My Dedicant's Oath Rite

The Nemeton is arranged. Items needed are the Well, Fire and Tree, Incense burner, charcoal and incense, branch for aspersing, drinking horn or chalice, offering bowl, Celtic oracle cards and dedication ring. Also needed are offerings of ale, oil, herbs and flowers, honey, wine and the three offering stones. Also, a small cutting of the Dedicant's hair, semen on some tissue, some extra tissue and a piercing needle. The Well is filled, the Fire is lit and the Tree is erected.

The bell is rung 9 times, and the Dedicant circles the Nemeton three times, singing:

Come We Now As A People

Come we now as a people, to gather at the Sacred Well
Come we now as a people, to gather in the warmth and
the light of the Flame.

OPENING PRAYERS

The Dedicant kneels and kisses the earth, saying:

O beloved Mother of All
From whose starry womb
The Green Earth Springs
You who are the bearer of all life
You who are the Mother of all Gods
We pay you bless and uphold this rite.

So Be It!

The Dedicant invokes the Awen, saying:

Power of creativity that attends us
Voice of the Well of Wisdom
Voice of the Fire of Inspiration
I call you to place the clear heart in me
Come into my heart's shrine
Guide my rite in the way of truth

O power of inspiration in this holy place
O power of inspiration at this holy time

So Be It!

Dedicant makes an offering to the outdwellers, saying:

Ancient shadowy ones, we make this offering to you -
You who dwell in the outer dark,
You who stood against the Gods
You twisted and misshapen
You cold of heart and dim of mind
Take this offering and trouble not our working.

Dedicant pours ale on the ground.

Likewise I acknowledge in myself
Weakness and doubt
Hatred and spite
Cowardice and ignorance.

I contemplate these ills and enemies
And for this sacred time
I purify myself
And set them aside.

MEDITATION AND ATTUNEMENT

Dedicant centers himself with a short Counting the Breaths meditation followed by the Two Currents meditation, where he draws and mixes the Earth Current, or Underworld Power which carries the dark, mixed elements from which all forms arise and the Sky Current, or Starry Power which is the ordering pattern that crystallizes forms out of the Underworld potential. Together these powers manifest the Middle World.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Dedicant says:

I come into the sacred grove of the elder ways, toward the sacred center, to the meeting place of the worlds. I, Kirk Thomas, approach the Gods in pride and wonder, as a seeker of blessings, bringing offerings in honor of all of the kins of spirits. I come to the well and kindle fire to make an oath of dedication to the path of the old wisdom, the eternal way.

As the Ancient wise did before me, so I seek to do now. Let every holy power hear me, and look kindly on me as I make my oath.

WELL, FIRE AND TREE

Dedicant offers silver to the Well with these words:

Sacred waters that flow and swirl beneath all being, accept my offering. Let me know the elder depths within myself the source of all, the well of elder wisdom.

Sacred Well, flow within me!

Dedicant offers oil to the Fire, with these words:

Sacred fire that consumes and transforms, true and holy light of the Shining Ones, accept my offering. Sacrificed and sacrificer, let holy flame warm my spirit and my life.

Sacred fire, burn within me!

Dedicant censes and sprinkles the Tree, saying:

Sacred pillar, boundary of all worlds, stand at the center of the sky, stand at the center of the sea, stand at the center of the land on which I dwell. Let me be deepened in your depths, Raised to your heights, Strengthened in your strength.

Sacred Tree, grow within me!

LAND, SEA AND SKY

Dedicant sprinkles everything with sacred water from the well, saying:

By the cleansing of water let the primal sea be the boundary of the grove. Let the sea not rise and all ill turn away.

Dedicant raises incense and censes everything, saying:

By the light of the fire let the shining sky be the roof of the grove. Let the sky not fall and all ill turn away.

Dedicant circles the grove once, saying:

By fire and water let the blessed land be the founding of this sacred grove. Let the land hold firm and all ill turn away.

Dedicant contemplates the three worlds and the grove, saying:

The fire, the well, the sacred tree, flow and flame and grow in me! In land, sea, and sky, below and on high! Thus is the sacred grove proclaimed hallowed.

So be it!

OPENING THE GATES

Dedicant briefly envisions the Sacred Center as the Gates Between the Worlds. Through the Gates, Pagans send love, worship and offerings to the Powers, and they send blessings in return. When the Gates are open, thoughts and impulses can be heard clearly by the Three Kindreds.

Dedicant offers to Manawyddan ap Llyr, saying:

Manawyddan, Lord of the Gates, Lord of Wisdom, open the ways for me. I walk in your holy ways, I walk the Sacred Road . Share your magic with me, ward me as I walk in safety. Manawyddan ap Llyr, accept my sacrifice!

Dedicant makes an offering of oil to the fire. He then opens the Gates, making an opening triskele on the Fire, and the Well, saying:

Now, Shining Ones, join your magic with mine and let the fire open as a gate, let the well open as a gate, let the tree be the crossroads of all worlds. Open as a road to our voices and to the spirits. Let the gates be open!

