Clergy Training Program Preliminary Coursework

required for admission to the ADF Clergy Training Program

Ritual Mechanics

This course is designed to provide specific instruction to our Priests about how to conduct ritual, and to encourage observation and creative improvement of our current methods of working ritual.

Explain why purification is important prior to ritual, and what you do to purify yourself before you lead a rite. Include any prayers said, items used, and any stage directions needed to help your reviewer understand what is happening. (min. 150 words, not including prayers, items, and directions)

Purification is important from two standpoints: 1) the removal of miasma or impurities that come from daily living, and 2) moving into a more sacred-centric state of mind from the profane mind that we often work in. I typically use incense and water, and often wash my hands, specifically, before a rite begins. With more time, I will take a shower prior to the rite while at home, and always try not to approach the sacred space while I smell bad.

My most common purification these days involves my voice: I bring out my stole and my sickle, both gifted to me by the folk, and I pray over them, reaffirming their purpose and the reason I'm allowed to wear and keep them in the first place. This serves to set my mind into that ritual space, and to draw me out of the non-sacred realm. The prayer I typically use over the stole is this:
```
Stole of the Priest of the People of ADF,
For the work you and I are about to do today,
For the voice of the folk you bring unto me,
For the gift of using that voice for others,
I thank you.
```
Over my sickle, I speak a similar prayer:
```
Sickle of the Priest of the People of ADF,
For the work you and I are about to do today,
For cutting me off, making me pure,
For drawing me out of the mundane space,
I thank you.
```
For both these, I hold the stole and sickle in both hands, and bow my head over them, staring at them as I speak to them ("looking them in the eyes," sort of). Doing this helps me to re-focus and set myself into the right space and frame of mind.
Explain how you position your body and hands when inviting the Kindreds and making Key Offerings, what that position means, and why it is important to have a position that is (or several positions that are) consistent between rituals. (min. 100 words for description and meaning, min 150 for importance)

During the invitation of the Kindreds and the Key Offerings, I typically straighten my back and hold my hands in a number of positions: for the Ancestors, I hold my hands parallel to the earth with my palms down, in front of me; for the Nature Spirits, I hold my hands parallel to the earth with my palms up; for the Shining Ones, I hold my hands up in the orans position (arms perpendicular to the earth, hands facing forward). With nearly all Key Offerings, I hold my hands in the orans position as described, but for the Earth Mother, I hold my right hand in orans and my left parallel to the earth with the palm down. I do this because not everyone can bend and touch the earth, and if literally everyone bends to touch the earth, it can make people feel unwelcome if they cannot also do that motion. Seeing a Priest do a different motion helps them to feel less strange, and gives them another option.

We know that religion and the body are intertwined in a way that few of us ever think of. When we stand before our altars, or raise our voices in ritual, how do we position ourselves? I'm willing to bet that each person who has done ritual for a long time will have a series of actions that he or she performs for each ritual. This, of course, does not mean that you need to begin with a set of ritual motions, but most people will find motions that make them feel "religious", and each person will naturally find these motions on their own.

Taking off this same train of thought, though, we can see that it's possible that a set of ritual motions that are developed by our more experienced members might help some of our newer members to connect with the Spirits on a similar level. Sometimes, suggestions on how to stand, where to place your hands, and how far back you should tilt your head might bring someone who isn't "feeling it" a certain measure of commonality of experience.
Describe your meditation practice as it stands today. Include its regularity, any positions you may use or prayers you may say, and the method(s) you typically use. (min. 200 words)

My meditation practice has changed dramatically since having kids, and falls into three categories, which I will describe below:
1. Modeling Meditation: One of the interesting things about children is that they are particularly good imitators of the people around them. Because of this, I occasionally (perhaps twice a week) sit quietly as the kids play around me, calmly with my legs crossed and my hands resting on my knees. I straighten my back and hold as still as possible while they bounce around the room. Being toddlers, they eventually notice that I'm not directly engaging with them, and will come over to see what I'm doing. Sometimes, they will sit quietly with me, mimicking my pose as best they can. Their ability to do this is becoming more and more pronounced and common.
2. Personal Meditation: About once a week I do what I consider serious meditation work: I sit at my home altar (or create one of my own at the Shop using the odds and ends we keep there) and spend time relaxing and focusing on the flame before me, or an image of a deity. I have marked out Mondays for this work, as well as Thursday and Friday nights, and any other time I'm in the Shop for an extended period of time.
3. Guidance for Others: Much of my meditation opportunity is actually with others these days, and guiding or leading that work. While generally irregular, I do this often enough to say that it might happen at least once per week. The Shop has been a key component in this (even moreso than the Grove), and when I am there, whether I am giving a class or helping a person work through an issue that they are seeking spiritual help with, I often lead people in meditation. A key to guiding others on meditation is to follow along yourself, to see what they see and help them grok their surroundings and process the vision. As a result, I get a lot of meditation in where I am helping others find their way. Here, I often sit with them, and have my back straightened and feet flat on the floor while sitting in a chair. I will often light a candle with a very short prayer, to the effect of:
  
