Spring Equinox 2005

Eostre Rite, 2005
(stolen liberally from The Troth’s Our Troth,Grove of the Mystic Ash, Red
Maple Grove, Stone Creed Grove, and www.nycpagan.com)
I. Statement of Purpose: (Leesa)
We gather to day to beat away the last remnants of winter to make way for
the spring. We shall symbolically fight with and subsequently defeat winter,
with the help of Frey, or in German, Fro Ing. We will honor Fro Ing for his
assistance, then welcome Eostre and Idunn, goddesses of spring, youth, and
new life.
II. Procession:“WeApproachtheSacredGrove.”(need censor and
‘spurger)
III. Hammer Rite (Leesa or Jim)
Hammer to the north, I call to thee, hold and hallow this holy sight
Hammer to the east, I call to thee, hold and hallow this holy sight
Hammer to the west, I call to thee, hold and hallow this holy sight
Hammer to the south, I call to thee, hold and hallow this holy sight
Hammer in Asgard, I call to thee, hold and hallow this holy sight
Hammer in Midgard, I call to thee, hold and hallow this holy sight
Hammer in Helheim, I call to thee, hold and hallow this holy sight
IV. Opening Prayer: (Mike)
That which is without name
That which is without gender
That which is without form
Spirit which exists in all Creation
We, the Children of the Earth
Call out to you
And ask that you bless this work and
We give this gift to you
Mother Nerthus, springing forth this day.
Look kindly on our work,
Berchta, beldame of the wheel
Spin us a good wyrd this day.
O Mighty Mother of us all
Fill our house with Joy.
Hail Nerthus! Accept our sacrifice.
VI. Inspiration: (Jim)
(mead?)
Bragi, we ask you today for the Mead of Inspiration
Son of Woden, Bragi of poets, we ask for the poets’ share of the mead.
Loosen our tongues, open our lips, let us sing to the Kindreds.
We honor you! Be welcome.
Hail Bragi! Accept our sacrifice.
VII. Purpose and Precedent: (Leesa)
(sample) On this day, we worship the goddess Eostre, she who is the
embodiment of the multi-hued sheets of light that illuminate the break of
day, of the tender shoots triumphantly rising towards the light, the fruition of
the continued renewal that is our Mother.
Likewise we make offerings to Frey, in German, Fro Ing, he who rides the
golden boar and whose vitality and virility call and arise in answer to the
newly awakened maiden of Spring.
(or something like that….)
(insert similar foofy words about here when the inspiration strikes).
VIII. Outdwellers: (Anne)
Hear me all you wights unhallowed,
Etins, trolls and all the Outgarth
Ravers, enemies of Order.
Here we give you proper honor
Take this gift, here freely given
Trouble not our holy working
For our hall is well warded
By the Redbeard’s might hammer.
IX. Grove Attunement (Judi, Jenni)
Now, let us begin to open our minds to Magic, to the presence of the Gods.
Begin with your body. Plant your feet firmly on the ground, balanced and
upright. Shake out your arms and shoulders. Let gravity pull you evenly
toward the Earth, as you release the everyday tensions in your flesh.
Now, begin to breathe deeply and regularly. With each inbreath fill your
lungs slowly and completely. With each outbreath empty them entirely. For a
moment, simply watch your breath. In and out . . . Slowly . . . Completely.
Now, as you continue to breathe deeply and regularly, imagine, feel that
roots are springing from the soles of your feet, reaching down into soil and
stone, down to the World below you. A strong taproot slides down, going
deeper and growing stronger, down to touch the cool, dark waters beneath
the Earth. The dark, cool, magnetic powers of the land.
Breathe deep, and with each inbreath draw the Earth Power up through your
roots. Feel it flowing into your feet, tingling and energizing. Rising up from
the Earth . . . into your legs . . . rising up through your legs . . . feel it pool
in your groin. Breathe deep, and draw the Earth Power up your spine . . .
rising through your belly . . . rising through your heart . . . rising up to pool
in your head . . . Filling and energizing you . . . rising still to fountain out the
crown of your head and flow back to the Earth. Flowing back out through
your head and hands, to return to the Earth.
So are you now filled with the Power of the Earth.
Now imagine, feel, that from far overhead, from deep within the turning
Wheel of the Sky, a single ray of light shines down, out and down to bathe
your body and your spirit in the warm, electric Sky power. Shining down
over your head . . . over your heart . . . over your loins . . . touching and
warming the Earth Power.
