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Shining Lakes Grove, ADF

ADF Organizational Ritual

Lughnasadh 2002

August 3rd, 12:30 EDT

Emrich Conference Center, Brighton, Michigan

The Priest for this rite will be Rob Henderson. Other ritual roles will be assigned to ADF members who volunteer for them in advance of the rite. If you wish to volunteer for a part please contact Rob Henderson at robh@cyberspace.org or 248-446-0730.

Anyone wishing to take some of the waters of life with them after the rite is reminded to bring a small container.

Processional song: Come Through the Arbor
Come through the arbor to the grove to start the celebration
Young and old we come together to the grove to honor the old ones

We process to the ritual area with the Priest in the rear. When the song ends, the Priest says:
"We have come here to stand as one to honor the Gods and to celebrate the harvest."

Bard extemporizes a bardic invocation.

Oil is offered to the fire while the Priest says: "Summer hot like fire while we welcome the flame and honor the fire Gods of our peoples. Accept this sacrifice and give us fire to cook and to warm."

An offering is poured upon the ground while someone speaks:
"Warm yourselves in the summer light, Goddesses of the lands of our peoples, we honor you and ask that your steadfast strength nurture the roots of our people and tribes to support us as we grow, for our work is sacred."

Someone speaks:
"Land: Sacred is this land to us, sacred is all land to us, it is the world which we walk. We are supported and sustained by the land, valleys, fields , hills, spires of peaks, depths of forest down to the shores holding before the waves."

Someone speaks:
"Sea: Waves of the Sea, touches of the other-world endlessly dancing to rise and recede at our shores. Across the waves, the ancestors rest and the sea gives and claims as it will, all the while pushed by the breath of the skies."

Someone speaks:
"Sky Skies above, the very world of the Gods of our people, with shining eye, sweeping winds and blessings raining down. The secrets of lives written in mysteries of star and cloud." 

All:                            (individual):

From the center to the edge     Fire be a light

From the center to the edge     alight the world

From the center to the edge     world changing fire


All:                            (individual):

From the center to the edge     well be a gate

From the center to the edge     gate of blessings

From the center to the edge     blessings from a well


All:                            (individual):

From the center to the edge     Tree standing steadfast

From the center to the edge     steadfast between worlds

From the center to the edge     worlds upon the tree

An offering is made at the Warrior Altar while a warrior says:
"Champions of the Gods of our people, with this sacrifice freely given, we ask protection for our folk in this place, in our homes and in our lives."

And another offering is made away from the ritual area while someone says:
"Let that which has no part of us remain beyond and trouble us not."

Someone makes a sacrifice into the cauldron, then raises their hand to mark a spiral in the air at the center of the rite and says:
"Gate keepers of the Gods, we ask that you open the gates and give unhindered passage to all who come in honour. May the gates among the worlds be opened."

For the Nature Spirits, gifts of bread, fruit, nuts and birdseed will be given to the forest and placed out on the land. Anyone who wishes to bring gifts for the local animals and their spirits may do so. The gifts are placed in a pile and the Priest blesses them:

"All you creatures that go on feet, fin and wing, with roots reaching into the depths below, all you spirits that wind whisper, wave walk and rain revel, of sliding stream and the stones that remain. Accept these gifts and may there be a bond of peace between us that we may stand here with you and celebrate the harvest."

The gifts will now be scattered into the forest and onto the land by the participants who wish to participate in offering to these spirits.

Someone pours an offering of honey into the cauldron as the Priest says:
"Ancestors of blood, of spirit, and of place, we give you a gift and invite you to our celebration."

Chant: Blood of the Ancients
It's the blood of the Ancients that flows through our veins
And the forms pass, but the circle of life remains

Someone pours an offering of oil into the fire while the Priest says: "Gods, Goddesses, shining ones of our people we honor you today in this place and across our lands. Receive this gift freely given as you receive our worship."

Chant: By the Gods Above And By the Goddesses So Mighty (Paradox)
By the gods above and by the goddesses so mighty
(and I don't remember all of the words to the second line, help! -RobH)

Priest: "Let the peoples be named that all may be known to be part of the folk."

The Priest will intone the names of the Groves and someone will pour an offering of oil onto the fire for each name called:

  1. Stone Creed Grove, ADF Cleveland Heights OH 9/1/1990
  2. Cedar Light Grove, ADF Baltimore MD 1/1/1991
  3. Muin Mound Grove, ADF E. Syracuse NY 7/2/1991
  4. Grove of the Other Gods, ADF Highland Park NJ 9/1/1991
  5. Mugwort Grove, ADF Greenbelt MD 3/1/1992
  6. World Tree Grove, ADF Cranston RI 7/1/1992
  7. Sassafras Grove, ADF Pittsburgh PA 10/1/1992
  8. Shining Lakes Grove, ADF Ann Arbor MI 5/1/1994
  9. Grove of the Sacred Crows, ADF East Bridgewater MA 5/1/1994
  10. Wild Onion Grove, ADF Oak Park IL 12/1/1995
  11. Red Oak Grove, ADF Mount Laurel NJ 6/21/1997
  12. Little Acorn Grove, ADF Montclair VA 7/1/1997
  13. Grove of the Midnight Sun, ADF Randolph NJ 9/1/1997
  14. Triskele Rivers Grove, ADF Hamilton OH 12/1/1997
  15. Willow Marsh Protogrove, ADF St. Clair Shores MI 1/8/1998
  16. The 6th Night Grove, ADF Dayton OH 2/19/1998
  17. Sun Raven Grove, ADF Madison WI 5/1/1998
  18. Peachtree Grove, ADF Clarkston GA 5/30/1998
  19. Hearth Fire Grove, ADF Billerica MA 10/1/1998
  20. Red Maple Protogrove, ADF Pakenham ON 2/13/1999
  21. DogWood Protogrove, ADF Roanoke VA 2/28/1999
  22. River of Fire Grove, ADF La Crosse WI 4/28/1999
  23. Cascade Dragonsong Grove, ADF Olalla WA 4/28/1999
  24. Three Songs Protogrove, ADF Rochester NY 7/16/1999
  25. Raven's Cry Grove, ADF Burbank CA 8/4/1999
  26. Stone Glen Protogrove, ADF Bremen GA 12/9/1999
  27. Tear of the Cloud Protogrove, ADF Guilderland NY 12/9/1999
  28. Nemos Ognios Protogrove, ADF Rockland MA 6/5/2000
  29. Gooseberry Protogrove, ADF Richmond VA 9/2/2000
  30. Sonoran Sunrise Grove, ADF Tucson AZ 9/12/2000
  31. Raven's Mist Protogrove, ADF Las Vegas NV 11/8/2000
  32. Rogue River Protogrove, ADF Medford OR 1/5/2001
  33. Ancient Path Grove, ADF Bethel OH 2/10/2001
  34. Thistle Dew Protogrove, ADF Louisville KY 3/28/2001
  35. Awen Wyrd Protogrove, ADF Colfax IL 4/11/2001
  36. Midgard Hearth Protogrove, ADF Houston TX 7/30/2001
  37. Grove of the Twilight Owl, ADF Springfield OH 9/25/2001
  38. Earth Dragon Protogrove, ADF Lexington KY 9/28/2001
  39. Raven Wood Grove, ADF Crystal Lake IL 11/6/2001
  40. Protogrove of the Seven Hills, ADF Lynchburg VA 1/5/2002
  41. Protogrove of the Stone Forest, ADF Cincinnati OH 3/31/2002
  42. Otter Bay Protogrove, ADF Mountain View CA 4/18/2002
  43. Dancing Lights Protogrove, ADF Pickering ON 4/23/2002
  44. Misty Oaks Protogrove, ADF Garner NC 5/21/2002
  45. Three Cranes Protogrove, ADF Columbus OH 7/18/2002

The Priest addresses the people: "Are there any individual sacrifices?"

This time is for the sacrifice of tangible items to fire or well and the sacrifices may be made by the individual or handed to the sacrificer to perform.

The Priest addresses the people: "Are there any praise offerings?"

At this time, original songs and poems are performed. Please consider the length of time that your praise will take given the size and scope of the ritual.

Divination by the Seer

The bowl containing the waters will be held up while the Priest says: "Lapping upon the shores, flowing across the land and falling from the skies are the many waters bringing life and sustenance. May we share these sacred waters as one folk."

Cupbearers will bring the waters around to the people present and pour some in each cup.

All cups are raised and the Priest says: "Behold the waters of life"

All respond: "Behold the waters of life"

Some water is then scattered to the outer areas to symbolize the inclusion of those not physically present in the rite.

The Priest addresses all with statement of continuity.

Priest: "Goddesses and Gods of our people, Shining ones of elder days for your aid and attendance we thank you."

All: "We thank you."

Person who invoked Ancestors earlier: "Ancestors of blood, of spirits, and of place, for our lives, for you aid, we thank you."

All: "We thank you."

Priest: "Spirits of nature and of place, for your aid, we thank you."

All: "We thank you."

Person who invoked Gatekeepers earlier: "Keepers of the hidden ways among the worlds we thank you."

All: "We thank you."

Warrior: "Champions who insure the protection of the folk, for your strong hand and firm standing we thank you."

All: "We thank you."

The same person who called the Land Goddesses: "Goddesses of the living lands of our peoples for your support and constant strength we thank you"

All: "We thank you."

Person who invoked the Fire Gods earlier: "Fire Gods of our people we ask that you remain in our hearths and in our hearts to warm , our heads to inspire and our hands that we may perform our work. For your warmth and light, we thank you."

All: "We thank you."

Person who did Bardic Invocation earlier extemporizes

All: "We thank you."

Priest: "May the Gods bless our people and our peoples. This rite is ended."

And the priest rings the bell three times to signal the end of the rite.

Questions? Comments? Please contact Rob Henderson, SLG Webmaster. All content copyright Shining Lakes Grove, ADF, or the individual author(s), all rights reserved.