-after the gates closed. But each time I was splashed, it seemed more secular than spiritual. Gaia showed me her lake, the people, the birds, the sunlight on the water, the sandy beach, the rocks, the water beneath me in the cracks between the rocks, etc. All secular manifestations. Brigh inspired me with the triplet:
Forming Flesh (healing)
Forming Metal (forging: physical creativity)
Forming Thought (bardic inspiration)
As well as the irresistible urge to light the Inspiration candle at the Gaia altar and drape the spiral crochet project as a mantle over the Gaia statue. Gaia and Brigh are somehow related. I’m not sure how. Serendipity seemed present throughout the ritual. I was reminded how I first encountered the concept of Serendipity in a little picture book I read as a child. Serendipity was the name of a sea serpent dealing with ocean pollution. In the inland sea, I could almost see Serendipity as a Loch Ness monster type figure.
The omen was interesting. I was nervous about pulling the runes, not knowing if I would “do it right.” I plunged my hand into the rune bag blindly, and rather than take the runes immediately, I felt it necessary to mix them up in my hand. Then, before I really felt ready to “pull” the runes, three showed up in my hand. Briefly I considered tossing them back in, but somehow, they seemed to be the right ones as I discovered that there were exactly 3 in my hand. Two were stuck together (the latter two), so it seemed at first there were only two (but with one twice as heavy as the other. As I placed them on the crocheted cloth, the first was Birch (Birkana/Beorc)-Woman/Feminine Fertility. The second was Apple(?) (Perthro/Peord)-Merriment/Abundance/Chance. The third was Gift (Gebo/Gifu)-Generosity. I recognized Birch and Peord immediately from previous preparation, and Gifu was recognizable with the cheat-sheet before I looked at the “meaning” because of my association of the rune with Queen Aelfgifu on the Bayeaux Tapestry. Yet none of these runes was one that I “anticipated,” insofar as I had wondered what runes would appear (and wondered whether I’d be properly prepared to interpret them on-site, being a beginner and all…). Surprises, but pleasantly so. In my meditation, it seemed (even though I had no prior thought to do so, that they were related to the deities I had invoked. Birch was associated with Brigh. Peord with the “chance meaning" as Serendipity and Gifu with Gaia.
While drinking the blessing cup, I felt most “in-tune” with what I was trying to do. Least distracted, most in-tune. The tree-shaped vial in which the Hazelnut liquor resided was just the brimful amount that the cup could contain. As I drank, I thought I was gulping it, but slowly enough that it seemed to go on forever. It is hard to describe-although the rest of the ritual time seemed to fly past, the drinking seemed to take forever, even though it was but a moment. I thought I would never be able to finish. And on the walk back, I became slightly intoxicated by it. I don’t think I ever drink liquor (4 oz, 48-proof) so fast (I tend to sip it), so while I was drinking in one “go,” it seemed to be an interminable time. I drank deeply.
Packing up was somewhat difficult-I had carefully packed the box in preparation, but as I went through the ritual, I packed each piece that had been used back in order of use. It made for a higgledy-piggledy packing, but necessary because of the precariousness of the ritual space. Being in-between is not *ideal*, but it is *real*. The box is still a mess, but a good mess.
On my way back, I heard the sirens of normal life returning as I ascended the stairs. As I walked into the parking lot, I found that the sirens were here at Henn Mansion (the country mansion above the beach that serves as the park building). At first, I was vaguely worried that my beach “fire” was somehow called in as a 9-1-1 call, but walked confidently hoping that it wasn’t. No one bothered me-and I never figured out what it was. Also on my way back, a couple on a tandem-bike passed me going the other way. At first I thought it was a heterosexual couple, but as they passed and I saw that there was a 2nd guy on the back, the first one stood on the pedals and yelled “I love you!” three times to the world at large. Strange, but it felt like it was just a mundane part of life. And a woman nodded to me thrice before saying hello to my smile (also odd on this particular stretch of road, but her manner of dress seemed to indicate “pagan friendly” to me). And I met two of my son’s friends playing outside, and I told them I would send Madoc out to play with them if he was finished with his dinner. The three played for a long while.
