Druidry works in tune with the seasons, helping us to remember that we are a part of nature. Modern Druidry celebrates eight festivals throughout the year, which are each a wonderful opportunity to take time out to stop and recognise what is happening all around us. This becomes all the more important the more hectic our lives become, and the benefits from performing these seasonal rituals can help us to go along with the flow of the seasons.
Imbolc
Imbolc is when the first signs of spring are returning to the land. By the calendar, it is from sunset on the January 31 through to sunset on February 1. It is a gentle festival, a soft awakening from the trials of winter. Though there may be hardship ahead, with cold weather and general uncertainty, we still honour the returning light, the longer days, the lambing season, and the first snowdrops. For this ritual you can make a Brighid’s cross, which is a traditional symbol woven on this day to place upon your altar. Details on how to make the cross are found at the end of this ritual.
For this ritual, you will need:
• A small basket
• A representation of Brighid, perhaps woven from wheat or straw or a handmade dolly
• A wand, preferably of birch wood
• A candle
• A bowl of water
• Offerings (milk and butter are traditional at this time of year)
• A Brighid’s cross
This ritual is a traditional one, where Brighid is welcomed into the home. If you prefer not to work with this specific goddess, you may replace “Brighid” with “spring” and leave out the basket, wand, representation of the goddess, and Brighid’s cross elements of this ritual, simply welcoming spring and the blessings of renewal into your home at the beginning of this ritual and giving an offering as the sun rises the next day.
I prefer to do a good spring cleaning of the whole house before this ritual. Please note: this ritual is a bit different from the other seasonal rituals in that it specifically takes place indoors.
Set up your sacred space and ensure that you have everything at hand. You don’t have to cast a circle or create a nemeton for this ritual. The entire house is the sacred space.
On the eve of Imbolc, at sunset on January 31, place the basket with the doll just outside your front door (or by an open window if in an apartment). Stand at the front door and take a moment to calm and settle yourself. Once centred, open the door and call out:
Brighid, Lady of Spring, I welcome you in!
Hold open the door and stand aside, feeling her answering call. Then go out and pick up the basket with the doll and carry it inside the home (or pass it out through the lintel of a window and back in again). Carry the basket and doll into your sacred space. Place it carefully in the centre of the space and stand or sit next to it, saying these or similar words:
Lady Brighid, I welcome you in. Grant your blessing upon this space from the heights to the depths, from the depths to the heights. In this time of new hope, the light is growing and I am thankful. Blessings to you, Lady Brighid, even as you bestow your blessings upon us all this springtide.
Light the candle and place it next to the basket.
May the blessings of a new dawn be upon us all.
Take the bowl of water and place on the other side of the basket.
Health, love, and prosperity be with us all.
Take the wand and place it in the basket, next to the dolly.
Lady Brighid, bless this wand, infuse it with your regenerative power: from the land, from the sea, from the sky itself. Lady of Poetry, of Smithcraft, and of Healing, bless and infuse this wand so that I may work in the world in balance and harmony on my Druid path. Lady of the Sacred Flame, Lady of the Holy Well, I honour you and your power, gentle and nourishing, strong and compassionate.
Sit or stand for a moment by the basket and sense the power flowing from Brighid into the wand. When you are ready, take up the wand and pass it quickly through the flame (do not burn or scorch it!) and then dip it into the bowl of water. Then hold it aloft and say:
Through the powers of fire and water, through the blessing of Brighid, the Lady of Spring, and the Light of the World, may the work that I do reflect her greatest gifts. May my work be filled with love, compassion, and honour and may I be the awen.
Though it’s not a traditional part of this rite, you can now trace the awen symbol in the air before you with the wand, putting it straight to use. See the symbol in the air before you and then allow the symbol to sink into your body and your soul, filling you with inspiration.
When you are ready, give the offering, using whatever words you feel appropriate. If you can, leave the offering next to a fireplace overnight and then place it outside the next morning. Close down the ritual as you see fit.
Greet the dawn the next morning if you can. Welcome the new day, welcome the growing light. Take the Brighid’s cross that you made and hold it up to the rising sun. Allow the energy of the sunlight to infuse the cross. See it blessing the turning cross, reflecting the turning of the wheel and the dance of the sun. Hang the cross in a prominent window of the home, to further bless your dwelling throughout the year. You can make a new one next year or renew the same one year after year.
How to Make a Brighid’s Cross
Traditionally, rushes were used for making Brighid’s Crosses: these rushes were pulled, not cut, from where they grew. However, not everyone has access to rushes and they can be tricky to use the first time, so I recommend using pipe cleaners—at least for your first attempt! They hold together easily and you can quickly see the pattern that is to emerge. You can also use paper drinking straws to be more eco-friendly. Also, ensure that you have four small rubber bands handy to finish off the sections. When you’re more adept, do try making Brighid’s Crosses with rushes, long grasses, wheat, or straw. Anything that is dry, such as straw or wheat, will need to be soaked for several hours first to soften them up enough to use so that they bend without breaking.
