Two weeks ago, I went on my annual pilgramage to the Between the Worlds Mens Gathering.  It was a wonderful time, and I got many things out of it, even though I did not really attend many workshops or rituals.  One workshop I did attend was "Slaying Trolls" which was all about those internal things that are holding you back.  Through meditation, you found one of the things and gave it a name.  Then, you color a troll on a piece of paper to depict the thing, and burn it.  This process made me realize one major thing that we shall call "S" that has been holding me back in some aspects of my life.  Hopefully, with the removal of "S" and awareness of it, things will clear up.

Tuesday night, I did a Delphic oracle.  The way I set it up, we had multiple seers, and they were never part of the ritual, they were outsiders.  The ritual was actually run by another priest, and, well.... as they say, no plan survives first contact, and this ritual was no different.  Even with the major errors during the ritual, the omen was good, and the other seer and myself each answered about 10 questions.  From what I have heard after the ritual, we gave good answers, and they made sense to the querants... so I call that a success.

Komos, the "tea dance" or "Rites of Dionysis" party night was also a good night.  I allowed Odin in again, but put some restrictions on him, including letting me ride shotgun, not kicking me out completely.  It was interesting seeing his thoughts.  He enjoyed the night, but he also found that some guys there, one in particular, just did not understand that I was not me, but a god was driving.  He found frustration and humor in that while also trying to bring Loki out in someone else.  He behaved though, and he left when I requested, after about 2 hours of wandering and having fun.  He also took the alcohol with him, and I was stone cold sober after validating that yes, that was him, not me.

Overall, the week was good.  I did get some homework out of it, namely I should be offering an oracualr intensive next year.  I also connected with old friends, and new friends.  I have some hopes that things come to fruition with the foundations that were laid.  Only time will tell.

Returning was difficult though, and it has taken me a week to get back to myself.  Even with that though, I realize I am 1 week into a 51 week supply run.

 

For those interested, the Delpic Oracle script follows:

Initiating the Rite

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in... and out. Again, in.... and out. See yourself as a tree, with your feet being your roots, and your arms your branches. With your roots, start pushing downwards. Through the floor, through the foundation. Go into the ground, the moist dark earth. Keep going down and feel the earth move to your will. As you go down, you will find stones, and boulders, go around them as you search for the cool waters deep in the earth.

As you reach these waters, draw them up into your body. Feel the cool water climb up your roots and into your feet. Feel them fill your legs, your loins.... draw them up into your belly, your chest. Feel them fill your whole body with the energies of the deep. Feel them spill out the top of your head, the palms of your hands, and pour back onto the earth.

Now turn your attention to the sky. High above you is a star of your own, shining down on you. Reach up to the start with your branches. Grow them up into the sky. Reach up and gather the light from the star. Feel the light coming down, into your arms, into you head. Feel the light fill your body. Feel it mingle with the waters. The light of order mixing with the waters of chaos. Filling you with energy from above and below. Take a moment, and rejoice in the power.

It is now time to release the energy. Hold on to the energy you need, and release the rest. Send the light back up to the sky. Send the water back into the ground. Pull your root and branches back in. Know you can tap into these powers when you need to. Take a deep breath in... and out.... in.... and out... and when you are ready, open your eyes.

Basket of grain and bowl of water are walked around the ritual site. The participants will then “wash” their hands and follow the person carrying the basket of grain into the site. The basket will be walked around one more time and everyone would take a handful of the grains. When everyone has the grains, the Druid in Charge will signal them to cry out and throw the grains into the ritual site.

Earth Mother

Earth Mother, Gaia! You who surround and support us. As we approach the last harvest, and the turning of the wheel towards fall, we give you honor. You surround and support us throughout the year. Without your bounty, we would not survive. Without you, we would not be here. For all that you do for us, we honor you. Accept this sacrifice as a token of our appreciation. Earth Mother, Gaia, Khaire!

Muses

Daughters of Jove, dire-sounding and divine,

Renown'd Pierian, sweetly speaking Nine;

To those whose breasts your sacred furies fire

Much-form'd, the objects of supreme desire:

Sources of blameless virtue to mankind,

Who form to excellence the youthful mind;

Who nurse the soul, and give her to descry

The paths of right with Reason's steady eye.

Commanding queens who lead to sacred light

The intellect refin'd from Error's night;

And to mankind each holy rite disclose,

For mystic knowledge from your nature flows.

Clio, and Erato, who charms the sight,

With thee Euterpe minist'ring delight:

Thalia flourishing, Polymina fam'd,

Melpomene from skill in music nam'd:

Terpischore, Urania heav'nly bright,

With thee who gav'st me to behold the light.

