I decided to do my Oath rite in song. Music is one thing that I’m fairly known for in my various communities, and it’s a huge part of who I am. When I was thinking of how I would even begin writing my Oath Rite, I kept comparing it to writing a song. I kept trying to decide whether it would be even more difficult than songwriting, or if they were equally difficult. Then it hit me, why not use my gift as an offering to my path.
Dedicant Oath, sung while playing guitar, pausing between each section to give offering
[audio:http://eithnenaal.tawodi.org/dedicant.mp3]
Oh ancient Ancestors, those who walked the land before me,
those who influence my life
You gave me strength and gave me knowledge, you showed me the ways of old
you will never be forgotten
I offer you this gift of song, to show my devotion to the Old Ways
(pour Jack Daniels)
Oh sacred nature spirits, kindred that share the land around me,
around me and everywhere
Those who walk, fly, swim and crawl, my brothers of this land that I share with
May we always live in harmony
I offer you this gift of song, to show my devotion to the Old Ways
(offer piles of birdseed )
Oh bright and shining ones, the Gods of a thousand names remembered
remembered and a thousand forgotten
I offer you a life of service, for showing me the path which I’m to follow
To follow and honor in spirit
I offer you this gift of song, to show my devotion to the Old Ways
(burn mishma)
Self-Evaluation of the Oath
It should be noted that I’m not much of a liturgist, and prefer being the main musical accompaniment for rituals rather than writing them. It should also be noted that I almost feel the text written for song might be inadequate as far as size is concerned. When I look back at the sample in the dedicant’s manual, I wonder to myself whether what I’ve written suffices, but I’m hoping that the fact it was actually placed within a song helps make up for that.
My oath rite was performed outdoors in my sacred space, which you can see a picture of on my journal. My physical offerings were of spiritual significance for me.
For the Ancestors, I offered whiskey. Jack Daniels was the drink of choice for my father as a youngling. It then became a drink of choice for me as a youngling as well. It seemed appropriate that such an offering was made (either whiskey or moonshine) to the Ancestors, as it holds spiritual significance within my family roots.
My father is an avid birder, it’s one of his simple pleasures. Birdseed seemed the obvious choice of offering for the Nature Spirits since our home is always home to local birdlife and wildlife in general.
And lastly, the Mishma, which is one of 117 sacred pipe mixtures used by pipe carriers in the Nipowaken Medicine Lodges. It is a form of KinnickKinnick, a blend of herbs for smoking that contain no tobacco. It is a natural relaxant and is thought to be a gift from Spirit by many native tribes, which is why it was my offering to the Gods, since it was part of my Hearth Culture.
The card pulled for the omen was that of the Peyote Ceremony. Peyote was used by some tribes to achieve a mental state in which to contact the spirit realm. For my rite, this symbolizes that my spiritual blockades are now removed. It states I am now able to grow spiritually and discover my inner-self. To me, this was a very good omen, and acknowledgment that I have completed this phase of my spiritual journey, and am now ready for the next.
To the Ancestors, I devoted to always remember them, and the lessons they taught. To the Nature Spirits, I vowed to always live in harmony with them and with the land. And to the Shining Ones, I offered my life in service, and to always walk the path of the Old Ways.
I felt this rite as a whole was very symbolic, more like a Rite of Passage signifying that I am now ready to further my path of the Old Ways.
(Word Count: 601, of the Rite and Evaluation only)