  I light this flame
  That it may guide our way.
  Let its light warm us,
  And its kindling bless us.
  
  The prayer to the flame is simple, but necessary, I think, to help ground the person before doing the work. The striking of a match and the sulfur smell help create a momentary separation from the world around, and bring the person into shared space.
Explain how two different active ADF Priests light a ritual fire. Describe the actions done, any prayers or magical work done. Explain how you light a ritual fire, including actions, prayers, and magical work you may do.
1. The Lengthy Prayer - Rev. Dangler - A key aspect of my work is to ensure that the fire is lit by the time the prayer ends. Because of this, I have a couple of different versions of a single prayer that I can easily lengthen or shorten as necessary, until I am confident that the fire will grow and burn on its own. In addition, I have created a bundle of nine woods as part of my work, and will often use these to help kindle the flame. The woods used are Fir, Apple, Birch, Hazel, Rowan, Grape Vine, Willow, Oak and Hawthorn.
2. The Son of Strength - Rev. Pezza - There are a couple of ways that Rev. Pezza lights a sacred flame, including fire-by-friction for the Spring Equinox, and then keeping that flame throughout the year. She also uses a tinctures of sacred woods (similar to my process) to use grain alcohol as an offering to help get the fire started. On asking about prayers for the friction-fire, she said, "I'm sure there's a song in there, but the words just haven't bubbled up to the surface." She refers as well to a definite rhythm with the friction, but hasn't taken it to the point of trance yet. When she uses the tinctures, there are prayers for the candles, where she says, "May this candle be blessed with the power of __name of the tree__, so that it will burn bright and welcoming for the Kindreds." Once all nine of them were added, she says, "May each of these trees, rooted in the lower worlds and reaching up to the heavens fuel the sacred fire we've built to carry our offerings to the Kindreds."
3. The Pile-and-Pour-Accelerant-On - Not Naming Names - Possibly the most common method of lighting a sacred fire, at least before this question appeared in Ritual Mechanics and became required work for all our Priests, many of our Priests didn't actually know the finer points of building a fire. Over the last several years, I've seen Priests start fires with accelerants of various sorts, but more recently nearly everyone is using a common teepee fire formation and lighting with commercial or home-made fire-starters instead of straight accelerants. Still, this occasionally happens, and there are no uniform prayers, actions, or magical work that goes into this.
My Method
I'm a bit picky about my fires and how they're lit, if they're going to be used for ritual. On the very mundane side, I tend to make teepee-style fires because they light easily and concentrate the flame and coals in the center. On the spiritual side, it's a bit different.

I light my fires "one technological step back" from the current technology (which happens to be lighters and accelerant) wherever possible; typically, this means matches and untreated wood (though I don't mind using kiln-dried wood, particularly with Emerald Ash Borers around). The reason for this is because while I’m sure that our ancestors would totally have used a lighter to light a fire used for purely mundane needs, they wouldn't have used it to light a ritual fire or hearth fire in their home. Sacred fires were always lit in a terribly inefficient way (brought from far away on a certain night, lit by fire-bows or drilling, or lit from special woods); thus fire is the "Son of Strength" in Vedic lore.

While the fire is catching on the tinder/kindling, I recite a prayer to the flames.

Because of the very nature of fire, this prayer expands and contracts a bit with the amount of time it takes to light the fire and get it to a point where it can receive offerings (without being put out by someone pouring beer on it, thinking it will burn). Despite this, the fire always includes some very specific things: it references the fire as the center, and its importance to all three realms; it mentions the birth of fire and its relation to the waters; and it describes the fire as first guest and first host. Other things that are commonly added talk about the fire bringing the Kindreds forth, devouring the sacrifice, and other similar images.

