September 2010 Dark Moon Rite
Written by Drake Collins
Offerings
Beer
Barley
Wine(1)
Yew
Olive Oil
Wine(2)
Frankincense
Outdwellers
(Written by Deborah Kest)
Titans, you who reigned before the gods,
and then stood against them,
we respect your brute force and make you offerings.
Eris, spirit of discord
we respect your power to destroy what does not stand firm,
and make you offerings.
And to all others for whom law is might,
or who respect cunning over justice,
we respect your powers, and make you offerings, that you trouble us not.
Outdwellers, accept our sacrifice!
(sacrifice beer)
Earth Mother
The men of the tribe call out to the earth mother
Hear us, Demeter!
Daughter of Titans,
Mother of Persephone
Who was delighted when Baubo lifted her skirts,
revealing the beautiful legs of a young woman
we too know the beauty of our own sex.
Demeter, whose Eleusinian Mysteries were presided by Heirodoules,
Priests of our tribe.
We welcome you into our rite,
as you uphold us upon your bosom,
we make offering to you.
Great Beloved Demeter, accept our Sacrifice
(sacrifice barley)
Evoking the Bardic Deity
(parts adapted from writings by Livy (5.21.2-3))
The men of the tribe call out to Apollo,
Lover of many men. Among your lovers were
Admetus, King of Thessaly,
Amyclas, King of Sparta,
Hyacinthus, slain by jealous Zephyrus
You have shared in our love for our own sex.
We invite you here to bless this circle of men.
May Apollo grant that we enjoy good health and a sound mind,
May you grant us a clear mind and a lyre beside us with which to sing your praises.
From the very outset we pray to you, Apollo,
inventor of music and of all the healing arts,
come to our aid and this undertaking;
bless it with your laurel and your lyre
Phoebus Apollo, Accept our sacrifice!
(Sacrifice wine1)
Statement of Ritual Purpose
We have gathered here today, as men of the tribe, to honor the god Dionysos. He is a god of Estacis, divine Ecstacy. He is lord of the vine, and of winemaking. He is a god twice-born, of two mothers. First, born as Zagreus to Zeus and Persephone, then, after being destroyed, reborn as Dionysos to Zeus and Semele. He is a god of indestructable life.
Dionysos has always been a god connected to our people. He was depicted as an effiminate male, of powerful sexuality. He had many male lovers, including Achilles, Adonis, Hermaphroditus, and Hymenaeus. Priapus was said to also have been attracted to him.
Dionysos has long been a god associated with our people, and so we honor him.
Centering, Grounding, & Merging
Close your eyes, Children of the earth, and take a moment to find the center of your mind, body and soul.
Breathe deeply and allow your body to become relaxed. Feel waves of relaxation traveling down through you from your head, down your neck to your shoulders and arms. Breathe deeply and feel the relaxation travel down your torso, your waist, and down into your legs. Breathe deeply and feel all tension and stress and outside thoughts flow down into the ground.
Now, children of the earth, with your mind’s eye, cast your gaze downward, through the center of Mount Aetna, down below the earth to her fiery heart. Down to the place where the fires of chaos dwell. See a tendril of flame begin to travel up from the heart of the earth to where you stand, see it rising, twisting and turning from the earth’s core. See it coiling and uncoiling through the earth’s mantle. See it snaking it’s way up through the crust to your feet. Now feel the warmth of the earth rising within you, up through your legs, rising and filling the cauldron of your loins. Feel the warmth overflow and continue to rise up through your torso, filling and overflowing the cauldron of your heart. Feel the warmth continue to flow up through your neck, into your head, filling the cauldron of your mind. Feel the Earths’ warmth spilling over you, flowing back to the ground like warm honey, returning to the place from whence it came.
Now Children of the Earth, cast the gaze of your mind’s eye upward, to the peak of Mount Olympus. See a great cloud gather, and begin to drop gentle rains upon you. Feel the cool waters soothe you, enter your head, filling and overflowing the cauldron of your mind. Feel the waters flow down through your neck, filling the cauldron of your heart. Feel the waters overflow and continue down through your torso, filling the cauldron of your loins. Feel the fires of the earth and the waters of the sky mix together, solidifying within you, giving you strength. Feel the water change to mist and rise off of you, returning to the place from whence it came.