As I thought about the ritual on the return trip, at first I felt like I had somehow cheated myself by “not doing it right.” A vague suspicion only, as I knew I had all the preparations done very well (for my standards) ahead of time. It just didn’t live up to my tacit expectations. But, then as I thought more about it, I realized that it was more “real” and “in this world” than my previous experiences with spirituality. It seemed like it was a bit of a message to me to make spirituality more manifest in the physical world and less so in the internal world. When I walked in the door and my husband wearily (and perfunctorily) asked “how did it go?” I replied that it was more Down to Earth than I had expected. Earth. Gaia. Here. Manifest. Exactly the direction in which I feel I must head.
Epilogue
I finished writing this evaluation about 9PM Monday April 25. Later in the evening, the ripples from my miniscule pebble of a rite started to infuse me (along with the alcohol from the dregs of the hazelnut liquor…). I felt tranquil. Quietly celebratory. We watched some videotapes on evolution and the dinosaurs, while working on getting our son’s school hours logged (has been a real sore point with me that the hours are not done on a regular basis, but here my husband started doing them without my nagging-somehow I was gratified). And when I retired at midnight, I *felt* the spiritual *presence* that I had subconsciously *expected* during the ritual. Intense. An overwhelming feeling of *acceptance*-my own acceptance of myself and where I'm at (I battle with the paralyzing aspects of perfectionism, just as Thor battles with the Etins), as well as acceptance of my bungling beginner ritual (there were 'failures' but overall my preparation carried me through), and an acceptance that even though not all problems have solutions, it's worth it to keep looking. And there's a real sense separate from and beyond the pre-specified desire, that the Oath Rite was the mere tiny pebble, the effects of which resonate in the concentric ripples that the pebble caused in its drop in the waters of chaos/source. My DP paperwork is just the surface of the iceberg, with the ineffable portion of the rite as the submerged portion. My experience afterwards has been spirit-blowing (parallel to mind-blowing).
I felt it necessary to include the beginnings of my research into the meanings of the runes I pulled. I am still looking, but the website (www.futhark.com) I stumbled across while researching the discrepancy between the DP Manual and the book from my bookshelf, seemed pretty competent from my novice eye. Since it feels fitting to include it in my ritual evaluation, as a starting point for future meditations, I am adding it. But because ADF’s policy on plagiarism is so strict, I think it is necessary to draw attention to the fact that I authored none of it, rather quoting directly from the referenced website (reformatted just to fit the omen sequence).
Interestingly, after I printed out this last section of the DP, ready to bring to work to burn a CD to send in to ADF, the file corrupted on its way through the Ether to my hotmail. I could not download it. So I had to spend my lunch hour retyping it. But somehow, it seemed fitting that I should do so, for while I have changed only a few syntactic errors, the really intense review of the content was profoundly meaningful to me. I think I shall want to re-read my DP every so often and retake a bearing on where I have been…
(non-heathens/pagans enter at your own risk...)
Dedicant’s Oath Rite
PREPARATION:
I have had to do almost a year’s worth of preparation to get to this point. When I started this program, I deliberately chose not to pledge an oath to complete the program (inspiration came to me at last Wellspring’s sumbel, when other people were swearing oaths), because, while I knew I could do the rest of the program, the Dedicant’s Oath was something I wasn’t sure I could make. I’ve had to come to terms with ‘my own druidic’ oath… I am loathe to take an oath I’m not sure I can fulfill, so I have to be careful with what I promise. My preparation has included re-writing the ritual according to my personal needs. I have decided that I can swear to continue in my practice of the old ways as long as it continues to be useful. Thus, in true Celtic fashion, I have provided an “out” in case the need arises to change my path in some fashion that I cannot at the moment foresee. I figure that I have been with ADF since Midsummer 1998 CE, and as it has served mine own and my family’s needs, it may very well continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
I have decided to perform this ritual alone, rather than among family and friends, because it is for my own inner spiritual journey, and it is impossible to take someone with me inside myself (language is only a distillation of thought-experience, rather than direct information). Also, I tend to get distracted by others’ needs/expectations. Therefore, the place for this spiritual journey that pops into mind as most fitting is a place I walk to from my house when I need some ‘alone time’ to meditate-a place too far for my family to walk and for me it suits as solvitur ambulandum-sometimes the meditation state one falls into while walking sets the tone for solving the immediate problem and the subsequent deeper meditation [on the rocks between the beach sand and Lake Erie (erosion protection)] winds up more broadly applicable than the immediate problem. The ‘between-ness’ seems appropriate for two reasons:
- The sacred ‘between-ness’ of Celtic philosophy, and:
- I often feel ‘between’ two or more social strata, rather than belonging to any particular one (e.g. warrior-artisan/cultivator-philosopher)
For the Mother Earth (Gaia) offering, I chose 3 grains: cornmeal, semolina and basmati rice (these last two I ground up with a mortar & pestle). The fire presents a problem, as the place is always windy-even when it is calm at home. I solved the problem by electing to use an enclosed flame (a scented candle with the title “Inspiration”) and a charcoal briquette with powdered incense. I chose this form of incense on a charcoal briquette to avoid the problems with fire. Since my customary source of powdered incense is gone, I experimented with grinding up cones and it worked. I selected 3 scents that had personal meaning (rose, sandalwood, and “refreshing” [a yellow, fire-inspired concoction]). For the well, I decided the sacred water of Lake Erie would be most appropriate, choosing environmentally friendly offerings in small amounts (dosis sola facit venenum). I decided on 3 sterling silver beads, 3 magnetically charged hematite beads and 3 blue/green glass beads. For the Charms of Blessing, I found an Austrian crystal with 30 facets, a magnetically charged hematite spiral and a blue/green glass bead (as I see blue/green as representing the manifest world, rather than red/green). Hazelnut liquor is my Waters of Life.
