House Blessing: Anagantios Rite
By Rev. Michael J Dangler
In February, when the weather is blustery and cold, the Grove follows the old Coligny Calendar. There, the festival of Anagantios is listed for the sixth night of the new moon. Anagantios translates as "stay-at-home-month," and that's the best thing to do at this time of year.
At our first Druid Moon Rite in February, our Grove Priest, Rev. Dangler, visited seven Grove Members' houses and carried the flame of Brigando from our Imbolc rite through the houses. The flame we use came from Kildare, Brigid's eternal flame. We started using this flame in our Imbolc rites (which are to Brigando), on the general theory that this flame is about the closest we can get to Brigando's own eternal flame (if she ever had one), and Brigid is the patron of enough of our members that it holds some real meaning for our members. This is the ritual we used.
Lighting the Flame
By Rev. Michael J Dangler
This flame was kindled in Kildare,
brought across the Ninth Wave,
and kept here in Columbus by a member of our Grove.
It is the fire of our Imbolc ritual,
the flame of our devotion,
and the Grove's own fire.
Transferring the Flame
By Rev. Michael J Dangler
(heavily influenced by Ceisiwr Serith)
The Fire from the waters is here.
The Fire from the land is here.
The Fire from the heavens is here.
Born in the Waters, Kindled on the Earth,
and with a pillar of smoke that supports the Heavens,
this light is the Grove's own Fire of Sacrifice.
Blessing the House
By Rev. Michael J Dangler
(with heavy input from 3CG members:
Anna Gail, Shawneen, Seamus, and Lees)
From floor to ceiling,
from wall to wall,
from [feature] to [feature];¹
in all the cracks and crevices and corners,
this light warms and illuminates all.
Let this light warm and illuminate
all who live here or visit here.²
Final Blessing
By Rev. Michael J Dangler
[place the candle on the hearth/stove]
From hearth to heart,
from heart to hearth:
here we light a candle from this blessed fire
and give it to those who dwell here.
This flame is the Grove's flame,
kindled at Kildare,
brought across the Ninth Wave,
and kept by a Grove member here in Columbus.
It is the Fire we share,
and the Fire that has now blessed our homes.
[Grove member is given a candle kindled from the flame]
Grove members are also given the instruction to not blow out the candle, but only to snuff it out physically, as these are the instructions we received from Shawneen, who brought the flame to us from across the ocean. This rite could be done without this flame, too, but it would need some additional work to re-work some of the imagery (the "kindled at Kildare, brought across the Ninth Wave" imagery is really cool).
Notes
¹ - "[feature] to [feature]": The "[feature]" should be replaced with something in the room, such as "from bed to dresser" in the bedroom, or "hook to hanger" in a closet, or "stove to sink to cupboard space" in the kitchen. Use the opportunity to mention things in the room that might need a blessing. They don't all have to be serious, either: "from toilet to catbox" was common in bathrooms, because those are things no one wants fouled.
² - In the kitchen, which is where this rite ended in all cases (well, where there was a kitchen), the last line would change to "all who live or visit or receive hospitality from this place."