Come, venerable, various, pow'rs divine,

With fav'ring aspect on your mystics shine;

Bring glorious, ardent, lovely, fam'd desire,

And warm my bosom with your sacred fire.

Orphic hymn LXXV. TO THE MUSES: http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hoo/hoo80.htm

Muses all! Give us silvered tongues. Aid the seers in their work tonight. Muses, Khaire!

Statement of Purpose

We are here tonight to do a Delphic Oracle. We are here to Honor Apollo. We are here to celebrate him and to ask for his wisdom in return. First though, let us hallow our hallows.

Hallowing the Hallows

The well is our connection to the underworld, our connection to our ancestors, and our connection to the Chthonic gods and goddesses. As we give to this well, we say: Sacred waters, flow within us!

The fire is our connection to the upperworlds, our connection to the shining ones, and has the power to transform and take our offerings where they are needed. As we give to this fire we say: Sacred fire, burn within us!

The omphalos is the center of the worlds, a mighty stone that marks where the eagles met, and our road to travel the worlds. As we give to this stone, we say: Sacred stone, be strong with us!

Gatekeeper

Hermes I call, whom Fate decrees to dwell

In the dire path which leads to deepest hell

O Bacchic Hermes, progeny divine

Of Dionysius, parent of the vine,

And of celestial Venus Paphian queen,

Dark eye-lash'd Goddess of a lovely mien:

Who constant wand'rest thro' the sacred feats

Where hell's dread empress, Proserpine, retreats;

To wretched souls the leader of thc way

When Fate decrees, to regions void of day:

Thine is the wand which causes sleep to fly,

Or lulls to slumb'rous rest the weary eye;

For Proserpine thro' Tart'rus dark and wide

Gave thee forever flowing souls to guide.

Come, blessed pow'r the sacrifice attend,

And grant our mystic works a happy end.

Orphic hymn LVI, To the terrestrial Hermes http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hoo/hoo61.htm

Hermes! Aid us as our gatekeeper. Help us open the ways. Guard us as we walk the ancient roads. Take our messages far and wide, and bring back what we need to hear. Hermes, Khaire!

Now, great magician, join your powers with mine. Let the well open as a gate to the underworlds. Let the fire open as a gate to the upperworlds. Let the omphalos be the center of it all, and be our roads through all the worlds. Let the gates be open!

Shining Ones

Gods and Goddesses of Elder Days! You who each of us call our patrons and matrons, we offer you welcome. You who look over our lives and our grove, we offer you welcome. All of you, known or unknown to us, we offer you welcome. We call on you to aid us and guide us in our works this evening. Watch over the seers as they do their work, and assist them if they need assistance. Come, Join us at our fire. Shining Ones, Khaire!

Land Spritis
Land Spirits! You who live among us. Those of fur and feather, scale and skin, we offer you welcome. Stick and stem, leaf and flower, we offer you welcome. All those seen and unseen, the Nyads and Druads, all of you spirits of the land and sea, we offer you welcome. We call on you to aid us and guide us in our works this evening. Watch over the seers as they do their work, and assist them if they need assistance. Come, Join us at our fire. Land Spirits, Khaire!

Ancestors

Ancestors! You who have walked this land before us. You who are part of our lineage, we offer you welcome. You who are friends and allies, we offer you welcome. You who walked this very land, we offer you welcome. We call on you to aid us and guide us in our works this evening. Watch over the seers as they do their work, and assist them if they need assistance. Come, Join us at our fire. Ancestors, Khaire!

Apollo

Blest Pæan, come, propitious to my pray'r,

illustrious pow'r, whom Memphian tribes revere,

Slayer of Tityus, and the God of health,

Lycorian Phœbus, fruitful source of wealth .

Spermatic, golden-lyr'd, the field from thee

Receives it's constant, rich fertility.

Titanic, Grunian, Smynthian, thee I sing,

Python-destroying, hallow'd, Delphian king:

Rural, light-bearer, and the Muse's head,

Noble and lovely, arm'd with arrows dread:

Far-darting, Bacchian, two-fold, and divine,

Pow'r far diffused, and course oblique is thine.

O, Delian king, whose light-producing eye

Views all within, and all beneath the sky:

Whose locks are gold, whose oracles are sure,

Who, omens good reveal'st, and precepts pure:

Hear me entreating for the human kind,

Hear, and be present with benignant mind;

For thou survey'st this boundless æther all,

And ev'ry part of this terrestrial ball

Abundant, blessed; and thy piercing sight,

Extends beneath the gloomy, silent night;

Beyond the darkness, starry-ey'd, profound,

The stable roots, deep fix'd by thee are found.