Take the first stalk and lay it upon the table. Take another and fold it in half. Holding the unbent stalk in one hand, wrap the folded stalk around the middle of the straight stalk and ensure that it is nice and tightly wrapped. The folded stalk should have its ends pointing out to the right. This folding part can be a bit tricky, as you will need one hand to hold the cross together and the other hand to add new stalks. Using a table may make it easier, as you can lay it flat.
Hold the join of the two stalks together between finger and thumb and turn the cross a quarter turn to the left (ninety degrees counterclockwise). Fold another stalk over the junction of the first two stalks so that the open ends point to your right once again. Push the stalks nice and close together, so that there are no gaps.
Continue rotating to the left and adding stalks until all are included. You can use as many as you wish; you will know when to stop. The finished product should resemble a four-armed cross that looks like it is rotating, for indeed it is a symbolic sun wheel!
Using the rubber bands, tie off the ends of each arm. (Alternatively, you can wrap them with extra pieces of stalks, tucking the ends under as you go to hold it tight.) Trim the ends so that they are nice and neat. There you have it—your very own Brighid’s Cross!
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Spring Equinox
For this ritual, try to find a place that is between two places: a threshold place, a liminal place. It might be on the seashore or a lakeshore where the water meets the land. It might be a hilltop, where the land meets the sky. Even a backyard can be seen as a liminal place, between your home and the wilderness, the indoors and the great outdoors, your boundary and that of your neighbour. You can choose a liminal time as well, such as dawn or dusk: not quite morning, not quite night. You may also choose to perform this ritual near a hedge (another liminal place) or by a tree if you wish to perform a hedge riding or travel the World Tree. This ritual is aimed at opening your mind and your self to wider perspectives as you stand on the balance point of light and darkness. This is an important time for a Hedge Druid, who seeks out liminal places and the Otherworld and uses the Hedge or the World Tree in their work.
There is nothing that you need for this ritual, no items at all, but you can always leave an offering if you so choose. Please ensure that it is biodegradable and compatible with the environment. Songs and poetry are always good options if you are unsure.
Designate the sacred space if you feel the need to do so. Some feel more secure within a ritual nemeton; others do not feel the need. Do what feels right for you. Take a moment or a few moments to connect with the place. Listen and feel. Allow the place to tell you its story. Connect with it and become a part of it.
When you are ready, stand and hold your arms out to the sides. Say these or similar words:
I stand at the threshold, in the liminal world between time and space.
I stand upon the knife’s edge;
I stand upon the turning point in this liminal place.
I honour the balance of day and night, of dark and light;
Equal day, equal night.
Grant to me Second Sight.
Lower your arms, sit down if you wish, and meditate upon the area around you. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try the Druid’s crane stance. Stand with one leg raised or on one foot with the other either pushed out in front or behind you. I’ve found that a good pose to adapt for this posture is the tree pose from yoga, where one foot is raised and placed on the inside of the standing leg, wherever it is comfortable. Using your hand, cover the eye on the same side as the raised leg while standing in this posture. This is an ancient posture said to be used by the Druids to see through and beyond the veils to the Otherworld. In this pose, you are half in this world, half in the Otherworld. It’s a difficult pose to maintain and can be made more stable by holding a staff in your other hand, to help your balance.
Stand in this position for as long as you can. Allow yourself to open up to the place; allow it to give you insight. You can gaze at the clouds scudding overhead or the waves lapping the shore or the wind among the leaves of the trees. You might open yourself up to messages from the three worlds as you travel up, down, or through the World Tree/Hedge in your riding. Let your mind relax and open itself to what nature is trying to say to you. You may ask a question or have a problem that needs some inspiration in order to be solved. Allow nature to be your guide; allow the spirits of place to guide you. Allow the liminal nature of the time of the Spring Equinox to take you beyond light and dark, day and night, black and white. Find that balance point, where everything is perfectly held: in your body, in your mind, in your soul, and in the world around you. The answer will appear or you will get insight into your own nature and/or the nature of the world.
When you are ready, gently come out of this pose or rise from your seated posture. Hold your arms out to your sides once again and say these or similar words:
The balance shifts, the doors open
And we come through to the other side
The darkness recedes, the light increases
And we have no place to hide
Second Sight grants to me
Confirmation in times of uncertainty
The Wheel turns round, cycle never-ending
From darkness to light, this cycle I’m tending
Hail to the growing light, farewell to the long night
Hail to the awen and to the Second Sight
Give your heartfelt thanks to the spirits of place for their gifts. Honour every living thing for its own sake. Honour the times and tides of the Spring Equinox, of balance. When you are ready, give your offering, close down the ritual space if you created a nemeton, and thank the spirits of place once more. Remember and if you need to, write down what you learned and gained from opening up to the Second Sight. These insights may well carry you through the light half of the year, in balance and harmony until the Autumn Equinox.
