03 Books of the Liturgy - A Reformed Druid Anthology.pdf - A Reformed Druid Anthology - YasminLight

PART THREE

LITURGY OF

THE DRUIDS

Introduction

When I began to put together this collection of old liturgies,

misgivings about publishing them. I was not disturbed be-

cause they are secret or anything like that, since there are very

few secrets (if any) in Reformed Druidism, but because they

can be so easily misunderstood by someone not familiar with

Reformed Druidism at Carleton College. If any terms confuse

you, refer to Part Four of ARDA where I’m sure many of your

questions will be answered. If there is any one section of the

Anthology that I was considering dropping, it was this sec-

tion, but that’s just my personal tendancy to downplay ritual.

The Liturgy has an unusual place and role in Reformed

Druidism, unlike that found in most other religions. Reformed

Druidism began as a protest against enforced attendance and

fixed liturgies as had been the case at the mandatory Carleton

College Chapel service of the early 60s. It would be a very sad

day when a fixed or forced liturgy were to become established

in Reformed Druidism itself! There are several points about

Reformed Druid liturgy that should be remembered: irregular

attendance is acceptable (perhaps even desir able), it isn’t fixed in

its final form and the existence of liturgy may even be antithetical to

Reformed Druidism itself.

RYNEMETUM P

P P RESS

RESS

P P

D RYNEMETUM

RYNEMETUM

RESS

Irregular Attendance:

While many earlier members may have enjoyed going to every

Saturday services (now extinct) and to every one of the eight great

festivals; this was not the case with everyone. For many, the need to

gather in a group for “formal” worship is an urge that only comes

once in long time. One can have a great many religious moments

outside of a group, perhaps even purer moments. Many a person

would come to a Druid ritual and just sun-tan, ignoring the ritual in

effect, being there just to be with the people. Attendance has no

reflection on how “Druidic” you are.

Nor is liturgical attendance the only way to be with other Druids.

Over the years, both at Carleton and abroad at our missionary groves,

there have been many other group activities that have developed that

don’t use a standard liturgy (or even need a liturgy). Such activities

include: sweatlodges, candle-making parties, bardic sing-a-longs, group-

feasts, nature-walks, group meditation sessions, pseudo-theological

debates, magic-working groups, book reading clubs, herbology and

many other activities (depending on local talents that exist within the

group). However, some groups just did the services 4 times a year

and nothing else.

most effective way of expressing our religious thoughts!

Who can say whether the individual with the title “Priest” has any

better understanding of her/his religion than the young first-order

Druid sitting near them? For all we know, the role/title of “Priest”

within Reformed Druidism may be merely an “ego-stroke” of com-

fort for those who feel the need to make sure that someone in the

group holds a service every now and then. Although I have been a

priest, for three years as of writing this, I don’t feel any more divine

than the next guy.

Organization of the this Book

I have, appropriately, separated this collection into three catego-

ries:

1. Reasonably generic rituals, which Isaac originally published in

DC(E).

2. Interesting variants of the various seasonal rituals.

3. Rituals of infrequent usage, ordination and suggestions.

I hope that you enjoy them.

The Liturgy isn’t fixed in its final form

Even from the beginning, the liturgies have been constantly chang-

ing. Although the Council of Dalon Ap Landu had voted that they:

“adopt the Order of Worship of the Carleton Grove (as

formulated by David H. Fisher) as the basic order of wor-

ship of the Reformed Druids of West America.”

this restriction has been stretched or ignored. Every priest is expected

to change, adopt and mutate the liturgy to fit the existing mood, their

religous sensibilities, and the specific purposes of the moment. Ad

libbing and spontaneity, within reasonable bounds, is encouraged.

As a result there are dozens and dozens of alternatives to every single

ritual example that will be presented to you in this book.

Many a person has added Wiccan elements or Cabalistic elements

or Judeo-Christian elements, etc. The purpose of the liturgy is to

bring people together, and if the majority of the people in the grove

belong to one particular tradition you can add elements from that

tradition (if you want to). However, the original version has been

judged over the years to be relatively ecumenical enough and dogma-

free to be acceptable to most people, so we recommend it when

dealing with a “mixed” crowd.

—Michael Scharding

Day 31 of Geimredh, Year XXXIII of the Reform

December 1st, 1995 c.e.

The Liturgy isn’t Sacrosanct

There is no claim of divine origin for these liturgies, although a

few writers may have felt a bit inspired when they wrote them. Sanc-

tity is in the eye of the beholder, isn’t it? For many, the liturgy is

merely a philosophical exposition by the Priest who is using deities

in the Jungian sense of the archetype. For others, the liturgy is the

direct invocation and worship of whatever deities are being invoked.

