Growing Closer

by OMS Patriarch
El “Sybok” Arseneau

Samhain /sown, sowin/ • noun; a festival held by the ancient
Celts on 1 November, marking the beginning of winter and
the Celtic new year. Origin: Old Irish samain.

AskOxford.com

“Of the two feasts Hallowe’en was perhaps of old the more important,
since the Celts would seem to have dated the beginning of
the year from it rather than from Beltane. In the Isle of
Man, one of the fortresses in which the Celtic language and
lore longest held out against the siege of the Saxon invaders,
the first of November, Old Style, has been regarded as New
Year’s day down to recent times. Thus Manx mummers used to
go round on Hallowe’en (Old Style), singing, in the Manx
language, a sort of Hogmanay song that began, ‘To-night
is New Year’s Night, Hogunnaa!’

In ancient Ireland, a new fire used to be kindled every year on Hallowe’en or the Eve of Samhain, and from this sacred flame all the fires in Ireland were rekindled. Such a custom points strongly to Samhain or All Saints’ Day (the first of November) as New Year’s Day; since the annual kindling of a new fire takes place most naturally at the beginning of the year, in order that the blessed influence of the fresh fire may last throughout the whole
period of twelve months.“ -AKA Mary Jones

Coligny – Samonios
“Iris” – Samhain
Modern – October/November
Possible Meaning – “Summer’s End”, “Seed-Fall”

From The Golden Bough by Sir James George Frazer, Chapter 6 of
Section LXII, The Fire Festivals of Europe

Samhain, coming at the end of October now matches with All Hallow’s Eve, Nov. 1 being the Feat of All Saints and Nov. 2 being the Feast of All Souls.
In addition to the plethora of English customs built around this holyday,
the Hispanic cultures celebrate a festival called “the Day of the Dead.” There are processions of costumed skeletons, skull themes (the famous quartz skulls which caused such a stir in the late 1900’s appear to have been created for this festival – many in Germany and exported), and of course the family picnic at the grave where plates and drinks are set up to be shared with the dead.

From  A Miscellany of Festivals: Christian Equivalents for the “Sabbats” by Ambrose Hawk

Sacral Kingship

The basic unit of territory in Ireland during the Iron Age was the Tuath.
Each tuath was ruled by a king (rí), who could usually trace lineage back to other kings and ancestral deities. The inauguration of the king included a sacred fertility rite wherein the king was wedded to Sovereignty. This was known as banais ríghi.

In addition to the kingships of the tuath, there was a high king (Ard ri) of the land, and his inauguration took place at Tara at a great feast around the
time of Samhain, known as the feis Temro. The term “feis” has a basic meaning of sleeping with the goddess, in this case, of Tara, who, in
the 3rd century was Meadhbh Leathdhearg. Again we see the idea of a king
united with the land.

Before mating with Sovereignty, however, a king would have to prove himself. He would have several challenges placed before him to test his fitness as king: a royal chariot would reject him if he was unworthy, a royal
mantle may prove to be too big for him to wear, two stones which would open for he who was acceptable, and the well-known liafal, or Stone of Destiny, that would cry out when the rightful king came near. There was also the tarbhfhess, or bull-feast, in which a bull was killed, and a druid was wrapped in the hide after a sacred meal of flesh and broth, and incantations were chanted, so he could have visions of the new king.

There were also a series of prohibitions demanded of the potential king which were known as geissi. These were thought to be magically binding, and if a potential king broke them, he would not reign.

A true and rightful king must possess certain qualities to ensure the peace of the kingdom, security of the borders, and prosperity of the land. A king who was blemished would bring about similar conditions to the land, and crops would not grow, nor would cattle multiply.

Once all tests were passed and a king was proven worthy, the banais ríghi would be held. There were two primary elements. The first is that a draught would be offered to the King by his Bride, and second was the consummation of the marriage, wherein he would sleep with his Queen.

Once the true and rightful King had slept with his Queen, she and the land would become transformed from a barren, desolate state to one of life-giving beauty.

From Lady of the Land by Rev. Linda Costello of FODLA

Though the spelling of the Irish varies the pronunciation tends to remain the
same, so Samhain is also seen as Samhuinn and Samain but is spoken as sow-inn.
The meaning is probably ‘Summer’s End’. The Welsh name is Calan Gaeaf, meaning ‘Winter Calends’.

For those who measure by the seasons, Samhain arrives with the first frost. Some plan their rite around the full moon of Scorpio that passes through Taurus. Those who work around a constant date celebrate Samhain on 1 November, with the rites beginning the evening before.

The Pagan festival has been overlaid nowadays by both the Christian All Hallows, All Souls and All Saints and the secular Guy Fawkes.

Medieval texts imply that Samhain was the most important festival in Ireland, a time when laws were made and kings instated. Yet also it was a time of madness and danger, when monsters caused havoc and faery women bewitched young men, enchanting them away.

The Yellow Book of Lecan refers to Samhain as ‘the feast of Mongfind’, a legendary witch queen said to have married an early high king of Tara, which implies that she was an incarnation of the spirit of the land.

Traditionally at Samhain, livestock that would not last the winter were slaughtered with ritual thanks. Meat would be cured, salted, put aside, and the tables of the feast laden with blood cake and offal, which could not be preserved, together with the blackberries and fruit of late autumn.

Samhain marks the end of summer and a cycle of growth. It is a time of sacrifice. Ahead is the winter and decisions need to be made as to what we will carry through the long cold months, what is redundant, what will not survive, and what must be protected and nurtured as the source of next year’s wealth.

So the festival rite is a process of letting go, beginning with an acknowledgement of what we have gained, how we have changed and who we have become, and followed by a period of mourning, knowing what we must release – and effectively letting it go. The past is gone.

At this time, those who have died during the year are honored and gifts are given with love and thanks, perhaps with candles being lit and set to drift on water, symbolizing the journey traveled by the dead over the ocean to the place of the setting sun. That journey between the worlds, between life and death, is at Samhain most easily made. Our ancestors who would join the rite in peace are invited to share and the feast is blessed and offered to the Earth, the spirits and all in the circle.

Then the darkness of winter is welcomed in and a period of release is declared when chaos is accepted. From this tradition trick or treating was reintroduced. Now bonfires are lit, the Summer Kings burnt, firework set off – and the feasting begins.

From What is Druidry by Emma Restall Orr

The Promised Child, the Newborn King, reborn upon the land.

Growing tall from Spring to Fall, raised by the Mother’s hand.

Horned King of Woodland Glade, mirth and fertility,
The Mighty Warrior, Jack-in-the-Green, Oak and the Holly King.

