River Ritual Metaprompter 2105

Opening:  Bell (to represent a ship’s bell or lock keeper’s bell). (If you don’t have a bell, use something else appropriate to make a clear opening for the ritual.)

Opening Statement:  We are here to honor the rivers, the waters of life and the blood of the Earth Mother.
Earth Mother
Meditation: Listen to the river. 
Muse: The river source and the streams, creeks, and rain that feed it. 

Horizontal directions:  Study your watershed.  How does water flow from each direction? How do energies from different streams flowing into the river combine and change?

Outsiders: Thoughtlessness, polluters?

Fire: The sun.
Tree: One of your local trees.
Well: A bucket of river water or river itself.

Gatekeeper: Study the history and geography of your watershed- what makes sense for your river? A canal lock keeper/lock tender?  Is there a lighthouse at the mouth of your river? A port or a fishing camp? Maybe a boat captain or a drawbridge tender would be your gatekeeper.

Ancestors: Who settled around your watershed? In NJ, from Lenape to Dutch settlers, English, Germans, Irish canal workers, etc...

Nature Spirits: Your local wildlife: turtles, egrets, herons, eagles, cormorants, beavers, possums, groundhogs, foxes, deer, variety of trees, bushes, plants... and fish... trout, bass, shad... etc.

Gods and Goddesses: River deities from around the world: Melusine, Boann, Danu, Sequana, Clota, Coventina, Sabrina... etc.

Main invocation: Your river and its watershed- canals/streams/creeks
(Possibly: “------ we honor you and devote our time and energy in this ritual to thank you for the life you give us....”? or something of that nature?)

Praise

Main offering: A bio-degradable offering. Ex.: A wood-burned design to float and decompose in the river.

Omen- However you divine best

Magical act: blessing the river and the watershed for clean water and healthy rivers (one area where we can build up power together). A possible blessing:
Ancestors, Nature Spirits, Deities, Earth Mother, Spirits of this Water and this Land, please bless this watershed with healthy streams and healthy rivers for all its inhabitants.

Ending meditation- Listen to the river, then shift your focus to the sounds of civilization.

Thank you....  separately or all at once? You decide.

End ritual... make a clear ending. Ring bell again.