Tag Archives: paganism

Solitary Autumn Equinox Rite

An Otherfaith ritual in celebration of the Autumn Equinox.

You can download a PDF version of this rite here. Please edit and adjust this ritual as you desire; it is intended merely as a starting point.

Timing

At or around the Autumn Equinox. This ritual can be performed any time after the Autumn Equinox until Halloween as well, with small adjustments made to the wording to reference the season rather than specifically the Equinox.

Tools:

  • Cleansing herbs/incense (if needed)
  • Main altar candle
  • Clarene candle
  • Incense, for all the Gods
  • Incense, for the Clarene
  • Censer
  • Liquid for libations (cider, beer, wine, juice, alcohol, and/or water)
  • Offering bowl (if performed indoors)
  • Bell
  • Anointing oil/water
  • Altar
  • Altar decorations, if desired
  • Prayer beads, if desired

Notes

This ritual is based on the ‘Mabon Solitary Ritual’ found in Mabon: Rituals, Recipes and Lore for the Autumn Equinox by Diana Rajchel. As she describes it, “[it] is one of simple gratitude and propitiation. In this ritual, you give offerings in the form of liquid, or libations, and by doing so you encourage a further relationship with deity and nature.” (Rajchel 159) Some of the prayers used in this ritual are directly from Rajchel’s ritual, but most are of my own original drafting.

This ritual can be performed indoors or outdoors. If done outdoors you can simply pour out your offering onto the ground. If performed indoors, pour the liquid into an offering bowl. After the ritual is completed you should pour out the libations somewhere outside.

The ideal directions to set up the altar and/or pour libations are North or West, as this ritual is focused on the Clarene. The ideal drink for the libations to the Clarene would be beer, cider, wine, or brandy. Other drinks can be chosen for the specific Gods and spirits you wish to praise. You may either pour out the entire bottle/drink at the end of the rite, keep it to offer in other rituals, or drink it yourself as desired. Different liquids may be offered if you so desire, but using one type of offering is fine. Water is perfectly acceptable as an offering liquid.

Ritual

Make sure you are clean (having showered or bathed in the past day) and are wearing clean clothing. A ritual cleansing shower or bath may be taken beforehand if desired.

If the space has not previously been purified, burn cleansing herbs or incense. Sweep the room clockwise three times

Four and Four Gods,
bless this room
that it might be fit for your rites and rituals.
Spirits of house and home,
bless this room
that it might be fit for your rites and rituals.
Spirits of place and presence,
bless this room
that it might be fit for your rites and rituals.
Gods and spirits, holy and unholy,
bless this space.

Sit before the altar and light the main candle. Mark forehead (and upper chest, if desired) with oil or water.

I am consecrated in the name of the Four Gods.

Ground and center.

Four and Four Gods,
above and below,
be with me tonight and give witness to my rite.

Ring bell thrice.

I pray tonight to the Four Gods and their many spirits.
I give libation to Them.
May They join me in this rite
and accept my offerings on this autumn equinox.

Invoke the Four+ Gods. You may use prayer beads or hold up your arms, bent at the elbows with palms upward, as you pray.

Holy Clarene, god of hearth and home, I call to you.
Holy Ophelia, god of waters and weeping, I call to you.
Holy Laetha, god of cinders and song, I call to you.
Holy Dierne, god of love and longing, I call to you.
Holy Laethelia, god of joy and jubilance, I call to you.
Holy Ophelene, god of wisdom and work, I call to you.
Holy Darren, god of decision and doubt, I call to you.
Holy Liathane, god of chaos and calamity, I call to you.

Take a sip from the drink container then hold it aloft for a moment before setting it back upon the altar.

This libation I consume,
sharing with the Gods and spirits
in the energy of the season.

Once the Gods have been invoked, light a candle and incense specifically for the Clarene. Pour a small libation into the bowl.

Holy Clarene,
Great God of the harvest,
God of slaughter,
God of farms and orchards and food –
you are stunning in your beauty,
overwhelming in your power.
The time of the harvest is your time.
We kill that we might eat.
We eat that we might live.
You are the cycle.
You are the scythe.
I behold your eternal glory.

Pour another small libation.

In gratitude, in love, I give thanks to you.[i]

Pour another small libation.

In grief, in sorrow, I give thanks to you.[ii]

Now you might give prayers to specific Gods, spirits, or people who have helped them in their lives. Pour a small libation out after each prayer.

Visualization

Close your eyes and sit comfortably. See a glowing portal between yourself and the altar. On the other side lay the Westernlands, the world of Western Fairy that the Clarene rules over. Imagine stepping through the portal. You step into a grassy clearing. Trees bedecked in orange and yellow leaves stand behind you, encircling the clearing; ahead of you stands one of the Clarene’s homes, a wooden cabin with smoke drifting from the chimney.