Beltane
This ritual is not for the faint-hearted. For at Beltane, the portals between this world and the Otherworld are wide open and the Fair Folk are out in abundance. Here we will go out into a wild place and seek out a companion or guide of the Fair Folk: one that can offer advice, wisdom, and intelligence on the locality of place, what is needed, and what can be offered in return. Meeting one of the Fair Folk can be thrilling, but can also be a little scary. They are like us and yet not like us, as described in the previous chapter on the Fair Folk in Part One of this book. They have different agendas and may or may not appear in human form. Yet Beltane is the traditional time for encountering the Fair Folk, as is Samhain. So here, with caution, we will attempt to meet one of them, to gain some insight into the work that we can offer to the Fair Folk as well as the spirits of place and what they may ask of us (and what we may receive in return).
This ritual is ideally performed outside, but can be accommodated for those who are unable to do so. You can perform this indoors at your indoor altar if you wish and take a similar journey in your mind to a destination of your choosing. Instead of a fire, you can have a candle upon your altar as the focal point.
You may prefer to fast during the day of this ritual if you are able (if in doubt, consult your medical health practitioner). Drinking vervain tea before the ritual or taking a few drops of the moon elixir (see end of this ritual on making your own moon elixir) might also aid in your working. It is important to ensure that you do not have any iron on your person or in the ritual area, as this is reputed to drive away the Fair Folk. If you feel the need for some protection against the Fair Folk, you can carry a pouch of St. John’s wort upon your person, though this may affect some of the Fae who wish to communicate with you. This protective herb has its good qualities, in keeping the harmful away, but may also deter those whose intentions are entirely neutral or yet unclear.
Good places to hold this ritual are in wild places or liminal places such as a forest edge, the seashore, or a hilltop. Other places could be at ancient sites such as tumuli, barrows, or stone circles where it is often said the Fair Folk gather. You could also hold this ritual near a hawthorn or an elder tree, as these are trees associated with the Fair Folk. You may also choose to perform this ritual by a hedge. In any case, wherever you hold this ritual, ensure that the fire you create is safe and contained. Otherwise the Fair Folk might become angry with you and this is certainly not what you want! I’ve even performed this ritual in my own backyard, with great success after a Beltane rite with friends and consequently meeting one of the Fair Folk for the very first time: he came through the hedge and stood under an apple tree, clad in shades of brown.
For this ritual, you will need:
• An offering, such as butter or honey
• Somewhere where you can sit outside for part or all of the night and have an outdoor fire
• A mugwort smudge stick or cut and dried herb to be burned in a censer
• A handful of vervain
• Some food and drink for yourself
Designate the sacred space as you normally would. When doing so, focus on inviting those of the Fair Folk who are in tune with your intention alongside the spirits of place and who wish you no harm. That way, you may filter out unwanted attention from those who may not be so beneficial to you or your work. You might like to say something similar to what is offered below as you set up the space and after calling to the spirits of place:
I honour the time and tide and the beginning of summer. I also call to the Fair Folk, those who hold the knowledge and wisdom of this land and of the ages. Those who come from between the worlds, I seek your blessing on this rite and also your friendship. Those who are in tune with my intention, be welcome here in my rite.
Take as long as you need to settle and attune yourself to the place. Let yourself become a part of the landscape. Then light a small fire and gaze into the flames. Take your time with this ritual; it might take all night or at least a couple of hours. Allow yourself to really open up to the time and place and do not rush anything.
When you feel ready, take the mugwort smudge stick or burn some mugwort in a censer and sain yourself with the smoke. (Saining is like purifying—allow the smoke to rise and flow over all your body, cleansing your body and soul.) Once you feel cleansed and purified, sit down for a few moments and just breathe.
Now call to the Fair Folk, first throwing a handful of vervain upon the fire (or the censer, if performing this indoors). Say these or similar words:
I now call out to one of the Fair Folk, you who would be my guide, who would share with me the wisdom of the Otherworld. In return, may the work that I do benefit this world and the Otherworld and may there always be friendship between us.
Wait as long as is necessary. Someone will come to your call, whether in a human form or in animal form or as a light breeze or a wind that caresses you but touches nothing else. You might hear music or laughter without actually seeing anything. All these indicate the presence of the Fair Folk. Open your mind to any messages they might have to offer or simply become aware of their presence in your life in this place and time. At this initial meeting, a simple greeting might be enough and a lengthy communion unnecessary. You can work and converse with the Fair Folk at length in later rites and rituals, but for now you are simply opening up your awareness of them and of one in particular who wishes to work with you.
You may ask them for their name, but they may not give one to you, so don’t be offended by this. Simply acknowledge them as they appear as your guide from the Otherworld. When your encounter is over (and it may be brief for this first time), slightly bow your head to them as the meeting comes to a close. Show gratitude toward them for making themselves known to you: give your offering in a suitable place for the Fair Folk and the spirits of place, acknowledging the beauty and gifts that have already been shared. Remember, don’t say thank you, for that may put you in their debt! Simply give the offering with a feeling of gratitude.
