Post by aiyanna on Jun 13, 2005 1:27:29 GMT -5
An Animal Blessing
Before you begin, gather the items you'll need. You will prepare a small altar to hold the objects you'll need. Gather together:
* For the ritual altar -
o A white candle.
o A lighter or book of matches.
o An incense stick. Sandlewood is typically a good incense to use for creating your ritual space, but you might have a favorite scent you like to use instead. For instance, I prefer Nag Champa, which is a wonderful scent made in India. Don't for get a holder for your incense.
* For the blessing and protection -
o A picture of your animal family member. If you have more than one animal you want to bless, have a picture for each.
o A lavender incense stick. You can also use a sage and lavender smudge stick if you have one available.
o A yellow or gold candle.
o A large feather.
* Please note: When you light the incense and sage, keep in mind the affects it will have on your animal. Don't light it so close to your animal as to cause any discomfort. The picture(s) will act as a proxy for your animal friend. They need not be present.
Animal Blessing Ritual
Clearing:
Creating your space, begins with you. Before you can begin any spiritual work, be it a simple mediation or full blown ceremony complete with pomp and circumstance, YOU must be prepared. Being Grounded and Balanced before any spiritual work is essential to both your intent and the effectiveness of you work. So take a few moments to read the process for Grounding & Balancing For Ritual Work.
Lighting the altar candle:
Place your altar in your usual ritual space. If you don't have a standard ritual space, place the altar in the area you've designated for this ritual. You're going to make a circle, so place the altar as if it will sit in the northern quarter.
Begin with lighting your altar candle. This is the white candle you selected in your preparations.
* Close your eyes and imagine a flame being lit within your own body.
* Imagine your spiritual essence, lighting a flame in your solar plexus. This is your divine light, the spirit within you that will provide the energy to the wick of your candle and the work ahead.
* With each breath you take, imagine the flame inside your being growing stronger and brighter. Until it fills your entire body with it's warmth and bright light.
* Open your eyes, take the matches/lighter in hand and light the wick of your candle.
* Say something like:
o Great Spirits,
I (or we), state your name(s), bring this flame to light,
to shine divine energy upon this spiritual space tonight.
*
Setting the circle:
* Take the incense stick and light it from your altar candle. Let it burn for about 5 to 10 seconds, then blow out the flame so the incense smolders.
* Now stand before your altar. {Facing north}.
* Hold the incense by both hands and hold it up even with your shoulders. You're going to present the incense to each direction starting with north, then turning to the east, south, west and finally back to the north. This will make your spiritual circle.
* Keep in mind that where you live in the world, you will have to alter the correspondences listed here. For more information about this, please refer to the article titled 'The Wheel of Life'. This example can be used if you reside on the east coast of the U.S.
* Face north and say something like:
o Great Spirits of the North where the cold winds blow,
Bring the breath of knowledge for this ritual flow.
* Turn east and say something like:
o Great Spirits of the East where the warm sun resides,
Let the fires light this circles communication tides.
* Turn south and say something like:
o Great Spirits of the South where the blue waters flow,
May the waves of compassion show the way to row.
* Turn west and say something like:
o Great Spirits of the West where the great mountains rise,
Allow the balance of life to settle upon these ties.
* Turn to the north again and hold the incense toward the Moon, and say:
o To Grandmother Moon,
* Then hold the incense toward the ground and say:
o To the Great Mother Earth
I (we) make this circle of divine creation and ask for your protection and blessing.
* Place the incense in a holder near the altar candle.
Setting your blessing and protection:
1. You can remain standing, or sit before your altar.
2. Place the lavender incense over the candle's flame and set it afire. While the incense is still on fire, call upon your God/Goddess of choice. (If you're not pagan, you can easily call upon your own God).
* Say something like:
o Great Spirits, (God/Goddess name)
Through divine love and light,
I call upon your great might,
To bring forth a blessing upon (the animal's name).
3. Holding the incense in your left hand, and the feather in your right, blow out the flames and fan the smoke clockwise around the picture(s). Say something like this:
* Great Spirits, (God/Goddess name)
Please bring your blessing of happiness to (animals name),
that they will feel joy throughout their days in my life.
o Sit for a moment with your eyes closed and visualize yourself having fun with your animal. Now place the incense into it's holder.