For some it is merely being quiet together at someplace while some-

one reads something outloud. For some, powerful magickal energies

are conjured forth by the magickal words and the power is delegated

to various tasks. For others, it’s a quaint little service that’s fun to

attend. Let us respect the right of the beholder and individual

congregant to have their own interpretation of the liturgy.

The existence of the liturgy may even be

antithetical

Perhaps it was the Protestant streak in the early founders which

made Reformed Druidism into the religion of the individual. The

goal of Reformed Druidism, for many, is the never-ending search for

religious truth; a truth which can be meaningful only to the particu-

lar individual who grasps it. Words and gestures cannot communi-

cate the subtleties that define our thoughts (little can, unless you

have telepathy). Let us beware from ever taking the liturgy as the

The Liturgy isn’t fixed in its final form

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Ordination of Sixth Order Druids

Ordination of Seventh Order Druids

New Order of Diancecht

New Order of Lugh

New Order of Puck

New Order of Suzuki

New Order of Bambi

A King’s Wedding

A Marriage Ceremony

An Old Fashioned Wedding

A Wedding Contract

Suggestions for a Druid’s Funeral

David’s Final Meditation

Original Introduction to Black Book by Fisher

Introduction

Section One:

The Generic Liturgies

Detailed Orders of Common Worship (Summer & Winter versions)

Ordination of Second Order Druids

Ordination of First Order Druids

Various Traditional Invocations

Simple Orders of Common Worship (Summer & Winter Versions)

Eight Special Orders of Worship for High Festivals

Samhain

Winter Solstice

Oimelc

Spring Equinox

Beltane

Summer Solstice

Lughnasadh

Fall Equinox

Printing History of the Liturgies

Historiography of the Liturgies

Conclusion

BABABABABABABABABABABABAB

Section Two:

Alternative Versions

Original Order of Worship: Summer Half of the Year

Late 70s Berkeley Orders Of Worship (Summer and Winter Ver-

sions)

Samhain Version 1, 2, 3

Service at Winter Solstice

A Call to Mother Nature

Chant for Midwinter

A meditation for Midwinter

Alternative Version of the Midwinter Chant

Oimelc Service of Worship #1, #2, #3

A Service for Beltane

An Incantation for Midsummer #1, #2

A service for Lughnasadh

A reading for Lughnasadh

Fall Equinox, Carleton 1987

Section Three:

Strange and Rarely Used Stuff

Irish Order of Worship (Summer and Fall)

Irish Order of Worship (Winter and Spring)

Irish Ordination of Second Order Druids

Mayday, Season Surpassing!

Cold, Cold!

Greek Order of Worship (Summer & Fall)

Greek Version of Order of Worship (Summer Version)

Order of Worship for a Protogrove

Exorcism in Time of War

Ceremony of Consecration

Order of Investiture for Arch-Druids

Ordination of First Order Druids

Ordination of Second Order Druids

Hazelnut Grove’s (NRDNA) Addendum to the Second Order

Ordination of Third Order Druids (Absent)

Ordination of Fourth Order Druids

Ordination of Fifth Order Druids

Printing History of the Liturgies

Historiography of the Liturgies

Conclusion

Strange and Rarely Used Stuff

Order of Common Worship

New Reformed Druids of North America

Summer Version

Pr: Hast thou accepted our sacrifice, O our Mother? I call upon the

spirit of the East to give answer... of the South...of the West....and

of the West.

Summer Version

For use from on May 1st up to, but not including November 1st

Summer Version

The Reply

(If the sacrifice is accepted, and it almost always is accepted, then con-

tinue. If bad omen, the service ends at this point.)

Preparatory Details

This is the basic Order of Common Worship from which all the

others are adapted, and is to be used during the Summer Half of the

year (i.e., from Beltane to Samhain). The chalice is to filled with the

waters-of-life.

Pr: Praise be, our sacrifice, dedicated to the fertility and renewal of

life, and to the cleansing of our minds and hearts, has been ac-

cepted!

The service starts with all participants standing some distance away

from the area where the ritual is to take place. If both safe and legal,

a fire should be started in or near the altar. The Druid/ess who is

presiding (usually, though not always, the Grove’s Arch-Druid/ess)

should already have cut the sacrifice and have it tucked into his or

her robe (or it may be held in one hand). The presiding Druid/ess

may choose to speak the opening Invocation to Be’al alone, or may

ask the Preceptor and/or the people (depending on Local grove cus-

tom) to join in speaking the bold words of the Invocation.

The Catechism of The Waters-of-Life

(The preceptor holds the Waters-of-life while the priest ask the Catechism

of the Waters-of-Life. The local custom may or may not replace the

Preceptor’s response with a chorus of the members.)

PR: Of what does the Earth-mother give that we may know the con-

tinual flow and renewal of life?

