So, O Mighty Ones, we call to you as our kin, in love of the All-Mother, to join in our magic. Come to our fire, Spirits; meet us at the boundary of the otherworld. Guide and ward our way as we come into your realm.

All: Ancestors, accept our sacrifice!

Offering is made to the shaft. Druid takes up an offering of herbs and stones, and invokes: The children of the earth call out to the spirits of this land. Hear us, companions and teachers.

To all our allies, kindreds of stone and stream, fertile earth and crystal, pools and every water; kins of the earth, we offer you welcome!

To all our allies, kindreds of the growing green, herb and flower, shrub and mighty tree, root and stem and fruit; green kins, we offer you welcome!

To our allies, kindreds of fur and feather and scale, eagle and bear, salmon and serpent; all who move on the land; red kins, we offer you welcome!

So, O Noble Ones, we call to you as our allies, in the joy of life upon earth, to join in our magic. Come to our fire, Spirits; meet us at the boundary of the otherworld. Guide and ward our way as we come into your realm.

All: Nature-Spirits, accept our sacrifice!

Offering is scattered to the four directions. Druid takes up offering of oil, invokes: The children of the Earth call out to the Gods and Goddesses. Hear us, eldest and brightest, first children of the mother to all the shining goddesses, mothers and queens, warwomen and witches, muses and lovers; goddesses, we offer you welcome!

To all the shining gods, fathers and rulers, protectors and magicians, guides, champions and lovers; gods, we offer you welcome!

To all the deities of those here gathered, you whom ye worship, you bless our lives with wisdom, health and bounty; patrons and matrons, we offer you welcome!

So, O Shining Ones, we call to you as our elders, in reverence and love, to join in our magic. Come to our fire, Spirits, meet us at the boundary of the otherworld. Guide and ward our way as we come into your realm.

All: Accept our sacrifice!

Offering is made to the fire.

Druid says:
Gods and Dead and Mighty Sidhe, Powers of Earth and Sky and Sea, by Fire and Well, by Sacred Tree offering we make to ye!

Patron Offerings

Druids take up offerings of apples and bread, saying: Now we make offering to the patron powers of our rite.

RENEW MIST VISION... see a couple, standing in an orchard filled with apples of gold, silver and crystal... the woman is a strong, beautiful queen, all in white... her hair is red, her face is mature, calm and wise... she wears a cloak of cow's hide and bears a distaff like a spear... the main is a vigorous elder in robes of grey and sea-blue.. .his hair and mustaches are white but his face is youthful, and he wears a torc of silver... in his hand he bears an apple-want of silver, with fruits that chime like bells... they are Mannanan the Wise, Keeper of the Gates, Teacher of Magicians, and Aine the Ancient, Queen of the sacred Land, Lady of the Sidhe...

To you, rulers of the Isle of Apples, we make offering.

Manannan mac Lir, we give you apples, fruit of healing and blessing.

Aine, we give you bread, made by our skill from your bounty. Join your magic with ours in this work of Druidry.

Now let our voices arise on the Fire let our voices resound in the Well. Let our call be carried to the powers.

O Manannan, O Aine, all our allies among the Gods, the Dead and the Sidhe, hear us now, we pray you, as we offer up this sacrifice. Accept our worship and grant us your aid and guidance in return.

All: Powers, accept our sacrifice!

Omen and Return Blessing

Druids lead trance moment, thus:

Feel your desire... your love for the Spirits and the land... flowing inward through the Gates... the Fire lifts it... the Well receives it... the spirits assembled are honored and strengthened...

Druid takes up the Runes, or whatever, saying:

Now that we have gifted the powers, we prepare for their gift to us in turn. Let us ask the powers what blessing they offer us.

The omen is taken and interpreted. The Druid draws from the Cauldron into a bowl and elevates it, saying:

We draw water from the magic cauldron; We fill the blessing bowl, O Mighty, Noble and Shining Ones we have honored you. Now we ask for your blessing, as a gift calls for a gift. We go now into the mist, to thank and commune with the powers of this land. By our magic we will send our vision through the gates, faring forth to spirits' home. Now, we pray you, hallow these waters! Let all who receive them be given soul-strength for the journey. Open our inner eyes and sharpen our wits. Open us to vision, to wonder and to power.

Behold the Waters of Life!

All are sprinkled as a power charm or song is sung, the Song of Amairgin is very proper as are some shamanic style power songs.

The Journey

A heart-beat drum begins softly as the Druids lead the name:

Now, with power gathered in, we deepen our trance and make our journey... make yourself comfortable... if you wish, now is the time to lie down... or to sit up, spine straight... and breathe deep... renew your center... connected with Earth and Sky... surrounded by the Wizard's Mist... let your body relax further... your limbs, your belly, your face... with every breath becoming calm and still... open and prepared... to make the inward journey.

Feel now the presence of the Mist, shining silver all around... it swirls and flows around your form... around your feet, rising... around your loins, rising... around your heart, rising... around your head, rising to enwrap you, enfold you in the Mist of Between... surrounded by featureless mist... before your eyes, above and around you... mist even below you... you are adrift in the mist... drifting... in the mist.

Feel yourself drifting... in calm and wonder... you can see before you the spirit-shape of the Gates... the Bright flowing upward, the Dark flowing down... equal and beautiful... pulling and calling you... bring to mind your ally... see its form... open yourself to its spirit being... it may come to lead you... in your vision's eye, you stand... and move toward the Gates... you are pulled into the current, light or dark.

You move into the flow... carried faster... allies and spirits around you... moving between... you travel long... you travel in an instant... you emerge again into mist and drift slowly to a halt... you come gently to rest, on solid ground... you have arrived in a place that is much closer to the Otherworld... where you may meet and speak with the Powers in the Land. The mist begins to thin... a landscape becoming clear before you... for a time, now, explore and learn from the vision of the Hidden Land... as a breeze blows the Wizard's Mist away...

Heart beat drum continues for a time, then nine knells are rung. Trance continues:

You have approached the Sidhe... perhaps spoken with the spirits... as you have done, so may you do... truer and better in times to come.. look again, all around you, and remember...

Remember... the sense and feel of the Hidden Land... the time you spent... gifts or wisdom gained... now remember our Grove... the Gates... turn around and move toward your Gate... your ally can lead you... the Mist appears around you, engulfing you... turn your mind toward your body... seated or lying in our Grove... you flow back, aided by allies... seated in our valley, wrapped in mist... move firmly back inot your flesh... breathe deep... feel your center... your connection with Earth and Sky... and remember... breathe deep, stretch and be fully back in your body as you open your eyes.

After the trance the horn is passed once around for each to speak thanks to the spirits who aided them.

Closing

Druids say: The powers have blessed us!

With joy in our hearts let us carry the magic from the sacred grove into our lives and work.

Each time we offer to them they become stronger and more aware of our needs and our worship.

So now as we prepare to depart let us give thanks to those who have aided us.

O Aine and Manannan
All: We thank you!

O Gods and Goddesses of elder days
All: We thank you!

O Spirits of this land
All: We thank you!

O Ancestors, our Kindred
All: We thank you!

Any remaining offerings etc., are spilled on the ground, saying:

Mother of all,
To you we return all that is unused in our work And all the power that is unneeded in our hearts. Earth Mother

All: We thank you!

The closing triskel is made, saying:
By the Keeper of the Gates and by our magic we end what we began. Now let the Fire be flame, let the Well be water, Let all be as it was before, and the ways between be shut.

All: Let the gates be closed!

Go now in the peace of the way of wisdom, our rite is ended.

A final nine knells is sounded.