As performed near February 1st, 2011. Notes, references, and a list of materials are included at the bottom of the page.
1) Preparation
– Layout altar items and tools. Bathe. Dress.
– Light the Householder fire (round). Say,
“May the light of my heart and hearth forever burn bright.”
2) Statement of Purpose
“To this rite I welcome the Kindreds with open arms, to make offerings to them, and to seek their blessings in return. I have come to honor the gods, to mark the passing of winter, and to welcome the beginning of Spring.”
3)* Purification – Well water
“Blessed are the waters that cleanse me.
Blessed am I, bathed in them.”
– Touch a drop of the well water to the forehead.
“Blessed are the waters of my ancestors.
Blessed am I, anointed by them.
Purified, I come before the gods.”
4)* Earth Mother – Prthivi, Sarasvati; offerings: pennies & coins, respectively
“Beautiful Prthivi, broad and expansive, you bear the race of men as you bear the mountains and trees.
Lovely Sarasvati, purifier, descending from sky and mountains, swelling with waters, you come, overflowing with blessings.
My Mothers, I have prepared a seat for you, partake of these offerings, come and sit with me a while.”
5)* Inspiration – Soma (mead or wine); offering: orange peel
– Put the orange peel right into the wine.
“Soma, lord of speech, leader of poets, maker of seers, I have prepared a seat for you. Come to my rite and accept these offerings. Inspire my thoughts and sweeten my tongue.
Soma, brought to gods and men on Eagle’s wing, infuse this drink, become this liquid, fit for my offerings to the gods.”
– Take a drink.
6)* Outdwellers – Offering: dried sage leaves
“I light this sage as a warding, a beacon for the outdwellers that this is a place to avoid. I pray they pass over this meeting of men and Kindred, and leave this rite in peace. May the gods have no need to rise against them.”
7)* Invoke cosmology – earth, air, heavens
“Under my feet the earth stretches, surrounding me, broad and boundless, holding me.
About my body the air envelopes me, mists and cloud, lightning and wind, the abode of celestial waters enfolds me.
High above me, luminous space, sun and stars and moon, form the heavens. Where the gods and spirits rest, drawing me ever up and onward.”
8) Two Powers –
– Take at least a few minutes to entrance the Two Powers. Then say,
“May the waters of the earth rise into me, the lights of the heavens shine upon me, finding balance in me here at the center.”
9)* Gates & Gatekeeper –
Tree – Vanaspati; offering: ghee
“Vanaspati, Lord of the Forest, here at the center of time and space, under your canopy gathers the Kindred. With this offering may you be as Agni, conducting my prayers to the Gods.”
Fire – Agni; offering: sandalwood incense & ghee
– Light the Offertorial fire (square) from the Householders fire with an incense stick. Say,
“Here Agni is kindled. Here I call to him. Beautiful of tongue, with burning jaws and shining teeth, take my words to the gods.”
– Offer ghee.
“Sun of the heavens, lightning of waters, fires of the earth, Agni, my offerings through you reflect in all the realms. Come to my rite! Here I have prepared a seat for you. Come, accept this offering and let the gates be open!”
10)* 3 Kindred Offerings –
Ancestors – Offering: ghee
“To the Mighty Dead I bring offerings. Ancient ones of my blood and heart I honor you and pray bid you welcome. Yama, first of mortals to pass beyond this world, may you bless and watch over those who’ve gone before us. Ancestors, I ask you to bring your blessings, sit here with me, and accept this sacrifice!”
Nature Spirits – Offering: well water
“To the Spirits of Nature I bring offerings. Noble Ones of fur and feather, of limb and leaf, I honor you and pray bid you welcome. Aranyani, great goddess of wild places, may you and your kin continue to bless and brighten the lives of men. Nature Spirits, bring your blessings, sit with me, and accept this sacrifice!”
Gods – Offering: milk
“To the Shining Deities I bring offerings. Gods and Goddesses, worthy beyond measure of our love and devotion, I honor you and pray bid you welcome. Visvedevah, brilliant, powerful, and wise, you who gave us the heavens and earth, bring your blessings and here sit with me. Shining Ones, accept this sacrifice!”
