Lunar Grove Lughnassadh 2008

Items needed: extra chalice for water, fruit, bread, wine, and runes or tarot.

Perform Salt Water Purification and cast Circle.

____________________ invoke the Goddess with:

“Goddess of the turning seasons, Lady of the Harvest,
By whatever names we call Thee - _________________ -
We know that you hear us.
We welcome you here, to our Lughnassadh celebration.
Grant us your wisdom
In our worship and in our daily lives.
We humbly ask, be here now.
Hail and Welcome!”

__________________________ invoke the God with:

“God of the hunt and of the wood, Lord of Grain,
By whatever names we call Thee - ______________________ -
We know that you hear us.
We welcome you here, to our Lughnassadh rite,
Grant us your strength
In our worship and our daily lives.
We humbly ask, be here now.
Hail and Welcome!”

______________________ say the statement of intent :

“Now is the time of ripening and those who tend the land begin to see the fruit of their labors. We gather in bounty and pleasure to celebrate the first harvest, the celebration of Lugh and his foster mother Tailtiu. Ancient Ones, we have come to celebrate the beginning of the harvest and to consecrate its first fruits. It is a time for revelry and games, but also a time of gentle mourning as we renew our connection to our Deities, our ancestors, and to the sacred land. Soon the heat will fade and we know that the bounties of nature are given to us so that we may survive the cold months of winter. Light diminishes, days grow shorter, nights grow chill with frost, and the summer passes. Gods and Kindred Spirits, be with us now as we turn the Wheel and usher in the harvest time!”

______________________ say:

“This is when the ancient Celts held their festival games honoring the death of Tailtiu, the foster mother who took in the infant Lugh. It is this fosterage that begins his familiarity with the energies of the land, preparing him to be the champion of the bountiful harvest. During a time of bad harvest, Tailtiu single-handedly cleared the land for planting and this act of self-sacrifice burst her heart in her chest, killing her. We must keep in mind that men and gods sacrifice for the fertility of the land and as we honor Lugh, so we honor Tailtiu. Accept these triple offerings of wine, bread, and fruit given freely to Lugh and the Lady of Sovereignty.”

______________________ tear off a piece of bread; place it in the offering dish and say:

“Hail Lugh, Lamfhada of the Long Arm
Shining Golden One, wielder of the spear.
Accept this offering!”

______________________ offer some of the wine and say:

“Hail Tailtiu, Clearer of the Land,
You ensure an abundant and plentiful harvest.
Accept this offering!”

______________________ offer some of the fruit and say:

“Hail Lugh, King of the Golden Summer
The first fruits of the harvest cover the fertile earth of the Lady of Sovereignty.
Accept this offering!”

Starting in the west, pour your cup of water into an empty chalice. Pass the chalice around clockwise until everyone has added their water to it.

______________________ hold the chalice of water and say:

“Queen of the Land – we, your children, call to you.
We ask for your presence at our rite,
Bless us with your attention.
You who are the Summer Queen,
Whose face is weathered by sun and wind.
You who grant victory only to the most worthy of champions,
We ask that you find us duly worthy of this day.
Dark Woman of Knowledge;
Grant us wisdom –
We trust you to provide what is needed.
Grant us true sight to the Otherworld –
So we may better perceive your hallows.
Grant us the patience to slow down and be quiet –
So we may better hear your voice and the good judgment it reveals.”

Pass the chalice to _________________, who says:

“Lady of Sovereignty,
Your cauldron has been tended by your priests and priestesses
As a fellowship we come to you in love and trust
Your waters were gathered separately, then blended in an act of unity.
Lady of Rivers, behold these waters!
The same waters nourishes the land, they connect us and sustain us!
These waters blend our strengths, our wisdom, and our patience
Into a blessing for us all.”

Anoint the forehead of the person next to you with the water and say:

“May the skill of Lugh be with you.”

Anoint their heart with the water and say:

“May the joy of the harvest be with you.”

Anoint their hands with the water and say:

“May the bounty of the land uphold you.
May you be blessed.”

Do this for each person in the Circle, then have someone bless the blesser.

