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La Fheile Bride
1) Opening prayer:
Participant: Tha sinn a-seo do dh' aoradh do na Dee!
Participant: We come here to honor the Gods!
Woman of the Household:
"Today is the day of Brighid,
The serpent shall come from the hole
I will not molest the serpent,
Nor will the serpent molest me"
2) Seasonal and Hearth fire:
All of the Women meet outside and dress the Doll.
There are three knocks at the door.
Woman of the House: Let Bride come in, Bride is welcome!
Lead Woman: (she can be the youngest woman present with no children, the woman there with no children, a woman sworn to Brighid or a dedicated woman flamekeeper) :
"Bride, Bride, come thou in, thy bed is made. Preserve this house for the Gods and non-Gods."
The other women enter carrying the Doll; Woman of the House hands the wand to the Lead Woman who gives it to the Doll.
Male head of the House: "May the men receive permission to bring forth their gifts to Bride?"
Lead Woman: "What do you bring to offer?"
The Male Participants bring their gifts to the Women for inspection. After a pause, the Women will hopefully approve the gifts and indicate that they may bring their gifts. The Male Participants then give their gifts to the Lead Woman who places them on Her Bed.
Lead Woman:
"Brighid of the Augury,
Brighid of the forge,
Brighid of the hearth,
Brighid we ask You to hear our prayers.
Goddess of the fires of inspiration, we thank you for honoring us with Your Presence and we welcome You!"
Oil is poured into the offering bowl.
Appropriate song is sung. (i.e. Open the Gate)
3) Opening the Gate:
Male Participant, or Male head of the House:
"We call out to Mannannan Mac Lir,
Master of the Ways of between,
Who opens the ways between the Worlds,
Mannannan of the waves,
Mannannan of the white hair,
Mannannan of the triple rod,
We welcome You!"
Woman of the House, or Female Participant: "A Mannannan, fosgailibhan rathaid dhuinn (three times)"
All: "Mannannan, we ask that You open the way to us (said after each of the above)"
Appropriate song to be sung.
Sacrificer offers barley to the hearth fire in honor of Mannannan and says:
"Keeper of the ways between, we give thanks for Your Presence and for Your bringing to us to a place between the Three Worlds, enabling oue prayers and offerings to pass through. We welcome You!"
4) Establishing the vertical axis:
Sacrificer offers barley to the bowl.
Woman of the House, or Female Participant:
"From the center of our circle grows the World Tree,
the Bile standing between the Three Worlds, uniting the Three Rrealms,
Its branches are ever green, ever fruiting, and yet ever bare
as they reach above us to the the Sky.
The Bile's roots reach throughout the Land,
down to the furthest dephs and the Water below.
Seeing the World Tree, we see all the Worlds,
The Underworld of our Ancestors,
This World of ours and the Nature Spirits,
The Otherworld of the Gods and the Sidhe.
Here in the Bile's presence, we are now between the Worlds, Realms and the years."
5) Establishing the horizontal axis:
Male head of the House, or Male Participant:
"We stand , as always, on Earth that gave us life
And honor the Goddesses Who are the land.
Blessed Danu, Mother of the Gods,
Danu the Gentle
Danu the Strong
Danu Who is Life Herself
We ask that You remember us and hold us in Your protective embrace."
Assistant Firetender hands barley to the Sacrificer who places it in the bowl.
Appropriate song (i.e. Mother of the World)
6) Offerings to the Outsiders:
Woman of the House, or Female Participant:
"To all of these beings that stand outside our lands and lives,
known or unknown, who are neither of our tribe nor friendly towards us,
we offer peace and gifts that you might leave us to our work and allow us what is ours.
We give you a share as is your due, that there may be treaty between us.
Respect and honor we offer you, as powers within your realms,
but never submission or worship as unto our Gods.
We seal our bargain made here today with more than words."
Takes offering outside the ritual area.
7) Offering to the Sidhe:
Sacrificer picks up the dish of barley and honey and says:
"There are among the Sidhe, those Who stand nearer to us
who may not always be our friends, but who either to all
humans or only some havewho have allies and fair
and whom we wish to keep as Good Neighbors.
to You we offer the hospitality of our hearth
and welcome to our Imbolc rite.
We do not ask or offer favors here today beyond this:
that there be peace and the holy bond of hospitality between us."
Places bowl at the gate.
Part II is on the way
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