Feel yourselves standing as great mountains, as Aetna and Olympus, the pillars between the worlds.
Acknowledgement of the Hallows
From the river Styx, the waters of the well flow.
As Charon carries the dead to the underworld,
may our offerings be received in that gloomy realm.
From the gift of Prometheus, the fires burn.
As its smoke rises, purifying this grove,
may our offering be received on crowned olympus
Grounded deep within us, the Mountain stands firm
Rooted in the depths of the underworld
Crowned at the Height of Olympus
May the three worlds hold firm together.
Evoking the gatekeeper
Hekate! Hekate! Hekate!
Thrice-blessed Hekate!
The men of the tribe call out to you!
You who are the rearer of boys, come to us!
You who are served by the semnotatoi, come to us!
You who stand as guide at all crossroads, come to us!
Hekate Klêidouchos you are the key that opens every door!
Hekate Propylaia you are the keeper of the gate!
Hekate Phosphoros you are the guide through dark places!
Hekate, accept this offering from your chosen people,
those who stand on fringe, who walk the ways between,
Hekate, accept our sacrifice! (sacrifice Yew)
Opening the Gates
And now, Hekate, let your magick merge with our own
let it flow through me and into the hallows,
that the well might open as a gate!
See the well spiraling downwards,
flowing into the underworld.
See it touch the river styx and carry our prayers
to the realms of the dead.
And now, Hekate, let your magick flow through me
that the fire might open as a gate!
See the fire rising upwards,
rising up to the upper world.
See it surround the crown of olympus and carry our prayers
to the realms of the gods.
And now Hekate, let your magick flow through me
that the mountain might become the axis mundi.
See the stone begin to grow and become the great world-mountain
Rooted firmly in the ground,
Extending high into the heavens
that the kindreds might have a path to join us at the sacred center.
Let the Gates Be Open!
Kindreds Offering
(Queer Spirit kindreds offering written by Jamie Goodwin)
Warriors:
All you warriors come!
Eagle and hawk, lion and wolf.
All manner of nature spirits who inspire us with strength and courage.
Heroes of old,
all our ancestors who stood up and spoke out in defense of your communities and people.
Ares, Tyr, Morrigan, and Indra.
All of you Gods and Goddesses of war and discipline.
Warriors come and protect this circle of men.
(light red candle)
Divine Children:
All you divine children come!
Playful hare, dancing bees of summer, and fish in the streams.
All manner of nature spirits who play and dance, and bouy our spirits.
The fiddler in the field, singer upon the rooftops, dancer before the crowd.
All our ancestors who inspired us with their art and beauty.
Baldr, Lugh, Aengus, and Vishnu.
All of you Gods and Goddesses of brightness, light, and youth.
Divine children come and enliven this circle of men.
(light orange candle)
Explorers:
All of you explorers come!
Stalking cat and tracking hound, jay upon the air.
All manner of nature spirits who seek and push the boundaries.
Hunter and seeker, artist and dreamer,
All our ancestors who faced down their fears and stepped away from the safety of home for the good of the tribe.
Dagdha, Thor, Arachne, and Rudra.
All of you Gods and Goddesses who sought out protection for the good of all.
Explorers come and reveal this circle of men
(light yellow candle)
Androgynous Ones:
All of you androgynous ones come!
Snake and lizard, bear and fox.
All manner of nature spirits who are so much more then they reveal
Drag queen and transgendered, gay men and women.
All our ancestors who dared be themselves when society forced them into a predetermined mold.
Loki, Dionysus, Hermes, and Mercury.
All of you Gods and Goddesses of trickery and ecstasy.
Androgynous ones come and blend this circle of men.
(light green candle)
Elders:
All of you elders come
Raven and Crow, crocodile and whale.
All manner of nature spirits who hark back to the eldest and wisest.
Grey beard and sage, Grandfathers, and Grandmothers.
All our ancestors who lived full lives of wisdom and courage.
Odin, Ogmha, Brighid, and Agni.
All you Gods and Goddesses of timelessness and parentage.
Elders come and advise this circle of men.
(light blue candle)
Shaman:
All of you Shamans come!
