CHAPTER 9

THE RITES OF CONNECTION

Presented in this chapter are various rites and practices you can use in the veneration of your Ancestors. I have integrated many old customs, observances, and practices in these rites while at the same time keeping them pertinent to contemporary times. In this way the connections contained in these rites are ever ancient and ever new. I believe this will serve both the traditionalist and the eclectic tastes.

The majority of these rituals are connected to “hearth and home” application, but I have also included other rites that can be performed outdoors. There is, in particular, a ritual for use in a cemetery. Additionally you will find rites for redeeming the Ancestors and making peace with them and the Dead. Along with them is a ritual for asking release from wrongs you (or others) have done to people who are still alive. This can help diminish the “karmic” energy carried from this lifetime into the next. It is, in effect, a preemptive action.

I suggest compiling some standard items to incorporate in your Ancestral ritual practice. Trust your intuition in regards to using each item for a specific purpose or rite. Here is a general list for review:

The Threshold Ritual

In ancient thought, the threshold of a doorway was a liminal or in-between place. It was magical because it was neither inside nor outside, and in such places, spirits were believed to lurk and hide. To step directly on the threshold was believed to bring misfortune or to evoke unknown changes or events. One belief is that this is the reason why brides were carried over the threshold; it was intended to keep the couple from entering their new home with threshold spirits attached to them.

In keeping with ancient thought, the following simple ritual can be used to bless the threshold. This will ensure that only positive entities can dwell on the threshold. Perform this ritual before entering a new home. It can also be used to set things right at the threshold of a home that is already occupied. For this ritual you will need two green candles, a bowl with clean water, a dry cloth, a teaspoon of salt, a handful of mint leaves, and a small bell to ring with your hand. Once you have all of this ready you can perform the rite as follows:

  1. Place a green candle inside the doorway, light it, and say: “Here burns the light of the Evergreen Spirit of Nature.” Next trace an “X” with your index finger in front of the candle, and say: “Here stands the Green Guardian; no spirit of ill intent may enter across this threshold.”
  2. Dip your thumb, index finger, and middle finger (together) into the bowl of water. Then use them to sprinkle the threshold with some water, moving from left to right. As you do this, say: “Water, purifier and dissolver, cleanse and remove from this threshold all that is negative, unbalanced, destructive, and disharmonious.” Repeat this three times.
  3. Take the cloth, and moving from the inside of the door to the outside, wipe the threshold, saying: “I remove from this threshold all that is negative, unbalanced, destructive, and disharmonious.” Set the cloth aside when you are finished.
  4. Hold the bell over the threshold and ring it three times, saying before each ring: “I dispel from the air here, all which is negative, unbalanced, destructive, and disharmonious.”
  5. From left to right, sprinkle or scatter the mint leaves across the threshold, while saying: “All is welcome here that is positive, balanced, constructive, and harmonious.”
  6. Set the other green candle on the outside of the threshold and light it, saying: “Here burns the Evergreen Spirit, that which prevails against all decline, diminishment, and ending.” Trace an equilateral cross in front of the candle, and say: “Here stands the Evergreen Guardian Spirit; no spirit may approach or pass by that is negative, unbalanced, destructive, or disharmonious.”
  7. Take the salt and sprinkle it along the outer edge of the threshold, moving form left to right, and say: “Strict charge and watch I set, that to this place no evil thing may approach nor enter in.”

Complete the rite by sitting with candles for a couple of minutes as they continue to burn. When you are ready to finish, blow out the inside candle first and then the outside one. Remove all the items, leaving the salt and mint leaves in place at least overnight. This concludes the ritual.

The Hearth Ritual

For our Ancestors, the hearth or fireplace was always the setting for preparing meals and gathering the family together. This is a strong connection that has endured the ages. The following ritual is designed to create a sacred center within the home that is reminiscent of the spirit of our Ancestors. It is a place where you can join the past with the present through the portal of the fireplace. If you do not have a fireplace you can use a model fashioned like one (some are made to fit a votive or tea light candle).