In the clearing stands the Clarene. A table laden with the gifts of the harvest – fruits, gourds, vegetables, meats, and more food than you can name – sits between you and the God.

Approach the table. You may either ask the Clarene to give you a gift from the table, of Her choosing, or you may choose a piece of food yourself. In either case, take the food you are offered. Remember what it looks like, if you can identify it, how to smells and feels. Keep it close to your chest.

Thank the Clarene, and make your way back through the portal to this world.

Remember to write down what food you received, as well as any meaning you might glean from it. What you were gifted represents the gift of the season specific in your life, what you can expect going forward. Write down any other details from the visualization as well: if there were any spirits with the Clarene, how She appeared to you, anything notable about the clearing or forest or house, what foods were on the table, etc. Note, as well, your emotional state and feelings during the meditation.

Give one last libation to the Clarene.

King of the Gods,
you who are the order and proper turn of the world,
I give thanks to you this harvest season.
Sustain me in the months ahead.
Bless me as the days darken.
Receive these offerings in the spirit they are given,
and remain, always, alongside me.
This I pray.

Bid farewell to the Four+ Gods. Clasp your hands together or use prayer beads while praying.

Holy Clarene, god of hearth and home, I thank you.
Holy Ophelia, god of waters and weeping, I thank you.
Holy Laetha, god of cinders and song, I thank you.
Holy Dierne, god of love and longing, I thank you.
Holy Laethelia, god of joy and jubilance, I thank you.
Holy Ophelene, god of wisdom and work, I thank you.
Holy Darren, god of decision and doubt, I thank you.
Holy Liathane, god of chaos and calamity, I thank you.

Extinguish the Clarene’s candle.

With love, I depart from you, Holy Ones.
I carry with me gratitude for the life on earth you have given.[iii]

Ring the bell thrice.

This rite is complete.

[i] “Mabon Solitary Ritual.” Mabon – Rituals, Recipes and Lore for the Autumn Equinox, by Diana Rajchel, Llewellyn Publications,U.s., 2015, pp. 158–167.

[ii] Ibid.

[iii] Ibid.

[All information above is in-process, as the Otherfaith is always under development. It should not be taken as solid canon or ‘law’. Please use the information to explore and experiment as feels appropriate.]

Results from 1.5 Canonization Poll

In order to establish a solid canon for the Otherfaith myths, I’ve begun a series of polls to allow the community to decide what will be considered canonical going forth. It’s important to note that the options that do not become enshrined as canon will not be considered ‘bad’, ‘wrong’, or ‘off-limits’. The main goal of establish a clearer canon is so that we can include the stories in printed materials and begin delineating between canon and headcanon.

These are the results from the follow-up poll to the first poll, largely focused on clarification questions like names to use and deification order. I did vote in this poll, but I will not be voting in any of the main storyline polls.

Follow-Up Questions

Pie chart showing results for 'Where should the Clarene's birthplace be?'. 100% voted for 'Somewhere along the France-German border'; 0% voted for 'Specific town along France-German border'. 6 responses total.

I’m glad that the result for this question was so solidly in the ‘vague’ direction, as assigning a specific town that none of the Other People have been to – essentially picking a place out of a hat – would feel a bit icky, in my opinion.

Pie chart showing results for 'Should Pallis be tied to a real-world star?'. 83.3% voted for 'No'; 16.7% voted for 'Yes'. 6 responses total.

Pallis has never been correlated with a specific star in any previous Otherfaith stories, and his nature as a fallen star meant that assigning an actual star or constellation would prove interesting.

Pie chart showing results for 'Should there be a story on the origins of the Ophelia (who she was before she became the poisoned river)?'. 100% voted 'Yes'; 0% voted 'No'. 5 responses total.

We don’t have any origin story for the Ophelia; she just shows up in the Clarene’s path and becomes a god shortly after. I did have an origin story back in 2011-2012 for the Ophelia, but I don’t believe I posted it anywhere publicly. An origin story for the Ophelia is going to likely take a while to come together and be canonized, but I look forward to it.

Pie chart showing results for 'Which name should be used for the Star that falls alongside Pallis?'. 80% voted for 'Mircea'; 20% voted for 'Misia'. 5 responses total.

As much as I do like the name Misia, meaning ‘hate’, for the main antagonist for the First Season myths, Mircea is the name that has been associated longest with the rival star that falls along with Pallis. Mircea itself has meanings of ‘peace’ and ‘world’, adding an irony that I enjoy. (Two of Mircea’s attendant spirits are Charity and Chastity, names chosen for their irony as well.)