Dedicant sings:

Gatekeeper Open The Portals

Gatekeeper open the portals
Between the Gods and Mortals
Power freely flows
As our magic grows

TRIAD OFFERINGS

Dedicant makes proper offerings to each of the Kindreds, standing at the fire.

ANCESTORS

Dedicant says:

A child of the earth calls our to the mighty dead. Hear me, I pray, O ancestors, my kindred.

Dedicant pours out ale onto the earth.

I offer to you, mighty ones. To the ancient tribes of this place, you whose bones lie in this land; to my own blood-kin and heart-kin; to the elder wise, druids and warriors and farmers of ancient days, to you I give welcome at my sacred fire.

Dedicant pours out ale onto the earth.

I offer to you, O sustainers of life. I ask you to hear by voice and witness my oath. I pray you to guide my ways as I walk the path of Pagan wisdom, the Druid's way. Mighty dead, accept my offering.

Dedicant pours out ale onto the earth.

NATURE SPIRITS

A Child of the earth calls out to the tribes of Spirits. Hear me, I pray, O companions, my allies.

Dedicant sprinkles herbs and flowers at the tree's base.

I offer to you, noble ones. To the kindreds of stone and stream; to those of leaf and root and shoot, to those of fur and feather and scale and to those tiny ones who buzz and crawl and fly. To all, I give welcome at my sacred fire.

Dedicant pours honey at the tree's base.

I offer to you, wild ones, lovely ones. I ask you to hear my voice and witness my oath. I pray that you will open my way as I walk the way of the earth in reverence, the Druid's way. Spirit clans, accept my offering.

Dedicant sprinkles herbs and flowers at the tree's base.

DEITIES

A child of the earth calls out to the Shining Ones. Hear me, I pray, Gods and Goddesses of old time.

Dedicant makes offering of oil and incense to the fire.

I offer to you, Shining Ones. To all the first children of the Mother, the wisest and mightiest; to all the deities of this land, known or unknown; to those might ones who watch over my own soul, to you I give welcome at my sacred fire.

Dedicant makes offering of oil and incense to the fire.

I offer to you, eldest and brightest. I ask you to hear my voice and witness my oath. I pray you to empower my ways as I walk the path of divine magic, the Druid's way. Shining deities, accept my offering.

Dedicant makes offering of oil and incense to the fire.

He chants:

Gods and dead and spirits all
Hear my offering, hear my call
By fire and well and sacred tree
From land and sky, and from the sea
Now come, I pray you, to the grove
And bring your wisdom, strength and love.

Dedicant pauses to meditate for a while on the presence of the host of spirits he has called. He speaks in his heart to whichever of them may present themselves to him, and listens to their voices.

KEY OFFERINGS

Dedicant invokes his Gods, Ancestors and Spirits, making the appropriate offerings:

Welcome to the Gods and Goddesses, the Ancestors and the Nature Spirits!

Great Rhiannon, whose three black birds sing time away, Great Queen, Lady of horses, come to me now as my Goddess of comfort and guidance!

Dedicant offers oil to the fire.

Mighty Cernunnos, Horned God of the hunt and cull, bringer of sexual energy and power, Lord of winter, come to me now as my God of laughter and joy!

Dedicant offers oil to the fire.

Terrible Morrigan, lady of war and death, who must take in order to give, come to me now as my Goddess of rebirth!

Dedicant offers oil to the fire.

Aunt Joy, spiritual lady of my childhood, come to me now as my ancestor of meditation and visualization!

Dedicant offers flowers to the base of the tree.

Mistress Catrina, She who showed me the way to my Pagan life, come to me now as my lady of inspiration!

Dedicant offers flowers to the base of the tree.

Lady Wax, spirit of the honeycomb and the melting wax, lady of the tiny stings, come to me now as the bearer of my altered states of mind!

Dedicant offers honey to the ground.

To all of you who have gathered at my fire, I pray that you hear my oath of commitment to the pagan ways. I pray that you hear my oath of honor for all the spirits of the three worlds. And I pray that you hear my oath to strive for wisdom and enlightenment.

THE OATH SACRIFICE

A child of the earth comes to the sacred grove to make an oath to the powers of the worlds. I come by the road of seeking, through the door of new learning, to the fire of inspiration, to the well of wisdom, to the gates between the worlds. Hear me, O powers, as I offer up these sacrifices of my body. I give you these gifts:

Hair of my body for the fertility of the earth.

Dedicant offers cut hair to the base of the tree.

Semen from my loins for the powers of the underworld.

Dedicant offers semen to the sacred fire.

And my blood and pain for the powers of the sky.

Dedicant pierces himself. He removes the needle and wipes up any blood, committing the cloth to the sacred fire.

I give you these gifts, I give you my oath as an offering in your honor.

O mighty, noble and shining ones, hear me, I pray. Hear me, O Great Queen Rhiannon, my comfort! Hear me Mighty Cernunnos! Hear me Terrible Morrigan! Hear me meditative Aunt Joy! Hear me inspiring Catrina! Hear me nimble Lady Wax!

I am Kirk of the family of Ivor and Shirley, and it is my will to walk the Pagan way. So I swear by the Gods and by the Dead and by all the Spirits.