To perform this ritual you will need two candles: one white and one red. You will also need an evergreen wreath, a bowl of fresh water, a handful of grain of some type, a bell, a platter, and a glass of red wine. Once these items are ready, proceed as follows:

  1. Set the wreath inside the opening of the hearth (or fireplace). In the center of the wreath place a white candle.
  2. Put the bowl of water in front of the opening to the hearth/fireplace. The bowl is in-between you and the wreath.
  3. Light the white candle in the wreath, and say: “White is the bone memory. I give the welcome of light for those who came before.”
  4. Dip your fingers into the bowl of water and sprinkle the wreath, saying: “Life sustainer to life retainer: Let this place be a pure pool to quench all thirst and a circle of life to join all generations.”
  5. Remove the bowl of water and set the platter there with grain on it. Next to the platter set the glass of red wine. Ring the bell over these items, and then say: “Ancestors I call to you to come to this place and partake of these offerings.” (Sit quietly with this for a few moments.)
  6. Place the red candle in front of the offerings, light it, and say: “Blood to blood I call my own, blood to blood be all at home.”

Close the ritual by talking with your Ancestors. Let it be known that you want them to be present in your life, and that our hearth/fireplace is a symbol of gathered family, past and present. When you feel it is time to finish, then put all the items away.

Because the red candle represents the family blood, you may want to light a red candle by the hearth/fireplace on family occasions.

Ancestral Shrine

The setting of an Ancestral Shrine is very simple. The purpose of the shrine is to honor people you loved and thought highly of and who impacted your life in positive ways. The advantage of a shrine versus an altar is its small size and general appearance (so as not to have too many questions asked by visitors to your home).

This type of shrine is ideal in small spaces. In essence it can be a shelf, the top of an end table or nightstand, a fireplace mantle, and so on. On the shrine you will place framed photos of departed loved ones, family, and friends. You may also want to lay a nice cloth over the surface area, and then arrange the picture frames as you wish. The last items are a vase for flowers and a candleholder with white candle. You can add more items if you like, but this is the basic setup.

Ideally you will want to acknowledge and honor family occasions on your shrine. For example you can place flowers and light a candle for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, funerals, and special family events such as graduations and various achievements. In this way your Ancestors are invited in to be part of the celebration.

To set up the Ancestral Shrine requires little more than a blessing ceremony. Once you select an area for the shrine then plan your arrangement of items. Try to have all photos visible with none blocking any of the others. Depending upon how many photo frames you are using, you can set some on a stand to lift them higher so as not to be blocked. Place the larger frames in the back and the smaller ones in front to be easily seen.

A nice way to arrange the shrine is to have the flower vase and the candleholder flanking the photos (one off to each side). The traditional choice of a color for a candle is white, which represents the bone memory. However you can also certainly use other colored candles. For example, add candles in accord with the seasons or colors that were favored by those who have passed into the next world. Do the same with flowers on your shrine.

One final touch is to offer special food or drink to remember and honor a particular departed loved one on his or her former birthday. For example, when my father passed away I placed his favorite candy in a bowl in front of his picture. He was very fond of licorice, and so I gave him assorted pieces in a bowl each day for awhile. One teaching is that the newly dead remain in the vicinity for seven days following their death, and this is the period of daily offerings I subscribe to in my practices.

Now that you have a good idea of the shrine's layout, here is the blessing to complete it and make it active. To begin, light a stick of incense that you favor. Hold it over the shrine and move it in a downward spiral motion (symbolizing the shrine as a place to enter and abide). Do this three times as you say the blessing: “I connect with what I hold to be Divinity, and in that presence I pass blessings of Light into this shrine. Ancestors and loved ones now departed from me in form, you are welcome here, and the light is always on to guide your return.”

To Call the Ancestors

This ritual is designed to connect you with your Ancestors in shared consciousness. While the Ancestors are never truly separated from us, we are not always holding them in our awareness. This ritual will place you in intentional space with them, mind, body, and soul. For this rite you will need a black candle, a red candle, and a white candle. You will also need an offering of food and drink and a bell. Ideally you should use something that has a cultural connection to your Ancestors. When everything is assembled, you can move to performing the ritual.

