Musical Signal

Honoring the Earth-Mother

O, Glorious womb of harvest.
You fiery heart of creation.
Gracious green mother.
Earth Mother, accept this offering and uphold us in our rite.

(An offering of grain is made.)

All: Earth Mother, accept our offering.

Acknowledgement of the Outsiders

To You who stood against the gods.
To You who stood against our forbearers.
To You who stand against us.
We thank you for the lessons you teach and the strength you build.
Take this offering and trouble not our rite!

(A suitable offering is made outside the ritual area)

Specification of Ritual Purpose & Historical
Precedent / Naming Deity of the Occasion

We gather together, joining with countless others across this continent, in order to remember those who have died as a result of Hurricane Katrina and to lend our prayers, our strength, and our energy to the continued effort to send relief and comfort to all those affected by this tragedy.

Centering, Grounding, & Merging

[Two Powers Meditation]

Offerings to the Sacred Center: Acknowledgement of the Mundus

Sacred mundus, mouth of the Earth.
Open for this brief time
that we may receive all Numinae into our rite.
Mundus patet!

Acknowledgement of the Focus

Vesta Mater, Shining Lady, unite us all,
Queen of the hearth, Vesta Mater,
Your household is here.
Let us pray with a good fire.

Acknowledgement/Offering to the Focus

The folk stand as a doorway,
A pillar between the worlds.
Together, we gather at this sacred portal
In wisdom, love and hope.

Calling upon the Gate Keeper

Salve Ianus Pater!!
Ianus Inceptio, God of beginnings;
Ianus Brifons, Two-faced Ianus;
Ianus Patulcius, Opener of doors;
Ianus Domesticus, Protector of homes;
Ianus Quirinus; God of the folk
Lend wings to our prayers and conjure a portal between us and the world of the Gods.
Through your door, let the prayers of your supplicants pass to the Kindreds.

Opening the Gates

Janus, join your magic with mine
And let the focus open as a gate,
Let the mundus open as a gate,
Let the portus be the crossroads of all Worlds.

Ianus of Openings, admit us into the presence of the shining Ones
IANUS PATULCIUS ADMITTE NOS IN PRAESENTIUM NUMINUM LUCENTIUM
PORTAE APERIANTUR – Let the gates be open!

All: Let the Gates be open!

Offering to the Ancestors

The children of the Earth call out to the Mighty Dead.
Salvete, Majores et Di Manes!
Greetings, ancestors and divine dead.

You who have gone before,
Who fled in terror when Vesuvius erupted;
Who perished in floods, fires, wars and
Disasters both natural and man-made.

Come to our hearth, Ancestors
Meet us at the boundary
Guide us and ward us as we walk the elder ways.

Majories et Di Manes, mactete hoc sacrificio!

All: Ancestors, accept our sacrifice!

Offering to the Nature Spirits

The children of the Earth call out to the Spirits of this Land.
Salvete, Numinae et Indigites!

Kindred of coastlands, wetlands and river valleys;
You whose homes and keepers have been lost or destroyed;
Who now wander, swim or crawl in confusion
In this world transformed from the familiar and safe.

Come to our fire, Spirits;
Meet us at the boundary.
Guide us and ward us as we walk the elder ways.

Numinae et Indigites, mactete hoc sacrificio!

All: Nature Spirits, accept our sacrifice!

Deities

The children of the Earth call out to the Shining Ones. Salvete, Dei!

To all Gods and Goddesses:
You, who have held back the flood,
Who protect those who honor you when you can
And grieve by our sides when you cannot.

Come to our hearth, Shining Ones;
Meet us at the boundary.
Guide us and ward us as we walk the elder ways.

Dei, mactete hoc sacrificio!

All: Deities, accept our sacrifice!

The Main Sacrifice

Janus Pater, God of Beginnings, to those who have lost their homes and their communities: May You provide new beginnings, new homes, new jobs, and new friends to fill the empty places of those that were lost.

Hear our plea, Janus Pater.

All: Hear our plea, Janus Pater.

Tellus Mater, Mother Earth, to those whose loved ones have died and who are burdened by unimaginable losses, finding themselves refugees in their own country: May You provide comfort in the embrace of your loving arms.

Hear our plea, Tellus Mater.

All: Hear our plea, Tellus Mater.

Neptunus Pater, Provider of Fresh Water, to those areas inundated and polluted by flood water, debris and sewage: May You allow levees to be repaired, debris to be removed; help draw back the unclean waters and refresh those flooded areas with clean, pure water.

Hear our plea, Neptunus Pater.

All: Hear our plea, Neptunus Pater.

Fortuna Redux, Fortune, the Home-bringer, to those who fled their homes and inundated cities, who wonder if they will ever be able to return home or if they even have a home to return to: May You protect and steer them home when it is safe to return.

Hear our plea, Fortuna Redux.

All: Hear our plea, Fortuna Redux.

Aesculapius, God of Healing, to those who are injured, those separated and searching for family; to those who have been traumatized: May You be a healing presence in their lives for as long as it takes them to return to wholeness.

