Yes we are active during the summer! Check out our Event calender on this website and see what we are up to!
PLEASE READ THE BELTAINE FB EVENT PAGE! We just changed a few things. The site is clean so we don’t need people up there Friday afternoon.
Please be at the site and ready to go by 7 pm. yes ritual starts at sundown but it would be disruptive to show up later. **This is a closed ritual. Remember USUPA dues need to be paid before attending and you have to have been abiding by attendance rules. Why? because we want a safe environment both physically and spiritually and knowing YOU before helps create that. Non-members are not allowed( exception is spouses)**
0.6 miles from the gate in Green Canyon will be our ritual site and campsite will be just above that. please park by the USUPA banner and walk up the trail to the site. Please bring stories/poetry/songs to share over the Beltaine fires. please see the website for ritual details.
We need the following volunteers:
- 4 people to call the directions
- A man and a woman to start each of the Beltaine Fires
- Drummer
- 1 or 2 face-painters
We need everyone participating to bring these items along with their camping gear (if you are staying the night):
- at least 1 bundle of firewood (the fires will go all night)
- A bright strip of cloth for clooties
- Drum or tambourine (if you’ve got them)
- Bright clothing
- Colorful flowers
Beltane 2012
- Colorado Tuatha Beltaine fires 2011
Ritual actions
participant’s words
ritual leader’s words
“Welcome everyone to our Beltane celebration! To get ourselves in the spirit of things, let’s first do a short centering meditation to allow us to forget about the worries our studies had for us. Kick off your shoes, the ground has been cleaned and readied for us tonight, and gather here by the willow tree.”
“Sit on the ground, and feel yourselves connected to it. This is a connection to our mother earth, who allows us to bring the energies of the past little while out, and to bury them. We won’t need them tonight. Allow those worries and stresses to slip away, from your mind, to your hands; and from your hands into the earth. Feel the earth beneath your hands and allow her to replace your worries with peace. It is a new time this night. A night of passion, and of rebirth.”
“With the earth beneath you, the sky above you, the water around you, and the fire and life within you, you feel the peace of balance. Your spirit is at the center of these balanced elements, and you are free. You are free to see what has happened, behind you. You are free to see what influences you have, to your left and to your right. And you look ahead, and see your goals, however great or small. Think of them, and keep them in your sight. You look at them with serenity. You know that you will dedicate yourself to these goals this night. As your goals take shape, describe them to yourself. See the way the words burn with the fire of intention. Keep that fire in your heart, for Beltane is a night of fire. When you are ready, open your eyes, and we can begin.”
Begin Lighting the need-fires.
“We have released our bad energies into the earth, yet we recover the energies tonight with an old custom – Need-Fire. A fire that is lit and yet unstruck is a fire of significant power. It is coaxed out of the earth, not by force, but by honest work. As the coals are made, we symbolize the rebirth of the life power of the earth. What was cold, wet and dark has become what allows us to be most warm and enlightened. The winter days are truly past, and we celebrate the birth of a bright summer.We are at the cross-quarter holiday, exactly halfway between equinox and solstice. We celebrate the end of the cold season, and celebrate life as it blossoms around us, letting ourselves blossom as we join in with the lands’ vibrant energy. We have stated our intentions with the spirit of the land, and are well received.”
Beltane is a celebration of the elements of life itself: The seed and the soil, masculine and feminine; the powers of union, the powers of potential, and commitment to things yet to be. Beltane is about the loved and sacred being given ecstatic voice together. It is about the pinnacle of creative potential finally joining with perfect place and trust.It’s said that Beltane is the highest day of life’s potential. We celebrate the union of the Lord and Lady. We light two fires, one for each, both within the heart of our circle, and work with them as they together provide energy for the coming times. Each fire is built from nine woods, to celebrate the diversity and scope of life that has sprung up around us. You’re all free to relax and talk amongst yourselves as the fires are lit and tended. When they become large you’ll be called back and we’ll form our circle.”
Once the fires are lit, everyone gather around the circle.
South: “We call upon the the fiery spirits of the south, and welcome them here. They will lead us tonight.”
West: “We call upon the water’s spirits of the West, and welcome them here. They will sustain us tonight.”
North: “We call upon the Earthen Spirits of the North, and welcome them here. They will provide for us tonight.”