When you are ready, eat some food and have something to drink and then put out the fire and ensure all safety precautions have been met. Close down your ritual space. Know that you can return to this place to commune further with your Otherworldly guide. In future meetings they may set tasks for you to perform in return for their wisdom. These might range from cleaning up litter in the area to coming at certain times such as the full moon or at special holidays. They might ask you for protection of their space in your world and you may need to seek out local authorities to communicate with and ensure that the place is protected and kept safe for generations to come. They might simply ask for further offerings of honey, whisky, or mead or poetry, song, and music. Work with them to the best of your abilities, ensuring that no harm comes to yourself or others, the Fair Folk included. Ensure that you keep up your relationship with them; do not take them for granted or ignore them or allow the friendship to cease due to laziness or apathy.
If you need to sever the relationship for any reason, return to the place where you initially held this ritual. You may be moving to another part of the country or have found another path. It is important to say farewell to your Faery companion and being polite to the Fair Folk is of utmost importance.
Making Moon Elixir
This is a wonderful little “potion” that can help open up your sight to the Fair Folk. Make a tea with vervain, strain, and allow to cool. Mix this with some spring water, preferably from a holy well or sacred water source and pour into a clear jar or container (not plastic). On the night of the full moon, bring the jar outside at sunset and allow the light of the moon to fall upon the brew, infusing it with that Otherworldly and magical light. If you can do this on the nearest full moon to Beltane or Samhain, you may find it doubly empowered. Hold up the jar and see the moonlight infusing the liquid. Say these or similar words:
Light of moon and dark of night
Open me to Second Sight
Companion to Fair Folk I shall be
Friendship between us, I and thee
Bring the jar inside just before the sun rises. If you are making a large batch to last you several months, add brandy, gin, or vodka that is about one third of the initial infusion. This will ensure that bacteria will not take over. If you’re making a small amount to last only a month, this may or may not be necessary, though you should keep this in the refrigerator to prolong shelf life. You can decant a small amount into portable glass vials with droppers, similar to those used in the Bach flower remedies. Place a few drops under your tongue before ritual, to help you commune with the Fair Folk.
Summer Solstice Ritual
This ritual honours the strength and power of the sun in its full glory at the Summer Solstice, the longest day. It also provides the initial Three Cauldrons visualisation, which you can use throughout your journey on the path of the Hedge Druid.
For this ritual, you will need:
• A sprig of St. John’s wort (to be collected just before the sun rises on the Summer Solstice or, if not possible, a small pouch containing the dried herb)
• A quartz crystal (Try to find your own in the natural landscape. They are readily available in many environments such as streambeds and seashores. I have several, which are beautiful and which may not be clear/translucent like the ones you can find in shops, but which come from the land where I live. If you must buy one, please ensure that it comes from an ethical source.)
• An offering
Find an outdoor place where you will not be disturbed and where you are able to see the rising sun. Designate your ritual space, should you so wish. Stand facing the horizon, where the sun will soon rise in the north-east. (If you cannot be outdoors, try to find a window that faces the rising sun; failing that, simply face northeast in your indoor ritual space. We must acknowledge that not everyone has the mobility to perform rituals out of doors easily.) Have your sprig of St. John’s wort and your quartz crystal both at hand.
Take a moment to stand in the twilight of pre-dawn. Listen to the sounds around you: the awakening songs of birds and the dawn chorus, the sounds of the village or town waking up around you. Listen to the sound of the breeze, and feel the hum of the earth beneath your feet. Feel the magic that is in the air at this special time, the time of the longest day. Feel the lightheartedness of summer’s ease and joy. Just before the first light touches the horizon, say these or similar words:
I stand here to greet the rising of the sun, on this the longest day. I honour the tides and times and the spirits of place. With the ancestors and the gods, my guides and the strength of my own being I greet the day.
Watch and wait for the sun to rise on the horizon. Watch the sunrise (but don’t look directly at the sun after it leaves the horizon; let’s be sensible!). As the red-gold light appears (if it isn’t cloudy or raining) allow the sun to send a beam of light to light a fire in your head, your heart, and your belly. Visualise three cauldrons containing this fire in each location. Allow the light of the sun to fill these cauldrons with the magical golden light from the longest day of the year. See them alight with the golden rays of the sun to sustain you throughout the dark half of the year. (If the sun isn’t visible, you can still perform this visualisation, for the sun is still there on the longest day, even though it may be hidden by clouds.) Remember this feeling, remember the sounds of birds around you, remember the light that infuses your very being.
When you are ready, take the sprig of St. John’s wort and hold it up to the sunlight. Allow the sun to infuse the herb with the same energy and say these or similar words:
Midsummer’s power in this hour
Captured in this herb of the sun
Light is flowing, light is growing
Strength for many and for one
See the sun’s light infusing the herb. Next, hold the quartz crystal up to the sun and say these or similar words:
Crystal beauty, crystal fine
Sun’s light be upon me and mine
When you feel the crystal to be infused with the light of the midsummer sun, put it next to the sprig or place it in the pouch. Later, you will hang the sprig or pouch of St. John’s wort and the crystal in the heart of the home, to allow its energies to provide you, your hearth, and home with a strength of spirit and protection until next midsummer. Leave an offering in exchange for these wonderful gifts.