PREC:

PREC: THE WATERS-OF-LIFE.

PR: From Whence do these waters flow?

PREC:

The Invocation

O Lord, forgive these three errors that are due to our human limita-

tions:

Thou art everywhere, but we worship thee here;

PREC: FROM THE BOSOM OF THE EARTH-MOTHER, THE

NEVER CHANGING ALL-MOTHER.

PR: And how do we honor this gift that cause life in us?

PREC:

but we worship thee here;

Thou art without form, but we worship thee in these forms;

but we worship thee here;

PREC: BY PARTAKING OF THE WATERS-OF-LIFE.

but we worship thee in these forms;

Thou hast no need of prayers and sacrifices, yet we offer thee these

but we worship thee in these forms;

yet we offer thee these

PR: Has the earth-mother given forth of her bounty?

PREC:

prayers and sacrifices;

O Lord, forgive us these three errors that are due to our human

limitations.

O Mother, cleanse our minds and hearts and prepare us for

prayers and sacrifices;

PREC: SHE HAS!

PR: Then give me the Waters!

O Mother, cleanse our minds and hearts and prepare us for

meditations.

The Consecration

(The Priest/ess takes the chalice from the Server, who fills it if it is not

already full. The Priest/ess then consecrates its contents with the follow-

ing:)

O Dalon Ap Landu, Hallow these waters by thy seven-fold powers

and by the three ways of day and one of night,. Cleanse our hearts

and join us together as we take and drink of they secret essence!

The Procession

Here occurs the Procession, often with the Grove singing the hymn from

Customs 2:1-3. Upon arrival near the altar, the Preceptor and the Server

or any two others designated by the Grove use their staves to mark the

Druid Sigil upon the ground in front of the altar (usually on the South

side), leaving the bottom of the circle incomplete. The Druid/ess step into

this Sigil, which is then close by the tow staves.

Optional Ordinations

First Order consecrations can be done at this time, but it’s not necessary

to enter into the first order for a person to drink Waters. If a member of

the Grove is to be ordained to the Second Order (in which case the Priest/

ess will have consecrated an additional chalice, filled with the waters-of-

life) the ceremony is inserted here, before the Communion.

The Praise

Here an Incantation, Poem or Hymn of praise is recited or sung by the

Druid/ess, the Bard(s) or the entire Grove.

The Sacrifice

The Druid/ess holds up the sacrifice to the sky, while saying:

Pr: Our praise has mounted up to thee on the wings of eagles, our

voices have been carried up to thee on the shoulders of the winds.

Hear now, we pray thee, our Mother, as we offer up this sacrifice

of life. Accept it, we pray thee, and cleanse our hearts, granting

us thy peace and life.

The Communion

The Priest/ess drink from the chalice and blesses the Preceptor with the

words, “the waters-of-life,” and the marking of the Druid Sigil in the air.

The Preceptor returns the blessing and receives the chalice from the

Priest/ess. The Preceptor drinks, blesses the Server, is blessed in return,

and gives the Server the chalice. The Server drinks, then goes around the

circle of the Grove (usually clockwise) blessing each person, handing them

the chalice, letting them drink, being blessed in return and taking the

chalice to the next person. The Server does not

(Here the Priest places the plant offering upon the ‘altar’ or the ground if

there is no altar. As each of the directions are questioned, the members

may turn to face that direction.)

not drink more than once.

In some Groves, the Priest/ess may merely turn to the left and exchange

blessings with the person to that side, letting the chalice be handed around

not

Pr:

Summer Version

Pr:

PR:

PREC:

PR:

PREC:

PR:

PREC:

PR:

PREC:

PR:

O Mother, cleanse our minds and hearts and prepare us for

Pr:

not finish the

contents of the chalice. This is returned to the Priest/ess with a last ex-

change of blessings. Then the Druid/ess takes the last sip returning the

remainder on the altar or fire, saying:

not

Order of Common Worship

New Reformed Druids of North America

Winter

For use from on November 1st up to, but not including May 1st

Winter

PR: To thee we return this portion of thy bounty, O our Mother,

even as we must return to thee.

Preparatory Details

This is the basic Order of Common Worship from which all the

others are adapted, and is to be used during the Summer Half of the

year (i.e., from Beltane to Samhain). The chalice is to filled with

plain water.

The Meditation

(Here follows an appropriate reading, from any Nature-oriented scripture

that the Priest/ess may choose, read by the Druid/ess or by someone ap-

pointed for that purpose. After this comes a few BRIEF words of medita-

tion from the Priest/ess and a period of silence and private mediation

(usually 2 or 3 minutes in length—though longer with some Groves) by all.

Eventually, the Priest/ess signals the end of the Service with:)