Traditions and Ceremonies
The Holy Name
Naming
At some point in their lives, the wolves of the pack will be blessed with a Spirit Name. This is their special, holy name that can be shared with no one but pack members. If anyone spreads this name to an outsider, the penalty is death.
The Spirit Name can be given to a wolf at any age, some don't even learn of it until they are close to death.
Some say that the names are given from Cerridwen herself and delivered in a sequence of dreams.
Example names are such:
Desert Song
Needless Fire
Luna Sky
Crystal Gazer
Wind Whisper
These will be randomly generated by the alpha when the wolf has been RPed enough and deemed worthy of such an honor.
Origins of the Goddess
The Cerridwen our wolves will worship is a play on the original Celtic Goddess:
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Cerridwen is known as one of the Old Ones, she is a preChristian Goddesses of the Celtic World. She embodies all three lunar aspects of the Goddess, Maiden, Mother and Crone. She is worshiped through the Crone and the Cauldron of Wisdom, Inspiration, Rebirth and Transformation. The cauldron has an intimate association with femininity, justice, wisdom and intelligence which goes back to very ancient times.
Cerridwen brewed a magical formula, known as "greal" in her cauldron. For a year and a day, she kept six herbs simmering in her magical cauldron, known as "Amen".
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To our wolves she dwells within the very moon, watching down on them all. She continues to watch over them in death and in return of her love and her blessings the wolves worship her and sing their chants with every full moon.
The Trinity
The Three Holy wolves are some of the most important in the pack. Their rank supercedes even those of betas. In some situations they even come level with the alphas, though this is mainly in teaching. They are vessels for the Goddess and lead each of the three main moon Ceremonies. The details below give a rough overview of what each part of the Trinity is like.
The Crone
Moon: Waning
Colour: Black
Season: Winter
Represents: Third and final phase. The death she represents is necessary for rebirth.
Symbolic of: wisdom, experience, change, transformation and death.
Ceremonies: Working with the Crone is related to rituals that are about the ending of things, extreme protection or retribution (assault, abuse), passing through menopause, or dealing with a death.
Other: The Crone is the ancient holy one. She is grandmother, witch and hag. She has been ignored, trivialized, blamed and feared, for she holds powers that others deny. Powers of time and transformation. Powers we may fear, but would do better to understand.
The Crone is the Mother of all Mothers. She knows all your bedtime stories, and all your worst nightmares.
She is the One Who Knows Death. She will introduce you to your shadow. She can free you from your fears. The Crone is She Who Has Gone Beyond.
She has lived many years and many lives. Her feet know the paths of the Ancestors. Through her we can touch those who have gone before. She has lived for love, for power, for grace. Now she lives for herself and her journey. She travels new roads and dares the unknown.
She is ancient, but not always aged. She may be beautiful, but she's not pretty. She Who Has Gone Beyond goes beyond our idea of what a deity or a woman may be.
"Crone"
Cool nights her domain, winter snow her shawl,
Reaching with bent fingers to break silver threads,
Opening the veil between this world and another
Natural, wisened, cold and ancient.
Ever there to greet us, in her sweet realm of sleep.
The Mother
Moon: Full
Colour: Red
Season: Summer and fall
Represents: The second stage.
Symbolic of: fertility, growth, sexuality and ripeness. She also is in a position of power, either from her life-giving forces or in her actions to defend her young.
Ceremonies: Working with the Mother often happens when projects are reaching fruition, in rituals as part of marriage and childbirth, for protection of people or animals, and when working with plants.
"Mother"
Molding from earth the lives of her children,
Oceans of stars adorn her full figure
Touching our minds with soft silver smiles,
Holding us close in her infinite bosom,
Endearing, encouraging, protective and strong,
Revered and worshipped, she embraces us all.
The Maiden
Moon: New
Colour: White
Season: Spring
Represents: The second stage.
Symbolic of: Newness, youth, purity, and innocence
Ceremonies: Specific instances when you might want to invoke the Maiden are during any new beginnings, at the start of a new relationship and as part of a puberty ritual for young girls.
Other: Fresh flowers, new grains and the color white are all appropriate for working with this energy. Springtime rituals often involved.
