Full Moon Ritual – Solitary, 3/30/2018

Brightest blessings to you all! So it really happened, huh? A full moon. A blue moon! The second blue moon in 2018! How nuts!

Tonight was my first time attending any sort of full moon rite. I know several of my pagan friends have observed them on the regular but due to logistics our Grove has been unable to gather for much outside of high day ritual and planning. With a few people around me making plans, however, and the buzz around a second blue moon in so many months… Well, I was inspired.

So on my way home I put together a full moon ritual for Damona, moon goddess of my hearth-culture. When I got home I cleaned it up, posted it to share, and got together a few supplies to go outside and do the work.

I brought with me an LED candle (I’m not too sure how the park staff feel about fire so I played it safe. This is SoCal after all…) as well as my home Well, a book from which to write my wish to Damona, and my Druid Animal Oracle deck.

I followed the ritual I had written (see the previous post if you would like to read through it) and while it was a little lonely and brief I am so glad I went through with it. I broke out of my shell a little more by vocalizing and taking my time through the steps. Even though it was my first time doing a ritual alone out in public I still managed to get “into it” without much difficulty. Perhaps the fact that it was so darn beautiful tonight helped a bit.

The omen that Damona brought down to me was contained within the Eagle. The card of the Eagle depicts said creature soaring high above a settlement engaged in a Lughnasadh harvest. The sky, water, and land are all visible from Eagle’s high perspective. Oak leaves are also visible in the foreground.

Embrace your ability to see into all the realms. Look to the sun for your strength as the seasons turn towards harvest time. Be confident, regal, and vigilant and know that, as the swift lightning of Lugh, your actions are to be swift and precise to maximize their power.

I am finding myself quickly running out of gas so I’ll wrap up this post. I may have more thoughts on this all tomorrow but I really wanted to get it out while it was fresh on my mind.

I hope everyone had a wonderful evening with this amazing full moon and I look forward to the many bright blessings coming to us all in the coming days!

A Full Moon Rite To Damona

As the sun sets this evening we find ourselves in a beautiful and breathtaking time of magic. Not only are we blessed by a full moon, not only are we blessed by a blue moon, but we are blessed by the second blue moon of this year!

I have considered doing my own full moon rite for some time, as our Grove is so scattered as to make it very challenging to meet outside of ritual planning and high days, but I have never really found myself available or ready to do such a thing until tonight. So inspired have I been in my work writing ritual and the good blessings of our recent Spring Equinox ritual that I decided it was time to not only commit to my first full moon ritual but also write one as well.

What follows was written specifically for my use tonight, as I will be honoring the Gaulish cow goddess of the moon, Damona, but if you would like to use it for yourself you are more than welcome to. Feel free to change whatever you need to in order to make it work for you and/or your gathering. I, myself, adapted most of the work from a general full moon rite script provided on ADF’s website so go forth and let shared liturgy bloom and be fertile amongst the good pagan folk!

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A Druid Full Moon Ritual
Adapted by Mark Bradley from an ADF General Full Moon Rite: https://www.adf.org/rituals/general/full-moon-rite.html

“I come tonight to honor the moon as she rises to her fullness. I come to honor Damona, the great and bountiful cow, while she is swollen and at her most beautiful. I come here on this full moon night to revel, give thanks, and share in Her power.”

[While purifying self and the space with water]: “By these blessed waters, silvered by Her radiant grace, may this Druid and this space be made whole and holy.”

[Pause, raising hands up to the light of the moon]

“You who silver the waves
You who brings the shadow forth
You who watch over the night
Beautiful eye of Damona, I honor you”

[Take three deep breaths]

“With three breaths I become as still as the silvered night,”

[Take three deep breaths]

“With three breaths I become as clear as the waters that shine with your light,”

[Take three deep breaths]

“With three breaths I am bright and quiet and prepared for this work. “

[Fill the Well with clean water]

“With these waters I fill the Well, letting the dark, ancient waters rise to meet your sight. Let my prayers flow on this full moon night, may all ill and wrong be made right.”

[Light the Fire, visualizing it’s origin and connection to and with the whole of our Druidry and all pagan folk doing this work tonight]

“With this light I kindle the Fire, a beacon for you, oh bright, beautiful, laden one.
You are as radiant as your love, the sun,
By this fire our shared work shall be done.”

[Tie a written prayer/wish/need around a suitable stick/small branch]

“With this wood I bridge the way between bright burning sky and dark flowing water.
The cosmos complete, this space our altar.
May all outsiders turn away, may our good work not falter.”