East: “We call upon the Spirits of Air, and welcome them here. They will enliven us tonight.”
“Tonight, with the elements in balance, and the veil between the spiritual domain and our own made thin, we welcome the local spirits of this place, our ancestors, The Lord and the Lady. Beltane is when we celebrate life, and invite all who wish to do so. If you wish to invite your specific deities or any beloved dead here to celebrate with you, do so now.Gather now near the altar. We will soon thrice each jump the Beltane Fires! This signifies your brave and welcoming spirit of things to come. As you prepare yourselves for this trial, allow your faces to be painted with the warriors’ blue so you can embody that warrior spirit!
Begin Face-painting
“You will announce your intentions before each leap, letting the fire purify you, heal you, and finally protect you. Take this time to ready yourselves and your intentions. I will soon challenge your readiness! When that time comes, you will answer with a resounding ‘AYE!’ Remember your purpose here is to to jump the Beltane Fires.”
Drumming commences. Ritual leader asks of the group:
“You are held safe within the circle that you have cast with us! Do you know it?!”
- “Aye!”
“You stand together here with friends old and new, in person and in spirit! Do you feel it?!”
- “Aye!”
“You await your passing through the fires! The power of fire is great, though tonight it serves to inspire your path, and rid you of doubts! Do you trust it?!
- “Aye!”
“What is your purpose here this night?”
- “To jump the Beltane fires!
“Whomever is ready, come around the fires to me, one at a time, and we will begin!”
Participants come around the fires in whatever order of readiness. Participants are challenged one at a time with the following:
“What path will your spirit take these coming months? Announce your intentions to the group!”
- announce intentions to the group
“Jump and be purified!”
Jumps the Beltane Fires
- “Say Again, louder, to nature!”
- repeats intentions, louder
“Jump and be healed!”
Jumps the Beltane Fires a second time.
“Once more, and shout out to the spirits, ancestors, and to the gods themselves!”
-
shouts out intentions
“Jump, and be protected!”
Jumps the Beltane Fires for the third and final time. From across the fires, the Participant is challenged:
“Are you now ready to commit yourself to your path?”
-”Aye!”
“How do you so?”
- “With perfect love and perfect trust”
“Drink of the wine from our altar to seal your self, your intentions, and your chosen path; and do so in the company of friends.”
Participant drinks from the cup upon the altar, and all cheer. Repeat until all are through. Drumming ceases, and we reform the circle.
“This night we have raised the energy of life! We have made our magical space clean, and been cleansed by it. We have experienced together the energy of the spring! Let us take the energy we have raised here together, and internalize it. It is the energy of spring; of love and fertility; of potential and growth. As you go throughout your life, both here at Beltane and further on, remember the energy of tonight, and know that you hold it within you. You have given yourselves a path, announced your intentions, and have committed yourself to it. Take each others hands.”
All hold hands, once more forming a circle. Singing bowl rings three times.
“Breathe deep, and feel yourself in this place. You now occupy the land you need to occupy. You are holding the hands of those you love. You feel the warmth of the fire on your skin, and the light of the moon high above you. You will not ground the energy you have felt, but work with it for many days to come. Where you walk, this energy of spring will allow things around you to find life and liveliness. Imagine as you walk, you are on the path that you have chosen. As you walk, you know your progress, and are satisfied. You see your progression, as you look back, as life has bloomed about your footsteps, and you are happy! You know that you have taken the energy of this place, and brought its life with you. This is your path. You have experienced love, joy, commitment, trust, potential, strength, and caring. You know each of these things, and have nurtured their fertile growth. This is the spirit of Beltane.”
“Play the music and begin to dance around the fire, keeping each others hands in your own. Feel our sacred circle become open and unbroken as we dance, that we can maintain it throughout the night, knowing all are free to come and go as we please. Our ritual will last all through Beltane, though the nights formalities end soon.”
Music plays, dancing, cheers will go throughout night, singing, chanting, telling stories, having fun, stuff, things etc.
Mayday- Everyone is awakened/called together by a drum. Once awakened, we gather together at camp.
“Good morning. After last night’s ritual of personal potential, We gather to celebrate the Lord and Lady’s union in the custom of the maypole! Lets walk down to the circle, to prepare ourselves for the morning ritual. If you have fresh clothes to wear for morning ritual, please change into them. Then gather together water, combs, brushes, some strips of cloth, and flowers; bring them down to the circle that is still cast, and we will ready ourselves.”
