1. Define "votive offering" and write a prayer (including stage directions if applicable) for a votive offering. (100 words for definition; minimum 75 words for prayer)

A votive offering is really a quid quo pro between the sacrificer and those being sacrificed to. These are usually in the form of “If X happens, then I will give you Y”. Another way to look at this is as a vow to do something, but only after some event happens. Historically, this would be things such as vowing to make some sacrifice if the crops were good, or extra fruitful, that year. The vow could also be more long term, such as a vow of giving service or a vow of building something. The sacrifice made was also often of moderate value, but it was known that sacrifices of a slave's life could be given. (Thomas) I usually make my outdwellers offering a votive offering, and of a similar verbiage to what follows.

 

Ancient and Mighty Ones! You who abide beyond the light of this works fire. You who are not aligned with our works here this evening. You who do not support our works, or would work to destroy our works this night. We call on you in respect and honor. We ask that you respect our call and leave us in peace as we leave you in peace. If we are left in peace, we will make you an offering of this beer (open and show beer for all to see) once the ritual is over. (Walk beer outside of ritual space and leave out there until the ritual is over).

When the rite is over:

Ancient and Mighty Ones! At the start of the rite we asked you leave us be and not disturb our rite. You have done such, and as we promised, we pour you this sacrifice and say thank you. ( Pour beer while saying the last line)

 

  1. Write three prayers, one each for three of the following occasions (no minimum word count):

    • a piacular offering

Mighty Kindred. We have sacrificed to you the tokens of our love an appreciation. If we have forgotten a sacrifice, or have made a bad sacrifice, please forgive us for we knew not. Please accept this final sacrifice as recompense. (pour oil)

 

  • lighting a sacrificial fire

  • a meal blessing

We are gathered here to share in the bounty of the Earth Mother. Mighty Kindred, Earth Mother, bless this meal so it may nourish our body and our souls.

 

  • praise to accompany an offering

  • remembering a recently-passed ancestor

  • a blessing to end a ritual

We have made our sacrifices, and the blessings of (insert omen) have been received. We've given to the Kindred, and we have drunk of what they give back. Go now, children of earth, in wisdom and peace. This right has ended.

 

  1. Write two prayers, one each for two of the following occasions (no minimum word count):

    • opening a Grove business meeting

Mighty Kinderd, as we open this business meeting we ask that we come together in unity and for the betterment of the grove. May the decisions we make today be for the best. May the information we pass on be the truth. May we also bond in fellowship through this meeting. So be it.

  • before casting a ballot in an election

  • before a job interview

  • to protect a soldier at war

  • for a child's first day at school

  • for blessing a house

(I keep repeating the following as I walk around each room, each floor, and the property)

With this sage, I am claiming this place as mine. All that mean ill to me, I ask that you leave. All that share a purpose with me, please stay.

(When finished with the walking of the house/property)

I have walked the property, I have sent sage smoke into every corner of the house. I claim this house and property as mine. Mighty Kindred, bless this house and those that occupy it. May it be full of good times and laughter. May it be a comfort in bad times. May it protect the occupants from the outside world. So be it.

 

  1. Write a magical working for a full ADF rite suitable for use in a group setting, including stage directions as appropriate. (no minimum word count)

(This was done at our Beltane 2014 ritual to bless the land where we were holding the ritual)

(take a bowl of grains)

We are going to use these grains to bless this land. As the grains come around, put your intentions of a beautiful and fruitful land into the grains. Fill them with love. Fill them with your blessings. Fill them with positive energies for this land.

(pass the bowl around for everyone to put their energy into the grains)

Now that the grains have been filled with our energies and our intent, I also fill them with the omens we have received from this ritual. (fill them with the omens while stating what they were). I give them to the owner of this land.

(instruct him to walk around the ritual space and spill the grains as he goes. Time the following so that it should be done when he is done walking the circle)

As you walk around this land, spill the grains. May they nourish the land, may they make the land fertile and fruitful. May this be the start of better things for this land. Let the grains bless the land and all those that use the land.

(once the grains are all spilled)

The grains have been spilled, the land has been blessed. So be it!