[Hold the stick aloft to the moon]

“I come in the light of the moon,
I worship by the blessings of the moon
Full in your journey, across the starry sky,
Through well and fire and tree do my prayers rise.”

[Produce a steady rhythm, repeat as necessary to accumulate the right energy/find the moment to strike]

“Great Damona, orb of night,
Such mysteries born from your light,
In this Nemeton join my rite,
In this work lend me your might.

Keeper of night I call your name,
Moon of mystery, of frozen flame,
My share of magic I ask to claim,
Let all that do work tonight be granted the same.”

[Prayer stick with attached prayer(s) is thrust into the earth]

“I come on this full moon night, this night of increase, this night of magic and potential.”

[Take a moment to feel the presence of the Moon’s power, and that power of all those around the world sharing in ritual to Her]

“Great and fertile Damona, o bright Moon! What blessings do you bring to we who gaze up at your beauty on this full and wondrous night?”

[Take an omen]

[After considering and acknowledging the omen, fill the blessing cup with water and let the moonlight shine through it]

“Let this cup be charged and be that in which blessings flow. With my flame burning bright as the moonlight above, may all good pagan folk be made stronger by our unity, by our shared devotion to you in this liminal moment. May all our blessings be as bright as your shining gaze, oh fertile Goddess, that shines now on the surface of these waters. These waters that I now bring into myself, my flesh, my blood.”

[Visualize the blessings entering the cup]

“I hold the blessings of the full moon! Ollo esti (so be it, etc.)!”

[Drink of the waters]

[Take a moment to feel the waters of life spreading within]

[Take nine deep breaths once more, grounding and returning unused energy back into the earth]

“Damona, blessed and bright mother of the night, I thank you for aiding with this work. I thank those who have joined me across time and space to do this work with you. I thank the Earthmother for granting us purchase that we may gaze lovingly into your eye on this joyous occasion.”

“With my work done, by the power of the Moon in Her fullness may our magic journey ever onwards.”

[Sing or chant as you return home/indoors/wind down from the rite:]

Let us journey ever on
Children of the Earth
Carry the Nemeton’s blessings
Into our lives, into our work

As we journey ever on
Children of the Earth
Let the Nemeton’s blessings
Bring peace to home and hearth

 

Thinking About Inking: Year 1X

College is an interesting time for everyone. For me it was relatively tame. I was a “good kid” who was involved in a puppeteering club and exploring amazing internet websites like eBaums World and Zombo.com. It was also a time in which I thought about exploring “Adult” stuff like smoking cigarettes and getting a tattoo.

The first thing (thankfully) didn’t take. Don’t smoke.

The tattoo thing also never happened but that never stopped me from thinking about it occasionally. As an artist it seemed almost ludicrous that I didn’t have some ink. It felt inevitable that I would, some day, design some piece of art or a character image that I would want immortalized on my skin. It never ended up being all that important, however. It was sent to the back burner to simmer quietly for years.

Fast forward to 2018. This year started out with a bang. It’s easy enough to say “This year everything will change!” but 2018 started out Real in that regard and continues to be chock-a-block full of blessings. Amongst (and as a result of) several quality of life improvements, I have found myself actively pursuing the Druid’s Path once more. Some would surely argue that I never truly strayed away and I’d much rather move on than make excuses, but suffice it to say things were Very Bad and medicine is real and good.

So here I am. The DP stretches before me once again, I am working with my Grove to give good ritual and bring blessings to the folk, and my calling sounds clear once again. Studying and reading feels possible now and no longer like I’m trying to eat beef through a straw. Things are working. This is good. Soon I’ll be writing my first ADF ritual for a public rite! It’s nuts.

So in all this another blessing arrived! My good friend and mentor Lauren from Nine Waves Grove announces she had completed her clergy coursework and was right on the cusp of ordainment! As a result of a great number of things and in celebration of this key moment of her life she would finally be getting ink.

And then it rekindled that old flame in me. Right. I had been thinking about this for a long time, hadn’t I?

Now I don’t need to make a long post even longer by espousing the usual warnings about tattoos. We all know the story by now. Don’t be hasty. Be sure it’s something you can live with, etc. These things are all true. But Lauren’s story of it being a reward for completing her clergy course really inspired me.

So I think as this year goes on I will do some research on artists and consider my first piece carefully. I’m leaning towards something ursine, as that has been a creature close to my heart for much and many years. My first instinct is some sort of elegant Ursa Major design… And then as a reward for completing my Dedicant Path work I will then mark the milestone of my first tattoo. Finally.

Take care, friends. I hope the changing season treats you well.