Pie chart showing results for 'Which name should be used for the fairy Princess?'. 33.3% voted for 'Eirene'; 33.3% voted for 'Irene'; 16.7% voted for 'Irida'; 16.7% voted for 'Iria'. Picture shows other possible options for names. 6 responses total.
Pie chart showing results for 'Which name should be used for the fairy Princess?'. 33.3% voted for 'Eirene'; 33.3% voted for 'Irene'; 16.7% voted for 'Irida'; 16.7% voted for 'Iria'. Picture shows other possible options for names. 6 responses total.
Pie chart showing results for 'Which name should be used for the fairy Princess?'. 33.3% voted for 'Eirene'; 33.3% voted for 'Irene'; 16.7% voted for 'Irida'; 16.7% voted for 'Iria'. Picture shows other possible options for names. 6 responses total.

For the fairy princess the Clarene originally falls in love with a variety of names were provided. The majority of the names were connected to ‘peace’ with a few being tied to ‘rainbow’, both associations the princess has. We ended up with a tie between Eirene and Irene, with two other votes going toward Irida and Iria. We’ll be following up this question in the next poll.

Pie chart showing results for 'Should Adilene be deified as the Laetha, prior to Arabella?'. 80% voted for 'Yes', 20% voted for 'No'. 5 responses total.
Pie chart showing results for 'Should the fairy princess be deified as the Dierne, prior to Pallis?'. 80% voted for 'Yes', 20% voted for 'No'. 5 responses total.

I’m bundling these two together as they are essentially tied to the same overarching question: should a Laetha and Dierne exist before Arabella and Pallis take up the mantle? As the yes votes won out, we find new questions coming up. Are the roles of Laetha and Dierne somehow inherent to the Westernlands? Does the Laethic Firebird exist from the beginning of the West? What does it mean, exactly, to be the Dierne?

The next poll, moving into the ‘Stars in the Westernlands’ section of the myths, will start up on Saturday.

Results from First Canonization Poll

In order to establish a solid canon for the Otherfaith myths, I’ve begun a series of polls to allow the community to decide what will be considered canonical going forth. It’s important to note that the options that do not become enshrined as canon will not be considered ‘bad’, ‘wrong’, or ‘off-limits’. The main goal of establish a clearer canon is so that we can include the stories in printed materials and begin delineating between canon and headcanon.

These are the results from the first poll, focusing on the creation of the Westernlands and beginning of the mythic storyline.

(As a note, I did not vote in this poll. I was able to see the results as they came in and felt it would be unfair to submit my own votes when the purposes was to gauge the community’s perspectives.)

Origins of the Clarene & Ophelia

Pie chart showing results for 'Who should the Clarene be born to?'. 83.3% voted for 'Unnamed fairy queen'; 16.7% voted for 'Named fairy queen from folklore/history'; 0% voted for 'Named fairy queen (non-historical)'. 6 responses total.

The Clarene’s fairy mother has not been named previously, so the results of this question were not surprising. Going forward there will not be a canonical name for the Clarene’s fairy mother. This will likely not be an issue, as her mother is not included in any devotional or religious practices in the ‘faith.

Pie chart showing results for 'Where should the Clarene's birthplace be?'. 66.7% voted for 'Border of Germany and France'; 33.3% voted for 'Unspecified'; 0% voted for Germany; 0% voted for France; 0% voted for British Isles. 6 responses total.

I had written in older posts on the Clarene that her mythic origins were in Germany or France. Having now lived in Western Germany that impression has only increased. This question was a bit more split but ended with a preference for the Clarene’s birthplace being on the border of the two countries. What impact this will have upon devotional practice remains to be seen.

Pie chart showing the results for 'Should the fairy princess Clarene falls in love with be named?'. 100% voted for 'Yes'; 0% voted for 'No'. 6 responses total.

Originally the fairy princess in the Clarene’s origin story was not named, but in the community she is commonly called Irene. We will be polling regarding what name to use going forward as well. Having a name allows us to include her more easily in prayers and rituals.

Pie chart showing the results for 'Where should the Clarene encounter the Ophelia?'. 83.3% voted for 'Unspecified'; 16.7% voted for 'United States of America (West Coast)'; 0% voted for 'United States of America (East Coast)'; 0% voted for 'Western Coast of Europe'. 6 responses total.

