MIDSUMMER Rite Recap: Spiral Spirit PG Midsummer Rite, 6/22/08 This was the first time I've ever been in charge of anything other than a solitary ritual. As the new Grove Organizer, I arranged the time, wrote the liturgy, assembled the hallows and most of the offerings, and made the announcements to the various email lists. Given that this was our first ritual since Samhain, I wasn't sure how many people would show; I'd joked that if I was the only druid out in the field it'd just have to be the way it was. Instead we had myself, another grove member, and 6 guests for the ritual and potluck! Our Deity of the Occasion was Taranis, a role he reprised from last year. I had made a terra-cotta wheel out of air-dry clay, about 8" in diameter, and I had inscribed a simple knotwork design around the rim and on the spokes, and written Taranis' name in Greek letters across one of the pairs of spokes, for the main offering. I set up the hallows under a large black chestnut tree; I carried all the stuff to the park in a cooler, and then threw a cloth over the cooler to hold the hallows. I did the pre-ritual briefing, introducing the non-ADF guests to the three chants we'd be using and handing out roles for everyone who wanted to help, making sure they knew it was OK to go off-script if they wanted. Mary blew a horn and then we chanted "Come We Now As A People" before I welcomed everyone. Mary offered Jamaican ginger beer to the Outdwellers, and then Chelsea offered the corn and oats to the Earth Mother, and we all chanted "Earth Mother". Mary and Jim did the censing and asperging. I led the Two Powers meditation; I'd never led a group meditation before but I think I did an OK job -- it helps that I've done that one myself a hundred times or more. I screwed up when it came time to open the gates; I missed a page and started the Gatekeeper offering before we erected the Hallows. Mary caught me and we sang "Portal Song" instead; I offered the silver, Sharon offered the oil to the fire, and Jim asperged the Tree. THEN it was time to open the gates; I gave (more) incense to Cernunnos as our Gatekeeper and we opened the gates with his help. Dr. Jim offered to the Nature Spirits; he did not stick to script which was excellent, because he obviously has a deep connection to the Spirits, and his invocation was really nice. He offered the spirits the gift of a rose. Mary did the ancestor offering, pouring mead, and Sharon offered oil to the Gods. Our main offering to Taranis was next; I offered the wheel I'd made, asking that we be protected from storms and drought this summer. I broke the wheel up before I placed the pieces in the offering bowl; it broke up very nicely with a little bit of elbow grease. A few other people had brought sacrifices as well, and they were offered next. After that I made the final prayer of sacrifice; I'd meant to give the rest of the oil and mead but in the moment I forgot. Mary took the omen with runes, which she summarized thus:
We loudly assented to the gifts being offered; I filled one chalice with sparkling mead and the other with water and we called for the waters, and then we passed them around. We wound down the ceremony with each person who'd offered to the Kindreds
thanking them, and Mary gave a final blast on her horn -- and then we adjourned
to a picnic table for our potluck lunch!
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