Here might be a basic prayer for a quick fire-lighting:

Quick Fire Lighting Prayer
```
Born in the waters,
Kindled upon the land
With a pillar of smoke that rises through the atmosphere
And supports the heavens:
This fire burns at the center of all.
May it carry our voices to the Kindreds.
```
Longer Fire Lighting Prayer
```
Born in the waters,
Kindled upon the land
With a pillar of smoke that rises through the atmosphere
And supports the heavens!
This fire burns at the center of all.
First guest and first host:
You bring the Gods to sit with us,
Light the ways for the Blessed Dead,
And shine in the eyes of the Nature Spirits.
As we make our offerings here today,
May our voices be carried to the Kindreds.
```
Extra-Long Fire Lighting Prayer
```
Born in the waters,
Kindled upon the land
With a pillar of smoke that rises through the atmosphere
And supports the heavens!
This fire burns at the center of all.
First guest and first host:
You bring the Gods to sit with us,
Light the ways for the Blessed Dead,
And shine in the eyes of the Nature Spirits.
We see them as they sit among us,
Your voice singing them down the old roads.
As we offer to you, you offer to them,
Devouring and transforming the sacrifice.
As we make our offerings here today,
May our voices be carried to the Kindreds.
```
By now, I typically hope that the fire is finally lit, or I keep praying until it is.

Throughout the process, I am concentrating on the flame: watching it move from place to place, encouraging it with smiles, helping it spread. I will typically move the flame about, and feed it a bit more. Very often, at the end, I will pour out or place a small offering in the fire, the first of many.

n.b. - when people ask me what I do in ritual, I provide further information, available here: http://www.chronarchy.com/sp/ctp-prelim/rit-mech-q4-fire.pdf
Describe three different methods of (Re)creating Sacred Space, as used by at least two different active ADF Priests. Explain the actions done, the reason for those actions, and any specific magical work the Priest does during the (Re)creating of Sacred Space portion of the ritual. Provide an original script with stage directions for (Re)creating of Sacred Space based on one of these methods.
1. Describing Dismemberment - Carrion Mann - I remember a Summerland rite (2008) where Carrion told the story of the primordial dismemberment and redistribution of the body of Ymir, the giant of Norse myth. She framed it in a poetic description of the way the world came into being, and explained that the waters were the blood of the giant, and the tree was his arm, and the fire was his inspiration distilled into space before us. There were no particular actions (aside from gestures toward the particular Gates), but the story was good and captivating, drawing us in and helping us to see the Gates as more than just symbols.
2. The Simple Song - Rev. Dangler - Ian Corrigan's Portal Song is a great way to paint the cosmic picture and provide an image of the cosmos to the folk, allowing them to see the sacred space before them. I often use this simple, descriptive song to describe actions going on: the silvering of the well (done to purify it), the pouring of oil onto the fire (to brighten it and summon it near, spiritually), and the censing and aspersing of the tree (to feed it and allow it to grow tall and deep). Very often, in group ritual, we will assign these parts out to newcomers to give them something to do in the rite.
3. Intoning the Cosmos - Rev. Hill - Using the (re)creation of sacred space as an opportunity to describe the cosmos as it is, she describes the Well as those spiraling waters coming up from the aquifer, connected to the ancestors and the primordial waters, and envisions the waters spiraling up from the same as she silvers the well. She describes the Fire as transforming the sacrifice and carrying it up on the smoke, while pouring out oil upon it and envisioning it brightening and intensifying. The Tree is described as connecting the realms, and she begins by censing the top of the tree, then traveling down to the bottom with the smoke, and the back to the top. The incense for the tree is lit from the fire. She also likes to have the folk intone as she describes the Gates in each instance.
My Method
With the space arranged with the fire, well, and tree set up, I might begin like this:
```
We come to the Fire at the Center of All,
Beneath the leaves of the Tree, supported by the roots,
Where the Waters flow up and rain down.
We come here, to the Place of Sacrifice.

This is the place appointed to us:
In ancient days, the gods brought it forth.
Here, the sacred grasses are spread out,
Sacrifice and blessing are two sides of the same coin.

The flame before us centers us,
Its light marking the space that is sacred.
May all who can see it and feel its warmth
Be welcomed, brightened, and joyful.

[lift a ladle of oil]

We draw an offering forth for the hungry flame,
Friend to the Children of Earth,
Bane of the goblins who seek to harm us.
Poured forth, this offering strengthens the Fire!

[pour oil into the fire]

The vessel before us flows ithin us,
Its cool waters draw up blessing,
And carry our voices to the Spirits,
Who are welcomed, brightened, and joyful.

[lift a piece of silver]

We draw an offering forth for the bright Eye of Earth,
Repository of our offerings,
Portal to the Underworld.
Brought now, this offering cleanses the Well!

[deposit silver]

The pillar before us is tall and strong,
A pathway to all worlds, root deep and crown high.
May all encircled with shelter and nourishment,
Be welcomed, brightened, and joyful.

[light incense, bring forth water]

We draw an offering forth for the King of the Forest,
Path of the Holy Ones, far-seeing soul,
We are straightened by your might!
Given now, this offering quickens the Tree!

[cense and asperse the tree]

With the Center established, let us open the Gates!
```