All walk down to ritual site.
“Before we enter the circle again, let’s wash the warrior paint off our faces with pure water. Today we are not to look brave, but rather inviting. Take time to ready your appearance. Take flowers and put them on your person, and appreciate the beauty of nature and the beauty of yourselves. Once all are ready, Women enter the circle. Men retrieve the maypole. Today we celebrate the union of the Lord and Lady through the maypole and the earth. The men will embody the masculine spirit and blessings of the God as they retrieve it. Women, be mindful of your own power, and embody the spirit and blessings of the Goddess, of the earth, as we anticipate the coming union.”
Retrieve Maypole
To the Men: “Remember we are bringing forth an object of male virility. Be mindful as we walk of the intentions you set for yourselves last night, and ask for whatever blessings of the Lord, in his Beltane power, that you feel you should ask”
Men bring maypole down to the circle.
“Together we embody the spirit and blessings of fertility. The men have brought the women the symbol of themselves and of the God. The Women have made this space a space of loving invitation through the symbol of the Goddess. Women anoint the maypole with water, with your personal blessing, that you may enjoy a balance of masculine and feminine energy this day.”
Women anoint and bless the maypole
“Men, carry the maypole to where it will join with the earth. Before you secure it, kick off your shoes and feel the earth beneath you. Feel the connection to the Goddess, and proffer a personal blessing, that you can enjoy a balance of feminine and masculine energy this day.”
Men remove shoes and proffer a blessing. They then secure the maypole into the earth.
“With this unity of Spirits and Blessings, let us take up the ribbons of the maypole, and dance! Men grab the white ribbons, women the red: Each the color of creation! Try to balance the number holding white and red: Embody the other gender if needed! Women go clockwise, men go counter. Women bring your ribbon over the men first, and then under them second, alternating as you go around. We go until we cannot any longer!
Begin drums/music, and dance!
“Now that we have celebrated the season, and raised the energies of Beltane, we have one more ritual to perform. Take your strips of cloth, and write upon them a blessing that you wish to receive. Before you tie these clooties, think of the ways in which you can best receive your blessing. Tie them to the Willow Tree, and let the wind carry their words to the spirits, ancestors, and gods, that they will hear your wish and grant you it.”
Everyone ties their clooties.
“Thank you everyone for making magic here for Beltane! Enjoy your peace, embrace your intentions, and remain open to this time of rebirth! Blessed Be!”
Indulge me…
I kept thinking how hot it was, and how uncomfortable I might end up being from staying outside too long. I saw new people, and wondered what a different experience this would be. Were the new kids old hands at paganism? Would we scare them? I hoped they would feel welcome and tried to open a few lines of conversation.
Then we began the ritual. A perfect breeze rolled in, and brought the fresh smell of our Mother deep into my lungs. I stood silently listening to Megan conduct the ritual, feeling little bugs occasionally land on my skin. At first I brushed them away, but then I realized that I might need them there to help me connect, so I let the little fellas rest in my arm hairs.
Breathing deeply, eyes closed, I imagined myself sitting deep in green canyon’s shade, feet bare to connect with the Earth herself. I felt the sun and imagined tendrils of energy running through me between the dirt below and the sky above. I imagined a conversation that my body was able to have with the universe around me, and felt more relaxed that my life had purpose and direction. Not from any specific personality telling me what I should do, but that I had decided to make my life useful, according to my own mores.
As the conversation ended, I felt a bit drained, but that was resolved with some delicious cupcakes and juice. I appreciate the ritual we did to proclaim and renew our promises as stewards over Earth. I pledge to do my part by picking up trash as I’m walking, recycling, and foraging for re-usable items that I can use in my garden and home.
I had great conversation with those who came to attend for the first time, and hope that they feel welcome at future functions. I cannot wait to jump the flames of Beltaine.
(ritual written by Megan)
First, Megan explains the ritual and everyone takes their shoes off and enters circle through Eastern gate.
Directions and Deities
We will now call the directions for protection, strength, and support.
We call upon the powers of the East and welcome the winds of awareness to this circle.
May the winds continue to shape the land around us,
All the while providing us with the vision for change.
Let us see the beauty of the Earth through the eyes of the wind;
Let us see the rustling of the leaves, the soft bending of blades of grass.