Herne the Hunter, hear our praise to Thee! Death and Rebirth,
On the Spiral Tree.

His sacred animal’s spirits soar, we join then at His call,
The serpent, ram, bull, and boar, King Herne is Lord of All.

Lord of the Dance, Thy Consort waits to join in love’s embrace,
Love consummated, blade and chalice, join in Sacred Space.

Herne the Hunter, hear our praise to Thee! Death and Rebirth,
On the Spiral Tree.

Herne the Hunter, Lord of Death, now rides upon the night,
On His Dark Steed, His Hounds of Hell, fill all creatures with
fright.

But fear Him not, His will is kind, He is as wind on grain,
That blows it back into the soil, to rise from Earth again.

Hunter and hunted, pursuer and prey, the two are really one,
The Divine Sacrificial King, our Lord Herne has become!

Herne the Hunter, hear our praise to Thee! Death and Rebirth,
On the Spiral Tree.

You who have been in the charmed West have seen the gloom and
the shine of the mountains that throw their shadow on the
sea – have heard the wave whisper along that haunted
shore which none loves save with passion, and none, loving,
can bear to be long parted from. You, unlike so many who
delight only in the magic of sunshine and cloud, love this
dear land when the mists drive across the hillsides, and
the brown torrents are in spate, and the rain and the black
wind make a gloom upon every loch, and fill with the dusk
of storm every strath, and glen, and corrie.

Not otherwise can one love it aright: “Tir nam Beann
s’nan gleann’ s’nan ghaisgach,” as one of our ancient
poets calls it — “The land of hills, and glens, and
heroes.” You, too, like Deirdre of old, have looked
back on “Alba” and, finding it passing fair and
dear, have, with the Celtic Helen, said in your heart—

Inman
tir in tir ud thoir.
Alba cona lingantaibh!
“Belovéd is that dear land,
Alba of the lochs.”

In the mythology of the Gael are three forgotten deities, children
of Delbaith-Dana. These are Seithoir, Teithoir, and Keithoir.
One dwells throughout the sea, and beneath the soles of the
feet of another are the highest clouds; and these two may
be held sacred for the beauty they weave for the joy of eye
and ear. But now that, as surely none may gainsay, Keithoir
is blind and weary, let us worship at his fane, rather than
give all our homage to the others. For Keithoir is the god
of the earth; dark-eyed, shadowy brother of Pan; and his
fane is among the lonely glens and mountains and lonelier
isles of “Alba cona lingantaibh.”

If we could hear the wind blowing along Magh Mell — the Plain
of Honey — we might list to a new note, bitter-sweet: and,
doubtless, the waves falling over the green roof of Tir-na-Thonn’
murmur drowsily of a shifting of the veils of circumstance,
which Keithoir weaves blindly in his dark place. But what
was, surely is; and what is, surely may yet be. The form
changes; the essential abides. As the saying goes among the
islefolk: The shadow fleets beneath the cloud
driven by the wind, and the cloud falls in rain or is sucked of the sun, but
the wind sways this way and that for ever.

It may well be that the Celtic Dream is not doomed to become
a memory merely. Were it so, there would be less joy in all
Springs to come, less hope in all brown Autumns; and the
cold of a deathlier chill in all Winters still dreaming by
the Pole. For the Celtic joy in the life of Nature – the
Celtic vision – is a thing apart: it is a
Passion – a visionary rapture. There is none like it among the peoples
of our race.

Enjoy a beautiful winters day… my best friend is Cailleach and
she stirs the cauldron of the Scottish heart. 🙂

Harvesting Myself

Summer is abundant and green
Winter is quiet and white
Autumn is a blaze of color
I straddle this center
This beginning of quietness
when it is not quite quiet in Nature
or in Me.

Cusp between opposite seasons
opportunity to receive
to grow
to harvest
to realize.

Abundance and shedding
what will I keep?
what will I release?

Each year is different
Each year is the same.
It’s all within me
It’s all One.

Winter Night

I lit a candle last night
and watched the golden flame from across the room.
A stilling calmness radiating forth.
I turned my head
and looked out into the night.
Snow poured from the sky
Silver and grey fat flakes
mounded on the garage roof.
Where did the roof stop
and the sky begin?
The oak branches silhouetted on the palette
was the only break in the winter whiteness.
Peace in the stillness
Peace in the flame
Movement, but stillness. A lesson.

Going Within

Late afternoon light slants across the lawn
emerald green has turned to sapphire blue.
at just the right angle
the blue sky matches the blue snow.
ice crystals sparkle
twinkling lights in the twilight.
if summer is lush with warmth
winter’s hues are cool and sharp.
I withdraw within,
seeking the I AM.
Touching the Source
Knowing the Joy.

[Editor’s note: I have adapted this invocation to the Reformed Druid’s Horned God – Dalon ap Landu…from
the original Cernunnos name…]

Hear ye the words of Cernunnos, the voice of the Horned One,
He whose names are un-numbered:

I am the wild hunter of the forest deep,
And I am the fire upon the hill,
And I am the sower of the seed,
And the tiller of the soil of the earth.
And I am the golden warrior whose arrows are the shafts from
the sun.

The thunder is my hoof fall;
The wilderness is my shrine.
I wield the oaken staff,
The elements at my call.
By day I am the sun, by night I ride upon the wild winds.

I am a stag, a tree and mountain.
My seed works within the earth’s dark womb,
For I am the Horned One; Sire of the Universe.
In the wilderness doth my spirit dwell,
And all wildlings and fugitives of oppression are cherished
within my heart.

To such as thee, my hidden children
I am provider and protector.
For all things wild and free are in my keeping.
And all things of beauty and freedom and love delight me.
Swiftly I come to merriment and laughter, for these are my
invocations.

For I am the Lord of all life.
Yet also I have a dark face,
For I am Death.
The Reaper of Souls.
And terrible is this my dark face to those who know not the
mystery.

Yet to my hidden children, who know and love my spirit,
My dark face is also sweet
For tis the face of deep and hidden wisdom.
For I am the giver of knowledge,
Life and death are mine to give.

From death thou shalt be reborn, unto new life and love.
Therefore seek my spirit and know me,
Bright and dark .
Then shalt thou know my mystery.
For I am the Ancient One:

My faces outnumber the stars.
I am the Horned One of un-numbered names,
I am the gentle and the fierce.
I am Cernunnos, the Ancient One,
Lord and Sire of the Universe!

