Druidcraft: The Magic of Wicca and Druidry. Philip Carr-Gomm
give and bless – as did the Selkie by leaving fish every day on the rocks. In the end, maybe there is no difference in essence between giving and compassion, love and blessing.’
At the beginning of this chapter we learnt that the path of Druidcraft teaches the art of being magically receptive as well as magically active. As a first step, you might like to open yourself to receiving blessings. As you study this book, you will find that the Goddess Brighid is often mentioned. This is because she is a Goddess of Fire and Water, the Flame and the Well – the two magical and alchemical elements of transformation and transmutation – and she is also a Goddess of Creativity, Poetry and Healing. For this reason she makes an ideal deity to call upon. She is invoked in the blessing of the healing waters and crystal at the start of this chapter, and she is invoked in the following ceremonies that you can perform. If you prefer, you may address the ceremony to another deity, God or Goddess, or simply to ‘Spirit’ or ‘Great Spirit’. The first ceremony helps you to become receptive to blessings; the second develops your ability to actively bless – to actively radiate positive energy out into the world.
SELF-BLESSING AND DEDICATION CEREMONY
Offered here is a self-initiation into the ways of Druidcraft. It is based on an ancient rite, and you can read of its origin in the History section below. You can perform it at home with a bowl of water in place of the sea. But, ideally, you would perform this rite beside the sea on the night of a waxing moon, with a small bonfire on the beach. If you are lucky enough to live near the sea, somewhere that is not freezing cold at night, you could perform the ‘Waves of Blessing’ part of the ceremony by wading into the sea a little and splashing yourself nine times with handfuls of water scooped from the waves. Read the ceremony through first and decide whether you will perform it clothed or skyclad – ‘skyclad’ is the beautiful term used in Wicca for being naked, a word derived from the Jain tradition. Your decision may depend on the size of the splashes you plan to give yourself!
If you are enacting the ceremony at home, place a bowl of water and a candle in the centre of your room – these represent fire and water. To create an evocative atmosphere you might want to have other candles lit as well as incense burning. As you enact the ceremony, remember it is the spirit in which you carry out a ritual that is important, not the detail. Give yourself plenty of time to open yourself to the blessings the ceremony is designed to evoke. Pause often and allow yourself to feel what is happening to you in your body and soul.
When all is prepared and you are ready, stand beside the fire or candle, facing the moon, whether you can see her or not, and say:
O Goddess Brighid, Keeper of the Sacred Flame, Guardian
of the Holy Well. Mother of Song and of Poetry, of the Wise and the Gifted, I ask for your blessings on this my ceremony. I ask for your blessings on this seeker of the ways of magic and of Druidcraft. May I be blessed by the power of the earth beneath me, the sea around me, and the sky above me!
Stand with your legs spread apart a little now, and stretch out your arms to either side, forming a pentagram shape with your body, and say:
O Goddess of the Moon, Goddess of the night sky, of
brilliance and of darkness, please bless this seeker of the ways!
Now walk sunwise three times around the bonfire or candle saying three times, with each circling (sunwise is clockwise in the northern hemisphere, and anticlockwise in the southern hemisphere):
O Goddess of the Flame, Goddess of the Holy Fire that
burns within my heart and soul and body, bless this seeker of the ways!
Now sit, crouch or lie upon the ground and sense your life – and all of your lives – leading to this point. Then, if it feels right to continue, make your commitment to this path by making the following petition and dedication. Or better still, make these statements in your own heartfelt words. In the first paragraph you are speaking to yourself, in the second you are calling to the God and Goddess.
Oh that I could see to the Other Realm – that I could
learn the magic of the Ancients. Oh that the secrets of the Wise Ones could be whispered in my ears that I might know their beauty and their power – that I might love again this land and hear the voices of the Goddess and the God in the trees and in the rivers.
Oh Goddess of the Flame and Well. God of the Wind
and Sea, of Star and Stone, God and Goddess of all life, I ask that I might know the ways of Druidcraft, to sow the seeds of love and beauty in the world and in my life. I will use the knowledge that I gain, the magic that I learn, to help and heal, to grow and change. I will nurture the child, tend the plants and animals around me, foster strength and courage in the hearts of all.
Now feel your whole life and all your future lives spreading out before you, and feel a sense of freedom and joy in the infinite possibilities and adventure that this awareness brings. Then walk to the seashore or place your hands around the water bowl and say:
Newborn into the ways of magic and of Druidcraft, I ask
for Nine Waves of blessings!
Cup your hands in the sea or in the bowl and splash the water over you, nine times in succession. With each splash call out a line of the following blessing, and really allow yourself to receive each blessing with each wave:
A wave of blessing for my body - may it feel powerful
and free! A wave of blessing for my voice - may it be strong and clear! A wave of blessing for my speech - may I be heard and understood! A wave of blessing for my livelihood - may I find joy in my work! A wave of blessing for my generosity - may it flow from my heart and hands! A wave of blessing for my desires - may they be fulfilled for the greater good of all! A wave of blessing for my wealth - may my life be abundant! A wave of blessing for my health - may it be strong and vital! A wave of blessing for my life - may it bring joy and blessings to others!
Now call out:
Nine waves of grace and of blessing be upon me, waves of
the Giver of Health, Joy and Life!
Give thanks to the God and Goddess for the blessings of this ceremony and, if you are by the sea, finish by meditating beside the fire, listening to the crackling of the flames and the waves of the sea, feeling the blessings flowing through your being. If you are indoors, you might want to meditate, listen to music or enter sleep to allow the blessings to flow through you unimpeded by everyday thoughts.
A HOME BLESSING CEREMONY
The self-blessing helped you to be magically receptive. The following ceremony helps develop your ability to be magically active.
In order to work magic you have to feel at home in the world – you have to have a sense of centredness, of stability. To achieve this, it helps consciously to bless your home, so that the environment around you feels supportive, protective and clear.
One evening, or day, when the moment feels right, fill a bowl with water and have some incense (unlit to begin with) that you can easily carry around (if incense disturbs your breathing, or if you just don’t like it, use a candle instead). When you feel ready to start, decide where the hearth, the centre of your home is, and seated there, close your eyes and imagine you are looking at the Earth from outer space. See it floating in the vastness of the universe, with the sun, moon and stars shining. Then, move