Week 2 - First Oath

Candle, dish of water, tree, cup of drink

Earth Mother, I stand upon you today and recognize that we begin with you and we will end with you. Uphold me now as I give praise, and support me as I receive blessing.

A child of the Earth, I come before the Gods, the Spirits of Nature, and the Ancestors to offer praise. I seek to establish ties, to offer to them and open to them in return.

The waters support and surround me.

The land extends about me.

The sky stretches out above me.

At the center burns a living flame.

I call out to the keeper of the Gates.

Though I walk on uncertain paths,

Though I travel on unmapped ground,

Guide me, ward me, and relay my voice

As I offer prayers and praise.

(envision door opening)

I call out to my ancestors, those who came before me, you of my blood and you of my heart. I seek to give you praise, to remember you now, and to honor you.

I call out to the spirits of this place, the spirits of nature who are the soul of this land. I seek to give you praise, to call out to you now, and to honor you.

I call out to the deities, first children, eldest and wisest. It is you to whom we look for guidance, and you who grant the greatest blessings. I seek to give you praise, to honor you now, to give you due worship.

Lady of Life, Death, and Rebirth, Bountiful One by your many names, please be with me now as I embark on this new journey.

Today, I have given of my praise and myself.

With love in my heart and devotion on my tongue

I call out now, with all my soul:

Accept my praises!

As I have given praise to the Powers, I open to them. If there are blessings to be had, what might the nature of those blessings be?

(draw 3 runes)

Indeed, the powers offer me blessings. Now I seek the manifestation of those blessings, the outpouring from the Powers that offer them. To those who enter this exchange, pour forth your blessings into my cup!

(envision power of runes pouring into the cup you're holding)

This in my hands is a sacred cup, the great blessings offered to me as joyful return of my praises to the Kindreds. Here are the deep waters that flow within the earth and that rain from the sky. These are the waters of life!

I accept this blessing, and I drink it with love and knowledge of the Powers!

(drink)

Filled with the blessings of the Kindreds, I now call out to the powers here gathered to hear me as I give my First Oath as a traveler upon the Dedicant Path in ADF. Hear my words as they arise on the fire, and hear my voice as it resounds in the well.

I declare myself to be a seeker of the Old Ways. With this oath I set my foot upon the path and I vow to make my devotion plain. I vow to seek virtue in my life, to do right by my kin, my friends and my community, I vow to make my beliefs real, by keeping the rites and works that call to me. I vow to deepen my understanding of the Ways through studying and experiencing to fill my mind with the truth and my heart with connection.

These things I swear to the Gods, with those gathered here as my witnesses.

Now, with joy in my heart, I give thanks:

Lady of Life, Death, and Rebirth, Bountiful One by your many names, thank you for being with me and for your many gifts.

My thanks to the Deities, thank you for your blessings. To the Nature Spirits, thank you for your blessings. To the Ancestors, thank you for your blessings. To all those Powers who have aided me, thank you for your blessings.

To the Keeper of the Gates

For guiding me and warding me

Thank you for your protection.

(envision gate closing)

Mother of all, to you I will return all things I have left unused. For supporting and upholding me in this rite, I thank you!

This rite is ended.

Deities T Tiwaz Success, Honor, Justice, Self Sacrifice

Nature E Ehwaz Change for the better, slow but steady progress, trust

Ancestors G Gebo gifts in balance, personal relationships, giving and getting

I think I can do it, and do it well, but I'll get out of it what I put into it.