~~ Source Unknown ~~
Image contributed by Thomas Butler

[Editor’s note: Since there are so many versions of this song, I put this one together from parts of various ones…]

At Carterhaugh in the borders, where many a strange thing has happened, and there is many a door to Elfland, and it is better NOT to go in, there was a fairy well, and this is the rhyme about it…

Oh I forbid you maidens all
That wear gold in your hair
To come or go to Carterhaugh
For young Tam Lin is there

Tam Lin was a lad who’d been taken away to Elfland, and had an uncanny fame. The girl who lingered by that well would come under his power, and must pay a fee: either a ring, or a silken cloak, or her maidenhead…

And there was a lady called Janet, who was daughter to a great Lord. She wore gold on her hair, and her hair was golden, a gold ring, and a silk gown, and a mantle green as grass. Gold and fair, she was, with the colours of Spring.

And heedless of warning, she went one morning to Carterhaugh, walking swiftly, her green skirts kilted out above her knees, her yellow hair in a braid ‘round her head.

When she came to the well, she saw no man, but a horse was grazing  there, and it was Tam Lin’s horse. A rosebush grew by the well, and Janet pulled a spray of two intertwining roses.

Hardly had she done so, when Tam Lin appeared, gray-green his eyes,
and his hair in Elflocks, and he said to her, “Janet, Janet, my bold bonny lass, why do you come to MY well without leave from me and pull MY roses?”

“Carterhaugh is on my father’s land,” said proud Janet, “and I’ll come here with or without your leave and pull a rose if I will!”

“Then,” said Tam Lin, taking her by the hand, “you must pay my fee.” He put his arm around her and led her away, and Janet was not unwilling. And after awhile, there was a sweet silence, and the scent of crushed rose petals on
the grass…

And at the end of that golden day, she went back to her father’s castle, still with her green mantle, still with her gold ring, but without her maidenhead…

And a change slowly stole over fair Janet – one that could not be missed by her family.

Out then spoke her father dear
And he spoke meek and mild
Ever and alas, sweet Janet, he said,
I think thou goes with child.

“If
that I go with child, father,
Myself must bear the blame.
There’s never a Lord about your hall
Shall get the bairnie’s name.

If
my love were an earthly knight,
As he’s an Elfin gray,
I would not leave my own true love
Whatever you may say.

The
steed that my true love rides on
Is lighter than the wind;
With silver he is shod before,
And burning gold behind.

And Janet kilted her green kirtle above the knee, and was away to Carterhaugh as fast as she could go. She came once more to the well and pulled a double rose, and as before, Tam Lin appeared before her.

“You must tell me,” cried Janet, “for my babe’s sake, if ever you set foot in holy chapel and learned the ways of Christendom?”

And Tam Lin replied,

“Roxburgh
he was my grandfather,
Took me with him to bide
And once it fell upon a day
That hunting I did ride

“There
came a wind out of the north
A cold wind and a snell
A deep sleep it came over me
And from my horse I fell

“And
the Queen of Fairie she took me
In yon green hill to dwell…”

“But every seven years the Queen must pay a tithe to hell for her powers, and I fear this time it will be myself – for the seven years have passed, and tonight is Hallowe’en…and yet at this time, when the two worlds meet, there IS a chance to save me, Janet.

“Tell me, my love, how I may,” said Janet, looking at him with steadfast eyes.

Tam Lin replied, “You must go to Miles Cross, in the deep of the night and fill a cup with holy water. Then make a circle ‘round you with it. The Fairies will ride past in companies. Let the first company ride past and say nothing.
Let the second company pass likewise. But I shall be riding with the third company.

Oh, first let pass the black lady
And then let pass the brown
But quickly run to the milk white steed
And pull his rider down

For some ride on the black lady
And some ride on the brown
But I’ll ride on a milk white steed
A gold star on my crown

Because I was an earthly knight
They gave me that renown…

“When you know me, you must take my horse by the bridle and snatch the reins from me. When you let them fall, I shall slip down from my horse, and the queen will cry out, ‘True Tam Lin, stolen away!” Then come fair or come foul, you must hold me tightly. First, they will turn me to a lizard, then to a lion, then to a snake. Hold me fast. I will then be turned into a bar of red-hot iron. But if you love me, you must not let go, however much it burns. Last of all, they’ll turn me into molten lead. Then you must carry me to the well, and cover me in there with your green cloak. Only then can I be your ain true love once more,”

They’ll
shape me in your arms, Janet,
Into a naked man
Then cast your green mantle over me
And so shall I be won

Tam Lin had vanished, and at sunset the next day, Janet stole away to the greenwood; and in the deep of the night, went to Miles Cross. She made the circle of holy water around her, and she waited…

About the dead hour of the night
She heard the bridles ring
And Janet was as glad at that
As any earthly thing

And it fell out, just as Tam Lin had told her. First, a company
of knights rode by on black horses, and then, a company on
brown. But when, at the head of the third company, she saw
the milk white steed, she rushed forward, seized the bridal,
and down slipped the rider.

There rose an unearthly cry, “True Tam Lin, stolen away!”

But now, instead of holding her true love in her arms, Janet is grasping a
foul lizard, and now a fierce lion, and now a writhing snake. Still, she gripped tightly. But in her hands now is a red-hot iron bar – yet, burn asit would, she held – knowing that this was the only way to have her heart’s desire. One moment she thought the sensation worse than being in a furnace; then, between one moment and the next, the heat was gone…

By the lightning, she could see his body, looking as if it were made of some dull grey metal. She felt it begin to shrink into itself as it lost it’s definite
shape and became a molten metal. Once more she was reminded of his words, and knew she now had to place him in the well. Gathering her strength, she stood up, only to tumble forwards from the weight in her arms. Once more calling upon her strength, she slowly stood up again.

She remembered the well to her right side, and began taking small, short steps towards it. A closer strike of lightning showed her where the well was just before she ran into it. Leaning over the edge, she dropped the still-melting lead that was Tam Lin into the water. The liquid steamed and boiled as the metal entered it. Quickly she pulled off her cloak and layed it atop the water. The steam began to emerge from around the edges, seeming more frantic than before. Now it should only be a short time…

They shaped him in her arms, at last,
Into a naked man
She cast her mantle over him
And so her love she won.

Out
then spoke the Queen of Fairies
And an angry woman was she
She’s taken away the bonniest knight
In all my companies

“Farewell you to, Tam Lin,” the Elf Queen cried, “but know you this: if I had known yesterday what I know tonight, I would have changed your heart of flesh for one of stone, your two gray eyes to eyes of wood, and I would have paid a ransom seven times to the fiend so that I could have kept you.”

Then she and her knights vanished, and fair Janet and Tam Lin went back to the castle, where they were married amidst great rejoicing.

Introduction

Each plant, animal, rock, or other entity has a spirit (consciousness resonance matrix). These spirits can join together in a hive-mind as a spirit of an area. Nature spirits include real biological intelligences, are psychically powerful, and much less abstract and controllable than the Elementals that many magical people who perform all of their rituals indoors are familiar with. They can be extremely powerful allies. It is possible to sense nature spirits, to determine if they are receptive to a ritual planned, and to have them actively participate in magical workings, if they are.

Some Effects of Working with Nature Spirits

Spectacular physical manifestations can happen when working with nature spirits in the wild. I have personally seen actual foxfire mark the boundaries of a magic circle at a location that was identified as a receptive power spot and attuned to a planned ritual the day before. I have seen more than one
site attuned for ritual be dry and comfortable, with a round hole in the clouds overhead, on days that were cold and rainy at other locations. Birds have joined in rituals, flying around the circle when energy is being raised; and insects, birds and animals have also joined in chants. In addition, the wind may respond to invocations. Generally these spectacular manifestations
happen unexpectedly.

With or without such manifestations, nature spirits often will channel tremendous amounts of power into the magic being performed. It is suggested that you do not consciously try for specific manifestations. Let Nature channel her power into the magic in her own way. If approached with respect, nature may give you many pleasant surprises.

Spectacular physical manifestations are not a necessary sign of success. If you need a spectacular manifestation and nature spirits know this, you will get it. The best success in magic is on the inner plane and more subtle than such manifestations. This success involves beneficial transformations in consciousness that last and helpful chains of synchronicity in your life. In addition, working with Nature Spirits can also bring a deep sense of partnership with Nature, and bring new levels of attunement.

Nature spirit attunement to find suitable power spots and to get the help of friendly nature spirits that are performed several hours to several days before the main ritual get the best results. This gives Nature time to gather her children and to prepare to actively participate in the main ritual.

What Not To Do

If nature spirits are approached with disrespect, by attempting to command rather than listening to them and inviting them to work with you, nature spirits may flee, rebel, or attack. I once attended a ritual by some pseudo-Crowlyites who attempted to perform the “Ritual of the Barbarous Names” at a power spot in a forest and then to extend the circle several hundred yards in all directions.

While the forest in general had loud insect and frog noises, the area at which the ritual took place got quiet immediately when the main ritualist declared that all spirits were subject unto him. The vibes from nature could best be characterized as “Oh yea, Mother…!” One participant was quickly
possessed by an angry spirit and kept repeating, “You killed my children; your children will never live in peace.” When the priestess stepped out of the boundaries of the original circle, she was attacked by bees; and bees covered the Book of the Law. Magicians should know better than to attempt to command spirits whose true names they do not know!

Calling Nature Spirits

To make the most out of working magical ritual in the wild, one should find power spots where nature spirits are receptive to the ritual planned and approach the spirits with respect, as equals. In my experience, the most effective power spots for working with the living intelligences of nature are
located in wild areas with diverse active ecologies.

When entering a wild area to find a site for a ritual, find a place that feels good. Then do the following, either individually or, if in a group, as a guided meditation:

Relax while standing upright and focus on your breathing. Breathe deep breaths from the diaphragm. Breathe together if in a group.

Feel the wind and let it relax you and awaken your spirit within, as your deep breathing takes you into non-ordinary reality.

Picture in your mind’s eye a light inside you. As you breathe, feel the light
expand, purify and energize you – as it expands to fill your aura.

Feel yourself glowing, balanced, purified and full of power.

Connect with your inner self (your higher self) and feel your intuitive self operating.

Feel yourself as:

The wind, full of life and intelligence, communicating with all round.

The Sunlight, warm, alive, channeling the power to communicate with nature and energizing all around.

Water, emotional, intuitive, refreshing and connected with nature.

The Earth, and note how your physical body is able to wander while remaining part of Mother Earth.

Focus on your spiritual self, and:

Note the light within and feel it as love.

Expand the light and love beyond the immediate aura of your body to the surrounding area – where you will go to find a power spot.

Telepathically (by thinking while channeling the love and light energy) send out signals to nature spirits to emerge and be aware of your presence.

Say why you have come and invite them to join in sharing, mutual celebration, and the work you intend.

Visualize the light and love energy you are channeling extending out and merging with the light from distant places.

Feel the power of the Earth flowing up through your body and feet.

Feel the power from the sky, and channel this power also to further energize the carrier signal of light and love for communicating with nature.

Visualize the light expanding and merging.

Continue to send out telepathic signals.

Now go deeper:

Close your eyes, sit on the Earth, and feel your connection while you channel more light and love.

Continue modulating the light and love with your thoughts – inviting receptive spirits to join with you and make themselves known.

If in a group, someone should start playing a drum at a rate of about one beat per second, and you should listen to the drum and let the drum take you deeper.

Affirm that you are a nature magician, a medicine person, who knows and communicates with nature. Let this part of yourself emerge to full consciousness. Let the drum and the connection to your inner self awaken that part of yourself that naturally communicates with other life forms. Let it awaken your telepathic sense.

Continue sending telepathic signals to nature.

When you feel ready and an inner urge to begin, open your eyes a crack and look around while continuing to channel love and light and telepathically calling for a response.

You may see light coming from certain areas that are receptive. You may get other signals, such as a feeling of power or love returning in a certain direction. Perhaps the type of response to this work will be unexpected; follow your intuition in interpreting it.

You may test your connection by communicating (mentally) instructions for signals for yes/no responses (such as light getting brighter for less and darker for no) and then mentally ask questions and observe the responses.

When you have found an areas that seems to be responsive and receptive, begin walking to the area, while beaming love energy. Extend your aura to the area and sense the energy. Entering a Power Spot Before entering a power spot, ask permission to enter. If the response is good, enter; if not, locate another more receptive area.

When entering the power spot, look around. Perhaps the responsive energy will be concentrated around some singularity (a bush, a tree, a specific branch, a moss covered rock, or other entity that stands out). Perhaps the energy will be more general. Use your intuition and feedback from the spirits to guide your actions.

If it feels right, send out a signal that you would like to touch the singularity (or the ground) for better communication. If the response is good, approach beaming love energy, touch or hug the singularity (or the ground).

Treat the spirits as you would other Pagans you meet for the first time – be sensitive, open, and listen.

Deepening Communication with Nature Spirits

Now that you have made contact with spirits that seem receptive, deepen the communication:

Breathe deep breaths from the diaphragm, and with each breath, feel more refreshed.

Now imagine that your spine is the trunk of a tree; and, from its base, roots extend deep into the Earth. Deep into the rich moist Earth.

With every breath, feel the roots extending deeper.

Feel the energy deep within the Earth and within the waters of the Earth. Feel your roots absorbing nourishment from the Earth and from its waters.

Now feel the energy rising. Feel the moist, warm energy rising.

Feel it bursting up from the Earth and rising up your spine, like sap rises in a tree.

Now imagine that you have branches, branches that sweep up and then bend down towards the Earth, like the limbs of a willow.

Feel the branches extending and interweaving with your surroundings.

Feel the warm, moist energy of the Earth flowing through your branches.

As it flows, feel your mind being purified, centered, and connected to the Earth.

Feel the power from the Earth flowing through your branches and then down back to the Earth, like a fountain.

Note how your branches absorb energy from the air. Also, feel them receiving light (fire) from the sky.

Feel the energy from above penetrating deep through your body into the Earth.

Feel the warmth of the Earth rising also.

Feel the energy circulating.

Notice how your branches intertwine with the branches and energy fields of your surroundings.

Notice how your roots also intertwine.

Feel the energy dancing between you and your surroundings.

Notice how you and the life around you are rooted in the same Earth, breathing the same air, receiving the same fire, drinking the same water; sharing the same underlying essence. You are one with the magical grove.

Telepathically mention the time in the past when nature spirits and people communicated regularly and the need to establish such communication now.

Test your connection by asking questions and observing the responses.

Working with Nature Spirits:

Explain to the spirits the purpose of your coming to them and the nature of the ritual you plan.

If the spirits you contacted are receptive:

Explain to them the details of the ritual and invite them to provide ideas.

Listen, you may receive suggestions on how to improve the ritual. Such suggestions may come in the form of hunches, visions, or answers to yes/no questions using pre-arranged signals, or in other ways.

Ask what the best place to perform the ritual is.

You may see light or get other psychic signals leading you to other sites, or you may be at one of them.

Before you leave the power spot, tell the spirit you have contacted when you plan to return to do the ritual  visualizing the associated lunar and solar aspects can help with this communication).

Invite them to join in the ritual when you return and to bring their friends.

Ask if it would be best to return silently, with drums, with chanting, or with some other form of approach.

You can also ask the spirits to provide guidance for working in balance and to provide a teacher to provide further guidance.

Before you leave the power spot:

Thank the spirits.

Channel love energy.

Trigger your memory of the experience, and, if it feels right, leave an offering of tobacco, or beer and honey poured on the ground (or other suitable material).

Leave in peace and love.

Proceed to other sites that were indicated by the spirits, doing similar meditations at each site.

If you need something, like a staff, a Maypole, or a wand, you can also ask where you can find it and follow the guidance you receive (not slavishly, but as you would guidance from another Pagan).

Before leaving the general area in which you found power spots and contacted nature spirits:

Channel love energy towards the receptive sites you found.

Thank the spirits of the land.

Pull back your roots and branches.

Ground any excess energy into the Earth (placing ones hands on the Earth, breathing in any excess energy and channeling the energy down your arms, while visualizing and feeling the energy going into the Earth).

Leave in peace and love.

Naturally, you should leave the area at least as clean, and preferably cleaner, than you found it.

If you work with techniques of Wicca or Ceremonial Magic, you may find that by casting a circle, calling the Elements, the Goddess, the Gods, and the local nature spirits while you are at receptive sites, you may be able to greatly increase communication.

Through the use of drums and other power raising techniques, it is even possible to energize receptive nature spirits. The results can be very interesting. If with a coven, such circles can be done as part of a group attunement to a power spot you have located.

If you do not get good feelings in response to your explanation of the ritual and are unable to come up with a ritual that gives good responses, do not try to force a good response. You would only be fooling yourself.

Thank the spirits for their attention.

Ask them why they are not receptive (if they are communicative).

Trigger your memory.

Pull back your “roots and branches,” return any excess energy you feel into the Earth.

If it feels appropriate, leave an offering of tobacco or other appropriate material, out of respect for the spirits.

Move to a more receptive site.

If it is hard to find a site that is really receptive, you should also:

Consider any impressions you got of why the nature spirits weren’t receptive in the area you were in, and re-think your plans for a ritual, as necessary and appropriate.

It may also be appropriate to look for another general area in which to find a suitable power site that is receptive to the work planned.

What to Do When Returning

It can be very powerful to purify and center yourself and to attune to the spirits of the land using the technique previously described for calling nature spirits immediately upon returning to the site.

Then approach the site ritually using the previously arranged technique. You should have the details worked out with the Spirits of the land. A procession through or past receptive power spots, inviting nature spirits to join and proceeding to the central power spot for the main ritual, can be especially
effective.

Be sure to invoke the nature spirits, to ask them for their help during the ritual, and to thank them at the end.

When consecrating space in the wild, or casting a circle, do not set up the perimeter as a barrier to all outside forces; it should be a beacon to attract friendly nature spirits, a container for holding magical power, and a barrier to spirits who it isn’t right to be with.

One thing that is fun and worthwhile in nature is to bring instruments, such as a rattle, a flute and/or a drum, to tune in to nature’s sounds, and to make music in time to nature’s sounds. You may be able to get some very interesting back and fourth exchanges of music going with selected creatures of the wild, and get into an amazing jam session.

Acknowledgements:
There are other ways of working with nature spirits. This is one approach. The author thanks Selena Fox for teaching the basic guided meditation technique for locating and contacting nature spirits at a tranceworking session sponsored by the Chameleon Club (part of the Association for Consciousness Exploration) in 1981, Isaac Bonewits for the outline of the expanded tree meditation, and Carlos Castaneda, Black Eagle, Pasha, the Goddess, the Gods, and various nature spirits for teaching the rest of the good methods.

Most of this article is an expansion of an article by the author titled “Finding a Sacred Grove for Druid Initiation” by Larry Cornett, published in The Druid’s Progress and in Amaranth Anthology.

Rights to Distribute this Article: This article is written by Larry Cornett and is copyrighted 1988, and hereby placed by the author in the public domain, providing it is not modified without the explicit permission of the author and providing the author is acknowledged. It may therefore be distributed freely to any BBS or other Electronic Forum. Permission to reprint in a publication for sale may be requested from the author, and will generally be granted in exchange for a copy of the publication containing the article. This copyright takes precedence over any copyright
expressed or implied by any BBS or commercial system on which this file is posted.

Towering three hundred feet high
Nature’s skyscrapers sway in the wind
Mist forms as darkness draws nigh
A fairy realm feel it does lend.

Trillium bloom pink purple and white
Wood Sorrell hugs the knees of giants
Small creatures scurry out of sight
Dryads whisper in defiance

A single robed figure stands
Hands out stretched to touch the bark
Whispering pleas to heal the lands
Pledging to reduce man’s mark

The trees lean nearer
The wind suddenly stills
To hear the pledge clearer
The elements lend their wills

Time stops ceases to fly
The pledge is accepted
The love is acknowledged
The Earth breathes a sigh

“Round
about the cauldron go;
In the poisoned entrails throw.
Toad that under cold stone,
Days and nights has 31,
Sweltered venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first in th’ charmed
pot.”

Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”

The aged green warty witch stirring her steamy brew in a cast iron cauldron is a well known stereotype. Depicted in countless movies, plays, and media of all sorts, the old woman is a living memory of an ancient European past. Boiling and bubbling, Shakespeare tells us 3 witches, priestesses of the goddess Hecate, stirred and cackled, peered into their cauldron’s depth’s, and offered Macbeth their insights on the future. A remnant of the past but not resigned to it, the old wizened woman and her cauldron yet appear in countless Halloween decorations, costumes, and theater.

But who exactly is that old granny, and what is cooking in that pot? Is it death… or life?

The magical cauldron and it’s mysterious contents have been a staple of pagan lore and practice long before the early Christian Church incorporated it’s elements into the medieval tale of the Holy Grail. Magic cauldrons appear in many Indo-European myths as the purveyors of transformation, and under the guise of cauldrons, pots, chalices, cups, horns, and dippers of various configurations. In these tales, the cauldron is usually stirred by a goddess, often the old hag or crone which represents the death aspect of the creatrix.

Though her identity has been forgotten by many, the green aged witch of Halloween is based upon a powerful and ancient concept that death itself must answer to a higher authority, and contained within is the power to transform death into life, a mystery echoed by the green of the crones skin which reflects the color of nature and reminds us of both it’s wintry decay and it’s renewal in the spring, and by the spiraling and spinning  nature of her brew.

As a youthful goddess depicting the fruitful early half of the year, and as an aged crone representing the winter, the goddess of our matriarchal ancestors still reverberates throughout the season, and as the year turns towards winter, she offers us the cauldron in remembrance that this season too shall pass and be renewed in the spring.

To our European ancestors, the cauldron served as the symbol of the great mother and her transformative womb. Many Indo-European myths focus on the concept of the dead being placed into the cauldron, then revitalized into the full flower of youth. Often these myths come to focus at the winter season, at a time when both the greenery of nature and the sun seem to fade away and is then divinely renewed.

Some tales abound with the magical properties of the cup itself, whereby a
mere sip of its contents have the power to heal or transform. The cauldron as the symbol of rebirth and transformation can be traced far into the distant past, as the tablets from Sumer mention a goddess who guards the cup that contained the nectar of life. In the ancient Hindu texts, a beautiful creation
tale states that “long ago, when the sea was milk” the goddess Narayana ordered the gods to “churn the ocean and she will yield Amrita the nectar of immortality”.

The first physician, one white robed Dhanwantari, filled a cup with Amrita which was then borne away by the goddess, yet even this brief contact granted him the ability to heal. A lovely myth, and yet here the “sea” has another meaning.

In ancient cultures round the world, the sea was a metaphor for the boundless depths of the starry night sky. The tale reveals the Hindu belief that once, the universe was a void, but then began to churn. And one on Earth need only look into the night sky to see the heavenly cup, the Big Dipper, endlessly spinning around the celestial pole with it’s life giving contents.

Another Hindu tale says the moon god Chandra possessed a cup containing such a nectar of life, called Soma. A milky substance brewed from certain plants on sacred mountains, it is known that the ancients performed rituals that included the quaffing of the divine elixir. In honor of this cup, Hindu Brahmins carried coconut shell cups as religious implements. As an example of how highly the sacred cup ranked in popular belief, and revealing the symbology of the cosmic womb, another tale proposes that a Hindu man once saw a beautiful woman bathing in the sacred Ganges River. Drawing some of it’s water into a wooden bowl, the man spilled his sperm into it, and from the bowl was birthed a newborn son.

The Greek gods had a similar magic cup, this time filled with Ambrosia, the “nectar of the gods” which granted them immortality and beauty. A Greek tale tells us that Medea was a sorceress, daughter of Aetes. Her magical kettle was said to restore lost youth. “Medea cut an old ram into pieces, threw the bits into her cauldron, and a young lamb came forth.” Another variation of the same story says the sorceress Circe, the divine daughter of the sun, lived on an island and owned a magic cup that had the power to transform those who drank from it.

Yet one of the most famous Greek examples of the cauldron appears in the cult of Dionysus, the god of wine and renewal. The god Dionysus – born in a cave from a virgin on December 25th at the winter solstice – was later killed and resurrected. His rituals involved sacrifices and a sacred communion with a cup of blood that was shared among his followers.

This blood was thought to renew one’s life, and the practice continued well into the second century bc, after which it was downgraded to drinking wine symbolically turned “into blood”.

Nearly identical to the Greek cult of Dionysus, was the Roman cult of Bacchus. Also the god of wine and renewal, his name remains with us today in the term “bachelor”.

Yet another Roman god’s cult remains with us more strongly then in just a name. Originally worshipped in Persia and later by the Roman military, the god Mithra appears in some Indo-European lands as the god of renewal and resurrection. As with many pre-Christian gods of the same genre, Mithra was born of a virgin in a cave or rock on December 25th at the winter solstice, he later died and resurrected.

The infrastructure of the Mithra cult served as the foundation for the Catholic Church, which was to follow centuries later. His rites included a sacrifice of a bull whose blood was believed to wash away sins and grant the power of renewal.

Scholars now believe that this act creates a “timestamp” of the distant past, and reveals the sun god’s connection to the constellation Taurus, for at one time, the spring equinox occurred in this sign. Conducted at the Temple of the mother goddess Cybele, the land on which it stood was later to become the Vatican in Rome. Led by a priest called the Pater (Father), followers shared a communion of small loaves of bread marked with a solar cross and a bowl of wine, believed transmuted into the sacred bloodshed for them.

The Gundestrup Cauldron, found in Denmark and which dates from the 1st century bc, has a scene which is nearly identical to the ancient Greek beliefs. Souls of the dead are depicted marching up one side of the tree of life, and down the other. Under the roots of this cosmic tree that represents the pole, is a goddess who one by one, dips the dead into the cauldron of rebirth. One may assume that like the Hindus, the Norse believed one might climb the sky and enter this celestial cup.

Ancient Norse also routinely included cauldrons in ritual practice. A group
of priestesses known as Valas, ldises, Dises, or Hagedises, from whence we have the word “hag”, lived in sacred groves and literally acted out the role of the death crone for the tribe. The hags rode in front of the war parties and often performed a ritual called the “blood-eagle” upon their captives. The blood was collected into great cauldrons, wherein the women “plunged their naked arms up to the shoulders, previous to joining in the wild dance with which the ceremony ended”.

It has also been noted that the Norse invaders in ancient England were known for cooking victory feasts in great cauldrons that rested on the bodies of the enemies. The Norse and the Scythians both drank from the skulls of their enemies, made into elaborate and decorated chalices in the belief that an enemies attributes of bravery and courage could be absorbed into one’s own being.

In honor of their god Bragi, the Norse would pass a special boat shaped
bowl called the Bragaful around the table to each warrior. Each would rise and proclaim an oath, promising to do some great and heroic deed within a year. The drinker was believed bound to his oath with the act of drinking from the special bowl. Eons of such boastful exclamations have given rise to our modern word “brag”. The modern practice of “toasting” each other with drinking glasses and asking for a special blessing is a direct descendent of this practice.

Norse cauldrons are also often associated with the brewing of godly nectar, but rather then ambrosia, the drink of choice is mead. In one saga, the 12 deities that represent the zodiac are invited to a feast, but must first secure a kettle to concoct a brew fit for the gods. In a complex plan which involves stealing the immense cauldron of the giant Hymir, the god Thor manages to get the cauldron to Asgard where it remained the sole source of the god’s homebrew.

And finally, the Norse believed that the valiant dead, those who had died gloriously in battle had earned the right to have a seat in Valhalla, the eternal hall of heroes. Daily they would regale themselves with tales of their heroic deeds, drink beer and eat magical pork. The meat would come from a pig called Saehimnlr. Each day the same pig would be cooked in the cauldron of the goddess, and yet each day would appear renewed and intact, ready for another meal.

In Ireland, tales are still told of the mysterious fairy race called the Tuatha De Danann, who arrived on ancient Irish shores and founded four magical cities, each with it’s own treasure, one of which was the magic cauldron of the Dagda. It was believed this cauldron could also magically produce food and its supply would never run dry.

In Slavic lands, the goddess Baba Yaga was believed to fly through the air during the harvest season, sitting in a giant cauldron and steering with her broom.

The Welsh goddess Ceridwen had a magic cauldron named Amen, which
meant “hidden”. It could make a special brew that took one year and a day
to prepare. Sipping just three drops could grant the drinker universal wisdom. Many scholars believe that Ceridwen’s cauldron formed the basis for the medieval Christian tales of the Holy Grail, which appeared centuries
later in the same locales.

Identical to earlier pagan beliefs, a Middle Age mysticism surrounded the idea of the Grail, attributing to it the power to cure the sick, and even empower objects that came in contact with it. Additional proof of ‘borrowing’ lies in the medieval legend that the Grail resides at Glastonbury, England deep inside Chalice Well.

Long a pagan sacred site predating Christianity, Glastonbury was held by many to be the ancient site of pagan Avalon, the Island of Immortality where the stricken King Arthur was said to be awaiting rebirth. At this site resides the Tor, a manmade mountain or pyramid, which was once surrounded by a moat transforming it into an artificial island.

Another mystery resides at Glastonbury as well. Researchers have found that from the air, the surrounding countryside appears to be laid out in a shape representing a giant zodiac. Using this frame of reference, one then realizes that like many other ancient sacred cities, the true object of intent lies in the sky, at the celestial pole and the transformative center of the heavenly womb.

Reverence and mysticism surrounding the cauldron did not stop in the distant past,  but continued well into the medieval age and even the present time. In England, at the Chanctonbury Ring, an old folk tale claims if one goes to the Ring at midnight and runs seven times around, the devil will appear and offer you a drink from his cauldron, and should you drink it, you
are “his”.

Archaeologists have since excavated the site and found it is an ancient Roman-British temple where participants ritually performed a symbolic ‘journey of life’ then drank from such a cup.

A custom recorded in 18th century Somerset England involved locals pouring bottles of wine into a hollowed out stone basin. This too was determined to be a direct descendent of the sacred bowl, brought to English shores by Roman soldiers during the occupation.

Lasting long into the Renaissance era, it was a common belief that special crystal chalices had the power to cure illnesses and protect the owner against poison, later this idea was absorbed by the Catholic Church who declared they had such a cup themselves, the Crystal Cup of St. Denis.

In Germany, a pagan festival to celebrate the conclusion of the harvest
and the onset of the winter season was absorbed by the new religion as many festivals were, and Christianized to St. Martins Day. The festival had long included the custom of feasting, ritual toasting, and a sacrifice of liquor, which was poured out to the gods. Drinking horns called Martins – horns
which were believed to have the ability to cure ills and renew one’s spirit – were passed out among the participants,and contained a special liquor drink which has since given us the word “martini”.

Even the modern cornucopia, or literally “horn of plenty” depicted at harvest festivals has it’s origin in the ancient ritual drinking horns of the Norse. As a symbol of the magical cauldron, the horn is customarily stuffed to overwhelming with plants, fruits, flowers and vegetables of every variety. Still found on modern tables today, the never empty horn brims over with
the symbolic bounty of nature.

Throughout Anglo-Saxon lands, the practice of associating special drinks
and drinking vessels with renewal is again visible at the winter solstice, when parties went Wassailing (wassail – “all health”) throughout the neighborhood carrying a special wooden cup filled with a mixture of apples, liquor and spices called the Wassail bowl, and up to the 1900’s in rural England carolers were known to still be carrying a small cup called a “Bessel cup” which contained small figures of the divine mother and child, a symbol of the reborn solstice sun which was later Christianized.

Even today, the superstitious among us continue to stir pots clockwise in
the direction of the sun, and the trophies known as “loving cups” are still awarded to contest winners, following the ancient practice of awarding heroes who have ventured on their quest and arrived victorious with a symbolic cup of life.

Chalices continue to be a focal point in modern Pagan practice as one of the two most sacred implements, the chalice representing the transformative womb of the universal mother, and the second being the knife or wand, symbolizing the masculine powers of generation. Both mimic their celestial counterparts, the womb/cup of the circumpolar Dipper, and the pole upon which it circles.

The Christian Church, having long since absorbed the cauldron of renewal from the pagans and echoing the worship of Mithra, continues to use the blessed chalice during the ritual of communion, where it’s contents of wine are yet believed transformed into sacred blood.

Over and over, for countless eons, now in many lands, and adopted by many cultures, the power of the cauldron continues.

Source: Pagan Astronomy Network

Cold wind in the harbor and rain on the road
But promise of Winter brings recourse to cold
There’s a fire in the blood and a bolt on the door
The Dragons will rise with the moon

‘Tis the same ancient fever from the Isles of the Bless’d
That our fathers brought with them when they came West
It’s the blood of the Druids that never will rest
The Giant will rise with the moon

Crash the glass down, move with the tide
Young friends and old whiskey are burning inside
Crash the glass down
Fingal will rise with the moon

In England and weather, the deeper the bay
3000 stories and the night slips away
Remembering Fingal seems not far away
The Giant will rise with the moon

Crash the glass down, move with the tide
Young friends and old whiskey are burning inside
Crash the glass down
Fingal will rise with the moon

The wind’s from the North, there’ll
be no moon tonight
And there’ll be no circle to dance in its light
So light a torch, bring the bottle, and build the fire bright
The Giant will rise with the moon

Crash the glass down, move with the tide
Young friends and old whiskey are burning inside
Crash the glass down
Fingal will rise with the moon

[Editor’s note: Though this meditation is Wiccan, it can of course be easily adapted to our Druish workings,
and you may substitue Dalon ap Landu in place of Cernunnos…]

This guided meditation is intended to bring you closer to
the essence of the God, and bring away a tool of personal power.

In addition to your normal altar tools, you will need a symbolic
weapon. This needn’t be large or elaborate. A small stone pendant
shaped like an arrow can be used. Even a pointed stone would
do, or a small stick with the point sharpened. Several Celtic
excavations have uncovered ritual shafts in which worshippers
offered miniature versions of real weapons as gifts to the
gods. If the subject of weaponry interests you, you may wish
to try to craft a small replica of a Celtic sword or spear
out of wood, metal, clay or bone. Place your symbolic weapon
upon the altar. Prepare also a chalice or cup of cold water,
which will serve to connect you to the physical world amid
intense meditative work.

To start, perform the Creating Sacred Space rite through to
calling the Spirits of Nature and of Place. Do not perform
the usual God Invocation however. Instead, begin the Cernunnos
Guided Meditation here:

Remain standing before the altar. Set down your staff and
light the incense and candle. Pick up your symbolic weapon.
Hold it in both hands as you invoke the god:

Cernunnos the Mighty, Thou art the gray mist
Cernunnos, Thou art the forests of green
Cernunnos, Lord of the creatures of the Earth
In Thee is the sacred victory seen
Cernunnos! Cernunnos! Cernunnos!

Stand in meditation, visualizing before you the figure of
a horned warrior. He may seem frightening or foreign, but you
should not be afraid. He may appear sitting cross-legged on
the ground or on an altar, and is frequently joined by one
or more animals.

Hold out your weapon to him:

Cernunnos, ancient god Accept this gift in thy honor May my
actions be swift and true As the arrow of the hunter

Remain in meditation for a moment, concentrating on the forest
surrounding you. Hold your sacred weapon in your dominant (power)
hand (for most people, the right), with the point facing outward
and your arm extended. Turn slowly all the way around, noticing
where your weapon is pointed as you repeat:

I am the hunter!

In your mind, try to fully enter into the mind of a hunter
of old, killing not for joy but for survival. Use all the intelligence
and knowledge at your command to track your prey, becoming
as one with the forest surroundings, perhaps wearing the skin
of a deer to disguise your scent. You may find yourself walking
or running about your circle, or sitting in silent readiness.
Take some time to experience this mental state.

Let your unconscious, guided by the god you have invoked,
show you the end of the hunt. Perhaps you merely glimpse the
prey and are left hungry and unsuccessful. Perhaps your weapon
shoots home, and you experience the smells and sights of the
bloody conclusion, and the knowledge that you have sustained
the life of your tribe.

Remain in this visualization for several minutes. When you
are ready, return to yourself and to the place where you are.
Take a drink from the chalice of water.
If you wish to do the second part of this rite at this time,
take a moment to ground and center. Otherwise, you may choose
to end the ritual here, after thanking the god, and perform
the next part on another occasion.

Put your symbolic weapon in your non-dominant hand, with the
point facing toward yourself. Take a few steps backward, and
with each one repeat:

I am the hunted!

Visualize yourself as a forest animal, the target of hunters.
You can be any animal (though a deer would be best); choose
one of whom you have some knowledge and feel some understanding.

What do you do to preserve your life? This depends largely
on the nature of the animal you have chosen. Perhaps you remain
perfectly still, trusting the wind to carry your scent away.
Perhaps you flee pall-mall, or plot a careful strategy to disguise
your flight. As prey, you must think on your feet, drawing
on your knowledge of the land and on your own strengths and
defenses.

Take some time to experience the sensations of this situation.
What strengths do you find you have, when the emergency creates
a need? These are the gifts of Cernunnos.

This time, do not let your unconscious decide the outcome.
Decide that you will escape from the hunters, and visualize
yourself doing so. (Why do I not recommend that you allow yourself
to experience the death of the prey? First, because I believe
death is an unknowable experience. Second, because the ritual
enactment of a death can in my experience lead to tragic consequences
for the one who takes on this role.)

When you are ready, return to this world and place your sacred
weapon on the altar.

Take a drink from the chalice of water. Then take your weapon
in both hands and offer it to Cernunnos once more.

Cernunnos, Forest King, Thy mystery is great
Thou art the Hunter with courage and strength
And the Hunted with swift intelligence
Thou art both
I offer this weapon to thy service
Hail and Farewell!

End your ritual by performing the Clearing the Sacred Space rite.

If you wish to embody the energies of Cernunnos in some part
of your daily life, you may want to carry your symbolic weapon
with you, or fashion it into a piece of jewelry. Otherwise,
offer it to Cernunnos by burying it in a wooded place.

Source: Celtic Wicca: Ancient Wisdom for the 21st Century by Jane Raeburn.
Visit Jane’s website at: http://www.janeraeburn.com

Coming down out of the freezing sky
with its depths of light,
like an angel, or a Buddha with wings,
it was beautiful, and accurate,
striking the snow and whatever was there
with a force that left the imprint
of the tips of its wings five feet apart
and the grabbing thrust of its feet,

and the indentation of what had been running
through the white valleys of the snow
and then it rose, gracefully,
and flew back to the frozen marshes
to lurk there, like a little lighthouse,
in the blue shadows
so I thought:
maybe death isn’t darkness, after all,
but so much light wrapping itself around us
as soft as feathers

that we are instantly weary of looking, and looking,
and shut our eyes, not without amazement,
and let ourselves be carried,
as through the translucence of mica,
to the river that is without the least dapple or shadow,
that is nothing but light – scalding, aortal light
in which we are washed and washed
out of our bones.

~~ Mary Oliver ~~
(House of Light)