Looking Ten Years Into The Past

I’ve been working on getting back into the habit of journaling more often. That good old ADF Druid staple: Journaling All The Time.

In doing so I was digging up old journals and came across the first thing I ever wrote regarding any spiritual practice. It’s something I hadn’t quite forgotten about but I lost track of how many years it had been! I wrote it ten years ago! Considering where my path has taken me so many years later, and considering that ten is a popular milestone for retrospective work, I thought it would be potentially interesting/enlightening/embarrassing to share it here.

For a little context: At this point in my life I was not a member of ADF. I didn’t even know what ADF was let alone understand that modern Druidry was a thing. The only thing I had to go on was some internet stuff and a couple books on shamanic practice, which was the thing I felt was a current avenue to pursue.

As a result I did something that I now acknowledge to be incredibly foolish: I went on a trance journey alone and untrained. What transpired was intense, frightening, unforgettable, and formative.

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1/19/08

I completed my first vision journey tonight. Assuming the posture of the spirit who led me here, the elder bear, I began to slip into the vision. I entered the dream through a pool of water, finding myself underwater amongst coral and colorful seaweed with no other life. I was in seek of an answer to whom my spirit animal truly was. Was it the elder bear who follows me or a spirit yet to come?

The waters bearing nothing I climbed up the beach, emerging cold and wet. The nearest life appeared to be her, the elder brown bear. She built a fire for us in the night. I warmed and dried me. Then she told me to turn around. She pointed and I obeyed. I was faced with a buck with great, spiraling(?) horns. It’s face was alight like an aurora and it’s stare was blinding. My eyes opened in the physical world, I could feel myself “awake” but my eyes still burned from the light. I could see pulsing lines, like colorful magnetic waves. Shortly after my body returned fully.

The deer startled me greatly. It appeared so terrifyingly close and with such bright eyes. The answer did not come clear… But the simplest answer seems to be that I am allied with both the familiar grandmother bear and this new, strange entity.

I still, now, feel her within me but the buck’s frightening gaze is still burned into my mind.

Tonight, when Grandmother Bear and I come together for sleep, I will whisper these concerns to her and perhaps she will grant me answers.

Thus far, however, she has spoken not a word to me.

-Little Bear, Elder Son

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It’s interesting to look back on this, especially transcribing it. Bear has obviously been a constant companion and Damh has followed me quite a bit in my Druid journey, though I’ve been hesitant to pursue him in return. The mental image of that kaleidoscopic stag has remained with me all these years later.

A Shower Song To Nantosuelta

One morning some time ago a song popped into my head while showering. It was a little devotional song to Nantosuelta that I would hum and sing as I scrubbed and shampooed and such. I got into such a habit of doing it intentionally that now it’s just “the thing that happens in the shower”… You know, besides washing up.

I’m not at all knowledgeable at how to notate a song so I tried to make it more apparent where the holds and rhythm are. It’s a lovely song that I’m rather proud of. I think it was my first ever of the sort.

Hail to you~ Nantosuelta,
gracious mo~ther of the stream
may your wa~ters dance upon me
and leave me~ clean~

A Song For Equinox

Artio, you’ve rested so long
Artio, through frigid white.
Mother-Bear, I hear the bird-song,
Emerge with us into the light.

One Day We Will Be They

The other day I was directed to a recent article written by one Damh the Bard, a prolific and talented musician, podcaster, and pagan practitioner. The topic of the post surrounded a conference in which a question was given:

“What is one thing or moment that changed Paganism over the past 20 years?”

Now I don’t necessarily need to recount Damh’s entire post but the meat of it ended up being one of those things that, at the risk of sounding hyperbolic, legit altered my perspective of Stuff. This was mind blowing.

So in my time practicing Druidry and exploring the path of the pagan ways one thing has come up time and time again and it’s something that I have well understood and accepted. That thing is that some day I will die and I will join the ancestors. Those very same ancestors that came before, that guide us now, that pass their wisdom onto us… We will one day do the same. Makes sense. I’m totally on board.

Here’s the thing that was particularly nuts.

Your mileage may vary with this. Everyone practices their own flavor of magic, right? Even in ADF Druidry folks have their own pantheons and practices and particular special things. It’s all a big wibbly wobbly stew of magic and good deed, yeah? The mind blowing message here is that modern paganism isn’t necessarily about following an unbroken ancestral line of ancient magic and tradition. Again, this may not apply to you, but I’m willing to bet a great deal of modern Druids are in this boat. I can attest that I, myself, am primarily in this on my own… In a manner of speaking. I was blessed with a casual, natural introduction to nature worship and reverence for the Earthmother as a child but my current, modern exploration of paganism? Spurred on by several factors, not the least of which being a current calling to reconnect myself and others with the Earth, the Gods, and the wisdom of the Dead… Among other important stuff.