Buffalo and crane, horse and seal.
All manner of nature spirits who represent the power and surety of earth.
Magician and guide, Druid, Flamen, Brahman, and Witch.
All our ancestors who through study and dedication achieved great power and knowledge.
Manannan, Heimdall, Poseiden and Varuna.
All you Gods and Goddesses connected to human kind with watchfulness and care.
Shaman come and awaken this circle of men.
(light purple candle)
We have called upon the Kindreds through the guise of the Queer Spirit. We have called these beings up from without, but we also call them from within. We are the warrior, we are the divine child, we are the explorer, we are the androgyne, we are the elder, and we are the shaman. For as they are true within the world and within the kindreds so it is true within ourselves. Every one of us carries each aspect of the queer spirit within us.
So as we make offering to the kindreds let us be reminded that we also make offering to ourselves.
Mighty Kindred, Accept our sacrifice!
(sacrifice Olive Oil)
The Main Offering
Dionysos, lord of the Vine.
Dionysos, twice-born
Dionysos, god of undestructable life
The men of the tribe call out to you.
come to our hearth-fire Dionysos,
Meet us at the sacred center.
Accept our offering of wine
and share with us your estacis.
Dionysos, Accept our sacrifice!
(sacrifice wine)
Praise Offerings
Final Sacrifice
Dionysos, Zagreus
Gods and Goddesses,
Holy Ancestors,
Spirits of this place
Sacred Queer spirit that lives within us all:
If anything that we have done here has offended you,
If anything we have done here has been incomplete,
If anything we have done here has not been in the proper manner,
Accept this final offering in expiation of our mortal error.
(sacrifice Frankincense)
Seeking the Omen of Return
(from standard ADF Liturgy)
So we have given of our love and our wealth
to the Kindred, that they may know our devotion.
Now let our voices arise on the Fire
Let our voices sound in the Well
Let our words pass through the Mountain.
May we open to the Kindreds,
Asking what blessings they offer us in return
And the needs they have of us.
(take the Omen)
Induction of Receptivity
(adapted from standard ADF Liturgy)
Ancient and Mighty ones, we have honored you
we pray you honor us in turn
for a gift calls for a gift.
Hear your children:
Make these the waters of life!
Dionysos, Zagreus, make these the waters of life!
Warriors, make these the waters of life!
Divine Children, make these the waters of life!
Explorers, make these the waters of life!
Androgynous Ones, make these the waters of life!
Elders, make these the waters of life!
Shamans, make these the waters of life!
Behold the holy cup of magic
the outpouring of blessing from the kindreds.
When we share the draught of the gods
we drink in wisdom, love, and strength
to do as we will in the worlds
in service to the kindreds.
Thanking of Entities Invited in Reverse Order
(adapted from standard ADF Liturgy)
The Great Ones have blessed us.
With joy in our hearts
Let us carry the magic from our sacred Grove
Into our lives and our work.
Each time we offer to the Powers
They become stronger
And more aware of our needs and our worship.
So now as we prepare to depart
Let us give thanks
To all those who have aided us.
Dionysos, we thank you!
Shamans, we thank you!
Elders, we thank you!
Androgynous ones, we thank you!
Explorers, we thank you!
Divine Children, we thank you!
Warriors, we thank you!
To all those powers that have aided us, we say again, we thank you!
Mother of all, when the soul by necessity departs, in you alone do we find refuge.
Thus, whatever you give, in you all will be returned.
To you we return all we leave unused
Uphold us now in the world as you have in our rite.
Demeter, we thank you!
Thrice-blessed Hekate, guardian of the gate
For your presence and power
Your guiding and guarding we say...
we thank you!
Affirmation of Past/Future Continuity and Success
(adapted from standard ADF Liturgy)
Now by the Keeper of Gates and by our magic we end what we began.
Now let the fire be but a flame;
Let the well be but water
Let the mountain be but stone.
Let all be as it was before,
save for the offerings we have given
and the blessing we have received.
Let the Gates be closed!
We have done as our ancestors have done,
and the Kindreds have answered.
Let us end as we began . . .
Go now, Men of the Tribe,
in peace and blessings.
The ritual is at a close. IAKKOS!
