Samhain 2010
Reaping the Harvest
The Wild Hunt has associations with the four fire festivals, and its connection to Samhain is strong. With the thin veil between the worlds most evident on this last of the harvest holydays, the Wild Hunt rade is set in motion.
The Wild Hunt has a leader on horseback. The horse sometimes has fiery eyes and nostrils. Going out ahead of the horse and rider are the wild hounds, the dark Hounds of Heaven or the Welsh Hounds of the Otherworld. The Wild Hunt announces its imminent arrival with the barking of the hounds and the sound of marching feet. The specters of the recently dead, or, of those who died before their time fly with the Wild Hunt until their allotted time has run its course, then they are delivered into the arms of the Crone.
The Teutonic god Woden, or Odin, in his guise of wind-god, was thought to be rushing through the skies astride his eight-legged steed. As it was thought that the souls of the dead were wafted away on the winds of a storm, Odin became regarded as the leader of all disembodied spirits - the gatherer of the dead.
In southern England, it was Herne the Hunter who led the hunt. Herne is the horned god of the Celts, known also is the master of the Wild Hunt. He has associations with prosperity and fertility. He is the leader of the Rade and gathers the energies of the souls of the dead for entry into the summerand and rebirth.
It is not a question of IF the Wild Hunt will come for you, taking you to the World of Faerie, the Otherworld, or Heaven (as you like), but WHEN.
Main Ritual Written by Ann Marie and Presented by Ann Marie and friends and was inspired by Ann Moura's Meditation called "A Ride With the Wild Hunt" in Green Witchcraft II.
ASL translators will be participating in the Main Ritual, please see Ritual Tyler for seating arrangements in the Western Quadrant.
Archive
Beltaine 2010
The story of Selu or Green Corn Mother is a sacred myth to the Tsalagi/Cherokee People. Four Winds Lodge, A Temple of the Sacred Path, Inc ATC will humbly offer you a reenactment of her story and how it relates to the Spiritual Path they follow to this day. Selu like the Nazarene is a deified human whose personal sacrifice saved her People. Her body like Christ's is now a living sacrament with which to worship the Mother Goddess and the Creator of All Things.
The ritual Four Winds Lodge will share with you is a cleansing and releasing ritual. It will use Corn Meal, the body of Selu herself and Tobacco, the sacred herb of Creator to allow you to release all negative energy from your Walk and receive Blessings from the God and Goddess to fill the void created during the removal of that which no longer serves your Highest Good. This is an authentic Tsalagi/Cherokee Ritual that has been done for centuries upon the full moon. The moon has nothing to do with the ritual except for scheduling purposes for a People with no written language nor calendar until Sequoya.
The Ceremony will start with a Grand Entry of the Tsalagi Clan System, Elders, and representatives of important segments of Tribal Society. Then a Sacred Drama will be presented. After which the Tsalagi/Cherokee Moon Ritual will be offered. Upon entry you will be handed a Tobacco Tie Offering, please hold onto this until the designated time during the ritual. You will be instructed upon its use during that segment of the ritual. The overall Ceremony will culminate in a Hoopi La from which we get the word Hoopla which translates a PARTY! A Celebratory atmosphere will ensue with dancing and the jumping of the Bealtuinn Fire for those who could not celebrate Beltane without it.
Important Notes:For the ritual, all you need to bring is yourself, a chair, and a strong desire to connect with the Divine Energies and allow them to cleanse you of that which holds you back from a closer relationship with the God and Goddess. HOWEVER, since this is a Native American Ritual and we will start the ceremony with a Grand Entry like all good Pow Wows, please feel free AND encouraged to bring banners, shields, flags, personal standards, and coven/group representations to display your pride in your chosen Path and/or Tradition. The Tsalagi/Cherokee have Seven Clans and each Clan has a pennant and Mask to represent them. They enter all ceremony lead by one man and one woman of each Clan carrying their Clan Symbols and this is the inspiration behind offering YOU the opportunity to display Coven and/or Solitary Banners!
ASL translators will be participating in the Main Ritual, please see Ritual Tiler for seating arrangements in the Western Quadrant.
Please reserve the Western Quadrant for the seating of Headliners, ASL users, Elders, Coven Leaders and Drummers. In Native American Spirituality the West is the Place of Honor for all Elders.
Main Ritual Written and Presented by Four Winds Lodge, A Temple of the Sacred Path, Inc ATC and Friends!
May the Creator of All Things and Selu, the Living Mother Earth Goddess bless you and watch over you and yours all the days of your life. Wa Do!
Samhain 2009
Hail the Honored Dead – presented by Hearthfire Coven
Raise your voice and raise your horn to honor those who have passed before us! This FPG Samhain, you are invited to enter the great Mead Hall for a traditional Norse Blot and Symbel.
The night will begin with The Blot, {pronounced‘bloat’}. This ceremony is a communion with the Gods. The word Blot means blood and represents the blood of the animal sacrificed for the libation*. Once the Gods have been called and honored we will begin the second part of the ritual, The Symbel.