Everywhere the light touches becomes bright, shining like the sun on the
water. Now, raise your shining hands to the Sky and let the Earth Power flow
into your hands. Feel . . . see . . . your hands brighten and energize with the
combined Powers of the Earth and the Sky.
So are you now the Sacred Pillar, the World Tree, the vertical axis of all the
Worlds.
Now, reach out to those beside you. Join your shining hands together. Let
the Waters and the Light merge and flow through us all . . . the Power
flowing upward from below . . . the power flowing downward from above . . .
through each and all of us . . . making us one light, one depth, one united
and Sacred Grove.
(In Unison with note cards:)
The waters support and surround us
The land extends about us
The sky stretches out above us.
At the center burns a living flame.
May all the Kindred bless us.
May our worship be true.
May our actions be just.
Blessings, and honor, and worship to the Holy Ones.
X. Fire, Well, and Tree: song as usual, need 3 volunteers.
(Fire: Beverly; Well: John; Tree: Mike)
XI. Opening the Gates: (Leesa)
Hail Heimdall, sounder of the final note
Father of Humanity
Far sighted Guardian of Bifrost
Thank you for the gift of life and the gifts of clarity
Hail Heimdall! Accept our offering!
(sacrifice: ale?)
Wondrous Heimdall, Watchman of the Gods,
Keeper of the mighty Gjallerhorn
We ask they to open the gates so that our words may cross the rainbow
bridge.
Let these waters become the well of Mimir
Let this fire be the light of Bifrost
Let this tree become the ash Yggdrasil
From the depths and heights spans the world tree.
By thy will and ours, Let the gates be opened!
Kindred Offerings
XII. Landspirits: (Jenni)
To all those who dwell in this land, we give honor
Kindreds of soil, of waters, of sky
Clans of tree and herb
Of stone and stream and lake
Tribes of bird and beast and creeping things
You we remember with honor [as we drink?]
We ask the spirits of the land to join us at our fire and feast
That all wights of goodwill be blessed.
Hail Landwihta! Accept our sacrifice!
XIII. Ancestors: (Judi)
Alfar we honor
Great men and fathers
who their highday, heroes were reckoned
Likewise Disir
Great and good women
Mothers, Grandmothers,
Peace-weavers, wise ones
Ancestors aid us
Hear us as we hail you
offerings we pour to you
Hail to the Alfar all ringed round us, the fathers of the folk
Hail to the Disir all ringed round us, the mothers of our might
Hail to our kin, in the hidden lands.
Hail Ancestors! Accept our sacrifice!
XIV. Shining ones: (Leesa)
Allied and Kindred deities of those gathered here.
Gods and Goddesses of many lands
Shining ones of many tribes
We ask you to attend and bear witness to our rite!
We call to the Aesir and the Vanir
Hear us eldest and brightest
To all you shining and deep ones
Wisest and mightiest
Cunning and fair, loving and comforting, gods and goddesses.
Hail to the Gods! Accept our sacrifice!
(insert coolest and bestest ADF song ever here).
XV. Key Offerings:
Welcome to the Three Kindreds!
To all of you who have gathered at our fire, we pray you join us in
worshipping the patrons of this holy rite here in our sacred grove.
(facing east)
Hail to Eostre, eastwards lightning.
White maiden, in thy might.
Step through the door of Delling, Glimmering,
Lifting the lance of day
Offering eggs of day
Giving the gifts of day.
Hail thee, Fro Ing! Ride here in thy wain,
To drive winter from our doors.
With stag-antler shining, sig-sign uplifted
we see thee, summertime King,
Beat out all Winter’s bale
no longer linger he here!
(at this point we do something particularly nasty to an effigy of winter and
then toss it onto fire if we have one).
Now, death must die and dawn have sig
Now winter ends and woe is fled.
Ice-melt flowing, fetters loosening, fair-shinging Fro Ing fells winter’s dark.
Awake, Awake! Frith dawns and a fruitful year! (all repeat)
Hail to our Fro Ing, who’s freed the earth,
the shining Summer King!
Now Sunne treads the sky’s blue rim
the sig-queen takes her stead.
(give offering)
Hail Fro Ing! Accept our offering! (repeat)
Eostre, streaming light, bright, shining,
pining for the warmth and joy of the day.