"Maiden"
Making her way through rain-kissed springtime,
Answering bird's calls with songs of blessing,
Inpeneterable and pure, touched by no one,
Dancing to the beat of her Mother's great waves,
Enduring, renewing, loving and wild
New and forever young, she rules the dawn.
Moon Ceremonies
Please note, that when the mother, maiden or crone cannot perform the ceremony, the Priests and Priestesses are expected to take over in their stead. The Holy wolves help cleanse and prepare the area before a ceremony and stand closer to the cauldren then the rest of the pack.
Full Moon Ceremony
The ceremony begins with the entire pack gathered. They form an even circle around the pool that circles Amen. They must remain silent until they are given the signal.
The Holy Mother approaches Amen, stepping into the water an climbing up to stand over the cauldren. It is here that she invokes the Goddess Cerridwen with these words:
Dark Goddess of the Cauldron,
rebirthing us from conflicts of the past into the good
night of the present, we call you to stand by us as we look
into our souls and find the true purposes of our hearts.
Hail and Welcome!
Then she will drop red soil into the cauldren - that will be carried in her jaws and wrapped in leaves - and raise her head to the moon to recite the following:
Wondrous Lady of the Moon
You who greets the dusk with silvered kisses;
Mistress of the night and of all magicks,
who rides the clouds in blackened skies
and spills light upon the cold Earth;
O Lunar Goddess,
Crescented-One,
Shadow maker and shadow breaker;
Revealer of mysteries past and present;
Puller of seas and ruler of women;
All-wise Lunar Mother,
I greet your celestial jewel
at the waxing of its powers
With a rite in Your honor.
I pray by the Moon,
I pray by the Moon,
I pray by the Moon.
And on the final line she will turn the word "moon" into a howl, to begin her song of worship. When her first notw reaches it's full strength, the rest of the pack will join in, singing as one until the earth settles and the moon's reflection lies undisturbed in the water of the cauldren.
New Moon Ceremony
Begins as thus; the pack joins together to dance around the cauldren, chanting the name of Cerridwen in unison. They circle three times and on each pass must have spoken the name of the Goddess thrice.
The Maiden stands before the cauldren, silent and calm with her head bowed low.
Then when the chanting is over, they must turn to the cauldren and bow as one, lowering their heads so that their noses almost touch the ground.
The priest then steps forth and speaks thus;
Dark is the night as we reach this turning point. Here is a time of
death; yet a time of birth. Behold, the lady of Darkness, Mother, Grandmother. Old yet ever young.
Then the Maiden raises her head and speaks, whilst the rest of the wolves lie down, the Priest included.
Hear me! Honor me and love me now and always. As the wheel turns we see birth, death and rebirth. Know, from this, that every end is a beginning. Every stop a fresh starting point. Maiden, Mother, Crone. I am all of these and more. Whenever you have need of anything call upon me. I, and my Lord, are here, for I abide within you all. Even at the darkest of times, when there seems no single spark to warm you and the night seems blackest of all, I am here, watching and waiting to grow with you, in strength and in love. I am she who is at the beginning and the end of all time. So Mote It Be.
And then the Maiden lowers her head and the rest of the pack answer;
So Mote it be.
There is a moment of calm silence before the ritual comes to an end.
Waning Moon Ceremony
As the crone approaches the altar the rest of the pack quietly chant amongst themselves, verses of the dark mother's song. Then as she reaches Amen they fall silent and watch as she begins to speak, first out to the dark sky.
All ears hear! The circle is about to be cast, let none be present but of their own free will! Be it known that we are in the presence of the dark Goddess.
With this said she places the disc of silver into the water, to relect the waning moon above. Then she will give forth a lone howl and when it has died the pack must chant as one:
We all come from the Goddess
And to her we shall return.
Like a drop of rain,
Flowing to the ocean
Then the crone raises her head and her voice rises up above all other sounds. She speaks to the crone of the Goddess;
Dark Mother!! Crone of time!! We ask your presence and your blessing! All things to you must go, though darkness and death are your domain, you promise peace and rest! Thy gift is life! Yours is the hand that turns the wheel and cuts the thread. Be with us this magickal night! Give each of us your wisdom and bless our rite! So mote it be!