  1. Begin by lighting the three candles: one black, one red, and one white. Once all the candles have flames, ring the bell over each one, and then say: “Here burn the Three Great Mysteries: Where did I come from, why am I here, and what happens after this life?”
  2. Place the food and drink between you and the candles.
  3. Ring the bell three times, each time saying the following words:

    “Hear me Ancestors,

    I call upon the wind into your realm.

    Come to our shared breath

    Come to our shared blood

    Come to our shared bone.”

  4. Place fingertips somewhere on your body where you can feel your pulse beat. Feel it for a few moments, and then say the following words: “Ancestors, together we hear the beating of the drum across time. It is the drumming up of the blood. Once it flowed in you, and is now passed to me. I carry the drum, I am its beating heart.”
  5. Place the palms of both hands facedown over and above the food and drink offerings, and say: “Ancestors, I have set this food and drink in your honor. I invite you to the meal; share with me now and let us renew our family bonds.” (Eat and drink a small portion, leaving the bulk of it for the Ancestors.)
  6. Once the meal has ended, sit comfortably and perform the following. Lightly press your fingertips and thumbs together, meeting their counterparts. While keeping them together, bend them so that your hands form a sphere between them. If done correctly your hands will look as though they are holding an imaginary ball. In doing this you are establishing the Ancestral Eye.
  7. Slowly bring the eye up to your forehead, close your eyes, and say: “Ancestor, Spirit-Rider, look now into the World of Light. See me, see my walk, and lend me your vision that my path is guided in all right ways.”
  8. Spend a few minutes in meditation and communication with the Ancestral Spirit. Be receptive, listen, and do not hold expectations.
  9. When you feel ready to conclude, press the Ancestral Eye against the center of your forehead, and say: “Ancestor, I take in and receive your vision and your guidance.”
  10. Conclude now with the release. Ring the bell three times over the black, red, and white candles, and then say: “Ancestors, I thank you for your presence. And as you return now back into your realm, may there always be peace between us. May you always look with favor upon me.”
  11. Extinguish the candles and put everything away. The ritual is concluded.

Prayer to the Ancestors

“Ancestors, we are of the one bone,

We are of the one blood,

We are of the one spirit.

Come, Spirit-Rider,

and together we will see each other's world.

Come, Sprit-Rider, and fetch me,

take me to the places of my Ancestors.

Come, Spirit-Rider,

come and place me in the visions that open my mind.

Fetch me to starry realms

and return me illuminated with their Light.”

Ancestral Altar

The veneration of our Ancestors is a very ancient practice that appears widespread in many different lands. Your Ancestors can offer guidance and protection, and they can bestow their wisdom to you in the form of inner teachings.

The Ancestral altar is a formal setup as compared to the shrine. Because it is an altar it calls for a deeper practice than does the general shrine. The Ancestral altar bears the symbols of life and death. It is used to call upon both the Ancestors and the spirits of the Dead.

The altar layout is as follows. Drape the altar space with either a black or white cloth. Black represents the Otherworld, and white represents the bone memory of all who came before us. Near the back and center area of the altar place a replica of a human skull. In front of it place two replicas of the thigh bones (crossed to form an X shape) The skull represents your Ancestral lineage, and the crossbones represent the gateway (opened or closed). If you cannot find replicas of thigh bones to use, you can substitute twigs (painted white).

On top of the skull place a red candle, this will symbolize the life's blood that flows through the generations to your own body. It is a link to the concept of the Living River of Blood. In front of the skull and crossbones place a small platter and a wineglass. Near the front of the altar, off to the left side, set a bowl of fresh water. You will renew the water each time you activate the altar. On the right side of the altar (directly across from the bowl) place a stone of your choosing. Between the two items set a twig (no longer than a foot). Ideally the twig should be of birch, although willow, yew, or cypress will do nicely as well.

In addition to the aforementioned here is a list of other items for a formal Ancestral altar:

When all the items are assembled, you can begin the ritual.