Let us see the Earth as it is and as it can be.
We call upon the powers of the South and welcome the fires of change to this circle.
May the fires be tamed and provide only the destruction that is needed for rebirth,
All the while teaching us of the importance of transformation.
Let us see the beauty of the Earth through the eyes of the fire.
Let us see the cycles of life and death, the brilliant green that rises from the ash.
Let us see the Earth as it is reborn.
We call upon the powers of the West and welcome the waters of healing to this circle.
May the water heal the wounds of the Earth and bring forth new life,
All the while filling us with the desire to do the same.
Let us see the beauty of the Earth through the eyes of the water.
Let us see the winding rivers, hear the soothing splash of the creeks and majestic waterfalls.
Let us see the Earth as it is healed and renewed.
We call upon the powers of the North and welcome the lands of fertility, growth, and prosperity.
May the Earth energize and enlighten us,
All the while giving us a connection to life, the world, and each other.
Let us see the beauty of the Earth through its own eyes.
Let us see the power beneath its surface, the shifts and quakes,
Let us see the colorful rock, moist soil, and comforting grass.
Let us see the Earth both sustain and take away.
You may now call any deities of the earth or otherwise to the circle.
Meditation
I will now lead a meditation to enhance our connection and awareness of the Earth. You may sit or stand, whatever is most comfortable.
Close your eyes and listen to the sounds of the Earth around you.
Feel the blades of grass beneath you, tickling you, welcoming you, as you run your fingers through it or wiggle your toes against it.
Feel the sensation, the peace, that it brings and allow yourself to connect with it.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Feel the air filling your lungs, smell the sweet fresh air that the Earth provides.
Breath in and out slowly, concentrating only on the Earth.
Feel the pulsing of it beneath you and see yourself connecting to it.
You see your energy, your life force, in the formation of a tree.
Dark roots sink from you into the Earth and connect you to the power there.
Take a few deep breaths and feel yourself being nourished by it.
Golden branches rise from you and wander into the sky.
You feel the energy flow from your roots and into your branches, making you one with the Earth.
Feel the energy all around you as it pulses, calming and centering you in space.
Breathe deeply, feel it wash over you.
Reach out to the energy that the Earth offers you and offer yours in return.
Feel the strength of the circuit that is formed.
Let the Earth repair and renew you.
When you are ready, withdraw your roots and branches slowly.
Let them fade back into you.
Let the residual energy restore you and fade away.
Feel yourself grounded on this plane,
Remember the connection that you have shared with the Earth, and when you are ready, open your eyes.
Honoring the Earth
(pledge and chant to be decided on)
Close Circle
We thank all of the deities that have joined us and lent us their energy and support.
We thank the growth-enhancing powers of earth and close the Northern gate.
May we remember the lessons we have learned and the connections we have formed.
We thank the healing powers of water and close the Western gate.
May we see the wounds healed within ourselves and notice those to be healed in others.
We thank the change-inducing powers of fire and close the Southern gate.
May we see the possibility for change around us and have the strength to follow through with it.
We thank the eye-opening powers of wind and close the Eastern gate.
May we be more aware of the world around us and honor it.
[everyone exits the circle through the Eastern gate and has refreshments]
You Go HERE! ” It’s probably easiest to take 1200 E (the street that runs East of USU) and follow it until you hit 1900 N, then take a right and follow it all the way up. Eventually you’ll see a pavilion to your left (before you get to the actual canyon parking area); that’s where we’ll be 
”-Megan
It is hard to read on the map but the street is actually 1900 N. Cell phones don’t work in the canyon so please be sure to arrive early/on time ( that’s 4 pm) We will do our best to hang the banner from where it can be seen on the road to make it easy for you.
On April 20th from 10 am to 3 pm we will be selling cupcakes again! $1 for delicious homemade delights of sugary goodness. We take cash, CC and debit cards cause we are FANCY. Sign up for booth times and cupcakes here. Bring your frosting and we will frost them at Kassie’s the night before.
All baking will take place the day before(19th), assembly of products into individual containers the night before(19th) at Kassie’s house around 9 pm, late I know but if everyone shows up with finished cupcakes all we have to do is package them and many hands make light work…with sorting and packaging at least 200 cupcakes..we’ll need help!