Take a few moments and simply meditate, feeling the power of midsummer flowing all around you. Close down your ritual space and carry the memory of the sun within your soul. If you can, later in the day stand outside at midday and also watch the sunset, honouring the different times of the day’s passage. Feel the differing qualities of light during the day infusing you, and you can perform the three cauldrons meditation at all three times. Say a farewell to the setting sun of midsummer in the evening and acknowledge that now the tide has turned and the nights will begin to grow longer as the days grow shorter.
Three Cauldrons Meditation
Now that you have performed the initial Three Cauldrons visualisation, lighting the fire within and coming to a sense of the power centres in your body together with the magic and power of midsummer, you can revisit this meditation anytime you wish in your personal work. The lore of the three cauldrons comes from a poem entitled “The Cauldrons of Poesy” penned in the seventh century by an Irish fili (sacred poet). These three cauldrons are traditionally known as the Cauldron of Warming (or Incubation), the Cauldron of Motion, and the Cauldron of Wisdom.37 They can be compared to the chakras in that they are energy centres held within the body.
The Cauldron of Wisdom is held within the head and is said to be on its lip when we are born. With experience and wisdom, training, dedication, and practice, this cauldron can be turned right-side up. It brings the gifts of poetry and art, awen and inspiration. The Cauldron of Motion is held within the chest, said to be lying on its side at birth. It holds our emotions and the way we are able to express ourselves, which again can be trained to turn fully upright. The Cauldron of Warming is within the belly and is found upright at birth in every person. This holds the essence of our health and again can be tipped through imbalances such as illness or near-death experiences. Through practice, we can find out how the cauldrons are held within our bodies and help to turn them to a position where they are able to hold all the gifts necessary for our health, emotional well-being, and the work that we do on the path of the Hedge Druid. Joy and sorrow are said to be the key elements that turn the cauldrons and so we must come to terms with the wide spectrum that lies between these two in order to understand how the cauldrons within our bodies are held and how we can work with them to our benefit. We are not banishing sorrow from our lives, but understanding it in order to appreciate joy.
In your ritual space, take some time to ground and centre. Feel the three cauldrons within your body and remember their associations. Feel how they sit within your body. I like to work from the belly to the chest and end with the head. You might prefer to work from the top down. See how each cauldron is sitting within your body and whether it is tipped or on its side, upside-down or in the correct upright position. If you find one in an incorrect position, examine your life, both recent and in the past, to see what may have made it turn into its current position. Then, with the strength of the Summer Solstice ritual flowing through you, remember also the joy of the rising sun, the sounds of the birds, the feel of a summer’s day. Allow that joy to turn the cauldron upright and fill it once again with the light of the rising sun. Acknowledge the sorrow and balance it with joy. We are not seeking to banish sorrow, but to remember the balance in all things.
Lughnasadh Ritual
This ritual celebrates the gifts of the earth, honouring the Earth Mother or Tailtiu, as well as honouring Crom Dubh, the Pagan god who brought wheat to Ireland. It is a nice idea to go to a wheat field, if you can, both before and just after the harvest, to sit with the land, to feel the energy both before and afterward, and to hear the songs of the wheat and the land and how they differ in time. For the ritual itself, try to go to a high place in the landscape, a hilltop or wide-open space. If this is impossible, hold this ritual by an open window and have photos of wheat fields on your altar in your ritual space.
For this ritual, you will need:
• A loaf of bread
• A handful or sheaf of ripened wheat stalks (you can grow your own easily in a small pot over the summer)
• A flower garland
You can make a flower garland out of any flowers that you wish. Daisy chains are perfectly acceptable and easy to make. Instructions for making a daisy chain are at the end of this ritual.
Go to a high place and take a moment to settle, to commune with the spirits of place, to become part of the landscape and acknowledge the time and season. When you are ready, designate your sacred space if you so wish and then stand holding the flower garland in your hands. You will now honour the time of Lughnasadh and offer the flowers to the earth. Say these or similar words:
Blessed Lady of the Earth
Great Mother who gave all for her children
I honour you, as your son honoured you
As your daughters continue to honour you
As all your children honour you.
Place or bury the garland of flowers upon the hilltop. Then, pick up the sheaf of wheat and say:
Crom Dubh,
The dark, bent one
You who brought wheat to Ireland
Who taught us how to work with the Earth Mother
Whose name has long been forgotten
And whose name now returns and is remembered
I honour you
As summer’s sun wanes
And the first breath of harvest and autumn sighs in the wind
Place or bury the sheaf of wheat on the hilltop. Then, pick up the loaf of bread and say these or similar words:
From the gifts of the earth, we honour life
All that nourishes, all that sustains
The corn god is cut down with the sickle and the knife
As the summer’s light dwindles, as summer’s light wanes
Gifts of transformation, gifts from the earth
Bounty from the land, sea, and sky
We honour you for all your worth
Honouring the times and the tides
Break off a piece of the bread and offer it to the land. Break off another piece and eat it, acknowledging all that went into the production of this bread from the land that grew the wheat, the rain that caused it to grow, the sun that ripened it, the people who harvested it, and those who baked it (if you did not yourself). Feel all the powers of land, sea, and sky within the bread. Feel those powers both within you and without.