I have chosen also to make three Oaths of Perseverance to make along with the normal Dedicant’s Oath, as symbolic of the Action that is a necessary continuation of Spirituality. These are:
- Finishing the 9-hexagon crocheted Dedicant Oath altar cloth to be 27 hexagons finished size.
- Learning the runes (instead of relying on a “cheat sheet”) with my son (the runes we created together, which I will use for my omens and pass along to be his afterwards).
- Making a 27-wire silver tree inspired by the 9-wire sterling silver tree I am using as a bilé
PROCESSION:
At home, stand before the hearth shrine, light incense and signal the opening with 9 ‘knells’ on the dolphin ratchet.
Solvitur ambulandum (walking meditation ~1 mile to ritual spot-return journey will parallel)
OPENING PRAYERS:
Gaia as Earth Mother: Gaia, I am your daughter: Please bless & support this rite of commencement of a new phase in my spiritual life. Cornmeal on the rocks.
Inspiration: As I light the sacred fire, may the power of Inspiration kindle a flame within my soul. Light the enclosed candle and briquette.
Outdwellers & Purification: Outdwellers whose purposes run contrary to this working, please accept this offering and trouble not this rite. Shot of whiskey to the south (behind me). Offer incense to the briquette to thank Thor for his protection.
MEDITATION & ATTUNEMENT:
Continuation of the procession meditation, changed to sedentary status.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:
I come to this place between the sand and the inland sea, on earth between the realm of the Shining Ones and the realm of the Ancestors, and at a time between day and night. I come to this place to honour the Gods, Dead and Sidhe. I come to this place to ask their blessings in this commencement of my Dedicant’s Oath, a brief point on the spectrum of my spiritual path.
WELL:
In the deeps where the salmon of wisdom swims, potential flows with power. Sacred Well: flow within me.
Offer 3 silver 3 magnetic hematite and 3 blue/green beads to Lake Erie.
FIRE:
In the fire is the light of Inspiration. Sacred Flame: burn within me.
Offer incense powder to the briquette.
TREE:
Between the earth and sky, drawing sustenance from the mix of both within it, spans the Xarthus. Sacred Tree: grow within me.
Blow the incense smoke & springle drops from Lake Erie on the bilé.
SEA, SKY & SOIL:
By the cleansing of water
Let the Primal Water be
The boundary around this rite
Let this great inland sea not rise
And let all ill turn away.
By the light of the fire
Let the Shining Sky be
The roof above this rite
Let the sky not fall
And let all ill turn away.
By water and fire
Let the blessed land be
The foundation supporting this rite
Let the land hold firm
And let all ill turn away.
The Well, the Fire, the Xarthus,
Flow & Flame & Flourish in me!
In Sea, Sky & Soil, Below and Above:
Thus is the sacred space
Hailed & Hallowed.
OPENING THE GATE:
Offer incense to the Gatekeeper. Open the gates.
TRIAD OFFERINGS:
Ancestors: Honoured Ancestors of my blood, heart and head, please be welcome at my fire. You who have guided me before and will guide me in future, please be with me now. I offer to you and ask that you be here to witness and guide this rite.
Sidhe: Kindreds of stone, soil and stream, Kindreds of root, shoot and leaf, Kindreds of fur feather and scale: To all I give welcome to my fire. I offer to you and ask that you be here to witness and uphold this rite.