4. Continue with the protection. Hold the gold candle in your left hand and light it from the altar candle and say something like this:
* Great Spirits, (God/Goddess name)
I bring to light this guardian flame,
Bring forth your might and guard (animals name) from harm,
that they will feel secure and safe here in my home.
o Set the candle near the picture(s). Then again sit for a moment and close your eyes, see your animal friend resting safely in your home. Secure and protected from all and any manner of harm.
Thanking The Great Spirits (God/Goddess):
1. Many people find it appropriate to honor the spirits and deities that they've asked to assist them. I happen to be one of these people. However, for rituals such as this, giving honor through an offering of life, instead of food can also be appropriate. By that I mean, planting a seed or plant in honor of the deities. One that supports or represents the energy of the deity. In this case, a rose bush would be an appropriate offering.
* Raise the unplanted bush and present it to the divine forces. Say something like this:
o I give this offering of rose and thorn as my symbol of gratitude and honor.
To the Great Spirits, whose light and love shall shine through it's pedals of beauty, to remind us all of your unselfish gifts.
Blessings Be To The.
Meditation and Closing:
1. No matter what your ceremony is for, you should add a moment of meditation to the event. In this altered state, you can add to a spell by visualizing the energy being created, seeing it in your mind as it manifests and comes to form. You can contact the Great Spirits and engage them in a private ritual. You can use this time to thank the forces that have helped you.
2. Here's where you should write a brief summary of the ritual and your experience in your personal Book of Shadows. Record any insights you might have gained through the meditation, or any physical feelings, or emotions you might have experienced.
3. Conclude your ritual by closing your chakra centers. You can following the same final step in the Grounding ceremony to accomplish this.
When you have completed this step, face your altar and give thanks once more for this sacred space. Then back away and allow your candles to burn out. Don't leave candles burning unattended. If you can't stay with the altar, it's ok blow out the flames (let them smoke) and re-light them when you return. If you want to clean up the space and remove the altar, but you are planning to stay with the candle, simply move them to safe location and do your cleaning.
Before you begin, gather the items you'll need. You will prepare a small altar to hold the objects you'll need. Gather together:
* For the ritual altar -
o A white candle.
o A lighter or book of matches.
o An incense stick. Sandlewood is typically a good incense to use for creating your ritual space, but you might have a favorite scent you like to use instead. For instance, I prefer Nag Champa, which is a wonderful scent made in India. Don't for get a holder for your incense.
* For the blessing and protection -
o A picture of your animal family member. If you have more than one animal you want to bless, have a picture for each.
o A lavender incense stick. You can also use a sage and lavender smudge stick if you have one available.
o A yellow or gold candle.
o A large feather.
* Please note: When you light the incense and sage, keep in mind the affects it will have on your animal. Don't light it so close to your animal as to cause any discomfort. The picture(s) will act as a proxy for your animal friend. They need not be present.
Animal Blessing Ritual
Clearing:
Creating your space, begins with you. Before you can begin any spiritual work, be it a simple mediation or full blown ceremony complete with pomp and circumstance, YOU must be prepared. Being Grounded and Balanced before any spiritual work is essential to both your intent and the effectiveness of you work. So take a few moments to read the process for Grounding & Balancing For Ritual Work.
Lighting the altar candle:
Place your altar in your usual ritual space. If you don't have a standard ritual space, place the altar in the area you've designated for this ritual. You're going to make a circle, so place the altar as if it will sit in the northern quarter.
Begin with lighting your altar candle. This is the white candle you selected in your preparations.
* Close your eyes and imagine a flame being lit within your own body.
* Imagine your spiritual essence, lighting a flame in your solar plexus. This is your divine light, the spirit within you that will provide the energy to the wick of your candle and the work ahead.
* With each breath you take, imagine the flame inside your being growing stronger and brighter. Until it fills your entire body with it's warmth and bright light.
* Open your eyes, take the matches/lighter in hand and light the wick of your candle.
* Say something like:
o Great Spirits,
I (or we), state your name(s), bring this flame to light,
to shine divine energy upon this spiritual space tonight.
