SLG Imbolc 2009

Welcome to

Shining Lakes Grove, ADF

Imbolc 2009 Order of Service

Welcome to Our Celebration!

Before we begin...

Take off your coats, greet each other, and check out the Raffle items before the briefing. Words to the songs we will be singing are on the back of this sheet.

Preparing ourselves for our time with the Gods and Spirits

Processional and purification - Come We Now As a People
Bardic Invocation for our eloquence and inspiration
Welcoming the Allies, the spirits of the people and their gods who lived in this land before us
Honoring our Mother Ana
Unity chant - Single Threads
Statement of purpose - We gather as a community and honor our hearth goddess, Bríd, who gives us light and inspiration during this dark time of the year.

Declaring Center and opening the Portals

Opening the Three Portals: Tree, Fire, and Well - Portal Song
Acknowledging the Outsiders - the forces of chaos and change
Invocation of Manannan mac Lir, our Lord of the Dead, to guide and protect us in the Otherworld

Acknowledging and honoring our guests

Archetypes - acknowledging the three societal functions within us
Ancestors - our beloved dead
Nature Spirits - the spirits of the land and its creatures
Deities: Lugh, Aren, Danu, and Bel (feel free to offer a silent welcome to your own gods)
Deity of the Occasion: Bríd, goddess of the hearth, community, poetry, healing, and smithing
Welcoming the corn dolly
Note: After we welcome Bríd to be with us we will all kneel and say:
"Bríd, Bríd, come to our house, come to our house tonight!"

Giving and Receiving

Passing the Bríd Cross: Direct your praise and energy to the cross to build a group offering. While you hold it, you may give praise or thanks to the gods silently or in the form of a vocal or physical offering. When you finish, pass the cross to the person next to you.
Group praise - cutting the bread
Main Sacrifice: offering of the Bríd Cross to the dolly
Omen of return: runes
Return blessing - Brat Bríd / tempering the knife / water from the Well / candle blessing
Cauldron blessing
Welcoming new members, officers, and guild members, and bestowing other honors

Unwinding and closing

Recessional - Walk With Wisdom

And afterwards... Join us for a potluck and socializing, and don't forget to get your Raffle Tickets!

Imbolc Songs 2009

Processional:

Come We Now As a People

Come we now as a people
Together, to gather at the sacred well.
Come we now as a people
To gather in the warmth and the light of the flame.

Unity:

Single Threads

Single threads entwined in weaving
Are our hearts and minds and souls
As the branches weave the forest
So our joining makes us whole.

Opening the Portals:

Portal Song

CHORUS:
By Fire and by Water
Between the Earth and Sky
We stand like the Worldtree
Rooted deep, crowned high.

Come we now to the well....
...The eye and the mouth of Earth
...And silver we bring
...The waters of rebirth
...Together we sing:
CHORUS

We will kindle a fire
...Bless all and with harm to none
...And offerings pour
...A light 'neath the Moon and Sun
...Our spirits will soar.
CHORUS

Gather we at the tree
...The root and the crown of all
...Below and above,
...Together we make our call
...In wisdom and love.
CHORUS

Mannanan:

Mannanan Invocation

We stand at the border and watch the mist close in.
Waves rolling, rolling,
Where shore meets the ocean, where land meets sea and sky,
We call to you, Manannan,
Manannan, Manannan,
We welcome you as you one day will welcome us.

Closing:

Walk With Wisdom

(trad.)

Walk with wisdom, from the hallowed place
Walk not in sorrow, our roots shall ere embrace
May truth be your brother,
And honor be your friend,
And luck be your lover until we meet again.

Note to Parents: Children are welcome to stay and attend the ritual with you, but only if they are supervised.