Celtic Baby Blessing
Druid Blessing Ceremony
The ritual space will be set up with a main altar, fire, well, and tree, and a bowl of purified water. Children and their family will sit to the side of the ritual area.
Pre-ritual Briefing:
Good afternoon! Thank you all for joining us today to bless this beautiful child, and welcome them into our community. This family has asked you all to join us here today to grant them the blessings of the Kindreds before their community. We gather here to welcome this child, extend the hand of friendship and community, thank the Deities for their lives, and ask their continued blessings.
Meditation (Grounding/Centering):
To start today, we are going to do a short meditation to help us focus and relax. Feel free to take off your shoes or sit down, whatever makes you most comfortable.
Close your eyes and breathe deep. Feel the gentle flow in and out of your body. Feel your heart, beating deep inside your body, a steady rhythm that links you to your core. Feel your breath fill your lungs, pushing out all the negativity and allowing you to relax. Breathe in and feel your body feel with the love of the community that surrounds you. Breathe in, and out. Feel your feet firmly upon the earth, connecting to the world and all the life within. Feel the earth supporting you, upholding you and this rite. Take a deep breath, feeling the air fill every corner of your being with light. Breathe out and release any tension left inside. With one final breath, find yourself relaxed, and comfortable. When you are ready, open your eyes.
Opening Prayer to the Earth Mother:
Earth Mother, you who support and sustain all life, you are our home, the ground beneath our feet. We honor you and seek to live in balance with you. We ask you to uphold this rite. Welcome, Earth Mother!
Offering of cornmeal given
Bardic Invocation
Brigit, you are known for your gifts of healing, and your craftwork, but today we call upon you in your aspect as a Bard. Help our words to be inspired, our movements to be graceful, and our wits sharp to please you and all gathered here today. Welcome, Brigit!
Offering of milk given
Statement of Purpose:
It has long been the custom for a community or group to welcome its newest members with a ceremony and celebrations. Communities are as important today as they have always been, though they are now often groups of choice and not just of bloodlines or location. You all represent the community of this child. You will be their role models, friends, and confidants. We come together now to welcome them into our midst and bless <Baby Name> as they begin their walk through life with us.
Outsiders
Outsiders, we leave this offering to you who are not concerned with what we are doing. May you enjoy this drink and leave us in peace.
Offering of liquor given
Sacred Center:
Baby is brought toward the altar or center of the ritual space.
Fire:
Sacred fire, brilliant, warming light. You cook our food, light our path, and warm our homes. Sacred fire, we burn with you!
Makes offering of whiskey to the fire.
A small candle is taken over to the baby as they are presented to the fire.
Sacred fire, lend your passion and will to this child. May they keep the fires of life kindled in their heart.
Sacred fire, lend your brightness and warmth to this child. May he keep the fires of inspiration burning in his heart.
Well:
Sacred well, waters of the womb, filled with the wisdom of our ancestors. Your waters solve our thirst throughout our lives. Sacred well, we flow with you!
Make offering of silver to the well.
A cup of water is taken over to baby as they is presented to the well.
Sacred well, lend your creativity and adaptability to this child. May they keep the wisdom of the well in their heart.
Sacred well, lend your knowledge and creativity to this child. May they keep the magic of the well in their heart.
Tree:
Sacred Tree, you are the axis of the universe. You hold the upper world high in your branches, and the lower world below in your roots. Sacred Tree, we stand with you!
Make offerings of honey to the tree.
A small stick or leave is taken over to the baby as they are presented to the tree.
Sacred Tree, lend your strength and endurance to this child. May they keep their roots firmly planted in Mother Earth and their sights souring with the stars as they continue to grow.
Sacred Tree, lend your stability and determination to this child. May they keep growing through the cycles of life, and stay inspired to reach their highest potential.
Gatekeeper:
We now call upon Danu to help us open the gates between the worlds and act as our gatekeeper. Danu, you are the gateway, the mother that brings us into life. We call on you to watch over us and guard the gate as we walk between the worlds. Welcome, Danu!
Offering of grain
Opening the Gates:
Glorious Danu, I ask you to aid us today in opening the gates. Let our words sound in the depths of the Well. Let our words rise on the Fire to the Shining Ones. Let the sacred Tree carry our words to all the Worlds. Let the Gates be open!
Three Kindreds:
Shining Ones:
Shining ones, the children of earth call out to you. Gods and Goddesses of this place, known and unknown. High ones, we ask that you be with us in this rite. We welcome the patrons of all who have gathered here today. Welcome, Shining Ones!
Offering of whiskey given
Ancestors:
We call now to our honored Ancestors. Ancestors of blood, heart, and spirit, those who give us form, taught us, and helped shape our beliefs. We ask that you join us in this rite. Honored family of this child who dwell beyond the ninth wave. Welcome, ancestors!
