I participated in the Lughnasadh 2010 ritual with Nemos Ognios Protogrove. Ceisiwr Serith wrote and led the ritual. Four grove members - Cei, Jenna, Nevin, and Emily - and three guests - Christine, Adam, and I - participated. We met at Cei's house, which is secluded and surrounded by the New Hampshire woods.

This ritual was formatted as a standard ADF ritual, incorporating the specific ritual customs of Nemos Ognios, wrapped around a "Lughnasad module" based on Máire MacNeill's The Festival of Lughnasa. Since this is Lughnasadh ("festival of Lugh"), the ritual celebrates Lugh in his role of Champion and King of the Tuatha Dé Danann, with two wrinkles.

First, Lughnasad is seen as a followup to Beltaine, at which festival we had sought a boon from the Nature Spirits: the right to use the land for our agriculture. After that Festival, we'd sown and cultivated the land, and now at the beginning of Harvest, we've grown strong and it is time to affirm a treaty-peace with them.

Second, Lugh is Champion and (second) King of the Young Gods, but there was a King of the Old Gods in the land before him: Crom Dubh, the "Black Bull". The Old Gods are, technically, Outsiders, since they opposed the coming of the Young Gods. In this ritual, we ritually sacrifice the Black Bull and pass on the Kingship from Crom Dubh to Lugh. And, having done so, we offer Crom Dubh a seat "in the celestial realms where dwell the shining ones" - the Young Gods. Needless to say, we do not sacrifice an actual bull. We represent him with a piece of pita bread.

Nemos Ognios always has certain ritual customs, regardless of the purpose or patrons of the ritual. In particular, they start with a hearth fire, distinct from the altar fire. Even if they invoke another Gatekeeper, they always ask Janus to open the gates first. And they always honor Xáryomen, the Proto-IE "Lord of the Law of the People", regardless of the hearth culture of the rest of the rite.

The ritual area was set up ahead of time: four poles marked off a large rectangle. At one end of the rectangle, two poles hung with wreaths marked the door through which we entered and left the ritual area. Within the ritual area, the brazier was set up with a pyramid of wood and tinder, ready to be lit - the Fire. Various items needed during the ritual, such as cups for sharing out the water of life, were placed near the brazier.

Between the brazier and the door was a tall pole, hung with various symbolic items - the Tree. At its base were several images, lying down, to be set upright during the ritual.

On the opposite side of the Fire from the Tree was a low table with various other items for the ritual, where the Priest will sit, and behind his seat was a large covered cauldron - the Well.

Outside the ritual area at the spot where we began our procession was the hearth, several pitchers with offerings, charcoal, incense, and such. To this we brought our final offerings which we'd gathered in the house: a bowl of first fruits (fruit, vegetables, flowers), contributed by everybody, and a small bowl with one dime from each guest of the ritual.

In the ritual, the Priest was Cei, the Fire Tender was Jenna, and the Champion was Nevin. Emily had multiple lines. I carried in the bowl of first fruits. Christine carried in the bowl of dimes. Adam rounded out the group.

The Fire Tender invoked Brighid to inspire our words, her flame burning within us.

The Priest stated the purpose of the rite: to honor, praise, and worship Lugh and invoke his blessing upon our fields and crafts.

The Fire Tender purified us all with water and lit the hearth fire. We all sang to the Shining Lady of the hearth.

Thus prepared, we processed to the ritual site, first the Champion with the spear, followed by the Priest carrying the sacrifice, the Fire Tender carrying the hearth cauldron, and the rest of us with offerings.

We entered the ritual space, one by one, singing praise to the Earth Mother. The Priest put the sacrifice down on the speltá, grain was offered to the Earth Mother on a spot next to the brazier, and the Fire Tender put down the hearth fire.

The Priest delimited the ritual space and invoked fire to take possession of it. The Fire Tender moved a coal from the hearth to the brazier and enflamed it.

The Priest invoked the cosmology of waters, land and sky, with the living flame burning at the center, and restated the purpose of the rite: "to worship the Holy Ones in the proper manner, to establish a treaty peace with those who dwell in the wild, and to do special honor to Lugh on his feast day."

Janus and Mhanannán were invoked to open the gates.

The Priest invoked Xáryomen and we all honored him.

We welcomed the ancestors: the Well was opened and the silver was offered into it.

We welcomed and offered to Lugh.

We welcomed and offered to all the gods.

The Priest and the Fire Tender stated that at Beltaine, we'd offered to the Outsiders and Nature Spirits and appeased them, gaining consent to till the land, "under the gaze of Crom Dubh". The priest revealed the sacrifice - the bull himself (a piece of pita bread), bedecked with gold.

He sprinkled water and barley on the sacrifice. We all sprinkled barley on it.

We all declared that Lugh is our champion, who made our crops grow.

The Champion walked around the fire with the spear and stabbed the bull. The Priest cut off the bull's head.

The Priest put the body of the bull onto the bowl of First Fruits and carried it out through the door of the ritual area, accompanied by the Champion.

They went to a (previously dug) hole and the Priest stated that the Old Bull is dead and that Lugh, the Young Bull is here in his place.

The Priest put the bull into the hole, put the first fruits on top, and filled in the hole. He picked up a bowl of wild food (placed there ahead of time) and returned to the gate with the Champion.

He was challenged, and the Champion stateed that gifts have been given in both directions and a treaty-peace is established.

The Priest brought the wild food around and all ate.

The Priest made an offering of beer. The people made their individual praise offerings.

The Priest affixed the head of the bull to the spear, held the spear high, and put the head into the fire. He declared the Crom Dubh had "well undergone the necessary sacrifices" and directed him to go join Lugh and the other shining ones in the celestial realm.

The Priest offered bread to the deities, the ancestors, and the nature spirits as a final offering. He cast the runes:

	Eihwaz
	Laguz
	Jera

The Priest pondered and declared that the Sacrifice had been accepted into the waters of the Underworld and was pleasing - a good omen.

The Priest took a bowl to the Fire Tender, who poured the Waters of Life (honey water) into it.

We all invoked the Fire and the Water and the blessings descended into the Waters of Life. The Priest distributed the Waters to all the people. We drank.

We then thanked all the beings, in reverse order: the deities, Lugh, Xáryomen, the Ancestors.

The Fire Tender offered to Mhanannán mac Lir and asked him to close the gate.

We thanked the Earth Mother.

The Fire Tender took a coal from the brazier and put it onto the Hearth. She extinguished the brazier. She made a final offering to the hearth, and extinguished it.

The Priest declared the sacred site dissolved.

We recessed.

I found this ritual very impressive and very satisfying. I didn't notice any glitches at all. All four members of Nemos Ognios had, near as I could tell, memorized their parts, and recited them flawlessly.

I felt that my participation worked well enough: there were many points where all the participants chanted or sang something, and I joined in. I did not bring any specific praise offerings, unlike most of the others, who had personal deities to offer to. I felt the lack, but I have no such personal deities, yet - which lack I also feel! As in my first ritual, a week ago, I can't say that I entered into the right mind-space to actually feel the other beings there with us.