Holy Ones, Shining Ones, You whose power is great,
though you go on your way, may it never be said that we have lacked anything in our worship,
that we have not honored you as you deserve.
Farewell to you, to you who shine,
you, immortal ones, Givers of gifts,
farewell, good friends,
blessers of those who worship you,
who invite you to their table,
who share with you their best,
their libations lovingly poured.
As we called them facing east,
we say farewell facing west.
As the Sun they rose,
as the Sun they set,
as the Sun they will rise again in our lives
when we ask them to come to us.
Turn in silence, in your minds, in your innermost hearts,
to say goodbye to those we have worshiped.
Turn, and with the mind's clear voice, say farewell to those we have worshiped.
Turn again your thoughts and attention to those we have well and truly worshiped,
and now, aloud, and with love,
say, “Farewell!”
Go forth, return home,
each footfall a prayer to those who have blessed you,
each turn of your car's wheels one with Nature's turning,
each means of travel a continuation of the sweet blessing
of those we have honored here.
All the sacred beings who have shared time with us today,
have shared in our meal,
have received the offerings we have given with hearts of gratitude,
have heard the words of praise we have spoken,
the songs of beauty we have sung:
we wish you well, departing guests,
on your way from our home to yours.
Go as friends, who, as we well know, are great in hospitality,
whose ready invitations to your well-famed feasts we await eagerly,
happy to come when called,
to receive with gratitude your inevitable gifts,
and to invite you to come again to dine with us.
You go now to your homes,
our friends,
from this place of celebration.
We go now to our homes,
your friends,
from this place of celebration.
As friends we have shared this time,
as friends enjoyed this party together,
as friends celebrated these rites,
each one doing what friends do when they get together.
We will celebrate again,
as friends do,
here, or elsewhere,
always in a place of celebration.
The Sun sets, and it is night.
The Moon sets, and it is dark.
The frost falls, and it is cold.
But when you come,
there is day, and light, and warmth.
When we call to you from the greatest depths of our lives,
we know that you will come to us from love and friendship.
And with this knowledge, we say goodbye to you,
all you Holy Ones.
Has what I have done here pleased you?
Then please me with what I have asked for.
Has what I have given been welcome?
Then give me what I have asked for.
It is only fair, and you are fair.
Spirits who have spent this time with us,
we know it is now time for you to return to your homes,
and you know this, too:
this is our last knowing-together.
We give you this food,
to keep you strong on your journey.
We give you this drink,
to quench your thirst.
We give you these words,
to lighten the way.
With gifts and words, we give our farewell,
to you, Revered Ones,
who have blessed us today.
As you go on your way, you go with our thanks.
We end our rites by saying our farewells to you,
Spirits who are our dear friends.
We look forward to the time when we gather again in your worship.
For now, though, we wish you well on the pathways you will follow.
With these scattered grains I send you on your way with a gift;
this libation is a stirrup cup to refresh you for your journey.
Tell all you meet of our generosity!
[Deity], your mouth now closes,
that through which you have spoken words of power,
accomplishing your will and mine.
This accomplished, your image will once more
be [wood/metal/clay/etc.],
will no longer be your embodiment.
Yet it will stand in my shrine as a reminder of you
and of my dedication to you.
The God lives inside me,
sustaining and empowering me.
The Goddess lives inside me,
sustaining and empowering me.
Yet for this time, this short time,
they have been before me,
made manifest by my prayers and entreaties.
Soon I will see you no more,
yet you will be with me still.
Farewell, most loved ones!
He turns away, and fades into the forest,
a stag among the trees.
Do not, we pray, stay too far away:
continue to help us
and come among us when again we call.
Agni, we regret that we must extinguish you here.
We know, however, that you won't die by this,
because you live in all that shines,
and in the hearts of all living things.
Before that, though, this ghee for you!
The Sun, the eye of Zeus, which had formed you,
now disperses the mists so we no longer see you, Iris.
Still the memory of your glory remains with us,
sustaining us until you are next present.
My awareness of your presence fades, Mother Isis,
your appearance in my sight diminishes and dwindles.
Yet even when it is gone to naught, I will hold you in my heart.
I will hear your sistrum in my dreams.
Fare forth freely, Manannán,
on your flower-traveling chariot.
The tide recedes, and you with it,
your horse-waves your train.
Marduk, I pour one last beer to you before you
go on your way to return to your holy mountain,
that you might be refreshed for your journey,
and strengthened for your battles.
Not farewell to you,
Nuit, but farewell to me,
as I am absorbed in your infinite body.
No Valkyrie, I pour out this stirrup cup to you, Odin,
as you mount the eight-hooved steed on your way to travel the world,
this mead, as if it were the source of poetry, which you love.
Only may you leave behind your inspiration and protection.
You go, Pan, into the wilderness,
you who embody the wild.
Your enemy-scattering call will not be heard for a while.
But we will listen for hooves on rocks until you come again,
to leave behind blessings.
Leave with one last roar of thunder, Perkūnas,
with one last lightning strike.
Leave us today, to come again
swiftly to overcome any dangers
that will threaten us in the future.
Vāc, receive this ghee as you go,
your voice echoing in my ears.
May beauty be ever in my mind, Venus.
May love be ever in my heart, Venus.
May you be ever in my life, Venus.
May you never be far way.
May you always be prepared to hear me when I cry out.
Farewell, Lovely One, Farewell!
Return to mountain and river:
you know the way.
Return to forest and field:
you know the way.
Return to desert and scrub:
you know the way.
Return to rock, to tree and bush and grass,
to animal, and insect, and bird:
you know the way.
Return, return, return to these, your homes:
you know the way.
Return, return, return to us when we call from our need:
May you know the way.
[Perhaps throwing a handful of grain with each “Return.” May also be used as a litany.]
Spirits of the land,
who have gathered about us as we worshiped,
we once again do you honor,
as we are about to return this place
to your uninterrupted control.
Thank you for allowing us our time here.
May there ever be peace between us in this world we share.
Nature Spirits, we thank you!