 

  1. Write one complete ritual for an ADF High Day. The ritual must be substantially original and suitable for use in a group setting. (no minimum word count)

This was written for Yule 2013. It was intended to be a guide of what was to be said, and not to be spoken in whole. Much of what was written was used as inspiration and the actual words used were ad-libbed. Overall the ritual went well. The seiðr specifically went well. Many questions were asked, and answered. This was used in part as a testing of the location for the seiðr work (otherworldly nemeton) and the placement within the ritual for the work. As we discussed it afterwords, apart from getting one answer that made no sense to the questioner, it appears to have worked well.

 

Yule 2013

Start the ritual around the hallows. Pass the bowl of water around for everyone to aspurge themselves. Pass burning incense around for everyone to cense themselves. Pass the ego jar around and ask everyone to leave their ego in the jar and join us all as equals. When the ego jar is done being passed around, it goes outside the ritual area.

We then start off with a meditation for the season by Gretchen:

awareness inward. Feel yourself anchored to the earth and reaching to the sky. Know yourself to be among friends, safe in sacred space.

 

Imagine that you are holding before you a single candle, and that this small, flickering light is the only light left in all the world. It is your own precious flame—the light within you—your fire, your spark. Be one with your light. Feel its warmth as your own. Feel your entire body glow with the essence of that fire.

 

On this, the longest night of the year, feed your flame. Let it burn bright, fueled by your love, your compassion, and your faith. Hold it aloft, and let its radiance spread outward, spreading light throughout the darkness, warming the coldest places, sending love and goodwill throughout the world.

 

Now, look beyond the light of your own fire to see the sparks in the darkness that are the lights of others. See the many flames blooming in the night like flowers in a garden. Watch as their radiance spreads and multiplies.

 

This is magic—that the light of a single candle can spread and multiply until the darkness is banished. This is a night of magic. Tonight is the longest night—the midnight of the year, but tomorrow the sun will be reborn in the glory of the dawn. And each day shall grow longer than the one before, as the great wheel turns.

 

Hold in your heart the image of that brilliant, spreading light. Let it fill you with warmth, with power, and with joy.

 

Breathe deeply and slowly, and when you are ready, slowly, open your eyes and join us in the celebration of the feast of Yule.

Earth Mother
Earth Mother! You who surround and support us. As you go deeper into your slumber through the winter, we remember you. Be you brown and gray, or covered in snow, you are a part of our lives. With out you, we wouldn't be here, and we honor you for that. Accept these offerings as a token of our appreciation. Earth Mother, Accept our Sacrifice!

Bardic Inspiration
Kvasir! You are the mead of poetry. Born out of the battle between the Aesir and Vanir. Stolen by the dwarves, and once again by the giants. Oðin stole you back after spending 3 nights with a giantess and brought you back to Asgard. You inspire all of us. Come, join us. Give us silvered tongues to say what we need to say, and to speak only the truth. Kvasir, Accept our Sacrifice!

Statement of Purpose
We are here this day to celebrate Yule. Yule is the shortest day of the year, the longest night. The world around us appears dead or dying, the leaves are gone, there is snow falling. We are in a bleak time of year, but starting on Yule, the days start getting longer, the nights get shorter. In a week or two we'll really start to notice this, and it is a time to celebrate the return of the sun. As this is also the start of a new solar year, we are going to also do some oracular work to answer the questions we have.

Hallowing the Hallows
Portal Song:

CHORUS
By Fire and by Water, between the Earth and Sky
We stand like the World-Tree rooted deep, crowned high.

Come we now to the Well, the eye and the mouth of Earth,
Come we now to the Well, and silver we bring,
Come we now to the Well, the waters of rebirth,
Come we now to the Well, together we sing:

CHORUS

We will kindle a Fire, Bless all, and with harm to none,
We will kindle a Fire, and offering pour,
We will kindle a Fire, A light 'neath the Moon & Sun,
We will kindle a fire, our spirits will soar.

CHORUS

Gather we at the Tree, the root & the crown of all,
Gather we at the Tree, Below & above,
Gather we at the Tree, Together we make our call,
Gather we at the Tree, In wisdom & love.

CHORUS (with gusto)

(Words and music by Ian Corrigan ©Stonecreed Grove, ADF)

Gatekeeper
Sleipnir! You beautiful steed of Oðin, son of Loki. We call on you to aide us in our works today. We ask that you open the ways for us, guide, and ward us. Take our words where they need to go, and bring back what we need to hear. Eight legged one, Sleipnir, Accept our Sacrifice!

