Performed 12:00 EDT on May 4, 2002 at Ames Nowell State Park in Abington, MA

Everyone attending is urged to bring a cup for  waters and to bring a picnic lunch to be eaten afterward. There will be a small rite of consecration and blessing after the main rite, we ask that anyone attending who wishes to consecrate an item or have it consecrated please hold the item until this time. It is customary to give a sacrifice to the Gods of fire for the consecrations. Anyone wishing a special blessing for healing or other requests is asked to hold these personal workings until the consecration and blessing rite. Specific Gods and Goddesses will be called and honored for requests during this rite and it will be conducted by an ADF Clergy Council member and the gates will remain open and the fire remain lit until after this rite.

Anyone wishing to take some of the waters of life with them after the rite is reminded to bring a small container. Everyone is urged to bring flowers to decorate the area as is the tradition.

At 12:00 there will be preliminary rite to honor and gift the local nature spirits.  Gifts of bread, fruit, nuts and birdseed will be given to the forest and placed out on the land. Anyone who wishes to bring gifts for the local animals and their spirits may. The gifts will be placed in a pile where they will be blessed.

Ritual roles will be assigned to ADF members who volunteer for them in advance of the rite.

"All you creatures that go on feet, fin and wing, with roots reaching into the depths below, all you spirits that wind whisper, wave walk and rain revel, of sliding stream and the stones that remain. Accept these gifts and may there be a bond of peace between us that we may stand here with you and celebrate the light."

The gifts will now be scattered into the forest and onto the land by the participants who wish to participate in offering to these spirits.

Bardic calling: The bard will extemporize then begin the processional chant, and the drums will start. The processional chant will be a section from the Padstow Carol.

Unite and unite and let us all unite,
For the summer is a comin' today.
And wither we are going
We all will unite
In the merry mornin' of May.
Traditional

Our people will line up behind the sacrificer who will lead the folk into the ritual area with drummers beating a lively beat from the back following the bard. The priest will bring up the rear . The people will enter the area and continue to sing until the bard signals to stop. The priest will enter while saying:

"We have come here to stand as one to honor the Gods and to welcome the summer"

Firetender lights the fire in the fire altar and the sacrificer makes gives oil to the fire while the priest says: "Summer heats like fire while we welcome the flame and honor the fire Gods of our peoples accept this sacrifice and give us fire to cook and to warm."
 
The sacrificer  will pour a sacrifice upon the ground while someone speaks:

"Warm yourselves in the summer light, Goddesses of the lands of our peoples, we honor you and ask that your steadfast strength nurture the roots of our people and tribes to support us as we grow for our work is sacred".

Someone speaks:
Land: Sacred is this land to us, sacred is all land to us, it is the world which we walk. We are supported and sustained by the land, valleys, fields , hills, spires of peaks, depths of forest down to the shores holding before the waves.

Someone speaks:
Sea:  Waves of the Sea, touches of the other-world endlessly dancing to rise and recede at our shores. Across the waves, the ancestors rest and the sea gives and claims as it will, all the while pushed by the breath of the skies.

Someone speaks:
Sky – Skies above, the very world of the Gods of our people, with shining eye, sweeping winds and blessings raining down. The secrets of lives written in  mysteries of star and cloud.

 All:                                                   Firetender:
 "From the center to the edge" "Fire be a light"
"From the center to the edge"  "alight the world"
"From the center to the edge"  "world changing fire"

 All:     Sacrificer:
"From the center to the edge"  "well be a gate
"From the center to the edge"  gate of blessings
"From the center to the edge"  blessings from a well"

 All:     Priest:
"From the center to the edge"  "Tree standing steadfast
"From the center to the edge"  steadfast between worlds
"From the center to the edge"  worlds upon the tree"
 

Sacrificer makes a border offering at the gates while a warrior says: "Champions of the Gods of our people, with this sacrifice freely given,  we ask protection for our folk in this place, in our homes and in our lives".

The sacrificer makes a border offering to the south while a warrior says: "Let that which has no part of us remain beyond and trouble us not"

The sacrificer makes a sacrifice into the cauldron, then he raises his hand to mark a spiral in the air at the center of the rite and says: "Gate keepers of the Gods, we ask that you open the gates and give unhindered passage to all who come in honour. May the gates among the worlds be opened"

The sacrificer pours an offering of oil into the fire while the priest says:  "Gods, Goddesses, shining ones of our people we honor you today in this place and across our lands. Receive this gift freely given as you receive our worship"

Chant:
By the Gods above
And by the Goddesses
So Mighty
Paradox

The sacrificer pours an offering of honey into the cauldron as the bard says:
"Ancestors of blood and of spirit, we give you a gift and invite you to our celebration"

Chant:
From far beyond this mortal plane
Mothers and Fathers of old
We pray that you return again
Mothers and Fathers of old.
To share with us the mysteries
And secrets long untold
Of the ancient ways we seek to reclaim
Mothers and Fathers of old.
Sable

Priest: "Let the peoples be named that all may be known to be part of the folk"

The Groves will be named in an ancient musical form, a single male voice will hold a deep sub-harmonic or spectrum-harmonic tone while a single female voice will intone the names of the Groves and the sacrificer will pour an offering of oil onto the fire altar for each name called:

(Note: This is a list of ADF groves in 2002; for a current list see our groves section)

Sacrificer addresses the people: "Are there any individual sacrifices"
 
This time is for the sacrifice of tangible items to fire or well and the sacrifices may be made by the individual or handed to the sacrificer to perform.

Bard addresses the people: "Are there any praise offerings"

At this time, original songs and poems are performed. Please consider the length of time that your praise will take given the size and scope of the ritual. Longer performance pieces should be saved for the picnic afterward.
 
 Divination by Priest

The bowl containing the waters will be held up by the sacrificer while the priest says:
"Lapping upon the shores, flowing across the land and falling from the skies are the many waters bringing life and sustenance.  May we share these sacred waters as one folk"

The cupbearers bring the waters around to the people present and pour some in each cup.

All cups are raised and the Priest says: "Behold the waters of life"

All respond: "Behold the waters of life"

Some water is then scattered to the outer areas to symbolize the inclusion of those not physically present in the rite.

Priest addresses all with statement of continuity.

Bard "Ancestors of blood and spirit for our lives for you aid we thank you"

All: "We thank you"

Priest: "Goddesses and Gods of our people, Shining ones of elder days for your aid and attendance we thank you"

All: "We thank you"

Sacrificer: "Keepers of the hidden ways among the worlds we thank you.

All: "We thank you"

Warrior: "Champions who insure the protection of the folk, for your strong hand and firm standing we thank you"

All: "We thank you"

The same person who called the Land Goddesses: "Goddesses of the living lands of our peoples for your support and constant strength we thank you"

All: "We thank you"

Firetender: "Fire Gods of our people we ask that you remain in our hearths and in our hearts to warm , our heads to inspire and our hands that we may perform our work. For your warmth and light we thank you"

All: "We thank you"

Bard: extemporizes thanks to Bardic Deities: "....... We thank you"

All: "We thank you"

Priest: May the Gods bless our people and our peoples this rite is ended.