Birds singing, bringing flowers,
bowers of fern and leaf and bud that are your gown,
We make sacrifice to you, Hare of spring,
Hail Great Eostre! To you whose very name means Spring
Hail Eostre! Accept our Sacrifice!
Hail to Idunna
Innocent of heart
Shining eyed keeper of the Golden apples
Protector of youth and energy.
As the seasons change, its you who harvest the fruits of life
as we reach this change in the wheel.
Golden Haired Nurturer, Come among us and accept our tribute!
Hail Idunn! Accept our sacrifice!
XVI. Praise Offerings
Have the folk brought praise?
XVII. Final Sacrifice and Omen
So we have given of our love and our wealth
To Fro Ing, Eostre, and Idunna.
Now let our voices arise on the Fire
Let our voices sound in the Well
Let our words pass the boundary to the Otherworlds.
Fro Ing, Eostre, and Idunna
We give you our love
Our respect, and our devotion
as we pray you…
Fro Ing, Eostre, and Idunna, accept our sacrifice!
XVIII. Piacular Offering: (Jenni)
Having sacrificed to the Powers
Let us open to them
Asking what blessings they offer us in return
And the needs they have of us.
XIX. (Mike takes omens)
The Blessing (Mike or Jenni)
XX. The Litany of the Waters
Ancient and Mighty Ones we have honored you
We pray you honor us in turn
For a gift calls for a gift
Hear your children:
Shining Ones, give us the Waters!
We thirst for the Waters of Wisdom
The Waters of Bounty
The Waters of Rebirth
From the Well of Wisdom
From the Spring of Renewal
From the bosom of the Earth
Hear us:
Shining Ones, give us the Waters!
We open our hearts to the Great Ones blessing
We stand in pride, honor and friendship
With all the Powers of the Worlds
Hear us and answer us now:
Shining Ones, give us the Waters!
XXI. Hallowing the Waters
We draw blessing from the Cauldron of Blessing
We pour the Mead of Inspiration
Behold the holy Cup of Magic
The outpouring of Blessing from the Great Ones
When we share the draught of the Gods
We drink in wisdom, love and strength
To do as we will in the worlds
In service to the Shining Ones.
Hear us Fro Ing, Eostre, Idunna:
Hallow these waters!
We, your children, rejoice in your gift
Bless our spirits and our lives
With love, magic and bounty
As we drink these sacred waters.
Behold the Waters of Life!
All: Behold the Waters of Life!
XXII. Work:
(as the waters are being passed around, asperge the bowlf of eggs and
golden apples with the waters of life. Leesa says:)
Idunn awesome! Eostre’s fires
burn to brighten thy way.
Green, aye, new-growing from ground ‘neath your footsteps
holy frowe, fare here!
To apples and eggs all give your blessing
Idunna and Eostre fair
Bearing in blitheness buds of our new life,
Bearing the blessings of dawn.
(volunteer takes bowl around, and says: Idunna and Eostre bless you).
XXIII. Closing (Leesa)
The Great Ones have blessed us
With joy in our hearts
Let us carry the magic from our sacred Grove
Into our lives and our work.
Each time we offer to the Powers
They become stronger
And more aware of our needs and our worship.
So now as we prepare to depart
Let us give thanks
To all those who have aided us.
O Fro Ing, Eostre, and Idunna, We thank you!
All: We thank you!
O Gods and Goddesses of elder days, We thank you!
All: We thank you!
O Spirits of this land, We thank you!
All: We thank you!
O Ancestors, our Kindred, We thank you!
All: We thank you!
To all those Powers that have aided us, we say again…
We thank you!
All: We thank you!
Mother of all
To you we return all we leave unused
Uphold us now in the world as you have in our rite.
We thank you!
All: We thank you!
The druids go to the center. They speak:
O Gatekeeper, warder of the ways
For your presence and power
Your guiding and guarding we say…
We thank you!
All: We thank you!
Now by the Keeper of Gates and by our magic
We end what we began.
Now let the Fire be flame
Let the Well be water
Let the Tree be only wood
Let all be as it was before
Let the Gates be closed!
All: Let the Gates be closed!
From the Gods to the Earth, to Us,
From Us, to the Earth, to the Gods.
A gift for a gift. Hail! (empty stuff)
The Rite has ended.