Describe three different methods of Calling/Hallowing/Affirming the Waters, as used by at least two different active ADF Priests. Explain the actions done, the reason for those actions, and any specific magical work the Priest does during the Calling/Hallowing/Affirming of the Waters. Provide an original script with stage directions for the Calling/Hallowing/Affirming of the Waters based on one of these methods.

Separation of Waters - Rev. Dangler - "All Waters are by their very nature sacred; we separate these waters that they may be infused with the blessings of the Kindreds. . ." So begins my most common prayer for the Waters, where a certain portion of these sacred-by-nature waters are set aside for our use in the blessing. The work done here is to draw the waters apart, to physically move them from one vessel to another, or to draw a vessel away from other waters in a symbolic act.
The Firey Omen - Ian Corrigan - Ian has, on many occasions, lit a flame for each omen drawn around a cauldron to "warm" the cauldron with the blessings provided to us in the rite. As he calls out the name of the omen, he asks the folk to envision it and see it enter the waters and dissolve. The flames serve to "cook" and "change" the waters and set the omens into place in the cauldron. Often, this is followed by an aspersing of the folk. Ian has often mentioned that the vocal affirmation of having received the blessing is important to him, liturgically and theologically, so he will often ask if the folk have accepted the blessing.
The Inspired Voice - Rev. Burchfield - Several times, I have seen Rev. Burchfield pour the omens into the Waters by calling on the folk to chant either specific rune names, or general "Awens," while directing their intoning voice into the vessel that holds the waters. Typically, she holds her hands above the vessel, or else elevates it in one hand and holds another hand to the side or behind it. Occasionally, she will walk it around the area and let the folk who are intoning get close to it as they tone, which I believe helps them feel like they have done more to deepen the blessing with their own power.

My Method
Calling for the Waters

I begin with a pair of vessels on the table: one filled with water, and a smaller vessel empty. I lift both of them up, and begin to pour the water from the full vessel into the empty one, saying:

All Waters are by their very nature sacred;
We separate out these waters that they may be
Filled with the blessings of the Kindreds, these omens.

[Set down the partially-emptied vessel]
[Elevate the newly filled vessel]

We have done good work here today, and our omens show it.
Children of Earth, concentrate now on these omens:
See the blessings of _____, _____, and ______
As they manifest to you.

Consider how you can use these blessings yourself,
How you can fill your life with _____, _____, and _____.
What can these blessings do for you?
How can they impact your life?
See these blessings as they well up from below, into this vessel.

[draw the free hand up from the earth to the bottom of the vessel]

Consider now how we, as a Grove and community, can use these blessings.
How can we work together, in the knowledge of _____, _____, and ______?
What can these blessings do for us as a group?
How can they impact the ways we work together?
See these blessings as they fall from the heavens upon us, into this vessel.

[draw the free hand down from the sky to the top of the vessel]

Consider now how we can take these blessings forth into the world,
How we can share the blessings of _____, _____, and _____ with everyone.
What can we do with this work to make the cosmos stronger?
How can we use these blessings to brighten the lives of others?
See these blessings as they wash over the land, into this vessel,
to be carried forth again.

[draw the free hand around the space to the side of the vessel]

Children of earth, is it your will to partake of these blessings?

[Pause for "It is!" response]

Then let us hallow them for the folk.

Hallowing the Waters

Drawn from the Well of Wisdom,
Up from the Cauldron of Rebirth,
Won for us by the Friend to all Humankind:
Kindreds, Give us the Waters!