  1. On each side of the skull set a candleholder. The one on the right holds the red candle and the one on the left holds the white candle. Take the red cord and place one end touching the candleholder on the right and extend the other end towards you (making a line from the candle to you). Do the same with the candleholder on the left, using the white cord extended from that candleholder.
  2. Light all the candles. Then touch the water and the stone with the twig lying between them. As you do, say these words: “Water, you dissolve all things; part now the veil between the Otherworld and the Mortal Realm. Stone, you give form and hold all things in place; be now a temporary anchor for beings of light entering the material world.”
  3. Anoint your wrist pulse areas with the oil. Call to your Ancestors: “Hear me my Ancestors, I call to you from blood and bone. I call to you from the memory within, the memory you have passed from the bodies you once wore. You are in me and I am in you.” (Now separate the crossbones to create an open area to and from the skull. In this configuration the tips of each crossbone will point towards you.)
  4. Make an offering of grain on the platter, and fill the glass with wine. Then, touch the ends of the cords closest to you with your fingertips (resting your hands on the surface of the altar). Speak these words: “Hear me, my Ancestors, you who have come before me. I am the bearer of our bloodline. I am the current steward of the Living River of Blood. I am the present, reaching into the past, and carrying us all into the future.” (Pause for a few moments in honor of the Ancestors partaking of the offerings.) Following this phase you can ask for guidance, oracle vision, wisdom, protection, or whatever feels needed. Ask to be taught and contacted in your dreams. Later you will discover other means and times for contact. But for now the dream state is advisable. When you are done, it is time to bid farewell to your Ancestors until next time.
  5. Touching the cord tips with your fingers, say these words: “Ancestors, I thank you for your presence and blessings here upon your altar. As you now depart to your lovely realms, may there always be peace between us, may you always look with favor upon me.” (Place the stone in the bowl of water, wash it, and say: “I release all from this stone.”)
  6. Place the crossbones back into the X position (thereby closing the gate).
  7. Pick up the white and red cords and coil them into a sphere shape. Set them off to each side of the skull.
  8. Blow out the candles. Leave the offerings overnight, and then bury them the next day (or toss them in an open field or garden). The rite is concluded.

Ritual for Healing the Ancestors

This ritual is designed to introduce healing and redemptive energy in the Ancestral current. Through this the Ancestors can be relieved of negative imprints in their energy that cause them disharmony of the spirit. The energy we send them accomplishes our will under the “authority” we possess as the living keepers of the bloodline, the stewards of the Living River of Blood.

Perform this ritual after activating your Ancestral altar (as detailed in this chapter). Once that is performed, then use a different work area to present this ritual. Here you will need a clear crystal, an iris flower, a bowl of fresh water (with mint and lemon juice added), a red candle with holder, a replica of the human skull, a bell, and a stick of Dragon's Blood incense. Additionally you will need a sharp lance for piercing a finger, and a pouch for the crystal. When you have all these items assembled, you can begin the ritual.

  1. Place the skull as the centerpiece of your work area. In front of it set the red candle. Place the bowl of water to the right of the skull and the incense to the left along with the bell. In front of the red candle set the crystal and the flower.
  2. Light the red candle and the Dragon's blood incense.
  3. Pick up the incense stick and move your hand over the skull in a spiraling fashion (clockwise).

    As you do this, say the following words: “Hear me, my Ancestors, I call to you from blood and bone. I call to you from the memory within, the memory you have passed from the bodies you once wore. You are in me and I am in you. Hear me, Ancestors, I call upon the wind into your realm. Come to our shared breath. Come to our shared blood. Come to our shared bone.” (Now ring the bell three times.)

  4. Take the lance and pierce one your fingers. Squeeze out three drops of blood into the bowl of water. Tend to your wound, and then proceed by holding the palms of both hands facedown over the water. Then, say these words: “I declare my authority as the living keeper of the River of Blood. I declare my authority as the reigning steward of my blood lineage.”
  5. In your right hand carry the smoking incense stick to each of the Four Directions: East, South, West, and North. In your left hand carry the bowl of water. At each quarter, say these words:

    East: “Elemental Spirits of Air, transmit the wounds of my Ancestors into the healing water that dissolves away all fault.”

    South: “Elemental Spirits of Fire, transform the wounds of my Ancestors within the healing water that dissolves away all fault.”

    West: “Elemental Spirits of Water, move the wounds of my Ancestors into the healing water that dissolves away all fault.”

    North: “Elemental Spirits of Earth, condense the wounds of my Ancestors into the healing water that dissolves away all fault.”