I swear to live by the virtues given by tradition, to strive to live well and do good. I swear to keep the feasts and observances of the Druid way, keeping the wheel of the year. I seat to seek the truth of the elder ways, to learn the lore and meaning of our ancestors' wisdom.

These things I swear by the well that flows in me, by the fire that shines in me, by the tree that roots and crowns my soul. Before all the powers: Lady Wax, Mistress Catrina and Aunt Joy, and especially before my Gods Rhiannon, Cernunnos and the Morrigan, I swear it. May the three worlds rise against me if I am forsworn.

So be it!

Dedicant offers oil to the sacred fire.

Now let my voice arise on the fire, let my voice resound in the well, let my words pass the boundary to the spirits. Mighty, noble and shining ones, accept my sacrifices and my oath!

Dedicant sings:

Hail All The Gods

Hail all the Gods, Hail all the Goddesses
Hail all the Holy Ones we've brought together
Powers of the sky, Powers of the sacred earth
Powers of the underworld we've brought together
Hail all the Gods, Hail all the Goddesses
Hail all the Gods and Goddesses

THE OMEN

Having prayed to the powers, let me be open to them, asking what blessings they offer me in return.

Dedicant takes the omen.

CHARM FOR BLESSING DEDICANT'S CUP

Dedicant pours favorite drink into the chalice. He takes his three stones: Jet, representing the underworld; quartz, representing the heavens and a stone half one color and half another, representing the place between and the manifest world. He takes the cup in his left hand and recites this charm of blessing, dropping in the stones when called for.

Ancient and mighty ones, I have honored you. Now I pray you honor me in turn, for a gift calls for a gift. I thirst for the waters of wisdom, of bounty and rebirth, from the bosom of the Earth Mother. I open my heart to the blessing of the great ones, and pray you hallow these waters.

Dedicant drops the black sphere into the cup.

May the dark waters of the underworld rise in this cup of blessing. As I drink, may I know the depths of the world's chaos, the all-potential in which I am rooted. May the Mother of all know me, and grant me wisdom, love and power.

Dedicant drops the crystal point into the cup.

May the shining light of the heavens blaze in this cup of blessing. As I drink it, may I know the heights of the world's order, the seed of life that quickens the spirit. May the fire father know me, and grant me wisdom, love and power.

Dedicant drops the two-colored stone into the cup.

In this cup of blessing the two powers meet. Let it be as a boundary place, and let magic be its substance. As I drink let the way Between be open in my heart. May the keeper of gates know me, and grant me wisdom, love and power.

Now I pray to you, O spirits, hallow these waters, and I will rejoice in your gift. Bless my spirit and my life with health, bounty and wisdom as I drink the sacred waters. Behold the waters of life!

THE BLESSING

Dedicant drinks most of the blessing cup. As he sips, he renews his center, and feels himself drinking in the power of the gods and spirits. He then takes up his dedication ring and anoints it with the waters of life, saying:

By the might of the waters and the light of the fire, by the three kindreds in the three worlds do I bless this token. May it serve always to remind me of my oath as I wear it near my flesh. Let the blessing of the powers shine and flow in it, turning aside ill and kindling wisdom, love and power in my spirit. So be it!

Dedicant then puts on the ring and chants his power song:

In my emptiness I wander
In my emptiness alone
In my emptiness I call out –
Will She come?

In my emptiness I see Her!
In my emptiness She turns
And beholds me on my knees there.
I am Hers.

In my emptiness She calls me
Puts Her hand upon my face
And my emptiness is emptiness
no more.

Then what pain, what pain there is there
As I fall upon the ground
I am changing with my limbs
No longer mine.

But now I feel a strangeness
As I get back on my feet
I am changed, yes changed!
And my joy makes me complete.

For She runs Her hands along me
And a bit is in my mouth;
She climbs upon by back and then
We're off!

Over hills and waters flying
So it seems – my gait is sure!
And She rides me, rides me, rides me
To the shore.

The moon is high above us
Now we've ridden through the night.
My mouth is foam
I'm prancing all about.

And then She is beside me
And Her strokes are oh, so soft.
Then the bit is taken from me –
And I'm lost!

For now the beach is empty
And I'm standing all alone
On two legs again
And many miles from home.

But the emptiness is gone now
I feel nothing like before
And I'll wait for Her
Until She rides me more.

Dedicant renews his center and meditates for a time on the whole working, on the grove, the spirits and especially his own Pagan path.

THE CLOSING OF THE GATES

O Shining Ones, O Noble Ones, O Mighty Ones
I thank You for Your aid and blessing

O Rhiannon, Cernunnos and Morrigan,
O Aunt Joy and Mistress Catrina,
O Lady Wax,
I give you my thanks and my love

Triple Kindreds
Gods, Dead and Nature Spirits
I thank You for upholding my magic

Lord of the Gates
Lord of Knowledge
I give you my thanks.
Now let the Gates of the World be closed!

Dedicant makes a closing triskele over the Well and the Fire, then re-centers and says:

The Well, the Fire, the Sacred Tree
Flow and flame and grow in me
Peace and Blessings
My rite is ended!