[all repeat, "Kindreds, Give us the Waters!"]

Flowing from the Earth Mother,
Our offerings have been made and accepted.
We call to the Spirits this day!
Kindreds, Give us the Waters!

[all repeat, "Kindreds, Give us the Waters!"]

We thirst for the Waters, and they flow to us!
Up from below, Waters of chaos arise!
Down from above, Waters of order rain down!
From all around, Waters of balance and blessings arrive!
Kindreds, Give us the Waters!

[all repeat, "Kindreds, Give us the Waters!"]

Bright now, these Waters are:
Separated out, shining with blessing,
Filled with power and joy.
Children of Earth, is it your will to partake of these blessings?

[Pause for "It is!" response]

Then I call to you: Behold, the Waters of Life!

[Pause for "Behold, the Waters of Life!" response]

Affirming the Waters
After the waters are distributed to the folk, often accompanied by singing, we prepare to drink together.

Children of Earth, raise your glasses.
Be filled by the blessings, to do good work in the world.
Drink deep, and be filled with wisdom.

[Drink]

Feel the power of the Spirits in your belly:
Walk with the blessing of the folk.
Sláinte!

[All repeat, "Sláinte"]

Describe three different methods of Opening the Gates, as used by at least two different active ADF Priests. Explain the actions done, the reason for those actions, and any specific magical work the Priest does during the Gate Opening. Provide an original script with stage directions for the Gate Opening based on one of these methods.
1. The Whirling Kirk - Rev. Thomas - Kirk begins with a prayer to the Gatekeeper, and then sings "Gatekeeper, Open the Portals," and then begins to move around the ritual space counterclockwise ("ripping the cosmos open," he has stated his reason to me). As he does, he has the folk chant "Open the Gates, Open the Gates, Open the Gates!" over and over, and comes to the center to spin as he shouts for the water to become the deep well, the tree to become a crossroads, and the fire to be a gateway to the heavens. He ends by pounding the end of his staff into the earth to punctuate and shouts, "Let the Gates be Open!" Kirk has said that he sees the gates open in his own mind's eye as he does this work.
2. The Spinning Sickles - Rev. McLuan - Cedarlight Grove, ADF, has used three sickles joined at each of the Gates, chanting a poetic phrase over them and then pulling the sickles apart with great force. I've seen them do this several times at Trillium, and it never fails to impress. Each Gate gets its own chant, and it speeds up as it goes along. The rending of the sickles serves to rip open the Gate and provide a startling visual to draw the folk in.
3. The Quiet Spiral - Lia Fal - The version of a Gate opening that I learned first involved a prayer to the Gatekeeper, and then a spiraling out with the hand that indicated the opening of each of the three gates. She once described to me (as she often does with more ritualized language to the folk) that she sees the gates open in her mind as she spirals with her hands. I've always loved this, and do this often in my personal rites.
My Method
Calling to the Gatekeeper
```
[Stand in the Crane Pose: one leg, arm folded in, one eye open]

One foot in the water, Crane
  One foot on land.
One eye in the blue sky, Crane
  Always between.
The realms are you plaything
  Ever your joy
Guide me through them this day
  Old Ways I walk.
No one knows better, Crane
  The ways between the worlds.

[Offer to Garanus]

Opening the Gates
Garanus Crane
Open the gates
     Fire comes first  [Make an opening spiral over the flame]
     Well is second  [Make an opening spiral over the well]
     The Tree is third  [Make an opening spiral before the tree]
Open the Gates  [Bring hands together before myself]
Garanus Crane
Open the Gates.  [Part hands in a circular motion]

[see the Gates opening in your mind's eye]

The Gates are open: let my words me true, my actions be just, and my thoughts be pure.

So be it.
```
n.b. I sometimes use a variation on this graphic's prayer to open the gates as well, in personal ritual.

Explain the purpose and function of the Pouring of Waters for an ADF Unity Rite. Provide a script with stage directions for this portion of the Unity Rite. (min. 150 words for explanation)

The Waters section of the ADF Unity Rite is a little bit different than the usual Waters for any other rite, because the purpose is to bless not only those present (and send them off to do the work), but also to bless those who are not present (but who belong to one of the named groups of ADF, specifically the Groves and Solitaries). This has changed over time: in early scripts, we also blessed our Priests by name, a process that I am happy we have mostly discontinued, not only because it was a sort of sewing circle of people congratulating themselves for the work they were doing, but also because as the list of Groves has grown, this portion of the rite has gotten longer and longer. Typically, the same waters are used to bless the folk present as those who are not, but not always.