  6. Return the incense and the bowl of water to the work area.
  7. Place the palms of both hands downward over the bowl of water. Next, looking at the skull, say these words: “Ancestors, behold the faults herein that are your wounds; self-inflicted or inflicted by others. Behold what binds you from liberation.”
  8. Pick up the crystal in your right hand, and say: “Here is the gem of liberation; here is the releaser of all that keeps you bound.”
  9. Drop the crystal into the water, and then hold your palms over the bowl again, saying: “Ancestors hear me, by my place as Steward of our Lineage, by my place as Living Keeper of the River of Blood, by the power of my breath and bone and blood do I draw into this crystal all that binds your spirit to fault.”
  10. Remove the crystal and put it directly in the pouch.
  11. Dip your fingers in the water and lift them up so that water runs back into the bowl. Do this several times. Then carry the bowl to the Four Directions, and at each one stir the water again as before, and say:

    East: “Elemental Spirits of Air, transmit your refreshing breath of life into this water.”

    South: “Elemental Spirits of Fire, send transforming flames to purity this water.”

    West: “Elemental Spirits of Water, move freshness into this liquid to renew its purity.”

    North: “Elemental Spirits of Earth, retain the water anew in this clean vessel.”

  12. Return the bowl to the work area, setting it in front of the skull. Then, say: “The water is clean and renewed. It is free of all contagion.”
  13. Pick up the skull, hold it over the water, and then with a free hand wash the skull completely, saying: “Ancestors be washed clean and be renewed. All fault is gone, all blame is rinsed, all debt is forgiven. I am the steward of our lineage, and I say it is so.”
  14. End the rite by cleaning up the area and removing the items and debris. The crystal should be set outside in the noonday sun for an hour. After this it should be buried away from the home.

Ritual for Soul Mending

In the views of very old systems, such as Huna, we find the belief in an attachment to ill treatment. The teaching is that an etheric cord connects the wrong-doer to the injured party. As long as the person continues to hold on to that cord, an active connection remains in place. Among the Kahuna this is defined as “fault” or what they call “hala.” The energy of hala establishes a “debt” between the two people linked by the cord. This causes an inner sorrow for the injured party holding the cord, and it causes disharmony for the wrongdoer on the other end (even though the latter may not consciously be aware of its effects).

The energy held as fault can travel from generation to generation and often results in feuds of one time or another. It can be inherited by a family or an organization of people. In cases where the fault has been egregious, the attachment can even bind itself to a nation. One example is the atrocities we see take place during times of war. These do not simply go away when the war ends. To cure the contagion of fault, its connective cord energy must be “untied” and the fault must be released. This will allow healing to begin to take place.

This ritual is designed to release negative connections to people who wronged you or who you wronged in this lifetime. In cases where you have lost touch with such a person, or it is best not to have any relationship with them, this is the ideal ritual. For the rite you will need a bowl of water, some incense to burn, and a small thin, dry twig that is easy to break with your hands. When all is in place, begin as follows:

  1. Sit quietly in a comfortable spot and have the bowl of water and the incense in front of you. Hold the twig in your dominant hand. Spend a few moments thinking about the misdeeds that connect you to the other person.
  2. Light the incense, and then say these words: “It is my will and desire to be released from what holds my thoughts and feelings connected to (name person) and therefore keeps the past here in the present.”
  3. Say the person's name, and then blow on the incense so that your words are carried out upon your breath.
  4. Hold the twig in the incense smoke, and say: “Soul of [person's name], hear my voice, soul to soul. I seek release from fault, fault is in the past. It is a shadow of what once was; it has no place between us for it is nothing done here in the present. It is a specter that I release now into light, and it vanishes.” Blow your breath into the incense smoke.
  5. Set the twig aside, and dip the fingertips of both hands into the bowl of water. Then lift them and allow the water to drip back into the bowl. Do this three times, each time, saying the following: “I cleanse the space that held fault, it holds it no more.”
  6. With the fingers of one hand slowly stir the incense counterclockwise, saying these words as you do so: “For what fault was yours, I release you from it. There is no need or desire for recompense due or owed. For what fault was mine, I release my attachment to it; soul to soul let there be forgiveness and release.”
  7. Hold the twig in the incense smoke with one hand on each end, and say these words: “Let all hurt be broken away, all anger be severed, and all breach of faith be set asunder in mind, body, and spirit.” Forcefully snap the twig in half. Then throw it outdoors, focusing your feelings on the act of throwing it and all it represents away. Pour the bowl of water on the earth, away from your property line. Let the incense burn out.
  8. Take a bath or shower to cleanse yourself. As the water drains away, so too does any attachment to the past.