Then the rest of the pack speaks with:
So mote it be!
Then a silence reigns and al wolves must think hard on something they want removed from their life, whether it be something trivial or large. They must picture it and focus on it with all of their consciousness. Then when a moment has passed the crone will speak again;
Dark Lady of the waning moon!
We thank you for your presence
and your blessing, and in silence we turn within
and willingly offer
to thy realm that which is old and outdated,
that which no longer has life and no longer grows.
We offer to thy Blade that which
we no longer need.
Let all ears hear! The circle is open but remains unbroken!
And with that the ceremony is completed.
Other Ceremonies
Sacrificial Ceremony
The Lefu that is being sacrificed shouldn't be cleansed before the ceremony. All members of the pack should gather at the outskirts of the packlands. They form a circle around the Crone and the Lefu. The Lefu is put into a trance state and is placed on a bed of herbs and twigs. The Crone chants an incantation before lighting the herbs on fire. They pack members should chant the same incantation a few times. After that is over, they should go back to whatever they are doing, except for the Alpha/Alphas and the Crone.
Incantation:
Oh, Great Goddess Cerridwen,
We offer this sacrifice to quench your anger.
Oh, Great Goddess Cerridwen
Please accept this sacrifice and cool your temper
So Mote it be
Birth Ceremony
The entire pack will gather around the Sacred Pool during a full moon (though if a full moon is weeks away any stage of the moon will do, but a full moon is best for this ritual). The pups are cleansed by the Holy Mother and are set beside their parents. The Holy Mother will chant with their parents the incantation. Then the parents will name their newborn pups.
Incantation:
We gather today to bless a child,
A new life that has become part of our world.
We gather today to name this child.
To call a thing by name is to give it power,
and so today we shall give this child a gift.
We will welcome her into our hearts and lives
and bless her with a name of her own.
Coming of Age Ceremony
Every pack member should convene around the Sacred Pool. The wolf/wolves that are turning into adulthood should have already been cleansed in the pool. The Crone will burn a few sacred herbs that will put the wolf/wolves into a trance. It is then that they will learn of their true name. Afterwards they will be assigned a task by the Alpha that will have to be completed within a fortnight. If they fail then they will be deranked to Omega for two weeks. Then they will be given another task to complete. If they fail this one then they will remain an Omega for the rest of their lives.
Death Ceremony
If the wolf that has recently passed on is still in the packlands, they should be moved to a remote region of the packlands, preferebly the outskirts of the territory, and the ceremony should be done around the deceased wolf's body. An incantation should be chanted by all members of the pack, excluding the pups. Afterwards, the body should be buried in the ground and the gravesite adorned with various flowers and herbs found around the packlands.
Incanation:
Forasmuch as it hath pleased the Goddess Cerridwen of her great mercy to take unto himself the soul of our dear brother here departed, we therefore commit his body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life, through our Goddess Cerridwen; who shall change our vile body, that it may be like unto her glorious body, according to the mighty working, whereby she is able to subdue all things to herself.
Cleansing/Protection Ceremony
This ritual is for any wolf that is in need of cleansing (the Maiden should do this daily). The wolf should travel to the Sacred Pool with the Holy Mother (or a priest/priestess if the Holy Mother is busy). Then the wolf should approach the pool and climb into it, cleansing his/her body with the water inside. While doing this they should change the incantation with the Holy Mother/Priest/Priestess.
Incantation:
I greet thee, Lady. It is time to draw down the moon as the gracious Mother has directed shall be done once each month. I call upon thee Mighty Mother of us all, bringer of all that is fruitful, by seed and root, by leaf and flower and fruit, in the fullness of the Moon do I invoke thee to descend upon the body of this thy servant.
Life Mates
This ritual should only be done if both wolves are willing to vow themselves to a life-long relationship with one another. The two wolves that are to be life mated should approach the Sacred Pool and cleanse themselves one at a time the the Trinity and Alpha/Alphas there to watch. Then the two wolves will share their vows to one another. After saying their vows, they should say 'until death do us part' to seal the vows.
Same sex life mates can occur but this is a rare event for two wolves of the same gender to make life-mate vows to one another.
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