Now, Sleipnir, join your magic with mine. Let the well open as a gate to the worlds below. Let the fire open as a gate to the worlds above. Let the tree become the crossroads between all the worlds, open to the spirits and our voices. Let the Gates Be Open!

Outdweller
All you of the outer dark. You who are beyond the light of this works fire. You who are not aligned with our purpose on this day. We make you this offering, and ask you leave us alone. If you do so, we will pour the offering to you when the rite is over.

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. Come, Join us at our fire. Ancestors, Accept our Sacrifice!

Land Spritis
Land Sprits! 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 elves and dwarves, all of you spirits of the land, we offer you welcome. Come, Join us at our fire. Land Spirits, Accept our Sacrifice!

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. Come, Join us at our fire. Shining ones, Accept our Sacrifice!

Ratatosk (grove patron)
Ratatosk! You who runs up and down the world tree carrying the messages of the great eagle and wyrm. You who have adopted our grove as one of yours. We call to you and honor you as our grove's patron. Come, Join us at our fire. Oh Great Squirrley One, Ratatosk, Accept our Sacrifice!

Oðin
Oðin! One Eyed! Wanderer! We call on you to honor you on this, the shortest day of the year. You are the leader of the Wild Hunt. You go out this time of year with your hounds. You hunt those who dare be outside on these nights. We ask that you spare us from the hunt, but instead come and join us at our fire. Let us honor you, All Father, for this is your time of year. Oðin, Accept our Sacrifice!

Praise offerings
Anyone that has offerings to the Kindred or Oðin, please, come forward and make them now.

Sacred Bull
We have here the sacred bull. As is our tradition, we sacrifice this bull and give half to the Kindred, and share the other amongst ourselves. Kindred, Accept this Sacrifice!

Omen
Runes 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!

Oracular Seiðr
Trance journey to the nemeton by Robb.
Once in the nemeton and all settled down, speak the following incantation. This will be lead by MJ after Robb takes the high seat.
Take the seat and travel down
Down into the Earthen Womb
Earthen womb with beating heart
Heart where lie the Ancient Tombs
Ancient Tombs with Ancient Bones
Bones of Mage, of Bard, of Priest
Priests of Old whose words relay
Relay Wisdom, E’er they speak
Speak to us through Seer’s voice
Seer’s voice, fulfill thy vow
Vow to touch the Ancient Wise
Ancient Wise, receive him(her) now!
(Words by Missy Burchfield)

Once seated and situated, Robb will describe what he sees. At this point, MJ is to call on people for questions. After each answer MJ should say:
Well has been asked,
well has been answered.
Is there another question?

Periodically MJ should ask Robb how he is doing, and be ready to stop the questions if needed.
For returning, MJ should state the following:
Seer, you have traveled far and wide.
It is now time for you to return.
Return to you body, return to this seat.
Return to us all and join us at the fire once more.

Once back to his body and ready, Robb will lead the trance journey from the nemeton back to the ritual space.

Thanksgiving
Oðin
We have given to you, and you have returned the favor. For all that you do for us, we say, Thank you.

Ratatosk
We have given to you, and you have returned the favor. For all that you do for us, we say, Thank you.

Shining Ones
We have given to you, and you have returned the favor. For all that you do for us, we say, Thank you.

 

Land Spirits
We have given to you, and you have returned the favor. For all that you do for us, we say, Thank you.

 

Ancestors
We have given to you, and you have returned the favor. For all that you do for us, we say, Thank you.

 

Gatekeeper
Sleipnir, we have given to you, and you have returned the favor. For all that you do for us, 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 tree become a tree once more. Let the Gates be Closed!

 

Kvasir
We have given to you, and you have returned the favor. For all that you do for us, we say, Thank you.

 

Earth Mother
We have given to you, and you have returned the favor. For all that you do for us, we say, Thank you. We also return to you all that is left unused and will pour the offerings we have gathered around the tree outside.

Outdwellers
You have left us worship in peace, and we will now uphold our end of the bargain and pour you your sacrifice.

Go now, Children of Earth in wisdom and peace.

 

Works Cited

 

“The Nature of Sacrifice”. Thomas, Kirk. ADF. Web 13 Jun. 2014 <https://www.adf.org/articles/cosmology/nature-of-sacrifice.html>