Gods: Shining Ones, Deities of Antiquity, Divinities that are with us still, please be welcome at my fire. You whom I have honoured and will honour through my future, please be with me now. I offer to you and ask that you be witness and bless this rite.
Song: Gods, Dead & Mighty Sidhe.
*meditation in the presence of the spirits*
KEY OFFERINGS:
- Gaia
- Brigh
- Serendipity
OATH OFFERINGS:
I am here to pronounce my Dedicant’s Oath. Not so much is it to create my dedication to druidry, but rather to acknowledge what already lies within. To acknowledge the path I have already undertaken and will continue to do so, unless such time as my profound personal path shall diverge from the path of druidry. To acknowledge the growth and harmony and wisdom that I have found and continue to find along this path. To acknowledge my commitment to personal growth and to others who share this path and to the greater community that shares this existence.
THE OMEN
Make offering and draw the omen. Keep omen in special container for later meditation as continuation into future druidry (part of the spectrum, or multi-coloured continuum).
CHARM OF BLESSING FOR DEDICANT’S CUP:
Underworld-magnetic hematite spiral
Shining Ones-30-facet Austrian crystal
Manifest World-blue/green glass sphere
Ancient & Honoured Ones, I have honoured you here. As a gift calls for a gift, please honour me in return by hallowing these waters. I thirst for your blessing in these waters of Wisdom, Bounty and Rebirth.
May the cool, dark waters of the Underworld, the unfathomable depths of Chaos, the waters of Potential, in which I am rooted, please grant me Wisdom, Love and Empowerment.
May the warming light of the Upperworld, the heights of the World Order, the quickening force from Above, which Attunes my potential, please grant me Wisdom, Love and Empowerment.
May these Two Powers meet within this Cup of Blessing, within this Boundary Place, within this Between Time, which is where I am, and grant me Wisdom, Love and Empowerment.
Please bless my Spirit, my Mind and my Life with Health, Wisdom and Bounty as I drink these sacred waters. Behold: the Waters of Life!
THE BLESSING:
Drink from the Waters of Life. Anoint the Brigh cross. Don the Brigh cross.
CLOSING:
Shining Ones, Wise Ancestors, Noble Sidhe: I thank you for your presence, guidance and blessing. Most especially: I thank you, Gaia; I thank you, Brigh; and I thank you, Serendipity. Triple Kindreds: I thank you. Thor, I thank you for parting the storm of last night. And thank you, Gatekeeper, for holding the ways between.
Close the gates.
GROUNDING:
Slowly, deliberately, reverently: place remaining ritual items back in basket. Solvitur ambulandum: slowly return to the mundane by walking home, observing life manifesting around me.
EVALUATION:
First, I feel it necessary to talk about the actual day of the rite. When I finished the rest of the DP requirements a few weeks before, I was enthused with the knowledge that I could do the Oath rite. First, I rewrote the rite based on inspiration received during meditation. Then, I set about gathering the materials to take with me-finding a small wooden chest with 3 fasteners and a handle, placing all the materials as they were purchased into the chest and finishing items that needed work done to them. It took several weeks, with inspiration guiding changes in choices as I went along. I looked up when the next full moon was and decided on Sunday, 24th April. Unfortunately, the weather turned foul (indeed, SNOW fell!), and although I determined to bundle up and attempt the ritual despite the weather, a migraine hit me mid-afternoon. I spent the evening finishing Robert Pirsig’s book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance-which seems to have a lot of relevance to my DP-and painting some of the tiny boxes I’m using to carry ritual materials. Looking at the weather again, I was tentatively planning to go out Monday or Tuesday evening, but it seemed that the weather made the choice obvious: The unseasonable snow knocked out the phone system at work (has never happened before in my entire life) and I suddenly had the day off work on Monday. In the afternoon, the sky cleared and the sun warmed the air. I’m reminded of a similar weather the day I spent cleaning my yard after some environmentally irresponsible people finally left. All the rest of my materials are ready and so it seems like a sign that I need to do it today. And I have changed the rite slightly to honour Thor for wrestling with the storm-Etin to clear the skies for it.
