Creating Circles and Ceremonies: Rituals for All ... - reading...

262 Creating Circles & Ceremonies
Working:
Brigit sits on chair with cauldron of water between
her legs, for quenching the hot metal.
Wayland: gives rap about the power and
magic of the forge:
When metal is forged in very hot fire, it
becomes malleable and plastic. With a
considered and well-directed strike of a
hammer, a purposeful shape can be
realized. The smith transforms this hot
shape into a tool to perform useful
work. Just so do the gods fire and shape
their worshippers into instruments wellsuited
to their sacred purpose.
Ps:Let us pay homage to Brigit, our
teacher. Tonight let us ask her to teach
us a skill, the particular skill we each
need to transform our lives in the forge
of the new time that spring and the flow
of human events bring. (turns to Brigit)
Great Brigit, let me learn___________.
Teach me, please, I vow to be your
willing student.
Drums rise to soft background while supplicants
come forward one at a time. Brigit retrieves
one ring from coals, places on anvil,
hands seeker mallet. Seeker strikes copper
once. Wayland places copper on hook, hands
to Brigit, who quenches it in the bucket of
water and hands it to seeker, dismissing him/
her. After last one, drums rise to crescendo,
then halt.
Cakes and Mead
P: From the seed of the Father (raises
athame above plate and wine goblet)
Ps: To the body of the Mother (holds
goblet and plate with cakes)
Together: From this union worlds are
nourished.
(Ps offers cakes and P offers mead to Brigid.
She takes them and offers them back to
P&Ps, who then take them to Circle.)
May you never hunger.
May you never thirst.
Bardic
This part of the ritual is hosted by Brigit
herself. She fills a large chalice with mead,
takes a sip, and instructs everyone on how
to conduct the bardic:
When the chalice comes to you, you are
invited to make a bardic offering to
Brigit. You may sing a song, read, or
recite poetry, lead a chant, tell a short
story or joke, or display a piece of
artwork you have created in the past
year, with a little explanation. Keep the
chalice until you are finished, take
another sip, and then pass it on. If you
do not wish to make a bardic offering at
this time, you may take a sip and just
pass the chalice on to the next person.
Brigit passes the chalice to Ps, and they begin
the bardic by singing the “Well Song”:
We will never, never lose our way
To the Well, of Her memory
And the power, of the living flame,
It will rise, it will rise again!
Like the grasses, through the dark,
through the storm,
Towards the sunlight, we shall rise again!
We are searching, for the Waters of Life;
We are moving, we shall live again!
(—Starhawk)
(Like any MC, Brigit may intervene at any time
to sing a song or chant of her own, or call for
something in particular from someone as she
thinks it appropriate. Bardic continues as long
as Brigit feels like it, and may be ended by her
when she wishes, in consultation with Ps.)
Dismissals and Opening of Circle
A Bardic Circle for Brigit
By Oberon
For the Festival of Brigit (Brigantia), the most traditional rite is a Bardic Circle—a
sharing of songs, stories, poetry, or even jokes. Well ahead of time, in the invitations to the
event, the host should let everyone know that a Bardic Circle will be held and that they
should bring appropriate stuff to share. These may be original compositions or not. If an
offering is to be musical, invite guests to bring instruments.