A Full Solitary Devotional Rite for Lughnasadh in August.

What you’re going to need:

1. Read all these steps before beginning.
2. A chime, a bell, a song on your phone(turn ringtones off), a horn, or drum for a musical signal.
3. A fire, a candle, a burning coal, a burning incense stick, an led candle(last resort).
4. Offer to Ogma some juniper.
5. Holy water, that you’ve made.
6. Juniper sprigs.
7. Grain for the land goddess.
8. Beer and bread for the Heroes and Ancestors
9. Oil for the fire.
10. Silver or coin for the well.
11. Whiskey for Brid
12. Honey and Butter for the spirits.
13. Mead for the gods, and for blessing. Can use other things, see that section.

Opening

Musical Signal

Play the musical signal to mark the beginning of sacred time.

Circumambulation

Walk around the space you’ve set aside for this clockwise. Put the representation of fire in the center.

Opening Prayer

O Holy Ones, the land upholds me, the sea surrounds me, while the sky embraces me. And I stand in the center as a living fire. Let my work be done in beauty and truth. Bíodh sé amhlaidh! (prn. beog shay owlee, means. so be it)

Grounding

Fire & Water, Order & Chaos

Perform the two powers meditation found below.

Call for Inspiration

Ask for inspiration from Ogma, Champion and Poet of the Gods saying:

Oghma, shining faced wordsmith,
Collect the staves of Knowledge,
And let the cords of Eloquence burn,
In the fire of my head.

Bíodh sé amhlaidh! (beog shay owlee)

Offer juniper to Oghma in the fire.

Purification

Suffumigate the space with sprigs of juniper and asperge the space with holy water. Afterward say:

By the might of the water and the light of the fire, this grove is made whole and holy!

(optional) This grove is whole and holy. This grove is made whole and holy!

Homage

Offer to the Land

Give grain to the local land goddess saying.

Oh beloved mother below,
From whose fertile womb,
The yellow corn springs,
Bearer of my life,
Accept my offering!

Offer to the Heros

Sometimes here we bargain with the giants and unkind spirits, but we only do that as a tribe. Personally, you’d just call legendary heroes from myth and from your ancestry, to protect the space. I can provide a generic template but if you’re going to be solitary, you’re going to have to learn to be your own druid, which means a fair amount of studying, reading rituals you like, mixing and matching parts and invocations that speak to you for ones that don’t. For the adept solitare, you speak from the heart, or write poetry based on your learning of the lore stories. Offer beer or some similar drink.

Ancient Heroes,
You who dwell within the outer forests,
And who stand with the gods,
You who are brave of heart,
And sharp of mind,
Take this offering and guard my working.
Accept my offering!

Litany of Purpose

I have come here to revere the cosmos and celebrate the cycles of sun, moon, and earth. I have come to honor my ancestors, the goodly inclined spirits of this world and of others, and to honor the chief gods of the cosmos, the Tuatha Dé(prn. Tooaha day, there’s not th sound in modern irish). I have come to share in hospitality with the cosmos, and to make sacrifice. Though I do not expect, I give so that I might receive the benefits of alliances with the gods.

Today I honor Tailtiu and Lugh and his kin, for this is the nasadh, or assembly of Lugh!

Otherworld

Making Holy the Hallows

Over Fire

O sacred fire that consumes and transforms, sacrificed and sacrificer, let holy flame warm my spirit and my life.

O Sacred fire, burn within me.

(optional Irish) A thine naofa, is isteach mise (prn. Ah hina neefa, ish ishtock mish uh, trns. O sacred fire, be within me).

Anoint the fire with oil.

(optional) Over Water

O sacred waters of Segais(shay-gish) that flow and swirl beneath all being, let me know the elder depths within myself.

O Sacred Well, flow within me.

(optional Irish) A thobar naofa, ruith isteach mise (prn. Ah huber neefa, rwih ishtock mish uh, trns. O sacred well, flow within me).

Drop silver or coin into the well.

(optional) Over Tree

O tribal tree that stands at the center of land, sky and sea. Let me be deepened in your depths, raised to your heights. And strengthened in your strength.

O Sacred Tree, grow within me.

(optional Irish) A crann naofa, a fas isteach mise (prn. Ah crawn neefa, ah fawsh ishtock mish uh, trns. O sacred tree, grow within me).

Suffumigate the tree with the remaining juniper.

Opening the Ways

O Brighid, goddess of our gates, I walk on your path.
A Bhrighid, a bhandia ár ngeataí, siúl mé ar do bhealach.
(uh vreej, ah WAN-jee-uh awr NGAT-ee, SHOOL may air duh VA-lukh)

Keep the fire and dwell with in the well. Keep the forge and look after quench waters of the well as we open the ways between worlds.

Let the ways be open!

Offer whiskey or similar to the fire and well.

or

O Manannan, O lord of our gates, I walk on your path.
A Manannán*, a thiarna ár ngeataí, siúl mé ar do bhealach.
(uh Mana-NAWN, ah HERE-nuh awr NGAT-ee, SHOOL may air duh VA-lukh)

Keep the fire and dwell with in the well. Keep the forge and look after quench waters of the well as we open ways between worlds.

Let the ways be open!

