A Standard Liturgical Design for Neopagan Druidic Worship 3.0

This is a standard outline that can be
used for public or semi-public Druid ceremonies. I’ve spent thirty
years making this pattern esthetically pleasing, historically
plausible, magically powerful, and spiritually satisfying. Please
don’t casually throw pieces of it away (without determining how
you’re going to get the same effects), or inject portions of
non-Druidic rituals (such as “casting a circle,” “drawing
down the moon,” “invoking the Watchtowers,” etc.)
that make no sense in terms of this liturgy’s structure, esthetics,
polytheology or goals. Also remember that the “positions”
of the ritual leaders can be combined in several ways, depending
upon the individuals and talents available. Detailed instructions
on how to prepare and perform this liturgy will eventually be
found elsewhere in this website, by attending workshops on it,
or by reading my liturgical book to be finished someday.

 

Preliminary Ritual Activity

  • (A) Briefing
  • (B) Individual Meditations & Prayers
  • (C) Lighting the Sacred Fire(s)
  • (D) Pouring the Sacred Waters
  • (E) Optional: Consecrating the Sacred
    Pole / Tree
  • (F) Optional: Consecrating the Altar &
    Tools

     

1st Phase: Starting the Rite & Establishing the Groupmind

  • Clearcut Beginning: Consecration of Time
    • (1) Musical Signal
    • (2) Opening Prayer
  • Consecration of Space & of Participants

    • (3) The Processional / Sigil Marking
    • (4) Purification(s) of Participants
    • (5) Optional: Purification(s) of Site
    • (6) Honoring the Earth-Mother
  • Centering, Grounding, Linking & Merging

    • (7) The Grove Meditation
    • (8) Unity Chant/Song
  • (9) Specification of Ritual Purpose &
    Historical Precedent
  • (10) Naming Deity(ies) of the Occasion &
    Reasons for Choice

     

2nd Phase: Recreating the Cosmos & Preliminary Power
Raising

  • Creating the Vertical Axis

    • (11) Planting the Cosmic Tree / Honoring
      the Sacred Pole
    • (12) Evoking the Gate Keeper / Defining the
      Ritual Center
    • (13) Evoking the Fire & Water Deities
      & Linking to Center
  • Gaining Assistance & Preventing Interference

    • (14) Invoking the Bardic Deity(ies) or Spirit
    • (15) Acknowledgement of the Outsiders
  • Filling Out the Cosmic Picture by Invoking..

    • (16a) Nature Spirits, Ancestors, Deities
      in Three Worlds or..
    • (16b) Helpful Beings of each World/Realm
      or..
    • (16c) Helpful Beings by Province/Function
      or..
    • (Type & number will vary according to
      ethnic cosmologies.)
  • (17) Settling and Focussing

     

3rd Phase: Major Sending of Power to Deity/ies of the Occasion

  • (18) Descriptive Invocation of Deity(ies)
    of the Occasion
  • Primary Power Raising

    • (19) Praise Offerings, Dance, Libations,
      etc.
  • (20) The Sacrifice Prayer
  • (21) Seeking the Omen of Return

     

4th Phase: Receiving and Using the Returned Power

  • Preparation for the Return

    • (22) Meditation upon Personal and Group Needs
    • (23) Induction of Receptivity
    • (24) Consecration Agreement
  • Reception of Power from Deity(ies) of the
    Occasion

    • (25) Consecration and Sharing
    • (26) Acceptance of Individual Blessings
    • (27) Reinforcement of Group Bonding
  • (28) Optional: Spell Casting or Rite of
    Passage

     

5th Phase: Unwinding and Ending the Ceremony

  • (29) Thanking of Entities Invited, in Reverse
    Order
  • (30) Thanking the Gatekeeper & Closing
    the Gates
  • (31) Affirmation of Past/Future Continuity
    and Success
  • (32) Unmerging, Unlinking, Regrounding &
    Recentering — Meditation
  • (33) Draining off Excess Power — The Restoration
  • Clearcut Ending: Deconsecration of Time &
    Space

    • (34) Final Benediction
    • (35) Announcement of End
    • (36) Dissolving the Sigil
    • (37) Musical Signal

Copyright 1983, 1999 c.e., Isaac Bonewits.
This text file may be freely distributed on the Net, provided
that no editing is done and this notice is included. If you would
like to be on the author’s personal mailing list for upcoming
publications, lectures, song albums, and appearances, send your
snailmail and/or your email address to him at PO Box 372, Warwick,
NY, USA 10990-0372 or via email to ibonewits@neopagan.net.

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