I try to make this eclectic and rounded, this was something I finished putting together after looking for a way to be inclusive and respectful to multiple belief systems.
This is a modern blended ritual. Its circle and elemental quarters follow Wiccan practice; its attention to place reflects contemporary Druidry. Irish folklore supplies the remembrance of returning dead, rather than a claim to reconstruct an ancient ceremony. Irish traditions record expectations that departed family members might return home at Samhain.
Preparation & Materials:
Gather:
• One candle, orange or white. (Battery operated can be substituted)
• A heavy bowl of drinking water and a small, closed container of salt.
• A dried corn husk, wheat stalk, or fallen prairie grass.
• An optional fallen eastern redcedar sprig, left unburned. (You can sub this out for other trees around you)
• Two small pieces of bread and a little cider. (Apple, Spiced, Pumpkin etc..)
• A heavy offering dish and an ancestor’s photograph or memento.
Use plant material gathered with permission. Choose a sheltered yard or windbreak with firm footing, away from standing crops and working machinery.
Set the water beside the candle. Keep salt contained rather than scattering it on soil.
Feel your feet inside your shoes. Take three slow breaths. Say:
“I stand upon Nebraska soil, beneath an open autumn sky. The fields are yielding their corn and grain. I pause to remember, give thanks, and prepare for winter.”
Opening the Space:
Walk clockwise once, or turn slowly in place. Imagine a circle surrounding your working space.
“I hallow this place for remembrance, hospitality, and peace.”
Face each direction clockwise:
East:
“Air of the eastern horizon, where dawn rises toward the Missouri River, bring clarity. Be welcome.”
South:
“Fire of the southern sun, whose warmth ripened corn and grain, bring courage through the cold. Be welcome.”
West:
“Water of the Platte flowing from the western mountains, bring renewal and remembrance. Be welcome.”
North:
“Earth beneath the prairie, enduring the north wind from the Dakotas, bring steadiness. Be welcome.”
Touch the bowl:
“Land beneath, sky above, waters moving through this place, I honor you.”
These landmarks locate the elemental calls symbolically; they do not describe the direction of tonight’s wind.
The Invocation, ( feel free to change to use the deity you are working with)
Light the candle. Hold your ancestor’s memento.
“Beloved and well-intentioned ancestors, of blood, affection, and teaching, you are remembered. May this light honor your lives.
“Dagda, receive my welcome here across the ocean. Let hospitality guide my hands and good judgment govern my stores.
“Morrígan, meet me with truth and courage at this season’s threshold.
“I welcome you upon this Nebraska ground as a respectful guest myself. I honor this land’s Indigenous peoples, past and present, without claiming their ancestors or ceremonies as mine.”
Pause. Speak the names of those you wish to remember. You need not invite anyone whose memory causes harm.
The Central Rite, The Threshold, 7 minutes
Set one piece of bread and a little cider in the offering dish.
“I set a place for the beloved dead. Receive this hospitality freely given.”
Keep three minutes of silence. This silent supper adapts remembrance customs into a modern solitary practice. You do not need to seek a sign or message.
Listen to wind moving through grass, or watch it through a window. Notice the corn husk’s dry texture.
Then say:
“The harvest holds both nourishment and labor. I remember what sustained me, and those whose work made it possible.”
Name one lesson received from an ancestor or mentor.
Hold the husk between both hands:
“As the fields enter their winter rest, I release one burden I no longer need to carry.”
Name that burden quietly. Lay the husk beside the bowl. Do not burn or scatter it.
Choose one concrete act of remembrance, such as preparing a family recipe, recording a story, or helping someone through winter.
Closing:
Eat your own bread and drink your cider. Press your feet gently into the ground.
Imagine excess ritual energy settling into the prairie soil with each exhalation.
“My attention returns to my body, my breath, and this place.”
Say:
“Ancestors, thank you for your company. May peace attend your departure. Dagda and Morrígan, thank you for receiving my welcome. This observance is complete.”
Release the directions in reverse order:
“North and Earth, thank you. Depart in peace.”
“West and Water, thank you. Depart in peace.”
“South and Fire, thank you. Depart in peace.”
“East and Air, thank you. Depart in peace.”
Turn counterclockwise once.
“The circle is released. My remembrance continues in how I live.”
Put out your candle. Take all materials home or clean up. Dispose of offerings afterward through burial or leave upon your altar for the night.