AFTER THE RITE:
I felt it necessary not to rush performing the rite. I did not keep track of the time as I got ready. After making sure my materials were altogether and ready, I took a shower and washed my hair. I used lavender liquid soap (a gift, which is not what I use normally) and lavender moisturizer afterwards. I dressed warmly and in a new shirt never worn before, but my favorite colour. We had an unexpected visitor with whom I shared what I was about to do by showing the contents of my ritual box (she is not pagan, but is part of the community mostly comprised of alternative thinkers). Somehow her arrival seemed serendipitous. When I was finally ready (the moment seemed to sneak up on me), I lit the incense at home and was in the middle of the 9 knells when my friend (oblivious) interrupted me. Rather than being irritated, I just responded by moving my head, and continued with the knells. My departure seemed a bit casual, as after the knells I simply stated to the household that I was leaving.
On the way to the rite, I saw people walking dogs and folks returning home from work. A variety of bird calls sounded out, changing from the suburban type to the lake dwellers. When I got to the rock wall, the waves were crashing on the places I had previously scoped out for the ritual. So a new place with 3 rocks-one for ritual materials, one for me to sit, and one behind me for the outdweller offering-appeared to me. I was in the right frame of mind just to “go with the flow.” As anticipated, I had a hard time getting fires lit. I went through many matches, but luckily I had a huge box of them with which to work. Getting the fires started distracted me from internal spirituality. The wind, the water, the balancing act on non-level rocks, the ducks and geese on the water and even the humans walking on the beach distracted me from being inwardly focused. However, my preparation-most especially forethought in putting the ritual onto note cards-allowed me to keep the ritual flowing through the distractions. During the ritual, I was slightly nervous that perhaps I was not as involved in the spiritual side of things, but I kept to “the script” anyway, seeing where things took me.
When it came to the key offerings, the sun emerged from behind a cloud (the sky was mostly blue with clouds merely dotting the sky), and shone directly on my face. Each deity invoked, with concentration on the aspects of each in turn, and a generous helping of incense for each, was accompanied by a splash from the Lake. Only one other time did the crashing waves reach me-after the gates closed. But each time I was splashed, it seemed more secular than spiritual. Gaia showed me her lake, the people, the birds, the sunlight on the water, the sandy beach, the rocks, the water beneath me in the cracks between the rocks, etc. All secular manifestations. Brigh inspired me with the triplet:
Forming Flesh (healing)
Forming Metal (forging: physical creativity)
Forming Thought (bardic inspiration)
As well as the irresistible urge to light the Inspiration candle at the Gaia altar and drape the spiral crochet project as a mantle over the Gaia statue. Gaia and Brigh are somehow related. I’m not sure how. Serendipity seemed present throughout the ritual. I was reminded how I first encountered the concept of Serendipity in a little picture book I read as a child. Serendipity was the name of a sea serpent dealing with ocean pollution. In the inland sea, I could almost see Serendipity as a Loch Ness monster type figure.
The omen was interesting. I was nervous about pulling the runes, not knowing if I would “do it right.” I plunged my hand into the rune bag blindly, and rather than take the runes immediately, I felt it necessary to mix them up in my hand. Then, before I really felt ready to “pull” the runes, three showed up in my hand. Briefly I considered tossing them back in, but somehow, they seemed to be the right ones as I discovered that there were exactly 3 in my hand. Two were stuck together (the latter two), so it seemed at first there were only two (but with one twice as heavy as the other. As I placed them on the crocheted cloth, the first was Birch (Birkana/Beorc)-Woman/Feminine Fertility. The second was Apple(?) (Perthro/Peord)-Merriment/Abundance/Chance. The third was Gift (Gebo/Gifu)-Generosity. I recognized Birch and Peord immediately from previous preparation, and Gifu was recognizable with the cheat-sheet before I looked at the “meaning” because of my association of the rune with Queen Aelfgifu on the Bayeaux Tapestry. Yet none of these runes was one that I “anticipated,” insofar as I had wondered what runes would appear (and wondered whether I’d be properly prepared to interpret them on-site, being a beginner and all…). Surprises, but pleasantly so. In my meditation, it seemed (even though I had no prior thought to do so, that they were related to the deities I had invoked. Birch was associated with Brigh. Peord with the “chance meaning" as Serendipity and Gifu with Gaia.
While drinking the blessing cup, I felt most “in-tune” with what I was trying to do. Least distracted, most in-tune. The tree-shaped vial in which the Hazelnut liquor resided was just the brimful amount that the cup could contain. As I drank, I thought I was gulping it, but slowly enough that it seemed to go on forever. It is hard to describe-although the rest of the ritual time seemed to fly past, the drinking seemed to take forever, even though it was but a moment. I thought I would never be able to finish. And on the walk back, I became slightly intoxicated by it. I don’t think I ever drink liquor (4 oz, 48-proof) so fast (I tend to sip it), so while I was drinking in one “go,” it seemed to be an interminable time. I drank deeply.