Hear our plea, Aesculapius.

All: Hear our plea, Aesculapius.

Spes, Goddess of Hope, to those who return to homes battered by wind and engulfed by flood and to those who have no homes to return to: May You provide hope that they may rebuild, reorganize, regroup and renew their homes and communities.

Hear our plea, Spes.

All: Hear our plea, Spes.

Mercurius, Protector of Travelers, to those who suffer on the streets or crowded into shelters, hot, weary, and fearful; to those who feel homesick and far away from loved ones and their homes at this time: May You provide the comfort of safe homes, rest and hospitality for as long as it is needed, comforting families and friends across the distance.

Hear our plea, Mercurius.

All: Hear our plea, Mercurius.

Ceres Mater, Provider of the Fruits of Earth, to those who have lost all material possessions; to the poor and those whose livelihoods have been lost or impaired by this disaster; to those whose workplaces have become unsafe and who face an uncertain future: May You provide sustenance and restore prosperity as quickly as possible.

Hear our plea, Ceres Mater.

All: Hear our plea, Ceres Mater.

Mars Olloudius, Protector of the People, to those who are involved in rescuing people and those caring for the injured in hospitals and clinics: May You sustain and uphold them through this time of tremendous loss and stress.

Hear our plea, Mars Olloudius.

All: Hear our plea, Mars Olloudius.

Quirinus, God of the Community, to those communities that have been devastated: May You help them live and learn and support one another and have joy in their lives once again; may this disaster bring people together to rebuild their cities, and to fill their lives with justice, their plates with food and their streets with music.

Hear our plea, Quirinus.

All: Hear our plea, Quirinus.

Jupiter Stator, to the police, firefighters, FEMA employees, National Guard, Red Cross workers, disaster response coordinators, whose work is just beginning and will not end for many months: May You strengthen and sustain them for service.

Hear our plea, Jupiter Stator.

All: Hear our plea, Jupiter Stator.

Vesta Mater, Embodiment of the Hearth Flame, to all those with home and without: May You warm their hearts, minds and bodies, bring them back to Your center.

Hear our plea, Vesta Mater.

All: Hear our plea, Vesta Mater.

Ancestors, Spirits and Gods, to each of us as we pray: May it be Your will to be propitious to us; may distance not deter us from generous giving and enduring companionship.

Hear our plea, Great Kindred.

All: Hear our plea, Great Kindred.

Piacular Offering

Gods and Goddesses,
Holy Ancestors,
Spirits of this place:
If anything that we have done here has offended you,
If anything we have done here has been incomplete,
If anything we have done here has not been in the proper manner,
Accept this final offering in recompense.

Induction of Receptivity

Ancient and Mighty Ones, we have honored you
and pray that you heed our prayers.
For all those for whom we have petitioned,
We ask that you hear your children:

NUMINA LUCENTIA, AQUAE VIVAE DATIS!

All: Shining Ones, give us the Waters!

NUMINA LUCENTIA, AQUAE VIVAE DATIS!

All: Shining Ones, give us the Waters!

NUMINA LUCENTIA, AQUAE VIVAE DATIS!

All: Shining Ones, give us the Waters!

Consecration Agreement

Behold the holy Cup of Magic
The outpouring of Blessing from the Great Ones
When we share the draught of the Gods
We drink in wisdom, love and strength
To do as we will in the worlds
In service to the Shining Ones.

Hear us Mighty Kindred:
Hallow these waters with your blessings!

ECCE AQUAE VIVAE!

All: Behold the Waters of Life!

(The cup is shared.)

Thanking of Entities Invited in Reverse Order

The Great Ones have blessed us.
Let us carry the magic from our sacred Grove
Into our lives and our work.

Each time we offer to the Powers
They become stronger
And more aware of our needs and our worship.

So now as we prepare to depart
Let us give thanks
To all those who have aided us.

Janus Pater, Tellus Mater, Neptunus Pater, Fortuna Redux, Aesculapius, Spes, Mercurius, Ceres Mater, Mars Olloudius, Quirinus, Jupiter Stator, and Vesta Mater, we thank you.

All: We thank you!

Gods and Goddesses of elder days, we thank you.

All: We thank you!

O Spirits of this land , we thank you.

All: We thank you!

O Ancestors, our Kindred, we thank you.

All: We thank you!

To all those Powers that have aided us, we thank you.

All: We thank you!

Mother of all
To you we return all we leave unused
Uphold us now in the world as you have in our rite.
Earth Mother, we thank you.

All: We thank you!

Ianus Clusivius, closer of doors,
For your presence and power
Your guiding and guarding we thank you.

All: We thank you!

Affirmation of Past/Future Continuity and Success

Now by the Keeper of Gates and by our magic
We end what we began.

Now let the Focus be but a flame;
Let the Mundus be but a pot;
Let the Portus be only a doorway.
Let all be as it was before...

PORTAE CLAUDANTUR!!

All: Let the Gates be closed!

Go now, Quirites
In peace and blessings
The rite is ended!