This stuff is NEW. We are NEW. Heck, ADF as a church and I share a birth year. The traditions and stories and lore that have grown around this little neopagan organization are barely a third of a century old.

This was the mind-blowing part, you guys. The history? The ancient practices? The archaeological finds, written accounts? The Coligny calendar? These are things that we, as modern pagans, look to for inspiration, for guidance, for a deeper connection to the Kindreds.

In time… WE will be those artifacts. Being ancestors ourselves some day is one thing. Being the ancient civilization? Being the old pagans who left behind faded records of offerings left to these Goddesses, rituals to honor those spirits, etc? That’s going to be us.

We are the new ancient ones. And so are those who will come after us, and after them.

So if you ever, just once, in your practice think that you can’t possibly mean anything in all of this… If you ever feel like your solitary rituals or your contribution to your Grove or whatever isn’t a “big deal”?

Guess what, friend. It is. Because you are modern paganism. You are future paganism.

You are the ancient ways.

[Insert head explosion .gif here]

Seek wisdom, be kind, and drink plenty of water,
-Bear

A Two Powers Meditation In Nine Breaths

St. Patrick’s Day was a few different things in my circle of friends and family but one of the things it very certainly became was a day to discuss the Two Powers meditation.

In the ADF tradition we incorporate a group practice early in ritual that helps connect us deeper with the cosmos, grounds us in the nemeton space, and helps to sort of sync up everyone involved. There are various different ways to create the Group Mind and one of them is the Two Powers meditation.

The Two Powers is a lovely thing as, at its barest skeleton, it is fairly easy to understand and memorize but is thusly easy enough to dress up for your occasion, group size, or whatever you need.

At it’s core the Two Powers meditation connects us to the deep, cold waters below and the soaring, hot fires above us, mixing them together in a powerful force within us, enabling us to better do the magical work in the remainder of the ritual.

It’s a beautiful and intimate practice that has excellent visualization, even at its barest level.

Speaking of a light Two Powers my friend Lauren Mart over at The Swamp Druid has written a very lovely 2PM that can be done quickly and is darn simple to memorize. It was so good, in fact, that I took it and shaped it for my Grove’s own upcoming Spring Equinox Ritual, as I have been tasked this go-around with providing said Group Mind Meditation.

And so we come to it. You are welcome to utilize this as you like. It was largely inspired by Lauren so she deserves a lot of the credit, but I believe that shared liturgy is a great and powerful pollen for the forest of pagan practice.

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A Two Powers Meditation In Nine Breaths (Inspired by Lauren Mart of Nine Waves ADF)

Children of the earth, we have called to the Earthmother and we have allowed the fires of inspiration to fill our voices. Now it is time to find that center which lies within ourselves, to connect with the cosmos and prepare ourselves to do the great work that lies ahead.

Close your eyes now, if you are able, as we take nine deep breaths together.

With the first breath, we sprout roots from our feet that reach down deep into the earth.

With the second breath, we draw up the cool waters from below, flowing up through our deep, sturdy roots.

With the third breath, we are now filled with the waters, that cold flow from the depths swirling and pooling deep inside us.

With the fourth breath, we now look upwards, our branches reaching to the heavens.

With the fifth breath, we draw down the fires from above, the warmth washing over us, dancing upon our skin.

With the sixth breath, we are now filled with the fires. That potent heat licking at our core, dancing deep inside us.

With the seventh breath, the waters and fires collide, sparking, alight, bright and ever so alive.

With the eighth breath, that bright, living, swirling energy deep inside expands and pours fourth, filling our Grove with life and light.

With the ninth breath, we open our eyes, one Grove, to work our magic together.

The Path Is Ever Present

Though I stray, again and again, in loose fits of writing then not, thinking on things then not, the path is ever present.

When my feet wander off the path, or stop and stumble, or drift far, far away into the darkness, I fear… Yes I do. Sometimes the fear is muddled by ignorance, but it is still dark.

But it need not be. I carry a torch within me always. A torch that, though it may blind me at times, still dances knowingly to the breeze, still lights the eyes of creatures watching and waiting, still bears the mighty breath of the gods.

The breeze of the ocean points the way, the blazing beacon of Nehalennia, the tell-tale signs of her crashing, mighty waves.

And again I know the way. I retrace my steps and I find the path.

This time, the shadows that once clawed at me are held at bay. Defeated. Subdued.