The Symbel, {pronounced ‘SUM-bell’}, is the drinking of the Memory Cup. Traditionally, mead is poured into a drinking horn, the horn is blessed, and then the horn is passed around to each person taking part. There are several rounds, each with a specific purpose, usually, Gods, Ancestors and Friends. The three main things one can do with a Symbel Horn are to Toast, Boast, or make an Oath. Due to the sheer number of ritual participants in our Symbel, you will each have your own cup or horn with your own drink of choice. You will then have a chance to stand and speak or, if you prefer, you may silently give your written toast to the Ritual Squire for sacrifice. This is your chance to honor your ancestors, your friends; those that have passed and those that still stand beside you. Be aware! Should you make an oath over the Symbel Horn, you will be challenged as per tradition for oaths made before the Gods over the Horn are considered especially sacred and binding. It was not uncommon to add some kind of codicil in these oaths that involved some kind of personal sacrifice if the oath could not be fulfilled for any reason to prevent loss of honor or falling into disfavor. In this day and age, doing some kind of service to the community or a donation to a charity is a common choice for this codicil.
We encourage each participant to bring their own ceremonial drinking horn or chalice. A non-alcoholic beverage will be provided during the ritual, however if you are of age and wish to bring Mead or a beverage of a more spiritual nature for your personal use during ritual, please do so.
As you enter the sacred Hall, you will each be given a cup with three Runes scribed upon it. Only the Norns know which cup they have chosen for you! You will also be given a paper and pencil upon which to write your toast. Bowls of water will be provided to cleanse your hands before entering.
The Hall in which you sit is sacred space, though no circle shall be cast. You will witness the hallowing of the ground as the Norse people performed it over 1000 years ago.
Important Notes: Please remember that, while the Aesir and Vanir (The Norse Pantheon) are tolerant of all other Gods and Faiths, the Blot and Symbel are Ceremonies in honor of them and as such, it is considered bad form to toast Gods and Goddesses from outside their Pantheon during these rites.
Also, during the ritual we will be honoring Thor and Frig. It is considered a grave insult to mention Loki, in any of his forms, in the presence of Thor. In fact many followers of Thor avoid the mention of his name altogether, instead calling him “Laufey’s Son” or even “The Oathbreaker”. We ask that you please honor this tradition and refrain from calling on him or mentioning his name during the Blot and Symbel.
*A vegetarian substitute will be provided for the meat libation.
Beltaine 2009 "Birth of Change"
The Seekers of the Wyrd, the same group that brings you the labyrinth, who hail from St. Petersburg, Florida, will present the main ritual for Beltaine 2009. The members of the Seekers coven are Peggy Morris, Steve Ayers, Katy Prats, Jamie Butler, Dawn Witt, Steve (Tank) May, Debbie Van Treuren (Florida East Coast honorary member), and Hannah Morris (honorary witch-in-training). At this year's main ritual, each person will have an opportunity to participate in the ritual by setting in motion their creative changes or projects for the coming year. We will celebrate the season with stories of Bel fires, faeries, maypoles, spirals and the birth of form. The ritual culminates in people giving their desires and hopes over to the Bel fires and the traditional jumping of the fire.
Samhain 2008 "Dance with the Ancestors"
Presented By:
The Coven of Mysty Mountain
Samhain is the time of the year when the veil between the world of the living, and the land of the dead, is the thinnest. The spirits of the underworld are able to enter into our world whenever they choose. They cannot only see us, but they sometimes join us in our everyday activities, usually without our knowledge, for we are not always aware of their presence. At Samhain, because the veil is so very thin, we are able to commune with the Ancestral beings who dwell in the underworld.
Has there ever been a time when you felt that you had been somewhere that you know that you really hadn’t – but you know your way around as if you had? Do you have memories of living during other periods in time? Do you have memories of sailing the great fjords of Norway, dancing a hot Tango in Argentina? Or perhaps as a warrior, hunting on the Western plains with your Native American kin, or practicing the healing art of herbal medicine with your Asian Elders? Yet you know that this is not the life you are living now? These memories are so vivid, that we come to realize that we are our Ancestors and they are us.
We will be taking this special time in ritual to commune with our Ancestors, those of the flesh and of the spirit. We together will take a journey into the underworld so that we can meet with those spirits who remind us of our former selves. We will celebrate the bonds that tie us all together in one great human family.
The faces and lives that we now wear are costumes that clothe our spirits. In our spirits we are truly free to be the healers, priests, counselors, dancers and hunters that we have been over many lifetimes. In celebration of the wisdom of our Ancestors and of the hopes of our Progeny, we invite everyone to wear the costumes that show the experiences of our souls and the masks that express the character of our spirits. We ask that you join us in wearing these masks, not to hide our outer selves, but to express the inner truths that are difficult to express on the outside.