Packing up was somewhat difficult-I had carefully packed the box in preparation, but as I went through the ritual, I packed each piece that had been used back in order of use. It made for a higgledy-piggledy packing, but necessary because of the precariousness of the ritual space. Being in-between is not *ideal*, but it is *real*. The box is still a mess, but a good mess.
On my way back, I heard the sirens of normal life returning as I ascended the stairs. As I walked into the parking lot, I found that the sirens were here at Henn Mansion (the country mansion above the beach that serves as the park building). At first, I was vaguely worried that my beach “fire” was somehow called in as a 9-1-1 call, but walked confidently hoping that it wasn’t. No one bothered me-and I never figured out what it was. Also on my way back, a couple on a tandem-bike passed me going the other way. At first I thought it was a heterosexual couple, but as they passed and I saw that there was a 2nd guy on the back, the first one stood on the pedals and yelled “I love you!” three times to the world at large. Strange, but it felt like it was just a mundane part of life. And a woman nodded to me thrice before saying hello to my smile (also odd on this particular stretch of road, but her manner of dress seemed to indicate “pagan friendly” to me). And I met two of my son’s friends playing outside, and I told them I would send Madoc out to play with them if he was finished with his dinner. The three played for a long while.
As I thought about the ritual on the return trip, at first I felt like I had somehow cheated myself by “not doing it right.” A vague suspicion only, as I knew I had all the preparations done very well (for my standards) ahead of time. It just didn’t live up to my tacit expectations. But, then as I thought more about it, I realized that it was more “real” and “in this world” than my previous experiences with spirituality. It seemed like it was a bit of a message to me to make spirituality more manifest in the physical world and less so in the internal world. When I walked in the door and my husband wearily (and perfunctorily) asked “how did it go?” I replied that it was more Down to Earth than I had expected. Earth. Gaia. Here. Manifest. Exactly the direction in which I feel I must head.
Epilogue
I finished writing this evaluation about 9PM Monday April 25. Later in the evening, the ripples from my miniscule pebble of a rite started to infuse me (along with the alcohol from the dregs of the hazelnut liquor…). I felt tranquil. Quietly celebratory. We watched some videotapes on evolution and the dinosaurs, while working on getting our son’s school hours logged (has been a real sore point with me that the hours are not done on a regular basis, but here my husband started doing them without my nagging-somehow I was gratified). And when I retired at midnight, I *felt* the spiritual *presence* that I had subconsciously *expected* during the ritual. Intense. An overwhelming feeling of *acceptance*-my own acceptance of myself and where I'm at (I battle with the paralyzing aspects of perfectionism, just as Thor battles with the Etins), as well as acceptance of my bungling beginner ritual (there were 'failures' but overall my preparation carried me through), and an acceptance that even though not all problems have solutions, it's worth it to keep looking. And there's a real sense separate from and beyond the pre-specified desire, that the Oath Rite was the mere tiny pebble, the effects of which resonate in the concentric ripples that the pebble caused in its drop in the waters of chaos/source. My DP paperwork is just the surface of the iceberg, with the ineffable portion of the rite as the submerged portion. My experience afterwards has been spirit-blowing (parallel to mind-blowing).
I felt it necessary to include the beginnings of my research into the meanings of the runes I pulled. I am still looking, but the website (www.futhark.com) I stumbled across while researching the discrepancy between the DP Manual and the book from my bookshelf, seemed pretty competent from my novice eye. Since it feels fitting to include it in my ritual evaluation, as a starting point for future meditations, I am adding it. But because ADF’s policy on plagiarism is so strict, I think it is necessary to draw attention to the fact that I authored none of it, rather quoting directly from the referenced website (reformatted just to fit the omen sequence).
Interestingly, after I printed out this last section of the DP, ready to bring to work to burn a CD to send in to ADF, the file corrupted on its way through the Ether to my hotmail. I could not download it. So I had to spend my lunch hour retyping it. But somehow, it seemed fitting that I should do so, for while I have changed only a few syntactic errors, the really intense review of the content was profoundly meaningful to me. I think I shall want to re-read my DP every so often and retake a bearing on where I have been…