High Day Celebrated: Summer Solstice 2006

Location: Santeetlah Creek, Cherokee/Nantahala National Forest

Date Celebrated: June 21, 2006

Time Celebrated: Beginning at sundown June 20, 2006 with sacred fire and ending with rite at sundown June 21, 2006

Who led rite: Myself

Grove/Group name: none at time of rite

Other ritual officers: none

Number of attendees: (in human form) one

Gate Keeper: Manannan

Deities of the occasion: I chose to call upon all deity, because this is my first rite with ADF and I do not feel I am familiar enough with any certain deity to call upon them individually yet.

Omen Method: Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards

Omen (as read with interpretation): The omen was taken with my Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards that I have a strong connection with. I drew three cards for the omen: WI: Sun, PITA: The Fire, MAKA: Earth. With this rite being in honor of the Sun and in consideration of the purpose of the rite, it is appropriate and expected this card would be drawn. Ashes from the fire are taken and given to the Earth in the garden in acceptance of the gift of a bountiful crop. The Earth sustains all and the gift will sustain myself and my family in the coming year.

Any magickal workings done or Oaths given: none

Impressions/other comments/notes: I took ashes from the sacred fire to take home and put on my garden to ensure a bountiful harvest this year. Feast afterwards was yellow summer squash and tomatoes from the garden.

Preparation: This was done as a solitaire, so there was no need to ensure other participants know their intention. I did prepare myself for the rite by taking a ‘ceremonial’ bath in Santeetlah Creek and then smudged with sage from my herb garden prior to the rite.

Procession: short trek through the forest to a sacred hemlock tree.

Opening Prayers:

O beloved mother of all
From whose starry womb the green earth springs
You who are the bearer of all life
I pray you bless and uphold this rite.

Statement of Purpose: Honor of the Sun who begins decent as Darkness slowly regains power once more. Honor of the sustaining energy and life force it gives to the crops that will sustain us during the time when Darkness is strong and in power.

Sacred Center: Honor of the Fire: with sage and oil,

O sacred fire that consumes and transforms
True and holy light of the shining ones

Accept my offering! O sacrificed and sacrificer
Let holy flame warm my spirit and my life.

Well: filled with pure water from Santeetlah Creek and a small silver triskel added

O sacred waters that flow and swirl beneath all being accept my offering! Let me know the elder depths within myself the source of all, the well of elder wisdom

Tree: represented by the sacred Hemlock and honored with pure water from the well.

O sacred pillar, boundary of all worlds,
Stand at the center of the sky,
Stand at the center of the sea,
Stand at the center of the land on which we dwell.
Let me be deepened in your depths
Raised to your heights
Strengthened in your strength

Complete Cosmology: Rite done with agriculture in mind due to my cultural background. Ancestors and farmers of old were honored with offering of seeds and water.

Opening The Gate: Gatekeeper Manannan. Offering made to fire in form of oil, form of triskel made towards fire and well, bundle of birch, fennel, sage, lemon verbena and water from Santeetlah given as offering.

A Manannan, a thiarna na geatai duinn, ta muid ag siul ar do bealach.

O Manannan, Lord of the Gates, Lord of Wisdom, open the ways for us. I walk in your holy ways, I walk the Sacred Road. Share your magic with me, ward me as I walk in safety. Manannan mac Lir, accept my sacrifice!

General Offereings to and invocations of spirits: Ancestor offering of summer squash and lemon verbena tea.

This child of the earth calls out to the mighty dead. Hear me, my ancestors, my kindred.

To all those whose bones lie in this land, whose hearts are tied to it, whose memory holds it; ancient tribes of this place, I offer you welcome.

To all of the grandmothers and grandfathers, my own beloved dead, blood-kin and heart-kin; ancient tribes of my blood, I offer you welcome.

To all those elder wise ones who guide their people, poets and seers, judges and magicians; wise women and men of ancient days, I offer you welcome. So, o mighty ones, I call to you as my kin, in the love of the all-mother, to join in my magic. Come to my fire, spirits; meet me at the boundary. Guide and ward me as I walk the elder ways. Ancestors, accept my sacrifice!

Nature Spirit offering: Sage, lemon verbena, fennel and birdseed.

This child of earth calls out to the spirits of this land. Hear me, companions and teachers.

To all my allies, kindreds of stone and stream, crystal and fertile soil, pools and every water; kins of the earth, I offer you welcome.

To all of my allies, kindreds of the growing green, herb and flower, shrub and mighty trees, root and stem and fruit. Green kins, I offer you welcome.

To all of my allies, kindreds of fur and feather and scale, all who walk or fly or swim or crawl, I offer you welcome.

So, o noble ones, I call to you as my allies, in the joy of life upon earth, to join in my magic. Come to my fire, spirits; meet me at the boundary. Guide and ward me as I walk the elder ways. land-spirits, accept my sacrifice!

Honoring Deities: Oil on fire offered to all deity as this is my first rite and I feel I should become more familiar with certain ones before calling upon them individually.

This child of earth calls out to the shining ones. Hear me, eldest and brightest.

To all the shining ones, first children of the mother, wisest and mightiest, loving and comforting; gods and goddesses, I offer you welcome.