Meditate upon the cycles of life that provide nourishment to all. Then, when you are ready, close down your ritual space with gratitude for the gifts of the earth. Try to incorporate a sense of deep gratitude into all your workings and rituals during this harvest season.
How to Make a Daisy Chain
Collect enough daisies to create a circle the size that you would like. It doesn’t have to be large; simply lay out the flowers and overlap the ends about an inch so that you have room to work with. Take up the first daisy and, an inch from the bottom of the stem, cut a half-inch slit into the stalk (you can use your thumbnail for this or a small, sharp knife). Pull the next flower through this slit and continue until you have finished the circle. Make a slit in the top of the very first flower that you used and connect the ends together by carefully pulling the last flower head through the stalk of the first.
Autumn Equinox
In this ritual, we will seek the wisdom from the five oldest animals, as the Celtic hero Arthur did on his quest to seek out Mabon, son of Modron. We will seek their guidance to help us keep our intention for the coming of the dark half of the year. We will clarify and vocalise this intention at Samhain, but for now you seek what you will need to support that intention. We will also honour the harvest and, if you can, celebrate afterward with a meal for friends and family, having your very own Harvest Home supper.
For this ritual, you will need:
• An apple
• A knife
• An offering
Find a liminal place if you would like to match up your Autumn Equinox ritual with your Spring Equinox ritual. You can also perform this ritual in your home or garden, celebrating the bounty of hearth and home. If you have an apple tree in your garden, this is an ideal place. You may use any tree or even decide to ride the Hedge for this work.
Spend some time attuning to the place and then designate your sacred space, should you so desire. Then take a seat, for we will be going on an inner journey to gain wisdom from five of the oldest animals: the Blackbird of Cilgwri, the Stag of Rhednyfre, the Owl of Cwm Cawlwyd, the Eagle of Gwernabwy, and finally the eldest of them all, the Salmon of Llyn Llyw. Ready yourself for this guided meditation. Read it through several times beforehand or record yourself reading it aloud so that you can follow your voice and the meditation in your working. You may wish to perform the crane stance for a few minutes beforehand, to help you access the realm of the Otherworld in your pathworking.
You find yourself in a wooded glade. It is dawn and the birds have just begun to sing. You set your intention: to gain wisdom from the five oldest animals, for them to inspire and carry you in your journey of intention as time begins its descent into the dark half of the year. As the nights become longer, we turn inward and seek out the inner wisdom of the soul, guided by the gods, the ancestors, the spirits of place, and the elements. So do we seek out wisdom from five of the oldest animals: the Blackbird of Cilgwri, the Stag of Rhednyfre, the Owl of Cwm Cawlwyd, the Eagle of Gwernabwy, and the eldest of them all, the Salmon of Llyn Llyw.
You find yourself standing on the edge of a forest glade, where you hear the song of a blackbird. You walk toward her and bow your head. She finishes her song and turns to look at you. “What is it that you seek?” she asks.
“Tell me if you know what wisdom I need in order to support my intention for my work in the coming dark half of the year.”
The blackbird cocks her head to one side and then says, “You will need strength of body and of will; a sense of purpose. See that small nut right next to your foot? That was once an anvil, and every day I pecked at it, until it reduced in size to what you see before you. Years and years I persisted and so I prevailed. Now it is a natural part of this glade. Strength you will need.”
You wait a moment to see if the blackbird has any further wisdom to impart to you. You may or may not receive further guidance. Accept what has been offered and thank the blackbird for her wisdom.
“There is another who can offer you more: the Stag of Rhednyfre. You will find him on the other side of the stream.”
You bow your head to the blackbird and make your way across the glade to where a stream trickles beneath the forest canopy. You cross the stream and suddenly you see a stag before you, his antlers proud upon his head. You bow your head to him and say, “Tell me if you know what wisdom I need in order to support my intention for my work in the coming dark half of the year.”
The stag stands silently, gazing deeply into your eyes. “You will need patience. See that stump just over there? That was once a small oak sapling, which grew to a mighty tree with a hundred branches. It has long since fallen, and from its many acorns this woodland has grown into what you see around you. All that remains from that first tree is this stump, and one day that too will be gone. But the oak tree did not rush in his growth and he did not hurry. Nor did his descendants. The forest grows at its own pace.”
You wait a moment to see if the stag has any further wisdom to impart to you. You may or may not receive further guidance. Accept what has been offered and thank the stag for his wisdom.
The stag then says, “There is another who can offer further wisdom: the Owl of Cwm Cawlwyd. Seek her out in that ancient oak on the side of the valley.”
You bow your head and make your way up a slope that opens out to a valley. A tall, ancient oak tree stands, looking out upon the valley. There are many gnarled branches in this tree and, looking up, you see a hole where an ancient owl is perched, hiding from the light of day. You bow your head to her and say,“Tell me if you know what wisdom I need in order to support my intention for my work in the coming dark half of the year.”
