Grey-eyed Athena, strong and wise,
Thank you for joining me by my sacred fire, And for granting us gifts wit and skill. Shining Ones, deities of my hearth, Thank you for joining me by my sacred fire, And for granting us inspiration and guidance. Nature Spirits, creatures of fur, feather, and scales, Thank you for joining me by my sacred fire, And for granting us sustenance and companionship. Ancestors, loved ones of heart, mind, and blood, Thank you for joining me by my sacred fire, And for granting us your knowledge and love. Thank you to all we have welcomed into this sacred space, May our paths forever be peaceful, positive, and hospitable. ------------------ The Core Order of Ritual is something that I utilize regularly in my practice, so I feel like it's important to dive into that ritual structure a little bit and share my understanding of each part, as well as giving an example of what that part of the ritual might look like. Today we start to wind down our ritual by Thanking the Beings. Earlier in our ritual, we called to the Being of Occasion and the Three Kindred, asking them to join us in our celebration and be with us in our sacred space. As we near the end of our ritual, we once again reach out to those beings to thank them for participating in our rite and for the gifts that their presence has brought to us.
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Welcome back to the Learning the GAC series. This week, we move on to the eleventh letter, Lambda! Description: “The one passing on the left {Laios} bodes well for everything.” - Apollonius Sophistes Lambda is a symbol that represents a blessing in disguise, or an unexpected resolution to a situation that has a positive outcome. Many times, this is not the message that people want to hear because it tells them that good things can come from bad situations. However, it is nice to know that occasionally there is a light at the end of a dark tunnel. Lambda is also a symbol that speaks of “going through” which can insinuation that those involved may either currently be dealing with a situation presently, or that they may have something they have to work through in the future, but ultimately this situation will work out for the best. A poem to help memorize the meaning of Lambda could be: Look around. Although it’s hard There are gifts to find. Below are a few attributes of this symbol:
We pass the waters, From the Kindreds to us, From us to our community, Gifts given and gifts received. Drink in these blessings. Let them flow through you And into your life. - Rev. Amber Doty - ------------------ The Core Order of Ritual is something that I utilize regularly in my practice, so I feel like it's important to dive into that ritual structure a little bit and share my understanding of each part, as well as giving an example of what that part of the ritual might look like. Today finish our work with the Waters of Life by Affirming the Blessing. In the previous two steps, we called to the Kindreds and asked them to send their blessings to us, and hallowed the waters into something sacred. Now is the time for us to confirm that we’ve accepted the blessings the Kindreds have given to us, and integrate those blessings into our beings. In a group ritual, confirming the blessings may involve the celebrant asking participants if they accept the blessings being offered and hoping for an affirmative message in response. The blessings are then integrated by either consuming them, or taking them into yourself in some way, whether physically ingesting them, or taking the time to spiritually and mentally accept those gifts into themselves. Welcome back to the Learning the GAC series. This week, we move on to the tenth letter, Kappa! Description: “To fight with the waves {Kuma} is difficult; endure, friend.” - Apollonius Sophistes Kappa is a symbol that speaks of endurance and struggle. In my experience, this omen often appears when someone has been fighting a long battle of some sort in their life and are looking for guidance on how to move forward. It’s a message that acknowledges that it is hard to endure without being worn down, but to keep going and hold your ground. It’s not necessarily a message of success, but instead, at least for me, it feels like a message of hope. This omen says that things have been hard, but to keep going. A poem to help memorize the meaning of Kappa could be: Know it’s hard, but keep fighting. Endure the harsh waves. Below are a few attributes of this symbol:
The sacred waters flow to us, Gifted to us by Kindreds. Ancestors, Nature Spirits, and Shining Ones, Hallow these waters. Bless our lives with your gifts, And as we drink deeply Let our lives be filled with your bounty. Hallowed and blessed, These are the Waters of Life! ------------------ The Core Order of Ritual is something that I utilize regularly in my practice, so I feel like it's important to dive into that ritual structure a little bit and share my understanding of each part, as well as giving an example of what that part of the ritual might look like. Today we continue our discussion by talking about Hallowing the Blessing. In the previous step, we called to the Kindreds and asked them to send their blessings to us. Now is the time for us to recognize their arrival. The word “Hallow” means to make holy or sacred, so in this step our waters are filled with the blessings and power of the Kindred, and the waters become the “Waters of Life.” In larger rituals, other methods may be used, but this is the most common way of Hallowing the Blessings. In the next step, those waters are affirmed and shared with the ritual participants. Welcome back to the Learning the GAC series. This week, we move on to the ninth letter, Iota! Description: “There is sweat {Hidrôs}; it excels more than everything.” - Apollonius Sophistes Iota is a symbol that represents continual hard work, and the benefits and successes that come from that work. Iota is a symbol that I have grown very familiar with throughout the past couple years. It’s an omen that I have received in my personal practice repeatedly, continually telling me to keep moving forward, keep putting in the effort and that it will all work out in the end. However, this omen isn’t one of short-lived projects. For me it has come to represent persistent effort and determination in order to keep moving forward. A poem to help memorize the meaning of Iota could be: I will strive to do the work and achieve success. Below are a few attributes of this symbol:
We have given our gifts freely, As was done by our ancestors, and in return a gift is given. We call to the Kindred and ask That your pour your blessings into our cups So that we may drink deep from their gifts. Mighty Kindreds, we ask you to guide us with your blessings! ------------------ The Core Order of Ritual is something that I utilize regularly in my practice, so I feel like it's important to dive into that ritual structure a little bit and share my understanding of each part, as well as giving an example of what that part of the ritual might look like. Today we continue our discussion by talking about Calling for the Blessing. We have given our offerings to the Kindred and taken an omen, and as we build our reciprocal relationships, it’s now time for us to receive gifts in return. Calling for the Blessings is the first of 3 steps involved with the “Return Flow” or Waters of Life portion of our ritual. In this step, we request from the Kindreds that they send blessings to us, and express when and how to convey them upon us. Most often in our rituals, we use a beverage of some form, known as the Waters of Life, to share the blessings. Welcome back to the Learning the GAC series. This week, we move on to the eighth letter, Theta! Description: “You have the helping Gods {Theoi} of this path.” - Apollonius Sophistes Theta reminds us that we are not alone because of our relationship with the Gods. It is a symbol that the Theoi, the gods and goddesses, exist and are here on this path with us. This is one of my favorite omens to receive, because it is a quick reminder that we are not alone on this journey and that we have the support of the Shining Ones on the many roads of our lives. They see our actions and appreciate them. Because of our relationship with them, the Gods will help us along the way. It’s a reassuring message to know that you are not alone, but instead that you are both seen and appreciated. A poem to help memorize the meaning of Theta could be: The gods guide and stand with you as you walk this path. Below are a few attributes of this symbol:
We’ve gathered in this time and place And we’ve given our gifts to the Kindreds, And now we ask what messages you have for us. Beings of prophecy, deities of oracles, I call to you now and ask for your aid. Let your wisdom guide my hands. Let your vision shine through my eyes. Let me hear your words with clarity. Beings of prophecy, guide me. --------------------- The Core Order of Ritual is something that I utilize regularly in my practice, so I feel like it's important to dive into that ritual structure a little bit and share my understanding of each part, as well as giving an example of what that part of the ritual might look like. Today we continue our discussion by talking about the Omen. Up until this moment, we have called to the Kindreds, given them offerings, and spoke directly to them. The Omen is the opportunity for the Kindred to talk back to us in response. The Omen is taken after the offerings have been made, but before the blessings have been received. It allows us to communicate with the beings we have invited to our rituals directly. In order to receive the omen, a ritual participant will utilize a method of divination, be it Runes, Tarot, Ogham, or some other method and interpret the symbolism in that divination. Often the seer will ask questions like “Have our offerings been accepted” or “What blessings are offered to us?” but each seer is different and may approach the omen in slightly different ways. |
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