Offering of whiskey given
Nature Spirits:
We call to the nature spirits, spirits of this place. Those of fur, feather, and scale. We call to those spirits of green growing things and the spirits of soil and stone, rock and pool. We honor you and thank you for letting us share this space with you. Welcome, Nature Spirits!
Offering of birdseed given
Invite in patron:
Cernunnos, horned god of fertility and life, we call to you and ask that you join us in our rite today. God of wealth, you who bring us so many gifts, you teach us creativity and to help us grow in many ways, we welcome you to this ritual. Welcome Cernunnos.
Offering of whiskey given
Praise Offerings:
Now is the time in the ritual where we offer gifts to the Kindreds. Those who have gifts for the children may also bring those forward at this time.
Final Offering:
When all who have gifts to give are finished, make offering to the fire.
Let the Kindreds accept our offerings, and for those who could not be with us today, but are with us in spirit, we give this final offering!
Omen:
I will give a brief reading at this point, explaining how the energies will be returned
Blessing and Working:
Waters of Life:
Hold cup from the altar to the sky.
Shining Ones, we ask that you bless these waters, sending us your energy so we may take it and use it in our working here today. Behold the Waters of Life!
Small amount of waters is poured into cup for the baby for anointing later. The rest is passed among the participants.
Main Working:
Who brings this child to be blessed by this community today?
Parents: We do.
Let these children be welcomed into this community, and blessed by the Kindreds today. Let this community welcome them into their fold to help guide them on their path, walking by their side, guiding and loving. Loved ones gathered here, if you are willing to accept this baby into your community, to show them love, to support them and uphold them throughout the cycles of their lives, to teach them of respect and consent, to empower them, and to educate them, please say “Aye”.
All: Aye!
With the blessing of the community, let us welcome <Baby Name> as part of our community. Welcome <Baby Name>!
All: Welcome <Baby Name>!
Spell of Blessing:
Now we will pass a token of goodwill for this child, a necklace to hold our wishes and blessings for <Baby Name>. As we pass the pendant around the circle, please send your blessings and good wishes for these children into the amulet.
Amulet is passed in a circle amongst the participants. After it returns to me I will anoint the necklaces and saying:
Cernunnos, God of Fertility and Wealth, help us to bless these children. May they know wisdom and compassion. May they be built with a kind heart, and strength of mind and body. May they be surrounded by the love of their friends, family, and the Kindreds! May the wishes of those gathered here today stay with these children and help them in their lives. May the Gods make it so. By their will, it is done!
Place necklace around the child’s neck.
Thanking the Beings
As we prepare to depart and close our ritual, let us thank those beings that have joined us here today.
Patron:
Cernunnos, mighty god of the wild, we thank you for your presence today. We thank you for your gifts today and ask that you continue to bless this child throughout her life. Cernunnos, we thank you!
Nature Spirits:
Nature spirits, we ask you join us now in blessing these children. May they be blessed as they walk in harmony with you and the Earth Mother on this journey of life. Bless their steps and the path they will follow.
I will anoint their feet with the blessing waters.
Nature spirits, thank you for letting us share this space with you. May we not forget you and the lessons you bring to us as we walk our daily lives. Nature Spirits, we thank you.
Ancestors:
Ancestors, we ask you now to join with us in blessing these children. May the path you have laid out before us continue to inspire us on our journeys. May the Ancestors watch over these children and help them as they learn and grow. Ancestors, bless these children with the wisdom of your actions.
I will anoint their hands with the blessing waters.
Honored dead, we thank you for your presence today and always. May your experiences and actions help to guide us as we live our own lives. Ancestors, we thank you.
Shining Ones
Shining ones, we ask you to join with us now in blessing these children. May they lead a virtuous life full of wisdom, courage, hospitality, piety, fertility, moderation, vision, perseverance, and integrity. Shining ones, bless these children with your many gifts.
I will anoint their heads with the blessing waters.
Shining ones, thank you for being with us today. May the gifts you bestow upon them be remembered always. Shining ones, we thank you.
Farewell to Gatekeeper & Closing the Gates
Glorious Danu, beautiful mother, you who bring wisdom to the world, we thank you for walking with us as we traveled between the realms. Danu, we thank you!
Beautiful Danu, we call upon you once again to ask for your aid in closing the gates. Let the Sacred Well be but water, let the Sacred Fire return to flame. Let the sacred Tree become just wood. Danu, join your magic with mine, and let the gates be closed!
Thanking the Bard:
Lady Brigit, we thank you for being with us today, guiding our words that they might be sweet. Join us in this celebration if you can, but if not, go with our gratitude and love. Brigit, we thank you!
Thanking the Earth Mother:
Earth Mother, we thank you for upholding this rite. It is from you that we began, and it is with you that we will end this rite. Thank you for your continued presence in our lives. We hope that our actions will honor you. Earth Mother, we thank you.
Closing the Rite:
We have done as our ancestors did and as our children will do. Let us go into the world, filled with the blessings of the kindreds. This rite is ended.