Calling the Court of Brigid – the Next Step.

In August of 2011 I composed and led a ritual working intended to begin contact between ADF magicians and spirits identified as servants or ‘courtiers’ of the Goddess Brigid. (initial ritual scripts and journal here) While L. and I worked the ritual proper a much larger group assembled at the festival ‘workshop’ were invited to participate as seers, or simply as witnesses. We had what I consider a notable success with a number of seers naming, in the end, sixteen courtier spirits. Together with three superior ministers of Brigid – the Three Powers, or Three Queens – the working produced nineteen spirits that have now made at least a preliminary oath to work with magicians in our way. As a next step I am recruiting a group of magicians willing to undertake further work with these spirits, and to work a series of initial rites in order to begin.

The original rite was One Big Thing, with only a preliminary meditation. In a festival environment that’s the best I had available. In re-working the method for work by a solitary mage or small group I have divided it into three smaller rites and a follow-up spell. The rites are:

1: An Audience of Brigid – fairly standard offering and blessing rite, though done in detail, with the Blessing used for special purification and empowerment. This could easily be done as a group rite, even as a public rite at a festival or gathering. The blessing would be useful for all, and would serve as a preliminary rite for those intending to go further. The further rites could be done by a small group of people with an appropriate skill-level, but might be more easily done alone or with a partner.

2: Convoking the Three Queens – under the power of Brigid, three rulers of her Court are called. The Harp, the Hammer, and the Cup are conceived as queenly spirits of poetry, craft, and healing. These Powers themselves convey great blessings, and can be approached directly for magical work.

3: Convoking the Court – using shortened calls to the Goddess and Her Queens, the 16 spirits are named, their oaths given, offerings made, and then treated with. The individual magician perhaps finds specific alliances among them, and perhaps new spirits appear. If calling the whole company seems too long, this work could be divided to do the court of one Queen at a time.

I have scripted each of these in detail. A fourth rite is a simple, post-pact method of evoking one spirit at a time.

L. and I intend to do this work over the waxing moon of Jan 24 through Feb 7, along with a small group of other Druids and mages. The intention is to use to either renew one’s connection with the spirits (for those who were present at the initial rite) or to work the three rites and thus establish their connection with Brigid and her Courtiers. I will be blogging the parts that make sense to talk about.