Ritual for Harmony of the Inner Selves

This ritual is designed to harmonize your three inner selves so that communication is not blocked or distorted. It is a “self-blessing” of sorts but also an alignment. You should pick a day each month as a routine for performing this ritual. You should also perform this ritual whenever you feel disturbed, upset, sad, or discouraged.

For this rite you will need four candles: black, red, white, and green. The red candle will represent the Elemental Body that carries the life blood. The black candle represents Human Consciousness because black is symbolic of full potentiality and procreation. The white candle represents the soul as white is the color of what endures. The green candle represents peace and harmony. In addition to the candles you will also need a bowl of fresh water, some oil for anointing your body, and a small portion of the herbs thyme and Dittany of Crete. In addition choose a flower of your liking; it will be used to sprinkle the water. When all is assembled proceed as follows:

  1. Remove all clothing. In this way all the selves are equal.
  2. Set three of the candles in a line side by side from your left to your right. The order is red, black, and white. Sprinkle the mixture of herbs around their base (these herbs are associated with communication and blessings).
  3. Dip the flower into the water and sprinkle it on your genitals, three times, saying: “With this water that dissolves all things, I wash away all that blocks the energy and the consciousness of my Elemental Body. I release all that prevents clear and unobstructed communication between my Three Selves.” (Light the red candle and pause for a moment, seeing it as glowing spirit of the Elemental Body.)
  4. Dip the flower back in the water and sprinkle it on your forehead, three times, saying: “With this water that dissolves all things, I wash away all that blocks the energy of my Human Consciousness. I release all that prevents clear and unobstructed communication between my Three Selves.” (Light the black candle and pause for a moment, seeing it as glowing spirit of Human Consciousness.)
  5. Dip the flower in the water again and sprinkle it on the area of your solar plexus three times, saying: “With this water that dissolves all things, I wash away all that blocks the energy and the consciousness of my Soul Body. I release all that prevents clear and unobstructed communication between my inner selves.” (Light the white candle and pause for a moment, seeing it as glowing spirit of the Soul Body.)
  6. Now you will begin the process of spiraling energy into each center (each Self). This is done with the clockwise motion of your dominant hand. Beginning with the genital area, create the spiral in a slow-moving fashion, and say: “Elemental Body, we, the Human Consciousness and Soul Body, find no fault in you, hold no fault to you. We send love and acceptance into your being. With you we are whole. Let communication freely flow between us.”
  7. Begin to spiral in the area of your forehead, and say: “Human Consciousness, we, the Elemental Body and Soul Body, find no fault in you, hold no fault to you. We send love and acceptance into your being. With you we are whole. Let communication freely flow between us.”
  8. Begin to spiral over the solar plexus area, and say: “Soul Body, we, the Elemental Body and Human Consciousness, find no fault in you, hold no fault to you. We send love and acceptance into your being. With you we are whole. Let communication freely flow between us.”
  9. Look upon the three burning candles that represent the Three Selves. Spend a few moments watching their flames. Are they equal? Is one moving different from another? If so, address the flames that are different by saying: “No fault exists, no fault can be found, all is blessed.” (At this phase no longer concern yourself about the flames.)
  10. Pause again for a moment while looking at the three lighted candles. See them as the spirits of all showing their flame. Then take the green candle, anoint it with the oil, and beginning from the left, slowly pass its wick through all three flames (making sure it is lighted by the first candle). This symbolizes the joining of all three into one flame, the light of flowing communication. As you pass the green candle, say: “I join the free flowing flames of the Three Selves into one voice of light.” (Anoint yourself with the oil: genital area, forehead, and solar plexus.)
  11. Next you will extinguish the red, black, and white candles in the following manner. Set the lighted green candle down and a couple of feet away from you. Stand, and in order of red, black, and white, blow each one out in the direction of the green candle (as though the flame passes into the green candle as opposed to being extinguished). Keep that imagery in mind. As you blow out each candle, say: “I pass the symbol of your harmony into the one flame.”
  12. When all three candles are extinguished, put them aside and pick up the lighted green candle. Focus on its flame, and say: “In you the Three Selves are one flame in peace, harmony, and flowing communication.”
  13. Let the candle sit for a few moments as you bask in the feeling. When you are ready to finish the rite, blow it out after saying: “Breath of the Ancestors, breathe in what here goes out.”
  14. At later times should you feel low, you can light the green candle as a way to renew and refresh the inner connection of peace, harmony, and the self-connection. Simply breathe out across the candle, and then light it, saying: “Breath of the Ancestors, breathe out what herein goes.”