11)* Deities of Occasion/Key Offering – Vasus, Agni, Indra; offering: Soma!
“It is late in the winter, men and beasts have become restless, the earth stirs beneath her blanket of snow. It is the beginning of Spring, and I have come before the gods to celebrate the coming warmth and the return of longer days.
Agni is kindled on the horizon, he burns soft and low, among the Vasus, gods of earth. Come Vasus, join my rite and accept this offering. Here a seat is prepared for you. Let us give praise to Agni that he may grow stronger.
Agni, we anticipate your growing brilliance with much joy. Accept this offering, and may it fuel your longer days!
Indra, in your glory you have pierced the darkness wrought by Vala, giving us the cloud-cows, raining upon us the sacrificial ghee. Accept this offering and sit here with us.
Indra-Agni, accept my sacrifice and pierce for us the winters darkness, free us from the long nights!”
12)* Prayer of Sacrifice –
– RgVeda Book 2, Hymn 3, read aloud.
“Agni is set upon the earth well kindled; he standeth in the presence of all beings. Wise, ancient, God, the Priest and Purifier, let Agni serve the Gods for he is worthy.
May Narasamsa lighting up the chambers, bright in his majesty through threefold heaven, Steeping the gift with oil diffusing purpose, bedew the Gods at chiefest time of worship.
Adored in heart, as is thy right, O Agni, serve the Gods first to-day before the mortal. Bring thou the Marut host. Ye men, do worship to Indra seated on the grass, eternal.
O Grass divine, increasing, rich in heroes, strewn for wealth’ sake, well laid upon this altar,— On this bedewed with oil sit ye, O Vasus, sit all ye Gods, ye Holy, ye Adityas.
Wide be the Doors, the Goddesses, thrown open, easy to pass, invoked, through adorations. Let them unfold, expansive, everlasting, that sanctify the class famed, rich in heroes.
Good work for us, the glorious Night and Morning, like female weavers, waxen from aforetime, Yielders of rich milk, interweave in concert the long-extended thread, the web of worship.
Let the two heavenly Heralds, first, most wise, most fair, present oblation duly with the sacred verse, Worshipping God at ordered seasons decking them at three high places at the centre of the earth.
Sarasvati who perfects our devotion, Ila divine, Bharati all surpassing,— Three Goddesses, with power inherent, seated, protect this holy Grass, our flawless refuge!
Born is the pious hero swift of hearing, like gold in hue, well formed, and full of vigour. May Tvastar lengthen our line and kindred, and may they reach the place which Gods inhabit.
Vanaspati shall stand anear and start us, and Agni with his arts prepare oblation. Let the skilled heavenly Immolator forward unto the Gods the offering thrice anointed.
Oil has been mixt: oil is his habitation. In oil he rests: oil is his proper province. Come as thy wont is: O thou Steer, rejoice thee; bear off the oblation duly consecrated.”
– Offer Soma. Say,
“Svaha! Svaha!”
13) Piacular Offering – Soma
“Mighty Kindred, this ritual was put together just for you. I have made this liturgy as promised. I come before you now with the knowledge that it could be even better still. I have much research and ideas I have yet to implement. With this final offering I ask that mistakes or incompleteness be overlooked. I ask that this rite be received in the same love and honor in which it is given. Kindreds accept my sacrifice!”
14)* Omen – 9×9
“Now may the Kindreds speak to me. Seated here I seek your wisdom. I pray you give me your thoughts and blessings.”
– Pull 3 cards & interpret.
15) Blessings – Water.
Calling –
“I request now that the spirits give to us their blessings. Offer to us as we offer to you, a gift for a gift. Honored Ones give us the Waters!”
Hallowing –
“Send forth your blessings into this drink. Make for us a sacrifice of this liquid. Honored Ones hallow the Waters!”
Affirmation –
“We have given to you, and you have given to us. As we consume your blessings, they flow through our bodies and infuse us with health, through our thoughts and fill us with abundance, through our spirits and immerse us in joy. Behold the Waters of Life!”