For two months now I have been healed and I now see that so much of the darkness was hanging on me. The path is bathed in sunlight, the flame safe within me once more.

My roots are stronger than ever before. My fur and blood warm and alive. My branches stretching, again, slowly fruiting leaves of wisdom that will one day light the path of those to follow.

I am bear. I am oak. I am Druid and Dedicant and I move again upon that ever present path that I might do good work for the Kindreds and the folk.

I declare, to all that will hear, to be a pagan, seeker of ancient ways, who speaks with and gives of his heart to the Gods.

By this oath I set upon the Druid’s Way and make my dedication known.

I seek virtue, protecting myself and those in my life, that we may all know strength, joy, truth, and prosperity.

I seek piety, an ever-growing bond with the Kindreds, keeping the rites through the turning of the wheel.

I seek study, growing my love and practice through the truth of the elder paths.

To all who bear witness, let my vow be heard! Let my dedication be known! Let the Ways be upheld! As my path goes ever on! So be it!

DPWOTY Week 3: An Essay on the Autumnal Equinox

The Autumnal Equinox occurs near to September 21st each year and marks the day in which the time shared between the light of day and the dark of night stand in equal balance. Known in some Neopagan groups as Mabon, it is a time to recognize efforts made throughout the year and to give thanks on what one has harvested through those efforts. It is also a time to reflect on missteps taken and consider how to do your planting, literally and figuratively, when winter passes once again.

In my Gaulish Hearth Culture there does not seem to be a particularly notable feast or celebration associated with this season apart from Diocomrextio or Tiocobrextio depending on your interpretation. This event, suggested to additionally take place at other times of the year, is focused on the righting of wrongdoings and renewing old or breached contracts. Evidence on the Roman calendar suggests working with several different gods throughout this time of year with Jupiter (Taranis in the Gaulish pantheon) coming up regularly. As he is commonly associated with the wheel and the sun I find this particularly fitting, as one might give thanks to him for the warmth given throughout the growing season.

I have been with my Grove at this time for a little over a year and as such have had the pleasure of celebrating this high day with them twice. Raven’s Cry often honors different pantheons throughout the wheel of the year but since I have known them we have celebrated it in a Welsh fashion, as Alban Elfed “The Light of the Water”. In this rite we would give thanks to both Beli Mawr and Llyr, of the houses of Light and Dark respectively, and give thanks for what we have harvested in addition to asking Llyr for support in His time of darkness and cold.

It is for both my Grove and for myself personally a time that is much looked forward to. In the part of the country in which we live the summer season (and a good portion of the fall season) is quite hot. While we do love the bright sun of the Southwest, the turning of the season promises cooler breezes and beloved most of all – rain. It is also a time of strong reflection after the busy summer season. It is a time to slow down and look back and see what worked and didn’t work. For me I find it a time of rest where I can reap the effort and time spent through an incredibly taxing summer work season and begin planning things for the coming year. With Samhain and the end of the Pagan calendar coming fast and the American Christmas season coming shortly thereafter it is a good reminder to take a breath and contemplate as the bookends of the year fast approach.

While my involvement in agriculture is nonexistent I still observe the harvest themes fiscally as the summer is one of my busiest times work-wise, so it fits nicely into my personal life rhythm. I also very much enjoy the increase in cool breezes and the rain, rare as it is, is one of my favorite elements of the dark half of the year. While storage for winter is not a specific need for our climate there is some preparation to be made for winter. Financial planning for potential family visits or end of year gift giving is smart, as is preparing the home for potential invasion by pests as the weather cools. It is also, of course, the time of year to dig out hats and scarves!

Should I have the pleasure of passing down any traditions from this time of year I would emphasize strongly the elements of harvesting, reflection, planning, and honoring the forces of balance as that balance shifts. With modern lives as busy and complex as they are having a definite season to put on the brakes, reap what has been sown, acknowledge successes and failures, and plan for next year is a valuable thing to have. Seeing and communicating with the spirits of light and darkness and acknowledging their role and relationship to one another, to the Earth Mother, and those who are nourished by Her, is just as important. I feel these are the key things to take note of for the Autumnal Equinox and a strong foundation for growing further practice around this high day.

All in all this is my favorite time of the year. Even in a completely non-spiritual context I feel that there is a calm and a comfort in the air to this season unlike any other. While in the past I rarely looked forward to this time particularly it always hit me once it was upon me how much I loved autumn. Now that I have an active pagan practice at home it comes with a handy holiday attached, allowing me to better acknowledge and embrace the magic that comes with the turning of the leaves.