Written by Drake Collins
Offerings
Beer
Barley
Wine(1)
Yew
Olive Oil
Wine(2)
Frankincense
Outdwellers
(Written by Deborah Kest)
Titans, you who reigned before the gods,
and then stood against them,
we respect your brute force and make you offerings.
Eris, spirit of discord
we respect your power to destroy what does not stand firm,
and make you offerings.
And to all others for whom law is might,
or who respect cunning over justice,
we respect your powers, and make you offerings, that you trouble us not.
Outdwellers, accept our sacrifice!
(sacrifice beer)
Earth Mother
The men of the tribe call out to the earth mother
Hear us, Demeter!
Daughter of Titans,
Mother of Persephone
Who was delighted when Baubo lifted her skirts,
revealing the beautiful legs of a young woman
we too know the beauty of our own sex.
Demeter, whose Eleusinian Mysteries were presided by Heirodoules,
Priests of our tribe.
We welcome you into our rite,
as you uphold us upon your bosom,
we make offering to you.
Great Beloved Demeter, accept our Sacrifice
(sacrifice barley)
Evoking the Bardic Deity
(parts adapted from writings by Livy (5.21.2-3))
The men of the tribe call out to Apollo,
Lover of many men. Among your lovers were
Admetus, King of Thessaly,
Amyclas, King of Sparta,
Hyacinthus, slain by jealous Zephyrus
You have shared in our love for our own sex.
We invite you here to bless this circle of men.
May Apollo grant that we enjoy good health and a sound mind,
May you grant us a clear mind and a lyre beside us with which to sing your praises.
From the very outset we pray to you, Apollo,
inventor of music and of all the healing arts,
come to our aid and this undertaking;
bless it with your laurel and your lyre
Phoebus Apollo, Accept our sacrifice!
(Sacrifice wine1)
Statement of Ritual Purpose
We have gathered here today, as men of the tribe, to honor the god Dionysos. He is a god of Estacis, divine Ecstacy. He is lord of the vine, and of winemaking. He is a god twice-born, of two mothers. First, born as Zagreus to Zeus and Persephone, then, after being destroyed, reborn as Dionysos to Zeus and Semele. He is a god of indestructable life.
Dionysos has always been a god connected to our people. He was depicted as an effiminate male, of powerful sexuality. He had many male lovers, including Achilles, Adonis, Hermaphroditus, and Hymenaeus. Priapus was said to also have been attracted to him.
Dionysos has long been a god associated with our people, and so we honor him.
Centering, Grounding, & Merging
Close your eyes, Children of the earth, and take a moment to find the center of your mind, body and soul.
Breathe deeply and allow your body to become relaxed. Feel waves of relaxation traveling down through you from your head, down your neck to your shoulders and arms. Breathe deeply and feel the relaxation travel down your torso, your waist, and down into your legs. Breathe deeply and feel all tension and stress and outside thoughts flow down into the ground.
Now, children of the earth, with your mind’s eye, cast your gaze downward, through the center of Mount Aetna, down below the earth to her fiery heart. Down to the place where the fires of chaos dwell. See a tendril of flame begin to travel up from the heart of the earth to where you stand, see it rising, twisting and turning from the earth’s core. See it coiling and uncoiling through the earth’s mantle. See it snaking it’s way up through the crust to your feet. Now feel the warmth of the earth rising within you, up through your legs, rising and filling the cauldron of your loins. Feel the warmth overflow and continue to rise up through your torso, filling and overflowing the cauldron of your heart. Feel the warmth continue to flow up through your neck, into your head, filling the cauldron of your mind. Feel the Earths’ warmth spilling over you, flowing back to the ground like warm honey, returning to the place from whence it came.
Now Children of the Earth, cast the gaze of your mind’s eye upward, to the peak of Mount Olympus. See a great cloud gather, and begin to drop gentle rains upon you. Feel the cool waters soothe you, enter your head, filling and overflowing the cauldron of your mind. Feel the waters flow down through your neck, filling the cauldron of your heart. Feel the waters overflow and continue down through your torso, filling the cauldron of your loins. Feel the fires of the earth and the waters of the sky mix together, solidifying within you, giving you strength. Feel the water change to mist and rise off of you, returning to the place from whence it came.