Everyone take a moment to contemplate the changing of the seasons, the blessings that you have just received as well as the bounty this year has brought you. Say one thing that happened this year that you are grateful for.

Pour an offering of grain into the cauldron and say:

“Kindred Spirits who dwell in the verdant glens and shining lakes,
You of the burning deserts, the limitless skies, and the frozen wastes.
All of you are of the natural world, your energies support and sustain us.
Join with me on this Lughnassadh
As I remember that the sun must die that the earth might live.
That darkness rises in its turn so the land might freely give to us
Milk and honey, fruits and grain; the bounty of the harvest.
May this offering impel the nodding grain in the field to loose its seed to be buried in the numinous earth
And return, reborn, in the Spring.
I give thanks for generous harvest, the giving that is also a gift.”

________________ prepare to take the omen, saying:

“Gift of blessing, gift of destiny,
We have opened ourselves to the Gods
And the Kindred Spirits of this place
That surrounds and upholds us.
I ask those ancient and wise ones –
May the true sight be in me,
May the true speech be mine.
O Gods and Kindred Spirits,
What blessing to you offer us
To take into the world?
What can we expect between now and Mabon?”

Draw three runes or tarot cards and interpret them, get input from anyone in the Circle who knows how to read the divination device used. If the omen is decided to be unfavorable, redraw it.

________________ hold up the bread and fruit, then say:

“Here is the body of the grain, the fruit of the field
Let this bounty of the First Harvest be shared among us
Let this bread and fruit be the generosity of the Earth Mother
And the strength of the Hero to us.
May our Gods bless it so as we partake of this feast
We may have the growth of wealth,
The soundness of health and the delight of wisdom.
So mote it be!”

Place an offering of bread and fruit into the offering dish, then everyone eat some (save a small amount for at the end).

________________ hold up the wine and say:

“Behold, the holy cup!
The vessel which holds the wine of inspiration,
The outpouring of blessings from the Old Ones.
Lord and Lady of the Harvest, hallow this cup!
As we imbibe this blessed wine,
Fill our spirits with joy, reverence, and bounty.
So mote it be!”

Pour some in offering, then everyone drink some (saving a small amount for at the end).

________________ say:

“We have partaken of the First Harvest, savored the sweetness of ripe fruit and the heartiness of milled grain. Now may we continue upon my path, ready for the next harvest and the time when dark overtakes light. As is has been done in the past, as we have done now, as it will be done in the future; we have again forged a link in the chain of tradition and the Gods have answered. Let us go forth into the world secure with the knowledge that our ritual has pleased our Gods and we go forth with Their blessings. ”

________________ perform the Piacular offering:

“If out of ignorance or faulty memory,
If for any reason any of us have made offense,
Gathered Deities and Kindred Spirits,
Hear me now!
Accept this offering as recompense
And know that our hearts and our intent was pure.
Accept this offering!”
(Place the offering in the dish.)

Open Circle.

Eidolon Moon's Notes:

This was originally going to be a solitary ritual for me in 2008, but as I was writing it I realized that it really was meant for a group to perform. Lady Anise was going through a very busy and stressful time, so I offered this for the group so she wouldn't have to write anything. She graciously accepted.

I kept it in my style because I don't know how to make it fit her Gardnerian style of ritual. The Lunar Grove is open to anyone of pagan faith and stressed divirsity so it was decided that it would be nice to use a different style. I did do go back to the my 'old style' Deity calls and it worked out really well. I wasn't sure if it would carry over into a different group and I'm really glad that I got the chance to try it. There was some confusion when I was explaining it, but once we started the ritual it was pulled off without a hitch.

We have one very strong woman in the group and she was the one to do the blessing. It was absolutely amazing! You could feel the power flowing off of her and where she touched me with the water felt very cool and tingled. Very moving.

This was the first time in ritual that I've pulled a bad omen. It wasn't geared toward the group at all, but at one member. I think that freaked that member out but I hope that they listen to what the cards had to say. Honestly, it wasn't even a 'bad' pull, but the connotations were kind of scary for them. Y'know what I mean?

I have the feeling that one day I'm going to look back and this ritual, this night, is going to be a turning point.