*
Setting the circle:
* Take the incense stick and light it from your altar candle. Let it burn for about 5 to 10 seconds, then blow out the flame so the incense smolders.
* Now stand before your altar. {Facing north}.
* Hold the incense by both hands and hold it up even with your shoulders. You're going to present the incense to each direction starting with north, then turning to the east, south, west and finally back to the north. This will make your spiritual circle.
* Keep in mind that where you live in the world, you will have to alter the correspondences listed here. For more information about this, please refer to the article titled 'The Wheel of Life'. This example can be used if you reside on the east coast of the U.S.
* Face north and say something like:
o Great Spirits of the North where the cold winds blow,
Bring the breath of knowledge for this ritual flow.
* Turn east and say something like:
o Great Spirits of the East where the warm sun resides,
Let the fires light this circles communication tides.
* Turn south and say something like:
o Great Spirits of the South where the blue waters flow,
May the waves of compassion show the way to row.
* Turn west and say something like:
o Great Spirits of the West where the great mountains rise,
Allow the balance of life to settle upon these ties.
* Turn to the north again and hold the incense toward the Moon, and say:
o To Grandmother Moon,
* Then hold the incense toward the ground and say:
o To the Great Mother Earth
I (we) make this circle of divine creation and ask for your protection and blessing.
* Place the incense in a holder near the altar candle.
Setting your blessing and protection:
1. You can remain standing, or sit before your altar.
2. Place the lavender incense over the candle's flame and set it afire. While the incense is still on fire, call upon your God/Goddess of choice. (If you're not pagan, you can easily call upon your own God).
* Say something like:
o Great Spirits, (God/Goddess name)
Through divine love and light,
I call upon your great might,
To bring forth a blessing upon (the animal's name).
3. Holding the incense in your left hand, and the feather in your right, blow out the flames and fan the smoke clockwise around the picture(s). Say something like this:
* Great Spirits, (God/Goddess name)
Please bring your blessing of happiness to (animals name),
that they will feel joy throughout their days in my life.
o Sit for a moment with your eyes closed and visualize yourself having fun with your animal. Now place the incense into it's holder.
4. Continue with the protection. Hold the gold candle in your left hand and light it from the altar candle and say something like this:
* Great Spirits, (God/Goddess name)
I bring to light this guardian flame,
Bring forth your might and guard (animals name) from harm,
that they will feel secure and safe here in my home.
o Set the candle near the picture(s). Then again sit for a moment and close your eyes, see your animal friend resting safely in your home. Secure and protected from all and any manner of harm.
Thanking The Great Spirits (God/Goddess):
1. Many people find it appropriate to honor the spirits and deities that they've asked to assist them. I happen to be one of these people. However, for rituals such as this, giving honor through an offering of life, instead of food can also be appropriate. By that I mean, planting a seed or plant in honor of the deities. One that supports or represents the energy of the deity. In this case, a rose bush would be an appropriate offering.
* Raise the unplanted bush and present it to the divine forces. Say something like this:
o I give this offering of rose and thorn as my symbol of gratitude and honor.
To the Great Spirits, whose light and love shall shine through it's pedals of beauty, to remind us all of your unselfish gifts.
Blessings Be To The.
Meditation and Closing:
1. No matter what your ceremony is for, you should add a moment of meditation to the event. In this altered state, you can add to a spell by visualizing the energy being created, seeing it in your mind as it manifests and comes to form. You can contact the Great Spirits and engage them in a private ritual. You can use this time to thank the forces that have helped you.
2. Here's where you should write a brief summary of the ritual and your experience in your personal Book of Shadows. Record any insights you might have gained through the meditation, or any physical feelings, or emotions you might have experienced.
3. Conclude your ritual by closing your chakra centers. You can following the same final step in the Grounding ceremony to accomplish this.
When you have completed this step, face your altar and give thanks once more for this sacred space. Then back away and allow your candles to burn out. Don't leave candles burning unattended. If you can't stay with the altar, it's ok blow out the flames (let them smoke) and re-light them when you return. If you want to clean up the space and remove the altar, but you are planning to stay with the candle, simply move them to safe location and do your cleaning.