Feel yourselves standing as great mountains, as Aetna and Olympus, the pillars between the worlds.
Acknowledgement of the Hallows
From the river Styx, the waters of the well flow.
As Charon carries the dead to the underworld,
may our offerings be received in that gloomy realm.
From the gift of Prometheus, the fires burn.
As its smoke rises, purifying this grove,
may our offering be received on crowned olympus
Grounded deep within us, the Mountain stands firm
Rooted in the depths of the underworld
Crowned at the Height of Olympus
May the three worlds hold firm together.
Evoking the gatekeeper
Hekate! Hekate! Hekate!
Thrice-blessed Hekate!
The men of the tribe call out to you!
You who are the rearer of boys, come to us!
You who are served by the semnotatoi, come to us!
You who stand as guide at all crossroads, come to us!
Hekate Klêidouchos you are the key that opens every door!
Hekate Propylaia you are the keeper of the gate!
Hekate Phosphoros you are the guide through dark places!
Hekate, accept this offering from your chosen people,
those who stand on fringe, who walk the ways between,
Hekate, accept our sacrifice! (sacrifice Yew)
Opening the Gates
And now, Hekate, let your magick merge with our own
let it flow through me and into the hallows,
that the well might open as a gate!
See the well spiraling downwards,
flowing into the underworld.
See it touch the river styx and carry our prayers
to the realms of the dead.
And now, Hekate, let your magick flow through me
that the fire might open as a gate!
See the fire rising upwards,
rising up to the upper world.
See it surround the crown of olympus and carry our prayers
to the realms of the gods.
And now Hekate, let your magick flow through me
that the mountain might become the axis mundi.
See the stone begin to grow and become the great world-mountain
Rooted firmly in the ground,
Extending high into the heavens
that the kindreds might have a path to join us at the sacred center.
Let the Gates Be Open!
Kindreds Offering
(Queer Spirit kindreds offering written by Jamie Goodwin)
Warriors:
All you warriors come!
Eagle and hawk, lion and wolf.
All manner of nature spirits who inspire us with strength and courage.
Heroes of old,
all our ancestors who stood up and spoke out in defense of your communities and people.
Ares, Tyr, Morrigan, and Indra.
All of you Gods and Goddesses of war and discipline.
Warriors come and protect this circle of men.
(light red candle)
Divine Children:
All you divine children come!
Playful hare, dancing bees of summer, and fish in the streams.
All manner of nature spirits who play and dance, and bouy our spirits.
The fiddler in the field, singer upon the rooftops, dancer before the crowd.
All our ancestors who inspired us with their art and beauty.
Baldr, Lugh, Aengus, and Vishnu.
All of you Gods and Goddesses of brightness, light, and youth.
Divine children come and enliven this circle of men.
(light orange candle)
Explorers:
All of you explorers come!
Stalking cat and tracking hound, jay upon the air.
All manner of nature spirits who seek and push the boundaries.
Hunter and seeker, artist and dreamer,
All our ancestors who faced down their fears and stepped away from the safety of home for the good of the tribe.
Dagdha, Thor, Arachne, and Rudra.
All of you Gods and Goddesses who sought out protection for the good of all.
Explorers come and reveal this circle of men
(light yellow candle)
Androgynous Ones:
All of you androgynous ones come!
Snake and lizard, bear and fox.
All manner of nature spirits who are so much more then they reveal
Drag queen and transgendered, gay men and women.
All our ancestors who dared be themselves when society forced them into a predetermined mold.
Loki, Dionysus, Hermes, and Mercury.
All of you Gods and Goddesses of trickery and ecstasy.
Androgynous ones come and blend this circle of men.
(light green candle)
Elders:
All of you elders come
Raven and Crow, crocodile and whale.
All manner of nature spirits who hark back to the eldest and wisest.
Grey beard and sage, Grandfathers, and Grandmothers.
All our ancestors who lived full lives of wisdom and courage.
Odin, Ogmha, Brighid, and Agni.
All you Gods and Goddesses of timelessness and parentage.
Elders come and advise this circle of men.
(light blue candle)
Shaman:
All of you Shamans come!