“See this valley that lies out before me? This was once a wooded glen and then the race of humans came and cut it down for their enterprises. Then grew a second generation of woodland and then a third. Throughout all this time, I have watched and been a part of this. Just as the woodland keeps coming back, so too will you need persistence in your journey.”
You wait a moment to see if the owl has any further wisdom to impart to you. You may or may not receive further guidance. Accept what has been offered and thank the owl for her wisdom.
Then the owl says, “There is another who can offer further wisdom: the Eagle of Gwernabwy. Seek him out on the cliff face over yonder.”
You bow you head and make your way along the edge of the ridge, to where rocks gather and form a cliff. You see the eagle perched upon a rocky outcropping, the wind whipping around him. You bow your head to him and say, “Tell me if you know what wisdom I need in order to support my intention for my work in the coming dark half of the year.”
“See this rock upon which I am perched? This was once a mighty mountain, and from its summit I could peck at the stars. But I have worn it down with my clenching talons to the rock face you see before you. All this time, I have never stopped looking or reaching for the stars. Just as my aspirations reach as high as the sky, so too do you need to reach for your goals and keep them focused in your mind.”
You wait a moment, to see if the eagle has any further wisdom to impart to you. You may or may not receive further guidance. Accept what has been offered and thank the eagle for his wisdom.
Then the eagle says, “There is another who can offer you further wisdom: the eldest of us all, the Salmon of Llyn Llyw. Seek her out in the river that runs through the valley below.”
You bow your head and make your way along the edge of the ridge to where the river flows deep in the heart of the valley. You see the salmon swimming in the clear depths and say, “Tell me if you know what wisdom I need in order to support my intention for my work in the coming dark half of the year.”
“Come hither and sit upon my back and I will take you to a place of great peace and serenity. For that is what you will need in your quest, to carry yourself through the dark half of the year.” You climb upon the salmon’s back and she takes you to a place of quiet and peacefulness in the river. There is no sound but the soft running water, and a peace and calm settles upon you. You realise that the acceptance of things as they are brings about a great peace within.
You wait a moment to see if the salmon has any further wisdom to impart to you. You may or may not receive further guidance. Accept what has been offered and thank the salmon for her wisdom. She leaps high into the sky with you upon her back and when you land, you find yourself alone in the forest glade from where you started your journey. You turn to thank the spirits of place and then come back to yourself, seated within your ritual space, fully awake and aware.
It is a good idea to bring along a journal to record what wisdom you have received from the above journey. Then, when you are ready, take the apple and cut it halfway across the middle of the fruit, instead of from the stem to the base. You will see the star-shape within the apple, reminiscent of the human body standing with arms raised out to the sides. The five oldest animals are represented there. You also see yourself within the apple and then take a bite, knowing that the apple is also within you. Honour the harvest in whatever words you like and give thanks in deepest gratitude for the blessings that you have received. Take a moment to feel this truth and then give your offering. Your ritual is complete.
Samhain
In this ritual we set out our intention for the work that we will carry out during the dark half of the year. At this time when the veil between the worlds is thin, we can call upon the aid of our guides, especially those whom we met at Beltane and whom we have hopefully kept up contact with throughout the year. If you have not, you will need to re-establish the friendship if the other side is willing and make offerings as needed.
We have sought out what we will need in support of our intention at the Autumn Equinox and now we are vocalising that intention, to have it be witnessed by the spirits of place, the gods, the Fair Folk, and most especially the ancestors.
For this ritual, you will need:
• A pen or a pencil
• A piece of paper
• A fire or a candle
• An offering
• Something to burn the paper in
Before this ritual, throughout the month of October, think about what you would like to set in motion in your own life and in your work as a Hedge Druid. Narrow this down with focus until you have a short phrase or word that symbolises your intention. You will work with this intention throughout the dark months of winter, nurturing it and planning so that you can bring it out into the light at Imbolc and receive Brighid’s blessing upon it using the previous Imbolc ritual (or any other god/goddess that you choose to work with in a ritual written in your own words).
You can work this ritual indoors or out. I prefer to work this outside, as at Samhain the hosts of the Fair Folk are abroad and many interesting things can happen! Animals might approach, strange breezes blow over you, sounds and shadows bustle in the hedgerows, strange clouds roil in the sky, and more (all of these I have witnessed first-hand on the night of Samhain). If you wish to be as cautious as possible, carry some St. John’s wort upon your person to deflect the energy of any who would wish you harm. You can also perform this ritual in your designated sacred space, affirming that none can enter but those who are in tune with your intention. It is said that the Wild Hunt rides at this time of year, and so precautions are a good thing to consider. Finally, by being out of doors at a time like this, we are acknowledging the wild powers of nature and attuning ourselves to our own wild nature.
Designate your sacred space if you so wish. Spend more time and effort on honouring the ancestors, as this is the time when you can most easily reach out to them and vice versa. Perform the ancestor meditation in the ritual if you so wish. This is an excellent way to ground and connect to the powers of life that flow through you, harking back generation upon generation.