There will be two Square App devices to take CC/debit payments with so if you have a smart phone download the Square app and we will get USUPA bank info to you that day.
We’ve chosen Vanilla, Devil’s food, Strawberry and Carrot cupcakes for our spring fundraiser flavors. Click on the links for the recipe. We’d like to have cupcakes that look and taste the same but if you have a similar recipe that you love, use it! just something close is all we ask.
For your listening pleasure, here is the recording of our Agdistis/Cybele meeting, where we discuss some of the dry historical information about Cybele as well as some of the major myths.
I love being pagan. I love the way it lets me make connections that are meaningful with nature, with my community, and with myself. I love the way that simple archetypes and symbols are like mirrors to my self, how they let me explore all of life as a deep reflection of my own, and celebrate it.
I can’t remember how I discovered paganism. I knew it resonated with me, and I wanted to be a part of it, but I didn’t know how.
Nearly six years ago I remember reading about Wicca, and loving it. I loved the balanced way it seemed to view the spectrum of life. I wasn’t used to celebrating the feminine along with the masculine, the earth along with the transcendent, the sexual along with the devotional, and the personal path along with the group effort. It was more than a welcome relief, it was like an ecstatic experience.
I was still plagued by my doubts. I’ll try not to pretend I remember more than I do, but I do remember which issues with my LDS upbringing that led me out of it. I cannot honestly remember if I had been looking into paganism before I left, but I have to assume I was enjoying a unhealthy amount of cognitive dissonance, so maybe I was. I remember my leaving the church was all at once with little warning. I confessed to my dad (to myself?) that I not only didn’t want to go on a mission for the church, I didn’t believe in God either. I’ve been back to church services 4 times since, and never to worship.
I wanted to be Wiccan, though. I knew that even though it related to me on such a clear level as an escape from sexism and arbitrary authority, I didn’t really know what it could mean to be worshipful of the Lady and the Lord. I couldn’t make myself believe. I wanted to reach out to someone, even through the internet, to help me learn and find my way. I was still under my parents’ roof, and had severe restrictions on the books I could read, the company I kept, and the websites I could learn from. More than disliking that I had left their church, they hated that I was into paganism.
So I was alone, doubting, and practically absentminded about the path I was enamored with, but restricted from.
I went to college the next year, up here at Utah State. I bought my own computer, I had my own place, and my roommates were all surprisingly non-Mormon. I looked up local pagans on Witchvox, as well as a couple pagan groups on Yahoo Groups (they were a thing back then). Cache Valley was full of pagans that didn’t like to talk. But at least I had my computer, and I could learn on the internet.
Over the next few years, I had bouts of paganiness, but it was in between being skeptical and irreligious. For whatever reason, I had been hesitant of exploring paganism eclectically. But a highly personal path, once I got used to the idea, seemed perfect. I owe Wicca my understanding of balanced spirituality giving celebration to all facets of life, but it wasn’t until I abandoned the framework of thinking I had to believe and be worshipful in certain aspects of practice that I began to grow.
I can bring what I want to my path. I think of my path as exploration first, and a symbolic celebration of life second. Paganism is a way to form connections, to draw meaning from simple practice. To me, the old gods and goddesses are archetypes of the human experience; symbols are mirrors to our understandings; ritual is a way to approach life in all its nuances in the best way we know how.
We come together in group ritual with many differences, yet we all share those values. We value what the old pantheons bring, how it connects us with nature, and what meanings we discover from that basis. The rest is just flavor.
I love being pagan. I don’t expect others to, but I enjoy it when they do. Life comes in many flavors, and being pagan lets you celebrate it.
- Dano -
so mote it is!
Mars Ritual
Written by Astral and Megan
Friday, March 23rd – 7:00 pm, Second Dam up Logan Canyon
Altar:
- 3 Red Pillar Candles
- 1 Yellow Candle for Vesta, 1 White or Black Candle for Ianus
- Crossed knives in between the three pillar candles
- Mars cloth on the table
- Dragon’s blood on the left, food offerings for Mars in the middle, bowl with seed satchels on the right
- Circle made out of twigs and 10 tealights
Call attention by beating on shield; bring people together in a circle around the fire after sprinkling with blessed water upon entering the circle.
Give an intro/reason to the Mars ritual, Tubilustrium. Some history. Now with the history in mind, start the ritual.