To the gods and goddesses of this place, ancient and powerful, known to me or unknown; gods of this place, I offer you welcome.

To all the deities of those here gathered, you whom I worship, you who bless my life; o patrons and matrons, I offer you welcome.

So, o shining ones, I call to you as my elders, in reverence and love, to join in my magic. Come to my fire, shining ones; meet me at the boundary. guide and ward me as I walk the elder ways. deities, accept my sacrifice!

Personal Offerings: Recited poem I wrote in dedication to the Sacred Hemlock that I chose as the site of my first rite. I have had a special friendship with this tree for a quarter of a century and was awe inspired to share this special moment in my life with such a dear friend. The feeling I had as I recited this poem to him, as he stood before me in strength as he has so many years of my life, brought me to tears and still does even now when I think of that moment we shared.

I have arrived dear friend
You sense my presence long before you see
Me walking through the forest
With tears in my eyes

 

Just wanting to touch you
And praying to Danu
Please let him still be there
Please let him remember me

 

The floor of your home
Softened by centuries of seasons
The moss is not as green as it use to be
Where are all of our mushroom friends?

 

Who moved your brothers corpse from this place?
I see the signs of the end
And I pray
Please let him still be there
Please let him remember me

 

Speeding past Rattlesnake Plantain
Fiddle heads, trillium, ladyslipper
Your love to my right

 

Cascading as she has for thousands of years
And I call to the cherished ones
Danu, Cernunnos, Cerridwen, Lugh
I pray
Please let him still be there
Please let him remember me

 

Santeetlah calls to me dear friend
Tears form in my eyes

 

As I tell her she will have to wait
I must see you
I must tell you I am still alive
I must whisper my secret to you
Touch your hardened flesh
See if you remember
Please still be there
Please remember me

 

And as I speed my pace
Around your fallen kin
I see you in a distance
And run now
To you
I sob openly
And your spirit smiles
‘I knew you would return’

 

And I place my arms around you
My tears give nourishment to your roots
I whisper to you
The words of my heart

 

My eyes fall to the ground
Where many days I sat
Releasing my woes
Deciphering thoughts and fears

 

Gaining needed sleep
Loving you
Becoming one with the spirit that resides inside
Building energy
Suddenly releasing it into the forest
Protection for all
Hear us Santeetlah
Gain strength from this love

 

And it all comes back to me now
What all we have shared
Together
I think of you more than I should
I cherish all you have given
Shared
And my wisdom grows through you
My wise dear friend

 

My lips pressed to you gently
I whisper
Please always be here
Please never forget

 

I walk slowly to your first love
Santeetlah
And you know
At the same moment I do

 

Dead needles fall like corpses from your branches
Like tears falling down on me
I look back to you

 

Do not cry my dear friend

I will always be here
I will never forget

Prayer of Sacrifice:

I have given of my love and my wealth to the lord and lady. Now let my voice arise on the fire, let my voice sound in the well let my words pass the boundary to the otherworlds. o Shining Ones, I give you my love, my respect, my devotion as I pray you accept my sacrifice.

*energy focused and sent through the Gate

Omen: The omen was taken with my Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards that I have a strong connection with. I drew three cards for the omen:

• WI: Sun
• PITA: The Fire
• MAKA: Earth

Calling For The Blessing:

Ancient and mighty ones I have honored you. I pray you honor me in turn, for a gift calls for a gift. Shining ones, give me the waters!

I thirst for the waters of wisdom, of bounty, of rebirth from the well of wisdom, from the spring of renewal, from the bosom of the earth mother. Hear me, shining ones, give me the waters!

I open my heart to the great ones blessing. I stand in pride, honor and friendship with all the powers of the worlds. Hear and answer me now. Shining ones, give me the waters!

Hallowing the waters: Pure water from Santeetlah Creek is poured into a cup and I drink from this.

I draw blessing from the cauldron of blessing. I pour the water of inspiration. Behold the holy cup of magic, the outpouring of blessing from the mighty ones. When I drink the draught of the gods I drink in wisdom, love and strength to do as I will in the worlds, in service to the shining ones.

Hear me o shining ones; hallow these waters! I, your child, rejoice in your gift. Bless my spirit and my life with love, magic and bounty as I drink these sacred waters.

Final Affirmation and Closing the Gates: Blessing affirmed.

The mighty ones have blessed me. With joy in my heart let me carry the magic from this sacred space into my life and work.

Now as I prepare to depart this sacred place let me give thanks to those who have aided me.

O Shining Ones, Gods and Goddesses of this place, deity who have honored me you’re your presence, I thank you

O gods and goddesses of elder days, I thank you

O spirits of this land, I thank you

O ancestors, my kindred, I thank you

To all those powers that have aided me, I say again, I thank you

*Unused offering were placed around the tree.

Mother of all, to you I return all I leave unused. Uphold me now in the world as you have in this rite. I thank you

O Manannan, gatekeeper, warder of the ways, for your presence and power, your guiding and guarding I thank you

Now by the keeper of gates and by my magic I end what I began.

Now let the fire be flame
Let the well be water;
Let all be as it was before.
Let the gates be closed!

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