Inviting Otherworldly Beings

I call out first and closest, to the ancestors of my blood and those of my heart. I call out the ancestors we all share and the heroes of legend. I call out to the ancestors whose bones lie in this land. I call out to the ancestors of blood, heart, stone, and bone and offer you welcome. I call you as my kin, meet me at the boundary, and accept my offering!

Offer beer and bread to the ancestors.

I call out to the spirits of this world and of others. I call out to my allies of fur and feather, of scale or skin, spirits without and spirits within. I call out to the goodly inclined of the gentry of this land. I call out of the spirits of land and home, of sea and sky to offer you welcome. I call you as my kin, meet me at the boundary, and accept my offering!

Offer honey and butter to the spirits.

I call out to my gods. To my patrons(if any). And I call out to the Tuatha Dé.

To Airmed, Miach, and Dian Cecht.
To Cian, Lugh, and Manannan.
To Nuada, Anand, Badb, and Macha.
To Dagda and Bríd, I call to offer you welcome.

I call to you as kin to join me in my magic, meat us at the boundary.

Offer mead to the fire for the gods.

Deity of Honor, Deity of the Occasion

Lugh of the Long Arm the Ildanach, I call to you. All-skilled and many-skilled. I call to you!

In name of the King Lugh.
Nine skills so potent,
Spoke Lugh at the door of the city;
Carpenter one,
Smith two,
Champion three,
Harper four,
Poet and Historian five,
Wizard six,
Physician seven,
Cupbearer eight,
Brazier nine;
Nine skills of the Ildanach will thwart
The evil eye,
Whether it be on man or on beast,
On horse or on cow;
Be in your full health this night.

I call to you as my kin, accept my offering!

Offer Lugh meat, bread, beer, and/or mead.

Offering

Praise Offerings

Give praise to your gods. If you are a solitary who has yet to do many praise offerings, here are some below from another article. Also see my prayer article.

Praise Offering to Brighid

Hail Bríd,
Exalted One,
You teach me the greater skill of life’s purchase,
I welcome you into my hearth, unfettered by reservation.

Hail Bríd,
Poet & Seer
She who lights the labyrinth of lucidity inciting battles within the hearts of men,
You spur to rise and be the victor over the disharmony within.

Hail Bríd,
Healer & Leech
My Sacrifice I give to you of great importance,
So do I commit to follow your will..

Hail Bríd
Blacksmith & Artisan
Through your Gift, Transformation is ours,
Guided by your Stregnth & Grace, from raw toward refinement.

Hail Bríd
Patron to the Poets, Physicians, and Artisans,
Three Sisters, fire in the head, fire in the heart, and fire in the hand,
Bringer of the mead of inspiration,
Let my words fall softly upon you, in splendour and truth.

A Bríd, glacaigí lenár n-íobairt! (Bríd, accept my  sacrifice!)
Bíodh sé amhlaidh! (So be it!)

Prayer of Sacrifice

You can adlib a prayer of sacrifice. It should include the main intention is to give to the beings with which you are sharing hospitality, in hopes to form working alliances with these cosmic beings. Your prayer may include something like this:

I have come to the sacred center after I have established it. I have pinched the worlds together and have invited spirits, my ancestors and their gods. We have come to a place that is nowhere else, at a time that is nowhen else.

Listen now at this place of gods, of dead, and of sidhe. I give so that I might receive, though I do not expect. Let my voice arise on the fire, let my voice resound in the deep, may the spirits accept my offerings, they are the elder ways I keep.

Accept my Sacrifice!

Give one final sacrificial offering representing all of your devotion and spiritual might throughout the entire ritual.

Taking Omen

Far flung fews fill a future of foresight and fates.

Favorable feerina(Fírinne) forgoes fights of foeman’s fury.

Foretell of fool’s failure, foretell of faithful fame, foretell of flawless flourish, or foretell of a fair game.

Cast the ogham and speak an interpretation. Use runes or tarot if those are your thing, but try to use a Celtic method of divination, go to an indo-european one outside of that first. I use tarot, because its what I am most successful in. I am leaning the ogham more and more each day.

Blessing

Calling for and hallowing the Mead

Hold up a quaich, bowl, horn, or cup.

O spirits, give me the waters. O ancestors give me the waters. Oh shining gods, give me the waters!

Pour mead into a quaich, bowl, or cup.

May the Gods and ancestors bless this cup.
Irish: Go raibh beannachtaí na ndéithe agus na sinsear ar cuppon seo.
(guh row BAN-ukh-tee nuh NAY-heh AW-guss nuh SHIN-shur air cuppon shuh)

Affirming the Blessing

Behold, Uisce Beatha(OOSH-ka BAH-ha), the waters of life!

Drink the mead and concentrate on how your body feels the fire water. Use another wine if you have to, or diluted whiskey. If you’re recovering, just use water.

Perform rites of magic, oaths, votive offerings, healing

As needed.

Closing

Close the ways

Wave your hand over the flame.

Let the fire be but flame.

Wave your hand over the water.

Let the well be but water.

Wave your hand over the tree.

Let all be as it was before, let the ways be closed!

Giving Thanks

Thanks be to the gods, the dead, and the sidhe, Bíodh sé amhlaidh!

Circumambulation and signal.

Walk about the space sunwise(clockwise) three times. Play again your musical signal to mark the ending of sacred time.

Read tales of Lugh and Tailtiu, his foster mother, after whom the nasadh, or wake, of Lugh is held.