Honoring the Earth-Mother
Ops Mater. Goddess of the bounty of the earth,
We send out words in praise of you, from whom all worlds flow.
Mystery of mysteries, this continual creation,
like a fountain forever bubbling up from the Earth’s darkness
She is a cup that is never empty.
Generous One, eternally giving gifts,
We pray to you; we praise you.
All: Ops Mater, we praise you.
Acknowledgement of the Outsiders
The celebrant carries out an offering for Minerva, as protector and warder against the adverse influences of the wild.
Minerva Mater,
Precor ut tuum sis boni voluntis et fortunam meo et nostrum domum et familiam,
cui causae hoc donum facio,
ut prohibeas, defendas, et avertas res viduntur et non viduntur nos opponere.
Mother Minerva,
I pray you be of good will and favorable to me and to our house and household,
for which purpose I make this offering
that you may prohibit, defend and avert things seen and unseen that may oppose us.
All: Fiat! (“So be it!”)
Centering, Grounding, Merging
Take a moment to find the center of your mind, body and soul.
Breathe deeply from your belly the air in this sacred grove, charged with anticipation and potential. Exhale fully through your mouth; then, through your nose, fill your lungs with the clean, cool aroma of this moment. Allow that sacred air to circulate and surge throughout your body.
Now continuing to breathe from your belly, stand firm and feel the Earth’s pulse through the soles of your feet. Curl your toes into the ground, rooting yourself into the bosom of the warm, nurturing Earth. Draw another deep breath while imagining tendrils of roots and vines connecting your self with the soil beneath you.
Now stretch forth your hands to those closest to you, and grasp hands or simply touch them, if you can. At one with the cosmos and at one as a grove – we are, as a community, greater than the sum of our parts. We stand as a grove in a forest of trees, one folk.
The waters support and surround us
The land extends about us
The sky stretches out above us.
At the center burns a living flame.
May all the Kindred bless us.
May our worship be true.
May our actions be just.
Blessings, and honor, and worship to the Holy Ones.
Offering to the Sacred Center
Vesta Mater, Shining Lady, unite us all,
For by worshipping at a common hearth
We are made one family, one people.
Queen of the hearth, Vesta Mater, your household is here.
Let us pray with a good fire.
[To Vesta, we make an offering of incense]
All: Let us pray with a good fire!
Opening the Gates
Gatekeeper Ianus,
We light this candle in your name,
And give you this offering in the flame,
Now, Ianus
Join your magic with mine
And let the sacred center open as a gate,
Let the four directions open as a gate,
Let this location 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!
Deities
Ask people to invoke their personal gods and/or Ostara gods.
The children of the Earth call out to the Micantes Uni. Salvete, Dei!
To all spirits in this space, we offer you welcome.
To all Gods of this place, we offer you welcome.
To all the deities of this household, we offer you welcome.
Come to our hearth, Micantes Uni;
Meet us at the boundary.
Guide us and ward us as we walk the elder ways.
Dei, venite! Deities, join us!
All: Deities join us!
And finally, to Father Mars
Of whom we are gathered for,
This fire, not only represents our hearth,
But represents your soul and being,
Which we ask to join us this day,
Come to your hearth, Mars,
Meet us here, before us,
Guide us as we act in your name,
Mavors venite!
All: Mars, join us!
Invocation to Mars
(Pass around dragon’s blood as this invocation is said.)
Mars, warrior god, Fire that leaps
And dances, Protector of cities
And of this house, and our spirits,
Courageous one, mirror us back
Some of your courage.
Fearless one, show us a path
Through our many fears.
Armored one, give us protection
From all who would harm us.
With this dragon’s blood,
We release our inhibitions into your fire,
And with the seeds we receive
Your passion and determination,
For growth.
To the people in the circle:
You are free to approach the flame of Mars,
And release your worries to His great strength.
(Allow individuals to approach the fire that is Mars, releasing verbally (or quietly) their inhibitions and fears.)
Great Mars,
You have heard our plea.
Take these shackles,
That we may be free.
May your sword turn away
All danger from our flesh,
Our bones, our house, our home,
Our hearth and our hearts
Our eyes and our spirits.
Protect us from destruction and ruin,
O fiery god of the shining spear.
(Pass around seed satchels.)
