Recap of week 5, lovingkindness meditations

I really like this. Although I didn’t do the chant on a daily basis, in the act of studying the concept of self-compassion and lovingkindness, I wound up finding an important piece of the puzzle. The whole ability to practice mindfulness, bring awareness to suffering, and not condemn myself for it, is very welcome and making a difference. This is a practice I will definitely return to as I continue to work on my mental training. I won’t stop the mindfulness; I mean the actual chant. Anyway, I haven’t done any better yet after a week on Kristin Neff’s web test, but, jeez, it’s only been a week!

Researching and working on my 3rd High Day

Getting ready for Lunasduinn – Lughnasadh. I’m seriously thinking of taking a pre-written ritual, and working through it, from beginning to end. There is NO reason why I can’t work a full ADF-style ritual, and the cross-quarters are very important to the Gaelic and Celtic pantheons.

Losing track of the weeks here

Boy, I feel like I’m going under for the third time. I just realised my third High Day is upon me, and I was caught completely flat-footed. Yikes! Just so I can keep track, I think I want to write down that I need to pick up on the WotY week 12, the ancestors and mighty dead, and just skip on to the third High Day. At least I will know where to pick back up in a week or so.

Parts of the shrine that I really like!

Well, I’m certainly not done with it, but there are parts of it that really, really work for me, and I’m deeply happy with them. My fire area, for one thing. I’ve decided the orange candles for the light half of the year do really well, and if you squint, it looks like flames… Here’s what I have so far.

Hallows

My altar so far, showing my Celtic Fountain dedicated to my Patron and to the Well Hallow; and the fire box below with my orange to yellow candles for the light half of the year.

A ritual for rain

A ritual for rain

Well, this started out as a homework assignment for an Oracle study I’m doing, given by a good friend of mine who’s a fellow ADF Druid, but who primarily is Wiccan / Shamanistic. I had to create some incense with at least one, but no more than three of the plants of the Oracle (The Druid Plant Oracle). So, I went on a pilgrimage and gathered Fern. Then, we had to USE it. Yikes! With my asthma, I don’t generally burn incense indoors, so, I came up with a plan… We are in terrible drought, and I thought doing a ritual to Taranis with the Fern incense would be a good thing.

My Fern Incense

My Fern Incense, Gathered on Pilgrimage

I did the ritual a bit ADF style, and found some great rituals other people had written and so generously shared, so I roughed out a simpler one using them as a template. Here’s a copy of the ritual:

I chanted my urnaigh and did the Gaelic chant, ‘Siram Soillse’, and a bit of drumming to begin the ritual. There was no processional. I just danced the drum, and opened my energies.

To begin the ritual, I started with something I’d read from the Sonoran Grove for their Midsummer Ritual, modified to fit my solo ritual…
“Within the Nemeton lies the Well, which contains the powers of chaos and the dark waters of the Underworld; the Fire, which embodies the ordering power of the Upperworld; and the Tree with its roots below and branches above connecting all.”

With the Earth beneath my feet, With the Sky that shelters all, With the Tree connecting Worlds,
In this place of love and magic I stand as one with the world.

Then, I blessed the Hallows very simply:
Lit candle: “Sacred Fire, burn within me”
Sprinkled Flour Offering: “Mother Earth, hold firm beneath me”
Poured water into basin: “Sacred Well, flow within me”

Then, I opened the Gates simply: “Beloved Gatekeeper, Manannan, I ask in reverence, open now the sacred boundary.”
His offering was whisky. “Let the Gates Be Open”

Then I jumped right into my purpose for the ritual, and shamelessly copied a bunch of great text from Rev. Skip Ellison and Kirk Thomas, with one Gaelic line of my own: “Taranis, Thunderer, I call upon You! Taranis, Thunder God, Wheeled Might, Sky Father, Arn athair a tha air Neamh, I acknowledge You.”

“O God of lightning, Lord of Storms, I call upon You now, For rain comes best with thunderstorms That form upon Your brow.
We bid the Heavens open wide, To let the rain cascade. The Earth shall drink that she may be In green once more arrayed.”

“I call upon you this day, Great Thunderer. Taranis, I ask that You bring the rains to fill the lakes and the streams, to help our trees and crops grow, and to nurture all the wild beings. We have been in a time of drought and the land is calling for water! Taranis, I call to you to come in your great-wheeled chariot that goes across the skies. I ask that you bring your great hammer that makes the thunder. And most of all, I ask that You bring the rains that we need. Your blessings I appreciate.”

“Taranis, Lord of Storms, accept my offering.”
This is where I lit the incense.

After this, I did a lot of drumming and muttering under my breath, which passes for prayer for me. I really felt Taranis heard. The winds certainly did start picking up after this.

Here was my close:
The Mighty Ones have blessed me upon my way.  So as I prepare to depart, I shall give thanks to those who have aided me.

Oh Mighty Taranis, I thank thee.
Earth Mother, For thy upholding of the World, I thank thee.
Beloved Gatekeeper, for guiding and for guarding, I thank thee.

Now I end what I have begun.
Let the fire be flame
let the well be water
let all be as before.
Let the gates be closed.

Walking with wisdom, as a child of the Earth,
my rite is ended.