You can repeat the entire rite at a future time as you feel it is needed.

Ritual for Infant or Child Blessing

This is a ritual for welcoming a new life. It is based upon a tradition that I practice but can be modified for use in any way that suits your views. Read this blessing rite over beforehand to see what is needed and what you may want to change.

The Ceremony

  1. Mark a circle on the ground/floor with flowers or leaves (the rose plant is ideal). The circle should be large enough to fit all attendees.
  2. The child is blessed with anointing of rose scented oil on the soles of feet and forehead. You may want to test ahead to make sure there are no allergy problems to deal with. It is unlikely, but better to be safe than sorry, as the saying goes. Words of blessing when anointing: “May the Divine look upon you always with great favor, and may your days be filled with all that is good in life. In the light of Divine Emanation, may it be so.” (Anyone in attendance repeats: “May it be so.”)
  3. Parents: Place hands on the infant/child, and say: “You have entered into this world in our care and stewardship. We accept this role and will faithfully keep to your well-being.”
  4. The child is then presented to the Four Quarters, and each is addressed.

    East: “Powers of the East, we ask that you bestow upon this little one your gifts of lofty thoughts, good mindfulness, and gainful enlightenment.”

    South: “Powers of the South, we ask that you bestow upon this little one your gifts of empowerment, benevolent passion, and constructive transformative vision.”

    West: “Powers of the West, we ask that you bestow upon this little one your gifts of forward movement, proper adaptation, and successful direction.”

    North: “Powers of the North, we ask that you bestow upon this little one your gifts of balanced strength, rightful stability, and conquering endurance.”

  5. After presenting to the Four Quarters, the infant/child is brought to a comfortable place. A red rose is then held above her or him, and these words are spoken: “Here beneath the sacred rose that joins all in the power of love may its spirit open the memory of the earth to you that your journey through this life be enriched by all that has come before you.” (Tap feet and hands with rose three times.)
  6. *Members of the family and friends may now come forward and offer tokens to the infant/child which symbolize their wishes (for the child as she or he grows). Upon presentation, the person will say the child's name, and then say: “I wish for you (name of virtue or wish, etc.).” These items should be kept for the child and later placed in a special pouch or bag to be stored in the child's room.

Ceremony is concluded. Close the circle and proceed with social occasion.

* Some examples of tokens:

Funeral Rite

This is a ritual for releasing the departed and blessing him or her for the journey of the Afterlife. It is based upon a tradition that I practice but can be modified for use in any way that suits your views. Read the following over beforehand to see what is needed and what you may want to change.

In preparation, the body should be anointed with pennyroyal oil shortly after death (pennyroyal emanates a high spiritual vibration). Ideally the body should be cremated along with some cedar, sandalwood, and juniper wood (old symbols of mystical transformation). This rite is designed with the theme of cremation, and that the ashes are present during the funeral.

A symbol of a white birch tree is placed in the setting of the funeral. Red and white roses are set on an altar. A bowl half-filled with water, a twig, and a small stone are also set on the altar. Additionally a “spirit candle” representing the departed is set on the altar (ideally the favorite color of the departed person). With the candle, set some incense that will be burned later in the rite, and place a ritual bell for tolling. A birch wand or staff is set on, or next to, the altar. A photo of the departed can be placed for viewing next to the ash urn.