Buffalo and crane, horse and seal.
All manner of nature spirits who represent the power and surety of earth.
Magician and guide, Druid, Flamen, Brahman, and Witch.
All our ancestors who through study and dedication achieved great power and knowledge.
Manannan, Heimdall, Poseiden and Varuna.
All you Gods and Goddesses connected to human kind with watchfulness and care.
Shaman come and awaken this circle of men.
(light purple candle)
We have called upon the Kindreds through the guise of the Queer Spirit. We have called these beings up from without, but we also call them from within. We are the warrior, we are the divine child, we are the explorer, we are the androgyne, we are the elder, and we are the shaman. For as they are true within the world and within the kindreds so it is true within ourselves. Every one of us carries each aspect of the queer spirit within us.
So as we make offering to the kindreds let us be reminded that we also make offering to ourselves.
Mighty Kindred, Accept our sacrifice!
(sacrifice Olive Oil)
The Main Offering
Dionysos, lord of the Vine.
Dionysos, twice-born
Dionysos, god of undestructable life
The men of the tribe call out to you.
come to our hearth-fire Dionysos,
Meet us at the sacred center.
Accept our offering of wine
and share with us your estacis.
Dionysos, Accept our sacrifice!
(sacrifice wine)
Praise Offerings
Final Sacrifice
Dionysos, Zagreus
Gods and Goddesses,
Holy Ancestors,
Spirits of this place
Sacred Queer spirit that lives within us all:
If anything that we have done here has offended you,
If anything we have done here has been incomplete,
If anything we have done here has not been in the proper manner,
Accept this final offering in expiation of our mortal error.
(sacrifice Frankincense)
Seeking the Omen of Return
(from standard ADF Liturgy)
So we have given of our love and our wealth
to the Kindred, that they may know our devotion.
Now let our voices arise on the Fire
Let our voices sound in the Well
Let our words pass through the Mountain.
May we open to the Kindreds,
Asking what blessings they offer us in return
And the needs they have of us.
(take the Omen)
Induction of Receptivity
(adapted from standard ADF Liturgy)
Ancient and Mighty ones, we have honored you
we pray you honor us in turn
for a gift calls for a gift.
Hear your children:
Make these the waters of life!
Dionysos, Zagreus, make these the waters of life!
Warriors, make these the waters of life!
Divine Children, make these the waters of life!
Explorers, make these the waters of life!
Androgynous Ones, make these the waters of life!
Elders, make these the waters of life!
Shamans, make these the waters of life!
Behold the holy cup of magic
the outpouring of blessing from the kindreds.
When we share the draught of the gods
we drink in wisdom, love, and strength
to do as we will in the worlds
in service to the kindreds.
Thanking of Entities Invited in Reverse Order
(adapted from standard ADF Liturgy)
The Great Ones have blessed us.
With joy in our hearts
Let us carry the magic from our sacred Grove
Into our lives and our work.
Each time we offer to the Powers
They become stronger
And more aware of our needs and our worship.
So now as we prepare to depart
Let us give thanks
To all those who have aided us.
Dionysos, we thank you!
Shamans, we thank you!
Elders, we thank you!
Androgynous ones, we thank you!
Explorers, we thank you!
Divine Children, we thank you!
Warriors, we thank you!
To all those powers that have aided us, we say again, we thank you!
Mother of all, when the soul by necessity departs, in you alone do we find refuge.
Thus, whatever you give, in you all will be returned.
To you we return all we leave unused
Uphold us now in the world as you have in our rite.
Demeter, we thank you!
Thrice-blessed Hekate, guardian of the gate
For your presence and power
Your guiding and guarding we say...
we thank you!
Affirmation of Past/Future Continuity and Success
(adapted from standard ADF Liturgy)
Now by the Keeper of Gates and by our magic we end what we began.
Now let the fire be but a flame;
Let the well be but water
Let the mountain be but stone.
Let all be as it was before,
save for the offerings we have given
and the blessing we have received.
Let the Gates be closed!
We have done as our ancestors have done,
and the Kindreds have answered.
Let us end as we began . . .
Go now, Men of the Tribe,
in peace and blessings.
The ritual is at a close. IAKKOS!