Ritual of Dedication

This is the dedication ritual Hermes asked me to write and post. 

Materials

A bowl
Two cups
Water
A bundle of herbs
A long neck lighter
A small towel
Wine
Spices
Incense
Table Salt
A stone
A cauldron or fireproof offertory vessel
Isopropyl Alcohol
Epsom Salt

The Purifications

These instructions assume that you are either working outdoors, or that your indoor space has already been purified. 

1. Fill a bowl with water.
2. Add salt or salt water
3. Light the bundle of herbs with the lighter
4. Dunk the flaming herbs into the water

Wash your hands and face with this water. Do not neglect the ears.

Zeus, Hera, Hestia and Statements of Intent

Here, the rightful share of Hestia is given before and after those to Zeus and Hera, and not tangled up with the symbolic offerings made to the intended deity. You will want a larger bowl and a smaller bowl, the epsom salt, isopropyl alcohol and lighter.

1. Pour the epsom salt into your cauldron or large fire-proof bowl.
2. Pour in enough isopropyl alcohol to completely wet the epsom salt
3. Light the mixture with the long neck lighter. You should get a nice blue flame.
4. Conduct your libations by pouring them into the fire.

Look, I know you will eventually end up disregarding this advice, but please don’t add more alcohol to your cauldron until the fire is totally out. I have come very close to lighting myself on fire many times because I wanted to, “Make the Fire Bigger.” “Make the Fire Bigger,” has resulted in blue fire traveling up a stream of alcohol and coming hellishly close to my hand. I have also, during, “Make the Fire Bigger,” spilled highly flammable liquid on my shirt sleeve. Do not, “Make the Fire Bigger.” Just wait for it to go out, then add more fuel and relight. 

 

For Hestia

(raise up the offertory bowl)
“To Hestia, thine us always first and last.”
(libate)

For Zeus and Hera

(raise up the offertory bowl)
“To Zeus.”
(libate)

(raise up the offertory bowl)
“To Hera.”
(libate)

“King and Queen who rule over Olympos, hear now my petition. As you are the rightful leaders of the blessed gods, and know all that they do, witness now as I join myself to (deity) as (appropriate title). If I am fitting in your sight, bless the work that I now undertake.”

For Hestia

(raise up the offertory bowl)
“Dearest Hestia, goddess of hearth and home, as I give to you your rightful portion, have pity on me, for the path of those who walk with the gods is not an easy one. Look over my home and my family. Help me not to forget those who are dear to my heart who do not join me in this work. As you are the most humble of deities, and chose friendship and family over a seat among the Olympians. Bless me with the strength of that humility, that my perceived self importance and the importance of this work do not overshadow compassion, friendship and love for the humans with whom I share my life. To Hestia, sponde!”
(libate)

The Invocation

Call your deity in whatever way you normally do, and let them know what the purpose of the ritual is. I have my example below. 

“I call to the shepherd
Son of Maia,
Savior of heroes
Friend of simple folk
Come to me
As I call up my spirit
My breath, my body, my heart, my soul
To share with you
Whom I would call both mentor and lover.”

The Wine and Water

Holding up The Water: “These are the waters of memory”

Holding up The Wine: “And these, the waters of forgetfulness. Let us drink of forgetfulness so that the difficulties between us will be forgotten.”

(libate and drink)

Holding Up The Water: “These are the waters of my heart, poured out for you.”

(libate)

“And I will drink of memory so that I will never forget you.”

(drink)

The Incense

Light the incense, and spend a moment or two meditating on the smoke. Play with it. Run your hands through it. Watch it respond to your movements and your breath. Feel its heat. 

“Like the fire with the air, may my courage, my will and my vitality rise up like smoke. Join your virtue to my virtue, and I will join my passion with yours. Let neither my will nor yours be diminished, but rather, let our powers be added to one another, that my actions should be fortified by your power, and that your power may be brought down from heaven with the help of my actions.”

The Salt, The Spices and the Stone

Lifting up the spices: “This is my beauty and charm. For as long as they serve me, I will use them to do good and unto you.”

(throw the spices into the cauldron)

Lifting up the salt: “And these are my struggles, the salt of my tears. Help me transform them into good by making each struggle an opportunity.”

(throw the salt into the cauldron)

Lifting up the Stone: “But this is what shall endure forever: the work of my hands, whether for good or ill.”

Still holding up the stone, you should clarify exactly what the work of the hands means, in this case, and what sort of legacy you are thinking to leave behind, as well as any other terms of the relationship you plan to embark on. 

“We are here together but for a time
And the Moirai have brought us together for a purpose
I make this vow to you:
I will stand by you and for you
In good times and bad
What your heart seeks, I will seek
What you endeavor in, I will help with
So that our names will be joined together and remembered
As an example of goodness in this world
And beyond any other thing, I will be a friend to you
Until this journey’s end.
May you, in turn,
Be a guide and guardian to me
Teach me kindness and diplomacy
Teach me patience and persistence
Teach me to see open doors
And may what you teach never be unappreciated by me
Let this be the cornerstone of our legacy
In all of this, I dedicate myself to you.”

 

Inspirations came from the following sources:

The ritual’s structure, and a bit of poetic language: http://firesidewitch.com/2014/06/24/ritual-twinning-pujaceremony/

The meaning of dedication: http://cassiejourney.wordpress.com/2014/08/03/my-daughter-is-a-satanist/

Philosophy on contracts with deities: http://thegoldthread.wordpress.com/2014/07/21/freya-dedication-contract/