The Ceremony

  1. At the site of the funeral, the facilitator addresses those assembled: “We have come to the time now when (name of person) must begin the sacred journey to the Afterlife.” (Spirit candle is now lighted.) “(Name of person), you know now the Mystery, which is forgotten while in this life, and you have therefore entered into the greatest of all rites of passage.”

    The facilitator addresses the attendees: “Let us not bind our friend/loved one to this material world with our longing for her/him to be with us still. Let us not burden her/his spirit too long with our sorrow. Let us release her/him with love, even as a parent must free a child who has grown to adulthood. Blessed be (name of person), we wish you love and light to be with you on your journey, and happiness within the beautiful realm into which you pass. Blessed be (all repeat).”

  2. Ritual bell tolls thrice. The facilitator then introduces anyone who wishes to speak about the departed. Memories may be shared, deeds retold, and so on.
  3. Ritual bell tolls again three times. Each person attending the funeral may come forward now before the vessel containing the ashes and personally bid their friend farewell. Singing or chanting may begin at this time while people pay their respects in private.

    The Releasing:

  4. The facilitator addresses the attendees: “We come now to the time of releasing (name of person) from the world of mortalkind so that she/he may begin the journey to the Afterlife in liberation.”
  5. The facilitator holds hands (palm down) over the bowl, and says: “Here is the vessel of transformation, the magical vessel that is the portal between the worlds.”
  6. The facilitator (at the altar) holds up the stone over the bowl of water, and says: “This is form, this is that which holds the spirit to the world of matter.”
  7. The facilitator places right hand (palm down) over the water, and says: “This is that which dissolves all forms.”
  8. The facilitator speaks the name of the departed, lowers the stone into the bowl of water, and says: “Be washed clean of the form that bound you to the material world. Dissolved away is all that held you to material form.”
  9. The facilitator holds the twig over the water, and says: “Here is that which ever renews, here is the promise of the evergreen spirit that is never extinguished.” The twig is then lowered into the water and left there.
  10. Facilitator: “What is drawn into the world of matter also withdraws from the world of matter. Such is the cycle; such is the journey through the Wheel of the Year. As it is above, so is it below.” Facilitator takes the birch wand or staff in hand, addresses the departed by name, and then says: “You have come to this journey's end. This world of mortalkind is but a dream now from which you shall soon awaken. All who came before you, call now from across the distant stars. The Isle of the Moon glistens like a jewel upon the waters of the Otherworld. It is time now to take your leave and to journey to your restful place. The Forest breathes you in, and the branches of the White Tree show you the way to the realm beyond. In the breath of the Greenwood you are lovingly held. And through the breath of the Greenwood you shall be breathed back into life once again.”
  11. The facilitator places the lighted “spirit candle” in front of the burning incense, and a white rose behind the incense, then speaks the name of the departed, and says: “You came to us descended from the stars, fated by the sun, envisioned by the moon, given form by the land. And you walked your days rooted in the memories held by the earth. Reach upward and return now to your place among the stars.” The candle flame is then blown out into the rising incense smoke, symbolizing the release from this world into the next. The birch is then placed in the incense smoke, and moved to mark an X in the smoke, symbolizing the closing of the material gateway.
  12. In conclusion the funeral prayer is recited: “We release now our Brother/Sister who has crossed over and begun the sacred journey to the realm beyond. We wish her/him well on the journey, sending the emanations of our love and our friendship. We know that the sorrow that we feel is of our own making. Truly there has been no lasting loss among us, for we shall meet each other again in a future life to come. And we shall remember, and know each other, and love again. We shall speak her/his name at times of gathering so as to honor the memory of what we all shared together in the world of formation. May the Divine receive the soul of (name of person) into its care and may our Brother/Sister be given comfort and be prepared to be born anew. May the realm of beyond provide all that she/he needs and desires, and may she/he find peace and pleasure, and reunion with those who have gone before. Farewell dear brother/sister, farewell dear friend. Our love and blessings go with you.” The white rose is presented to the next of kin. The ashes are then scattered (or buried) and everyone may toss flowers or other tokens as the remains are received by the earth. The rite is completed.