– Drink! 🙂
16) Works – Journals
“My Kindred, I ask you also to bless my work as I continue my Dedicant Path study. I bless my journals with the Waters that I may continue to fill their pages. Give me perseverance and inspiration, that my work be timely and complete.”
– Drink again, and sprinkle some on the title pages of each.
17) Thankings –
“I have honored the gods, given sacrifice, received blessings in return, and now it is my turn again, this time to be grateful.
I thank you, Indra , Agni, and the Vasus.
I thank you, Shining Visvedevah, Nature Spirits and Ancestors.”
18) Closing the Gates –
“Agni, Vanaspati, through you the gods have received my offerings. I thank you also, and ask now for you to shut the ways between the worlds here. Agni, Vanaspati, let the gates be closed!”
19) Thankings –
“Outdwellers, I thank you for not disrupting this rite. Soma, I thank you for your inspiration. And to the Earth Mothers, Sarasvati, Prthivi, I thank you and once again honor your beauty and bounty.”
20)* Ending –
“I go from this rite with the Kindreds at my side. May they enjoy their gifts and someday sit with me again. This work is complete. May the gods preserve us evermore with blessings!”
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* Notes:
3) Oldenberg, 229, The Bath
– The bath is a purification, this is a spoken affirmation of it. I also wanted to include the water from my family property. I had been using it for the Well’s water in previous rituals.
4) MacDonell, 86-88; and some unverified person gnosis…
5) MacDonell, 109; www.liquidhobby.com – Wine Spices
– There are similarities in the stories of Mead and Soma. Enough to make me comfortable substituting one for the other, especially with a dash of transubstantiation.
6) Oldenberg, 256-259, Warding-off of Malevolent Beings
7) MacDonell, 8-11, Cosmology
– Prepares the worlds the two-powers draw on.
9) MacDonnell, 154, Large trees, Implements; Hymns of the Rgveda (RV), 1:142:11, footnote
– Vanaspati is a post with the limbs chopped off in the Vedic period. Here I’m taking liberties with the “Neo” in Neopagan. 🙂
10) Ancestors: MacDonell, 171-173 – Nature Spirits: MacDonell, 154 – Gods: RV, 1:3:7, footnote; MacDonell, 15-21, General character, 130, groups of gods
11) I have a gob of notes that led me to honoring the Vasus at spring-time, too much to put here. I moved them to Feb. 1st from the Equinox because I like the idea of the latter being dedicated to Usas. They both get a place this way. The bit about Indra slaying Vala is from ADF’s Our Own Druidry (aka the dedicant manual).
12) RV, 2:3, footnotes; RV 1:13:12, footnote, Svaha
14) Here I’m using the Nine x Nine: An ADF Symbolic System by Ian Corrigan.
20) Several hymns in the RV end with “…ye Gods, preserve us evermore with blessings.”
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Referenced Works:
– Agnayi, Narabali. _A Vedic Oath_. ADF Members Web. n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2011
– Ár nDraíocht Féin. _Our Own Druidry_. USA: ADF Publishing, 2009. Print.
– _The Hymns of the Rgveda_. 1896. 2nd ed. Trans. Ralph T.H. Griffith. 1973. New Revised ed. Reprint. Ed. J.L. Shastri. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, 2004. Print.
– MacDonell, Arthur A. _Vedic Mythology_. United States: Kessinger Publishing, 2006. Print.
– Oldenberg, Hermann. _Religion of the Veda_. 1988. Trans. Shridhar B. Shrotri. Reprint. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, 2004. Print.
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Materials List:
[ ] white cloak, necklace, prayer beads, rings
[ ] well water
[ ] well vessel
[ ] pennies
[ ] coins
[ ] wine/mead (Soma)
[ ] orange peel (thin sliced)
[ ] dried sage leaves
[ ] ghee
[ ] ghee dropper
[ ] sandalwood stick
[ ] milk
[ ] RV, bookmarked
[ ] 9×9 cards & book
[ ] water
[ ] drinking vessel
[ ] square blue candle
[ ] round candle
[ ] tree
[ ] lighter
[ ] journals
[ ] containers for offerings
[ ] sacrificial grass
[ ] script
