'Spirits of Nature which inhabit this place,
Ancestors which have walked these paths,
Gods that dwell in these lands,
And Cosmos which enfolds us all:
See that you are recognized,
Hear that you are remembered,
Know that I rejoice in your presence.
I ask you now to stand witness
and bless this rite.
With this offering*, I declare my intention
to live more fully as a child of Humanity,
born of those born before me,
to walk the paths they have walked
and to forge ahead in preparation
for those to whom I shall become an ancestor.
(make offering to water)
With this offering*, I declare my intention
to live more fully as a child of Earth;
born of Rock and Tree, Ocean and Breeze,
to inhabit the Living Earth that extends around me,
to drink of the Waters of Life that flow around me,
to inhale the Air that whispers around me.
(make offering to earth)
With this offering*, I declare my intention
to live more fully as a child of Divinity;
born of Inspiration and Desire, to strive to be worthy
as a partner in the creation and continuation of culture,
and to hold mythos–our collective dreams and nightmares,
glory and folly, as sacred treasures.
(make offering to air)
With this offering*, I declare my intention
to live more fully as a child of the Cosmos,
born of stardust, and moon-pulled tides,
to dance with the Cauldron of Creation,
the living flame of live within ourselves, within our Earth,
our solar system, and the burning suns beyond our sight.
(make offering to fire)
I shall strive to take action each day that will attune me to the Universe:
So that my words shall be true and my actions just as
I seek to give the voice of our past to our future–
to be a bridge between my ancestors and my antecedents.
So that my choices are mindful of the Earth
and conscious of all of her children
as I undertake the daily tasks of living.
So that my worship is thoughtful
and honors the role of the Gods
in the lives of their peoples.
See that you have been recognized,
Hear that you have been remembered,
Know that I rejoice in your presence.
My offering stands as testament to my thanks for your witness.
(from a personal dedication ritual, slightly altered)
*For offerings:
Offerings of Earth are made to the Spirits of Nature, and are generally food of some sort. I like to use grain outdoors, generally millet…because, well…lets be pragmatic, its pretty much birdseed.
Offerings of Water are made to the ancestors and are generally drink. I don’t like to use alcohol, because (with some very minor exceptions) when poured put as an outdoor offering, I feel it is deeply disrespectful to the land (here in the US.
Offerings of Air are made to the gods as incense. The precise gods involved may change the incense up a bit (if they are Greek, I go by the Orphic Hymn’s suggestions), or may not (sandalwood, frankincense, myrrh, and dragon’s blood, as well as California White Sage, all have some iffy conservation issues that I avoid by avoidance.
Offerings of Fire are made as original bits of inspiration that I choose to give up and not use elsewhere, they get burned, and they are made to the Cosmos/Universe-at-Large (a nod to my pantheistic tendencies).
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks