Category Archives: Gentlidecht

Thoughts on the Otherworld – Where we go when we die.

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Not everything about gentlidecht
comes from doing research and applying it to the practice.  Some of it has
to come from being thoughtful.  One such situation is the Otherworld, its
existence, and what happens after death.

There is no need to really go into the literary existence of the
Otherworld.  You can read the stories for yourself or get a copy of “The
Otherworld in Early Irish Literature” by David Spaan which goes into great
detail on the subject.  In fact, according
to Spaan there are 116 names for the Otherworld in the literature, most of
which are island or even other countries such as Spain or Egypt (Spaan 428-29). The question one
has to ask is: does the Otherworld exist outside of literature?  Anecdotally the answer is yes.  There is some sort of ‘other world’ that is inhabited
by other beings, simply by virtue of the existence of the gods and ungods. If
one believes that these other worldly being exist, then it stands that they
would have to live someplace.  Since we
do not see them in the physical realm then there must be another place in which
they live.  If we look to the literature and
folklore, this place is beneath the waves and under the hills.

Experientially the answer is also yes. 
There is an entire practice of ‘journeying’ to the Otherworld to meet
with the beings that live there for guidance. 
The experiences of those who have done this work increases the anecdotal
evidence of another realm outside of our own in which other beings exist.

So assuming the Otherworld exists, and that there are beings that live there
and that is where the gods reside.  Is
that also where we go when we die? 
Looking to the stories and strictly speaking from the stories the answer
is no and yes.  In Spaans research there
is no indication that the dead go to any of the 116 named locations that are
the Otherworld.   However, there is a place not named in Spaans
research that is given as a dwelling place of the dead, Tech nDuinn, the House of Donn.  Arguably this is also an Otherworld but what
is important to note is that it is not the same Otherworld location where the
gods and other spirits reside.  There is
some argument as to whether or not the dead move from the House of Donn to
another location but that is not the focus of this article.  From my perspective, according to the
literature when we die, we pass to Tech
nDuinn.

Is that it though?  Is
that the answer?  This is where reconstruction
based Neopagan religions start to fail, including gentlidecht, but not because they do not provide the answers because
they do.  The failure is that most of us
don’t really believe the literature 100%. 
We don’t take it to heart. Despite our use of the literature to inform our practices and beliefs, we are more pragmatic about death and what happens
after.  

For me the answers are a mix of ideas.  When we die, we pass over to some other place;
I will call it Tech nDuinn. Where we
enjoy the company of others and maybe meet the gods and other spirits.  Then, at some point we are born again as
mortals…someplace…sometime.   In the end
(heh, see what I did there) it is a personal thing.  What we believe happens after death is what
WE believe based on our own experiences, ideas and values. 




The truth is waiting.  

Spaan, David Bruce. The Otherworld in Early Irish
Literature. Ann Arbor: Univeristy of Michigan, 1969. PDF.

Outlaws/Outsiders Part I – Fénidecht

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The following article has been published in “Oak Leaves – The Quarterly Journal of Ár nDraíocht Féin” Spring 2014 Issue No. 64

If  you attend Neopagan festivals or belong to a public Neopagan group, you have likely encountered individuals who, while willing to participate in social activities, for specific and often spiritually-based reasons they are unwilling or unable to take part in the religious aspects. As Neopagans, we generally accept that from outside the community many of us appear different from the norm or don’t seem to fit easily into mainstream culture. It’s often this “otherness” that brings us together, despite the variety of our beliefs and practices. So it’s understandable that when our members seem committed to remaining apart from our most central religious activities, we may react with disdain, discomfort, or simply not know what to do with them. After all, what’s the point of belonging to a community if you don’t actually want to belong?

At issue is a basic misunderstanding: Neopaganism as a whole has not yet recognized the true  motivations and needs of these individuals, nor recognized that a historically-grounded role known as the ‘outsider’ can be a powerful spiritual path for its practitioners while also contributing to the broader
Neopagan culture.

Though every person has his or her own reasons for remaining on the fringe of their chosen community, this article will focus on the Gaelic based ‘warrior outsider’ path known as fénidecht. Presented here  from a historical perspective as well as a modern spiritual practice for those who identify as Irish or  Scottish polytheists, we look to the tales of the Irish warbands known as fiana for inspiration.

Ancient Fiana
 Up until the medieval period, communities of Indo-European descent were routinely harassed and, paradoxically, protected by bands of men living in the wilds. Often wearing the pelts of and referred to as wolves, these men  have had many names among many peoples, such as the French iuventus, Irish fíana, Germanic úlfhéðnar, Welsh gwyn , Greek krypteia, Gaulish gaesates and in Indo-European *koryos (McCone, The Celtic and Indo-European Origins of the Fian 22, 30; McCone, Werewolves,  Cyclopes, Diberga, and Fianna: Juvenile Delinquency in Early Ireland 15). As in other cultures, the Irish fíana,  were typically comprised of temporarily disenfranchised youth (such as second sons without inheritance or uncontrollably rowdy adolescents), social outcasts, and self-imposed outcasts seeking recompense for offenses given outside the law (as in the case of Nessa, who sought  to avenge her foster father’s death at the hands of a fían). (McCone, Werewolves, Cyclopes, Diberga, and Fianna: Juvenile Delinquency in Early Ireland 13; Nagy, The Wisdom of the Outlaw: The Boyhood Deeds of Finn in
the Gaelic Narrative Tradition 48-51). Living outside of established communities, these men formed an ancient counterculture; existing beyond the bounds and protections of their villages laws, they had their own rules and values.

Leading these outlaw bands were older warriors who for various reasons never transitioned back into the communities. Instead, they trained and fostered the young men (and if we believe the tales, sometimes women) who were sent to them to become féinnidi (singular féinnid).  Despite being part of the counterculture, these aging warriors were held in high regard by local leaders and ironically were often asked to enforce the established laws and defend towns and villages from outside forces. Despite such status, they remained outsiders in both their eyes and those of the people they protected. They lived
and worshipped their gods on their own.  (Nagy, The Wisdom of the Outlaw: The Boyhood Deeds of Finn in the Gaelic Narrative Tradition 50; McCone, The Celtic and Indo-European Origins of the Fian 20).
According to the lore, in Ireland these bands were led by gods and heroes such as Finn mac Cumaill; Nessa, daughter of the King of Ulster; the druid Cathbad; and many others named in the Ulster and Ossianic Cycles of Irish mythology. These roving warrior bands often raided the countryside, attacking farms and hostels, while at the same time defending Ireland against invaders from the Otherworld or across the sea as necessary (Nagy, The Wisdom of the Outlaw: The Boyhood Deeds of Finn in the Gaelic
Narrative Tradition 54-55). To join a warrior-band or fían required one to give up all claims to hearth and home and complete legendary feats requiring mental and physical discipline (Keating 349-350). Separate from their society, they had to fulfill the most crucial and highly valued roles for themselves, including those of hunter, warrior, poet, and seer. As he excelled in all these things, Finn mac Cumaill was often considered the epitome of the accomplished warrior outsider.

Modern Fiana
 The reality is that we no longer send our disruptive youth into the wilds to learn usefulness as hunters and warriors, or to keep them from making trouble for the community. However, outsiders do still play a role in 21st century culture. From the hermit living in his rural home to the soldier and his family
living next door, the outlaw motorcycle club you saw on the highway and the loner kid who seems slightly off to classmates and parents alike, modern life affords the intentional and unintentional outsiders many different lifestyles and expressions, and unlike in the past, they may or may not come together in counterculture groups. The hermit isolates himself voluntarily much like some ancient seers and poets while the soldier, also a volunteer (at least in the U.S.), is involved in a military lifestyle not so different from the warriors of old, and that is separated from regular society by the tasks they are asked
to perform. Some outlaw motorcycle clubs may be involved in criminal activity, while the loner kid is intellectually or socially in conflict with his peers. These are all examples of modern situations and lifestyles that can set people apart from their societies of origin.

So how does fénidecht manifest as a life practice in the 21st century with our cities, supermarkets, standing armies and police forces? The answer is complex due to the fact that those I know who identify themselves as féinnidi vary greatly. Though fénidecht manifests as a spectrum encompassing wildly different lifestyles, all are practitioners of fénidecht due to what they have in common.

To begin with there are the physical and mental aspects of the warrior/hunter, namely combat and survival training. Warriors are trained to fight and are expected to do so if the need arises. In the 21st century hand-to-hand training is the most available and does not come into conflict with any legal authority the way weapons may. The mental training a warrior goes through to cultivate survival skills typically includes simple plant identification and ideally the experience of a hunt. At minimum  warrior/hunters would know if they can and would kill for food, and it’s best if they test that
capability occasionally. An authentic practice of Fénidecht also requires that the warrior/hunter aspect of the path be sustained through non-combative physical training.

Following the old model, modern féinnidi should also be reading and writing poetry—in other words, practicing filidecht. As noted previously, in Irish lore Finn is held as the quintessential warrior outsider, and his command of poetry rivaled that of the more widely known bardic traditions. Filidecht is a basic and as essential a component of fénidecht as hunting or fighting skills (Nagy, The Wisdom of the Outlaw: The Boyhood Deeds of Finn in the Gaelic Narrative Tradition 17-40). Further, the requirement for the
memorization and recitation of poetry comes to us from the stories of Finn and the initiation requirements to join his fían (Keating 349-350; Nagy, The Wisdom of the Outlaw: The Boyhood Deeds of Finn inthe Gaelic Narrative Tradition 248). Today, this requirement could be expanded  to include the writing of rituals and liturgy that they share with their communities.

Additionally, as the fíana had the ability to interact with and even enter the Otherworld (Dooley and Roe 13-15; Nagy, Shamanic Aspects of the “Bruidhean” Tale 302), it follows that modern féinnidi must  cultivate the skills of the seer. Unlike Finn and his fían we don’t physically cross the boundaries between the worlds, but through journeying and divination we can interact with the Otherworld to get answers
and seek aid for ourselves or our community.

Last but not least, as much as the ancient fíana conducted raids, they also defended their homelands and thus the communities to which they would eventually return to finish out their days as householders or
old men (Nagy, The Wisdom of the Outlaw: The Boyhood Deeds of Finn in the Gaelic Narrative Tradition 51; McCone, The Celtic and Indo-European Origins of the Fian 20). Because modern fénidecht
mostly live in communities rather than remaining camped in the wild, this defensive role must evolve slightly. Serving in the national or local defense industries, working with or on the police and firefighting forces, working in the personal or self-defense industry, doing festival and event security, and even participating in activism to protect your community’s interests are all ways in which the “defense of the people” can manifest.

Beyond the traditional roles and their associated skills that define féinnidi, another defining feature of Fénidecht is the worship of the gods of the Gaels, since this path is specific to the Irish and Scottish cultures from which Finn’s legends come. (As a side note, the same tradition of warrior outsider exists in the Welsh culture and is called gwynwyr in Middle Welsh (Lewis xi)). Many naturally worship the war
deities but there are also “outsider” deities, such as Manannan, Finn, and Brig Ambue.

Today’s Outsiders and Their Communities
 What I’ve described so far are practices familiar to many pagans, especially those who follow a warrior path. However, there is a distinct difference between warriors and warrior outsiders, namely  “separateness” from the larger community. Again, the reasons vary, but for those who identify with the fiana or for whom Fénidecht would be an appropriate path, those reasons typically have to do with differentreligious practices, views, or values that restrict what they are able or willing to share with others. For example, it’s common for Neopagan groups to work with a variety of deities from a variety of cultures in ritual space—but for a warrior outsider devoted to a particular god or Gaelic pantheon, this
kind of ceremony may be best uncomfortable, and at worst in direct conflict with his oaths.

So then what can an outsider or even a group of outsiders do for the communities to which they only peripherally belong? I have already covered a few things that féinnidi can do to contribute to the communities’ wellbeing, such as being part of defense efforts and contributing poetic and ritual material to the liturgies. But I believe Neopagan communities can provide more proscribed roles and open themselves to including féinnidi in yet more ways.

If affiliated with a group, féinnidi could participate in community rituals by acting as guardians—protectors outside the ritual itself—both in a physical sense as well as spiritual. When attending public festivals they could do the same—in fact, it was at a pagan festival where I first witnessed a large-scale  recognition of the outsider as the organizers gave them space and latitude to function as they saw fit. Some who follow fénidecht have composed prayers and ritual acts they perform during these community rituals either independently or together as a small, intimate group. The féinnidi could also come together, much  like their predecessors, as groups that aid each other in development in all areas of fénidecht and to celebrate the outsider lifestyle and spirituality. Part of this effort could include an exploration of the transitory nature of being an outsider.

After all, being a féinnid was never meant to be a permanent state, but a temporary one after which the individual would return to society (Nagy, The Wisdom of the Outlaw: The Boyhood Deeds of Finn in the Gaelic Narrative Tradition 50-52). For most, this is still true. There are warrior outsiders who fluidly move in and out of society during different periods of their lives, and others whose status relates more to their profession or experiences, such as the soldier who is leaving military service or returning from war. This aspect of fénidecht has historically been addressed through rites of passage transitioning outsiders back to the community-at-large when desire or circumstance calls for it. The Gunderstup cauldron has a
depiction of one of these rituals and is described by McCone in detail (McCone, The Celtic and Indo-European Origins of the Fian 28-29). But groups of féinnidi can do more than facilitate these rituals and transitions for their own  as members go through phases of being within the community and without—they can provide such work as a service to the broader community as well, facilitating rituals of ‘cleansing’ and ‘purification’ for others, such as the aforementioned soldier. (Lupus).

As you can see, Fénidecht is a modern, complex and valuable spiritual practice. It is my hope that in  exploring how those who practice fénidecht approach their spirituality and showing how these féinnidi
can support the Neopagan community, this article may inspire more groups to provide for the inclusion and spiritual development of these individuals in their organizations. As knowledge of this path spreads, I look forward to seeing the community learn how to acknowledge and accept the outsiders, and
give them a place and a voice, which is, ultimately, what all human beings—even self-described outsiders—desire.

Bibliography
Dooley, Ann and Harry Roe, The Tales of the Elders of Ireland: A new Translation of the Acallam na Senorach. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Keating, Geoffrey. The History of Ireland from the Earliest Period Through the English Invasion. Trans. John O’Mahony. New York: P.M. Haverty, 1857. PDF Document.
Lewis, Timothy. A Glossary of Mediaeval Welsh Law Based Upon the Black Book of Chirk. London: University Press Manchester, 1913.
Lupus, P. Sufenas Virius. The Hidden Imbolc. 1 February 2011. 1 October 2013.
McCone, Kim. “The Celtic and Indo-European Origins of the Fian.” The Gaelic Finn Tradition. Ed. Sharon J. Arbuthnot and Geraldine Parsons. Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2012. 14-73.
—. “Werewolves, Cyclopes, Diberga, and Fianna: Juvenile Delinquency in Early Ireland.” Camrbidge Medieval Celtic Studies Winter (1986): 1-22. PDF.
Nagy, Joseph Falaky. “Shamanic Aspects of the “Bruidhean” Tale.” History of Religions 20.4 (1981): 302-322. PDF.
—. The Wisdom of the Outlaw: The Boyhood Deeds of Finn in the Gaelic Narrative Tradition. London: University of California Press, 1985.

Telling time through worship

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Modern life is fast paced, time consuming and full of distractions where time gets lost and activities fall through the cracks.  We are forced to make schedules and just hope that we are able to keep them.  While there is no evidence the ancient Irish held monthly ritual observances, in modern America regular ritual observance of the gods can help us maintain our relationships with them. If you are looking to build a local community of like minded worshipers monthly gatherings are a necessity.

As to when to hold the rituals there are a few options.  Using the modern 12 month solar calender would be the simplest, but gentlidecht is a faith based on the practices of the ancient Irish. There for we should be following the calender used by the ancient Irish to dictate out religious schedule.  We have two sources for a lunar calender on which to base the schedule, the Coligny
Calendar used by the Gauls and Irish Neolithic art in and around passage mounds.  Admittedly we do not know if the Iron Age invaders (Celts) of Ireland
adopted the calender inscribed by the Neolithic Irish but knowing that the
Gauls, another Iron Age Celtic people, did use a lunar calender we will continue to work on the assumption that the ancient Irish did as well.

The carvings on Kerbstone 52 at Knowth

Based on the scholarship of the available calenders the year, month and days were split into a dark half and a light half with the beginning being the dark period of each.  This would place the start of the year during the darker months (Winter), the start of the month at the astronomical new moon (dark moon) and the start of the day at sundown.  Sounds simple but scholars have spent years working out the exact calender cycle and several theories exist.

Just based on this information genti could hold their monthly gatherings on or shortly after the dark moon.  This would provide 12-13 annual opportunities for community building and worship.  Of course each group could delve into the research further and come up with more exact religious calenders as well. I prefer the notional Celtic calender created by the Time Meddler which is a 12 month lunar calender with an occasional leap month.

The point is genti (followers of gentlidecht)  need to build a community, starting at the local level.  The best way to do so is to slow down and start getting together.  Establishing a religious calender and then sticking to it will help achieve that.

 

Gentlidecht: Old Irish for (Irish) Heathenism

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Since the movement began Celtic Reconstructionist Pagans (CRP) have been seeking something better to call ourselves, a term that would flow off the tongue like, Asatru, Romuva or Theodism but many stumbling blocks existed, and still do.  No country has accepted any form of CRP as a national religion as is the case for Asatru nor has there been a small group still practicing a version of the ancient Celtic religion as is the case for Romuva for the Baltic faith. There is also the unlikelihood that there ever was one religion that spanned all the Celtic peoples or that there could be single word that identified what the religion was among the varied Celtic language speaking peoples.

 

So how could we have a single word to describe what could be many related but different religions?  There is the option of creating a neologism from a language referred to as Proto-Celtic.  Alexi Kondrotiev did this for the defunct organization Imbas, Inc.  The word was not accepted outside of the organization so it never caught on and once the organization went defunct the word that was created fell into disuse.

Instead of trying to come up with a single word focusing on a linguistically specific version is the next option.  Again there are neologisms that have been created by groups that never spread beyond the group and then there is the option of appropriating an old word and redefining it in a modern context.    I am only aware of two attempts at re-appropriation and of the two only one appears on any list of CRP religions and both were only ever used by their proponents.

The obvious ideal would be to use a word utilized by the pre-Christian people to describe their own belief system.  However, to date no one has been able to locate such a word in any of the Celtic languages so we assume that none existed or the scribes intentionally did not pass it on to us.

Accepting that neologisms and re-appropriation have not succeeded, that there is no pre-Christian word available and that it is not possible to have a single word to cover all the various version of CRP then perhaps we should look for  words used by the Christians to describe the pagan religion within specific cultures.  My focus is Irish so looking into the Irish sources we do in fact have two such words, the Old Irish gentlidecht and the Middle Irish págánacht. Both are loan words from Latin that the scribes Gaelicized and are translated as heathenism and paganism and are used by different authors during the same period. In all but one instance writers chose one word over another with only one 17th century writer using both words in the same manuscript.

The oldest use of págánacht can be found in a document known as “A Middle-Irish Fragment of Bede’s Ecclesiastical History” (Unknown, 2008). It is an 11th century translation of the Old English manuscript written by the 8th century monk Saint Bede. The translator used pagandai and paganacht throughout the manuscript in place of the words hæthen and hæthenesse (Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People, 1895). Págánach, a pagan, is also found in use in 15th -16th century document “The Gaelic abridgment of the Book of Ser Marco Polo” (Stokes, 1896). Further págánacht, págánach continued to be used into the modern Irish where págánacht is the word for both “paganism” and “heathenism” (An Gúm, 1992, pp. 108,162,434).

Meanwhile I have been able to find gentlidecht and its variants in many more manuscripts in Old Irish, Middle Irish and early modern Irish but it seems to have fallen into disuse by the 18th century as I can’t find it in any reference after the 17th century.  The oldest confirmed documented use of a variant geinti, translated as heathens or pagans, is in the “Sanas Cormaic: an Old-Irish Glossary compiled by Cormac úa Cuilennáin, King-Bishop of Cashel in the 9th century” edited by Kuno Meyer. We find a variant used by the 10th century bishop Saint Oengus of Tallaght in his manuscript “The Martyrology of Oengus the Culdee”. (1905)  It turns up in use in a 15th century religious manuscript called “Leabhar Breac”” and its latest use appears to be a late 16th century early 17th century manuscript called “Foras Feasa ar Éirinn” by Geoffrey Keating where he spells it gheintlidheachta (Keating, 1857). It does not appear to make it into current Modern Irish as it is not found in any online translator or Irish to English dictionary that I have accessed.

The origin of both words is Late Latin, 3rd-6th century Common Era, gentilis and paganus. Gentilis at one time meant belonging to a tribe, over time it took on the meaning of “not a Roman citizen”’ and after the Christianization of the empire it came to mean non-Christians (Wikipedia, 2013). Paganus is a military word for ‘civilian’ but by the 5th century was used in a religious context to mean non-Christian (Harper, pagan, 2013). Gentile and pagan are attested to have entered the English language in the 14th century when it replaced the use of hethen about 300 years after their use in the Irish (Harper, gentile, 2013).

Some have chosen to use the term págánacht, not necessarily following the tradition set by other Neopagans of simply using the term Pagan but slightly redefining it to mean their form of CRP when it is capitalized. I am of the opinion that when you call yourself Págánacht, you may as well say Heide or Pagano (pagan/heathen in German and Spanish) it is still the generic term for Pagan, you’re just saying it in Gaelic and a native speaker may not understand your speaking of a specific religious tradition.

However, I argue that the older and recently unused word is a better choice to describe the Irish reconstructionist faith. Gentlidecht has not been used since the 17th century and is older than págánacht by a hundred years. It’s usage in the manuscripts is simply a description not a pejorative the way that the words pagan and gentile came to be once they entered the English language. There is no judgment when the scribes tell us “For the men of Ireland have again followed gentlidecht as it was at first before belief, before Patrick’s advent…” (Lupus, 2013) just a statement of fact. This allows us to adopt it for the 21st century without having to change its original meaning; the beliefs of the pre-Christian Irish.

So while we could not locate a name for our faith prior to the 10th century, we have a word that is used in a desirable context and meant exactly what we want it to mean. To learn it we simply had to set aside our own prejudices and look to the scribes of the early church in Ireland and see what they had to say about the beliefs of the pre-Christian Irish. Lucky for us, they did have something to say. More than that they pointed out that some of the beliefs were still being practiced and they called it gentlidecht.

Note: Many thanks go to C.L.Vermeers who first introduced me to the word gentlidecht and P. Sufenus Virius Lupus for eir article “Gentlidecht: Ireland Before Christianity (Sort Of)” that lead me to the first sources used to put together this article.

Updated:

C.L.Vermeers provided a modern version of the word “gintlíocht” which he says is used to mean ‘sorcery’.

Morgan Daimler provided the following from an Irish dictionary.  Gintliocht – 1. Gentilism, paganism. 2. Gentile lore; heathen craft; sorcery (var: gintleacht) from Focloir Gaeilge-Bearla, by Niall O Donaill, published by Rialtas na hEireann 1977

eDIL( http://edil.qub.ac.uk) has many variations of Gentlidecht but none ever meant gentile as we use the word in English.  However, eDIL does have genti and gent meaning heathen/pagan or when used in a Jewish context to mean gentiles.

Changed the title from  ” Gentlidecht: Gaelic for Irish Heathenism” to ” Gentlidecht: Old Irish  for (Irish) Heathenism”.  Gaelic is the modern language and the gentlidecht is from the Old Irish.

Continue reading →

Gentlidecht Ritual Format

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I have been working with the ADF Core Order of Ritual for about 8 months now and slowly been adapting it to meet ADF criteria as well as my own.  What follows is the outline of a basic ritual that can be modified for any occasion.  It includes all the ADF requirements in addition to my own requirement of honoring my personal gods and household gods, I use the term ‘patron’ in the ritual outline.  The “Center Point” meditation is my version of a meditation taught by Erynn Rowan Laurie.

I left most of the texts for the standard prayers that go into every ritual and blanked out the sections that will vary from ritual to ritual.  Feel free to take this format and change it to suit your own needs. I am sure as time passes my version will change as well.

Some issues I have are the closing section.  We go through a lot of trouble inviting the Gods and Ungods we should go through as much trouble to thank them and give our farewells.

___________________________________________________________
Blank Solo Ritual
Preparation
The participant gathers the following offerings (vegetable oil may be substituted if necessary):
Local River Goddess
Corn meal or tobacco
Base of tree or bowl
Mannanan mac Lir
Mead
Well, pit or bowl
Mighty Dead
Food/bread
Well, pit or bowl
Spirits of Place
Tobacco or corn meal, milk, honey
Base of tree or bowl
Tuatha de Danaan
Alcohol
Well or fire
Ancestors
A plate of the after ritual meal….
Special
When using an offering bowl and place all items outside when the ritual is complete.
Prior to the ritual the participant should light the flame, fill the well with fresh water, and place whatever tools are needed on the alter.
Gathering
Participant gathers at the ritual area and sounds a musical signal (bell branch) three times, then says:
{State Why you have come }                    
Centering Meditation
Participant performs the “Center Point”.
Stand quietly facing the north and relax with your hands resting at your sides. Clear your mind and concentrate on your breathing. Breathe in and out slowly and follow along with this meditation, which will place you in the center of the cosmos.
I am at the center of An Thríbhís Mhór.                         ah-heeveesh-vohr
Exhale, move to one knee with palms on the ground before you
I stand firmly upon the Sacred Land.
Inhale and rise to your feet, moving the hands behind at hip height, palms up, cupping. Exhale and move the hands in an arc until they meet in front.
The Eternal Sea always surrounds me.
Inhale, move the hands to the sides, spread the fingers wide, palms forward. Exhale and raise the arms, bringing the hands together above the head, thumb & forefinger meeting to create a triangle.
The Endless Sky spreads itself above me.
Inhale, lower the hands to the heart again.
I am at the center of An Thríbhís Mhór.
Exhale and lower the hands to the sides
Honoring the Local River Goddess
P: Mighty Patapsco and Susquehanna.  Givers of life that flow from the mountains to the Chesapeake.
I honor you and make this offering to you in gratitude for your waters that nourish this land.       
P makes an offering and says: Mighty Patapsco, Great Susquehanna , accept my offering.
Statement of Purpose
{Explain the purpose of the ritual}
Establishing the Sacred Grove
Sacred Hearth Fire
Participant:
I make sacred the fire,
The first fire born of lightning
from which all fires are lit.
The hearth fire which warms our homes
and binds our people.
I stand in the grove at the center of the realms,
Let the flame be the hearth fire,
Lets the water be the Well of Segais                        (shay-gish)
Let the tree be the bile,                            (bill-uh)
I stand in the grove at the center of the realms,
P puts oil on the fire, then says:
I light the sacred fire of inspiration.  Sacred fire, burn within me.
Well of Segais
Participant says:
I make sacred the well,
From whichs seven rivers of Ireland flow,
Salmon swimming, hazel hanging high.
Bubbling brightly Segais, source of the Boyne,                    (boin)I stand in the grove at the center of the realms,
Let the flame be the hearth fire,
Lets the water be the Well of Segais
Let the tree be the bile,
I stand in the grove at the center of the realms,
P silvers the well and pours water from the well to the blessing cup, then says:
In the depths flow the waters of wisdom. Sacred waters, flow within me.
World Tree
Participant says:
I make sacred the branch/tree,
Towering high, hanging heavy with hazel,
Spanning and connecting the Three Realms,
The mighty bile of the grove,                        I stand in the grove at the center of the realms,
Let the flames be the hearth fire,
Lets the waters be the Well of Segais
Let the tree be the bile,
I stand in the grove at the center of the realms,
P dresses the bile, then says:
From the depths to the heights spans the world tree. Sacred tree, grow within me.
P raises arms
With the Flame of the Hearth, the Well of  Segais and the Bile the grove is erected and hallowed.
Parting the mists and Inviting the Gods and Ungods
Manannan
P prepares an offering for Manannan and says:
P says: Oirbsen (orib-sheen), Manannan, Lord of the Mist, Ruler of Tir na mBan (teer na man), Guardian of the gate of the Otherworld. I ask that you hear my call. Oh Lord of the Otherworld, bearer of the silvered apple branch, join with me this day, so that you may guide me in my workings. Mist-shrouded rider of the maned waves, accept my offering and  open the Spiraled Gate between the worlds. .
P makes an offering and says: Manannan mac Lir, accept my sacrifice.    (mah-nuh-nahn’ mak leer)
P: Let the mists be parted!!
An Sinsear  (en shen-shoor)
P: Mighty dead, you who have come before,
Ancestors of my blood,  Heros of my people
I offer you this gift with love and loyalty and invite you to witness this rite.
P makes an offering and says: Ancestors, accept my sacrifice.
Aos Sí  (eeth-shee)
P: Great nature spirits, you who frolic in the wild world,
Spirits of this place,
I offer you this gift in friendship and invite you to witness this rite.
P makes an offering and says: Nature spirits, accept my sacrifice.
Tuatha de Danaan (tooah-de-danyan)
P: Great gods, you who are mightiest in all things,
Deities of my faith,
I offer you this gift with reverence and honor and invite you to witness this rite.
P makes an offering and says: Gods and goddesses, accept my sacrifice.
Patron Gods (if you have any)
P: {Write your own prayer}
P makes an offering and says: {Create custom statement}.
Praise and offerings to the Beings of the Occasion
P: {Invite and give praise to the being of the occasion if there is one}
P makes an offering and says:  {TEXT}
General Praise Offerings to the Gods and Ungods
P: The Gods, Aos Sí  (eeth shee), and Ancestors have come here today and it is proper to offer them praise, love and loyalty.  Hail the déithe and an-déithe.
(Three rounds of praise offerings, which may include drink: Ancestors, Nature Spirits, and Gods.)
P: Gods, Aos Sí  (eeth shee), and Ancestors, accept these praises and sacrifices.
The Omen
Participant quietly prays (1x):  Ritually washes their hands then forms the left hand into a tube and blows through the tube and says:
Gods over me, gods under me,
Gods before me, gods behind me,
I am on your path oh gods.
    You, my gods, are in my steps.
I am going within
To the doorstep of the sí
in the name of Finn
Stronger in sight then all.
The augury made by Finn to his men,
That Bride blew her palm,
Did you see the augury gods of art?–
    Said the gods of art,  they saw.
Message of truth without a message of falsehood
That I myself shall see
The semblance, joyous and mild
Of all that is hidden to me
Good spirits and gods of my people,
Give me the sight to see all I need,
With vision that shall never fail, before me,
    That shall never quench nor dim.
P then takes the omen, interprets it, and records it.
Receiving the Blessings of the Gods and Ungods
P raises the blessing plate/cup high and says:
Tuatha de Danaan (tooah-de-danyan), Aos Sí , (eeth she) and An Sinsear  (en shen-shoor), I have praised you  and made a sacrifice. A gift calls for a gift, and I pray to you and ask that you give me  your blessings.  Make sacred this {food/drink} and infuse it with your vitality, strength and inspiration.
Lo, the blessings of the Gods and Ungods are upon us.
P then eats/drinks the blessed food/drink
Thanking the Gods and Ungods and Closing the Mists
P: I have called upon the Gods and Ungods and they have answered! With joy in my heart I carry their magic into my life and work. Each time I offer to the powers they become stronger and more aware of my needs and worship. So as I prepare to depart let me give thanks to those who have aided me.
{Statement giving thanks to the patron gods if you invited them}
Tuatha de Danaan, we thank you for your presence and blessings.  Come or go as you will with  my love and loyalty.  Mol na déithe.    
Aos Sí, these are your lands and here you shall remain.  We thank you for attending and accepting my offerings of peace and respect.  Mol na Aos Sí                   
Mighty Dead, thank you for attending and accepting my gifts.  Pass back through the mists and return to the Otherworld.  Mol na sinsear.
Manannan mac Lir, thank you for your attendance and parting the mists.  I ask that you allow the mists to fall as my ancestors pass back into your realm.  Moladh agus buíochas a ghabháil le Oirbsen!  
Let the mists return and the veil be whole.
Patapsco and Susquehanna, these are your lands and here you shall remain.  I thank you for attending and accepting my offerings of peace and respect..  Mol an bandia abhainn
Taking down the Sacred Grove
P:We came and honored the Gods, the Spirits and the Ancestors and now the Sacred Grove must be taken down.  I honor the Hearth Fire and restore it to flame.   I honor the Well of Segais and restore it to water.  I honor the bile and restore it to branch.  All is as it was and the Sacred Grove is dismantled  The ritual is ended. Biodh Se!    (bee-shay)

Daily Declaration of a Féinnid #1

by
An affirmation is a positive self-empowering statement that should be said daily .  They have probably always been around for a long while but became a ‘thing’ in the New Age movement.  As part of our spiritual lives many make affirmations and I support this, and we should make affirmations part of our daily ritual.
As  féinnidi we should do more.  We should declare ourselves to the gods daily our role and remind ourselves who we are and why we do what we do.  This first declaration focuses on the Otherworldly aspect of fénidecht and is a prayer that can be done anytime or anyplace.

Warrior, hunter, poet, seer, outsider, I am what
is feared by the ‘things that go bump in the night.’ With truth in my heart,
strength of my arms, and constancy of my tongue, I walk the boundary between
worlds and stand at the borders guarding against the unknown. Armed against
those who wish to harm; I am the wolf, I am the prey, I am the wild hunt.
 I am a guardian between the realms, a wild beast in the wood, a féinnid
in the service of my people.

*Writing requirement for OOTW course *koyros1