2024 Midwinter with the Kids

Midwinter Ritual with the Kids

By Foxlyn Wren

Feb 1, 2024

ADF COoR

Materials:

• Fiber Tools 
• A bit of yarn
• Modern Cauldron and kitchen utensils
• Van Keys
• Debit Cards
• Healing Blanket
• The kids tools
• Offerings
• Island Set-up
• Sing Bowl for Purification
• Corn Meal Offering
• Offerings of the kids' pick
• Fire, Tree, Well
• Drinking Horn of water
• Four Cups for drinking
• Offering Bowl
• Elen's wooden blade–things to represent the Others
• Children's Spirit Animal Cards
• Ask the kids who want to welcome the Ancestors, the Nature Spirits, and the Shining Ones.

• Entities: Hestia-Vesta, Hekate, Frigg, Loki; Disir, Alfar; Cailleah, Hulda, Skadi, Elen of the Ways, Baba Yaga, Gryla

Ritual:

1.     Opening Rite: Today is the midway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox–the First and Last days of the winter season.  Warm winter's suck, it's still kind of cold, but the snow's melting too soon.  However, it is still cold.  We need a warm home and clothes and bellies full of hearty foods.  Today, we're going to honor our Hearth and Home Deities.  But we're also going to honor our Winter Deities, too.  So here we go!

2.     Light the Candle: Hestia-Vesta, First and Last, The Living Flame, I light this candle to show my love and gratitude for all that you've done, do, and continue to do for myself, our family, and the community. 
Hestia-Vesta, accept this offering.
Sprinkle salted-flour into the candle.  

3.     Purification: May this bell cleanse our minds and this space for ritual.  (let each kid ring the bell once).

4.     Invite the Earth Mother: Nearest and Dearest, We call to the Earth Mother.  Earth Mother, hear us call to you as well welcome you to this ritual.  Earth Mother accept our offering!
(Kids: Accept our offering!) 
Give offerings.

5.     Inspiration:  We call now to the Spirits of Inspiration!  May you give energy to this rite.  Honey our words and keep the kids interested and excited.  Inspiration, accept our offering!
(Kids: Accept our offering!)
Give offerings.

6.     Statement of Purpose: It's Midwinter, kids!  The old winter hag Cailleach has (gathered firewood for a longer winter / decided to sleep longer to bring spring weather sooner).  We’re here to honor warmth and winter, family and gratitude.

7.     Recreating the Cosmos: Let us connect to the Sacred Center.
The waters support and surround us.
The land extends about us.
The sky stretches above us.
At our center burns a living flame.
And so we stand at the center of the world in sacred space and sacred time.
May our worship be true.
May our actions be just.
May our love be pure.
Let us pray with a good fire.

8.     Opening the Gates: We call to the Gatekeepers, the Ones who protect the paths between our world and the Other.  Reindeer!  Accept this offering and be welcomed in our home. 
(Kids: Reindeer!  Accept this offering!)
Give offering.

As we are in ritual space and time, know that this world reflects the Other.
(With Elen's blade, touch the candle)
May this fire become the cosmic fire.
(With Elen's blade, touch the cup)
May this water become the cosmic well.
(With Elen's blade, touch the wood block)
May this tree become Yggdrasil.
May our offerings be transformed to Spirit.
May our magiks become one.

May the Gates be Opened!
(Kids: Maybe the gates be Opened!)

9.     Welcome the Disir and Alfar:  Who welcomes the Ancestors?
________: I do.  Ancestors of blood, spirits, and place, we invite you to this Midwinter Rite.  Ancestors, accept this offering!
(Kids: Ancestors, accept this offering).
Gives their offering.

10. Welcome the Nature Spirits: Who welcomes the Nature Spirits?
_________: I do.  Nature Spirits of land, air, and water.  We invite you to our home.  Nature Spirits, accept this offering!
(Kids: Nature Spirits, accept this offering.)
Gives their offering.

11.  Welcome the Shining Ones: Who welcomes the Shining Ones?
_____________: I do.  I call to the Shining Ones, Entities of blessing and guidance.  Shining Ones accept this offering! 
(Kids: Shining Ones, accept this offering.)
Gives their offering.

12. Welcome the Beings of the Occasion: We call to our family's Hearth and Home Entities: Hestia-Vesta, Hekate, Frigg, Loki…
We also call to the Winter Entities–the Gods and Spirits, Hags and Sages, Feral and Wild.  Cailleah, Skadi, Hulda, Pertcha, Baba Yaga, Elen of the Ways, Gryla… 
And Others Known and Unknown, Seen and Unseen, With and Without a Shrine in our home.
Those who walk with us, guide us, and comfort us.
Those who keep the balance of life and death, light and darkness, beauty and barrenness.
Kindreds, we honor you on this Midwinter. 
Kindreds All, accept this offering.
(Kids: Accept this offering.)
Give offerings.

13.  Omen:  Now we ask for a message from the Kindreds. 
Ancestors, what is your message?:
Nature Spirits, what is your message?:
Hearth Entities, what is your message?:
Do we accept these messages? 
We do.

14.  Hallowing the Waters: We have made offerings to the Kindreds, and so we shall ask for blessings in return. 
Hold the Drinking Horn.
We ask the Kindreds for their blessings in our lives.  May They fill our cups with Their love, guidance, patience, and anything else They feel we need until the Equinox!
Using your imagination or intuition, see colorful energies from the sky flow down into your cups.
Behold the Waters of Life!
(Kids: Behold the Waters of Life!)
Drink deep and know we are blessed!

15.  Working: Now it's time for The Work.  To help us get through the rest of the winter season, I think we're going to need some blessings over important tools–healing blanket, my crochet tools, the crock pot, the van, our debit cards, and all of yall's tools–your art supply, your comforts.  We've gathered them all here on the altar.

Hearth and Home Entities, here we have various tools.  Tools to keep us warm, healthy, fed, and sane for the west of this season.  You have given us blessed waters to drink, now we ask that you please bless our tools to keep us warm, fed, and entertained.
Thank you for your blessings, Kindreds and Spirits all.

16.  Thanking the Beings of the Occasion:  To our honored Guests, The Hearth and Winter Entities, the Nature Spirits, and our Ancestors of blood, spirit, and place, thank you for attending this rite, and giving us protection and guidance, blessings, and patience. Go if you will, stay if you want.  Hail and Farewell.
(Kids: Hail and Farewell, Kindreds and Spirits all!)

17.  Closing the Gates: Gatekeeper Reindeer!  Thank you for guiding and aiding us.  Help us now to close the gates.
We stand here in ritual space and time.
But now we must return to the here and now.
May this cosmic fire be but fire.
May this cosmic well be but water.
May Yggdrasil be but a wood.
Know that our offerings have been transformed.
May the Gates be closed!
(Kids: May the gates be closed!)

18.  Thanking Inspiration: Spirit of Inspiration, we thank you.

19.  Thanking the Earth Mother: Earth Mother we thank you for your support this day and every day.  Our thanks and blessings.  Hail and farewell, Earth Mother. 
(Kids: Hail and farewell, Earth Mother!)

20.  Closing Rite: This rite is ended.  May we go in peace and fellowship!  Let's eat!

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Resources

- Ar nDraiocht Fein. Our Own Druidry. 2009.

- Three Cranes Grove, ADF - Various ritual scripts from over the years.  Their healing blanket was inspiration for my healing blanket.

- Virtual Fire Proto-Grove, ADF.  Round Robin Script.