May these seeds represent
The strength,
Drive,
Courage,
Determination,
And perseverance,
Your fearless spirit will loan us.
Let them grow,
Grow within us.
Give fire to our coals.
Let our passions burn.
We hail you, eternal warrior,
And ask that you grant us
Some small measure
Of your boundless fiery heart.
Ave Mavors! Velim et vim in nobis nomine recipiamus! (say 5 times)
(Hail Mars! Let us receive strength and power in your name!)
The Main Sacrifice
(those leading ritual make sure heads are covered)
Mars Pater,
Bono voto hoc vinum tibi do.
Tuum voluntem super hos quem tuum honraverant fortuna videre sit,
cui causae hoc donum facio.
Father Mars
With good prayers I offer to you this wine and meat.
May it be your will to look with favor upon these folk who have honored you,
For which purpose I make this offering.
All: Fiat! (“So be it!”)
Piacular Offering
Mars Pater,
Gods and Goddesses,
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.
Seeking the Omen of Return
Have the offerings been accepted?
(Wait for a negative sign or positive sign from the spirits. If no sign shows, the sacrifices have been accepted.)
Thanking of Entities Invited in Reverse Order
Mars and the Great Ones have blessed us.
With joy in our hearts,
Let us carry the magic from our sacred flame
Into our lives and our work.
So now as we prepare to depart
Let us give thanks
To all those who have aided us.
Father Mars,
PATER MAVORS, GRATIAS TIBI AGIMUS!
All: We thank you!
O Gods and Goddesses of elder days,
DEI. GRATIAS VOBIS AGIMUS!
All: We thank you!
To all those Powers that have aided us, we say again…
GRATIAS VOBIS AGIMUS!
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.
Mater Ops, GRATIAS TIBI AGIMUS!
All: We thank you!
Ianus Clusivius, closer of doors,
For your presence and power
Your guiding and guarding we say…
GRATIAS TIBI AGIMUS!
All: We thank you!
Vesta Mater, Queen of the hearth,
Bless and guard all those who worship you
Whether in their home or without
Whether alone or with others
Whether thinking of you or engaged in business.
Lady of Fire, GRATIAS TIBI AGIMUS!
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.
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!
ALL: Io, Tubilustrium!
Ritual participants exit the circle and enjoy refreshments.
In 1990 I was 14, LDS and beginning to understand that I could manipulate energy. This was energy no one seemed to talk about, but I could see the real effects of what it did to the world around me. I started looking into it at the local library and scared myself silly. The only information I could find that fit the description of what I did was “witchcraft” and as every good LDS boy knows…”witchcraft is evil”. I couldn’t figure out why what I was doing was evil but decided to put it on hold until I could find out more.
During the summer of ’91 I stumbled across a book called “Modern Magick” by Donald Michael Kraig. I had finally found “religious magick” as I called it. It seemed to fit with my LDS upbringing and the knowledge I gained through experimentation. My journey into Ceremonial Magick continued for a year or so until I started being told magick was evil…period. This new information did not seem to match what I had already discovered for myself. Magick was not evil, it was not good, it is what you make it. Because of this I started investigating the LDS church deeper and did not like what I found. I asked questions that no one would answer and finally decided I needed to move on. I set out on a journey of discovery. The only problem I found was no church I investigated allowed for magick.
When I was 18 I discovered Wicca. I had finally found a religion that celebrated magick. I had a friend who knew about Wicca so I asked him for information. He gave me the info I was looking for but recommended I read a book on Asatru (Book of Troth I think). His wife (a friend of mine from high school) informed him I was already Asatru but I just didn’t know it yet. It’s hard to describe the feelings I experienced as I read through the information in this book. The closest I can come is it felt like the sun coming up to warm me after a night spent in the dark and cold and rain. I heard the call of the Gods immediately and knew I had found my path. I also knew almost immediately I was to take the Oath of the Gothar (priest) as soon as I was able. My path to and conversations with Thor came later and are a more complex story. This is the path I now travel and I try to help others find the same joy I experienced. That’s why I still study other religions and try to keep an open mind about what others may need.
So why am I Asatru? It has a moral code I agree with (the Nine Noble Virtues). It makes me a better person. It fosters my warrior spirit. It makes sense. It allows for magick. It gives me something to fight for. The Gods of the Northlands speak to me. It feels right.
-Jason