The world's wide bounds, all-flourishing are thine,

Thyself all the source and end divine:

'Tis thine all Nature's music to inspire,

With various-sounding, harmonising lyre;

Now the last string thou tun'ft to sweet accord,

Divinely warbling now the highest chord;

Th' immortal golden lyre, now touch'd by thee,

Responsive yields a Dorian melody.

All Nature's tribes to thee their diff'rence owe,

And changing seasons from thy music flow

Hence, mix'd by thee in equal parts, advance

Summer and Winter in alternate dance;

This claims the highest, that the lowest string,

The Dorian measure tunes the lovely spring .

Hence by mankind, Pan-royal, two-horn'd nam'd,

Emitting whistling winds thro' Syrinx fam'd;

Since to thy care, the figur'd seal's consign'd,

Which stamps the world with forms of ev'ry kind.

Hear me, blest pow'r, and in these rites rejoice,

And save thy mystics with a suppliant voice.

Orphic hymn XXXIII, To Apollo http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hoo/hoo38.htm

Apollo, we call on you to aid us and guide us in our works this evening. Watch over the seers as they do their work, and assist them if they need assistance. Come, Join us at our fire. Apollo, Khaire!

Open ritual for sacrifices to Apollo

Prayer of Sacrifice 

Mighty Kinderd! Apollo! We give to you once more. Behold the sacred bull! Sacrifice with the knife found in the grains. We give you half and ask that you all watch over our seers and aid them in their work tonight. The other half, we will share and seal this bargain with you. Kindred, Apollo, Khaire!

Omen

Omens are pulled asking what blessings we receive.

Blessing of the Waters

Ancient and Mighty ones. We have given to you and in the tradition of *Ghosti- a gift deserves a gift. Fill these waters with the omens we have just heard, and fill us with their powers as we drink the waters. Kindred, Give us the Waters! Behold, the Waters of Life!

After the waters are drunk, or sprinkled depending on the size of the ritual… someone will go to the second site where the seers are and spend the rest of the ritual watching over them to make sure they stay safe.

Directions given to the attendees 

We will now be doing something a little different. In this circle, we will be singing, dancing, drumming, and keeping the energy up in celebration, and as a sacrifice to Apollo. Those of you that have questions though, I (we?) will bring you back to the seers individually. When you are ready to go ask a question, please come over to (points out location) and we will walk you down, and bring you back.

At this point, the ritual diverges into two parts. In the main ritual site, 'spontaneous pagan mayhem' will take place. The purpose of this is to both to maintain the ritual energy and to distract the attendees from the long period of nothing happening in the main ritual location.

In the second site, the seers will be set up with at least one person and possibly a second person, looking over them making sure they stay safe. Set up in the second site will be a fire, and a basket of grains. The general outline for what is done is this:

The querent gets escorted to a seer and has time to ask their question(s). When the question is done, they will be met and asked to make a sacrifice of the grains to the fire to accept what they have heard. They will then be escorted back to the main ritual.

When the allotted time is up or there are no further questions, the seers will be told to return to themselves. They will then be given water, and escorted to the main ritual site.

Thanksgiving

Apollo 

Apollo! You have aided us in our works this evening, you have helped the seer to find the answers to the questions that were asked. For all you have done, Apollo, We Thank You.

Ancestors 

Ancestors, you have aided us in our works this evening, you have helped the seer to find the answers to the questions that were asked. For all you have done we say, Thank you.

Land Spirits 

Land Spirits, you have aided us in our works this evening, you have helped the seer to find the answers to the questions that were asked. For all you have done we say, Thank you.

Shining Ones 

Shining Ones, you have aided us in our works this evening, you have helped the seer to find the answers to the questions that were asked. For all you have done we say, Thank you.

Gatekeeper 

Hermes, you have aided us in our works this evening, you have helped the seer to find the answers to the questions that were asked. For all you have done we say, Thank you. Now, once more join your magic with mine, and aide us in closing the gates. Let the well become water. Let the fire become flame. Let the omphalos become a stone once more. Let the Gates be Closed!

Muses 

Muses all, you have aided us in our works this evening, you have given us silvered tongues, and you have helped the seer to find the answers to the questions that were asked. For all you have done we say, Thank you.

Earth Mother 

Earth Mother, you have aided us in our works this evening, you have helped the seer to find the answers to the questions that were asked. For all you have done we say, Thank you. As is our tradition, we return to you all that is left unused.

Closing

Go now, Children of Earth in wisdom and peace. This rite is ended.