Functionally, the Waters poured out onto the ground are described as flowing out, through the earth and the roots of the tree, to be spread to all the Groves and Solitary members in ADF. The waters are poured as the Grove names are read, and often the final pour of all the water is the remainder, designed to pour every bit of blessing to the solitary members at the end (except where the solitary members are mentioned first.

My Method

I am in a somewhat unique space, in that I have taken charge of the Unity Cauldron during its "down time" outside of the busy festival season in the past. I used this time to become deeply acquainted with the Cauldron, and I spent a lot of time cleaning it and putting together the various items that travel with it these days. Some of my work reflects this.

Calling to the Unity Waters

I would arrange the altar to have three unlit flames or candles around the space where the cauldron is set upon its traditional cloth. This is after the Waters have been blessed and received, in the working section of the rite.

Children of Earth, Folk of ADF:
We have made good offerings here,
And with the blessings of the Spirits in our bellies,
We seek now to strengthen ADF.

This cauldron here, our Unity Cauldron,
Has moved from place to place over the years.
It has been blessed by Priests and Layfolk,
Groves and Solitaries, Initiates and Archdruids.

Today, we awaken it from its slumber again,
Filled with sacred water that has flowed in every Unity Rite.
These waters are sacred waters,
And they bless, cleanse, and strengthen our roots and branches.

Children of Earth, is it your will to bless the folk?

[Pause for "It is!"]

And is it your will to cleanse the earth and ourselves?

[Pause for "It is!"]

And is it your will to have our roots and branches entwine in unity?

[Pause for "It is!"]

Then let us begin this work!

[Light the first candle/flame]

We call forth the fire of sacrifice,
The work we do and the blessing we receive.
May it warm and brighten these Waters
As the work we do warms and brightens us.

[Light the second candle/flame]

We call forth the fire of inspiration,
The fire in our head and the flame in our belly.
May it warm and brighten these Waters
As inspiration warms and brightens us.

[Light the third candle/flame]

We call forth the fire of community,
The roots and branches closely entwined.
May it warm and brighten these Waters
As our love for each other warms and brights us.

[Stir the Cauldron]

These Waters, blessed and warmed
By sacrifice, inspiration, and community,
Mix and mingle, cooking and changing,
Becoming the single Vessel of Unity.

Children of Earth, see these Waters flow together,
And sing out now in your voice:

Sing the Awen of Sacrifice!

[Folk intone: "Awen!"]

Sing the Awen of Inspiration!

[Folk intone: "Awen!"]

Sing the Awen of Community!

[Folk intone: "Awen!"]

Three Awens sung, the Waters stirred and cooked.
Three Awens one: the flow of Unity.

Children of Earth, is it your will to share these Waters with all of ADF?

[Folk respond: "It is!"]

Then let us pour them out, reciting the names of those groups who receive the blessings of Unity!

[Waters are poured out to the recital of the names of the Groves, Sols, and PWG's]

So be it!

Return to the CTP Prelim Pages

Bonus Section

I wrote this, but wasn't really happy with it specifically for this course, but thought I'd include it anyway. It was my original answer to question 5:

In ancient days, a giant walked:
His voice was booming,
His steps rough upon the Mother,
His brow furrowed with anger.

Thousand-armed, he was,
with one longer than all others.
His legs brushed together,
And formed the gods.

The gods watched in fear
As the giant moved across the Mother.
"We must save our Mother,"
They cried out.

The Eldest of Gods stood tall,
"I shall save Her."
He strode forth to meet the giant,
And stood alone.

The giant laughed,
And stretched his long arm forth,
But the Eldest of Gods grabbed it,
And pulled with all his might.

The arm came loose,
And nine ninety nine others flailed:
The Eldest of Gods turned it
And beat its master.

The giants blood flowed forth
In streams and rivers.
His eye was launched to the heavens
And burned bright in the sky.

His belly became the mountain,
Centered with the navel of the world.
His hair became the grass
And bushes we all know.

His mind followed the eye,
And brightened the night as the moon.
His arms became the trees,
And his skullcap became the dome of heaven.

The Eldest of Gods planted the long arm last,
And built a Fire at its base.
All Waters flowed there,
And it became the Place of Sacrifice.

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