Then, spend a few moments settling yourself and reminding yourself of your intention for the work that you wish to carry out for the rest of the year. Think to the weeks just gone where you narrowed down the focus into a single word or short phrase. Now, call upon your guide from the Fair Folk to be with you, to aid you in your work and provide you with wisdom that you can carry back to your life, strengthening your work and your intention. When you feel that they have arrived (they might already have been with you from the very start of the ritual), bow your head and affirm friendship between you. Then ask them for their aid in providing you with a symbol to signify the entirety of the work that you wish do in the coming year. Repeat the word or phrase that you have come up with to symbolise your intention and listen for a response. You might close your eyes and then see a symbol in your mind’s eye, or you might hear something that brings a symbol to mind. Your guide might give you something or hold something in their hands which symbolises your intention. When you have pictured the symbol and feel that it is right, draw the symbol on the piece of paper. Take your time and push your own energy into the symbol both as you draw and afterward, holding the drawing in your hand and setting it firmly with your intention. You can ask your guide to also lend their energy to the symbol, if you so wish. Repeat the word or phrase of your intention as often as you wish; nine times is a traditional number.
Next, take the paper to the fire and say the following or something similar:
Fire of transformation, fire of Samhain
Into your flames I begin again
I set my intention, clarify my desire
To be transformed by this sacred fire
By the powers of land, sea, and sky, by the friendship of the Fair Folk, by the strength of the ancestors, by the gifts from the gods, and by the blessing of the spirits of place, may it be so.
Place your paper into the fire and watch the flames transform it into ash. Know that your intention is being released, and visualise yourself fulfilling your intention as the flames consume all. Take a moment to rest and allow the magic to work. Honour your guide of the Fair Folk with these or similar words:
I honour you from the depths of my heart for your guidance and aid. May there always be friendship between us.
Place your offering with gratitude (but don’t say thanks!) to the Fair Folk especially, as well as the ancestors on this sacred night. Honour the time when the veils between the worlds is thin and honour that there is more to reality than meets the eye. Allow yourself to feel the magic of Samhain, the ending of the old and the beginning of the new.
Close down your ritual and then if you wish, have a feast with friends and family. You can set out a plate for the ancestors and offer this up outside afterward. Light a candle in a window to guide the spirits who have passed on this year and acknowledge the cycles of life and death.
Winter Solstice
This ritual honours the sun’s standstill on the horizon before the days begin to lengthen again and we see increasing daylight hours. You can perform this indoors, bringing greenery into the home and decorating your ritual space: perhaps have a fire laid with a yule log if possible. If you prefer to work outdoors, dress warmly! If working this ritual indoors, try to stay awake all night if possible. If working out of doors, this isn’t necessary, as the effort you are making to be out of doors should suffice. We are going to stand strong in the darkness, holding our intention close to our hearts and finding courage to see the coming of the day and the rising of the sun. For this ritual, you will need:
• Two candles, if indoors
• A fire if out of doors and a candle or a second, unlit fire ready
• A bough of evergreen foliage
• An offering
In the darkness before dawn, designate your sacred space, should you so wish. Have a candle or a fire lit. Stand tall and hold aloft the evergreen bough, saying these or similar words:
The nights are long, the winds are cold
The year turns, the year grows old
Like the evergreen, we see life anew
In the darkest depths, despair eschew
We turn toward the growing light
We welcome it with hearts alight
We honour the darkness and its gift
Even as our hearts grow and lift
My intention I hold clear
My dreams and hopes I carry near
With the sun’s rays rising on the new day
I have the strength and courage, fear to allay
Put down the bough and stand with arms outstretched overhead, feet apart and heart and soul open wide, saying:
In darkness, light
In despair, hope
In fear, courage to see the day
Douse the flame of the candle or the fire and sit for a while in utter darkness. Wait for the sunrise. When the sun begins to show itself on the horizon, light the new candle or the second fire, and in that action, see the turning Wheel of the Year flowing through you and the land. Perform the Three Cauldrons exercise that you began at the Summer Solstice. Feel the light of the sun within you. Give your offering to the spirits of place.
If you are performing this ritual indoors, try to remain awake and keep a vigil throughout the long night. Watch the rising sun. If you are performing this ritual outdoors, it may be impractical to remain out all night (and dangerous in the cold), so return indoors when you wish and then go back out and watch the rising of the sun. Repeat the last three lines of the ritual as the sun is rising and allow the words to fill your being with happiness and hope in the newness of the year and in the turning tide. Repeat at noon and again as the sun sets. Know that the darkness is necessary, that there is great learning and wisdom to be found there as well as in the light. Honour both light and dark within your soul and be sovereign in yourself whatever the season. Let your intention for your work seep into every part of your being. Keep the dream close to your heart, then live the dream.
The Wheel has turned once more and the closing of the year lies before her, the new year waiting just beyond the veil. The Hedge Druid thinks on all the work that she has done, the rituals that she has performed throughout the year, the intention of her work flowing through her. She reviews what worked and what did not and scrys into the flame of the fire for divination on the work of the coming year. The cycle continues: the flow of awen.
37. Liam Breatnach, “The Cauldron of Poesy,” Ériu, Vol. 32, (Royal Irish Academy, 1981), 45–93.