Within official documents and writing for the Otherfaith, the Clarene and Ophelia’s meeting will not be assigned a specific location. Individual worshipers can assign a specific location in their own private practice, however. As an example, I might live near or visit a river that splits two very different environments (maybe one side is more developed by humans and the other more wild); I might perform a prayer or ritual and refer to the meeting of the two first gods as I pray. Keeping it unspecified in canon allows for more variance in our own practices, as we won’t feel the need to refer to a specific place or visit a specific locale.

Pie chart showing the results for 'Should the Ophelia be tied to a specific real-world river?'. 80% voted for 'No'; 20% voted for 'Yes'. 5 responses total.

Similar to the above question, though an official real-world river will not be assigned to the Ophelia, Other People should definitely use their own local landscape to connect with the gods. The Ophelia seems to resonate with the majority of rivers, but most especially those around which major cities have been built.

The Fall of Pallis

Pie chart showing results for 'When should Pallis' birth take place?'. 66.7% voted for 'Before the creation of the Westernlands'; 33.3% voted for 'At the creation of the Westernlands'; 0% voted for 'After the creation of the Westernlands'. 6 responses total.

The first question were I differed from the majority vote! We will go into Pallis’ story in future polls. I’ll have to adjust some prayers I’ve written, but apart from that I’m not sure what else will change with this canon.

Pie chart showing results for 'Where should Pallis be trapped?'. 50% voted for 'Unspecified'; 33.3% voted for 'Do not assign a real world object to the prison'; 16.7% voted for 'The Moon'; 0% voted for 'A (real) distant planet)'. 6 responses total.

Pallis is trapped by the other stars, eventually breaking out of his prison to fall to the Westernlands. His prison has never been assigned in past stories, and going forward the prison will remain vague.

Pie chart showing results for 'What fundamental change(s) should occur when stars fall? (Multiple Choice)'. 4 people voted for 'They become mortal (Mortality)'; 1 person voted for 'They gain gender/Ability to have gender'; 1 person voted for 'They gain sexuality/desire'. 4 responses total.

For these multiple choice questions, answers that got the most votes would become canon. Mortality being gained when stars fall will become canon; the two others are, again, perfectly fine for headcanon but won’t be included in official texts.

Pie chart showing results for 'Should Mircea/Misia fall along with Pallis?'. 83.3% voted for 'Yes'; 16.7% voted for 'No'. 6 responses total.

This question does impact the myths quite severely; the way the stories play out and the themes change a lot without Mircea involved. We’ve largely treated Mircea as a given in the mythology for years now; I was pleasantly surprised to see a dissenting vote honestly!

The Mortal Falls into the West

Pie chart showing results for 'Which name should be used for the Mortal?' 100% voted for 'Arabella'; 0% voted for 'Asier'. 4 responses total.

Arabella and Asier are essentially the same core personality, just with a different gender, so either one could have worked as the first mortal to fall into the West. With Arabella being the origin mortal, Asier will be the mortal who returns with Pallis to restore the West after its destruction.

Pie chart showing results for 'What happens when mortals fall into the West?' (Multiple choice). 6 people voted for 'Change depends on the individual'; 2 people voted for 'They become non-human in some way'; 0 people voted for 'Their gender changes'; 0 people voted for 'Nothing'. 6 responses total.

Again, the multiple choice questions, answers with the most responses become canon. Changes will occur to mortals that fall into the West, mythically, but it will be dependent on the individual and not a universal/static change.

Pie chart showing results for 'Why does the Mortal fall?'. 50% voted for 'They accidentally fall in'; 50% voted for 'They are seeking out fairyland'; 0% voted for '"Falling" is a metaphor for death'; 0% voted for 'They are pulled in by a fairy'. 6 responses total.

Finally, we get to the question that resulted in a tie. We will be discussing which option will become canon in our community areas, in order to break the tie. (This will take place on the Discord but discussion is also welcome in our FB group, Reddit, and the forums on this website.)

New Story: Adilene, the First

Though the original website is no longer around, I’ve decided to work through the Pagan Blog Project I undertook in 2012 and 2013. These were simple blogging challenges, working through one letter of the alphabet every two weeks.

With this 2019 undertaking I had hoped to write informative essays focused on a spirit related to the specific letter of each week. Just like in 2013, however, I ended up writing stories. I suspect this trend will continue throughout the year.

Each of the stories I write for the Pagan Blog Project will be posted up on Archive of Our Own (AO3), as well as on my Patreon.

You can read the newest story, Adilene, the First, here.

January Holy Days

January Holy Days:

  • January 1: New Year’s Day
  • January 1: Birth of Dawn
  • January 2: Birth of Abel Blake
  • January 5: Birth of Aeron Blake
  • January 7: Birth of Aithne Blake
  • January 13: Com. of Comity: Dawn & Dusk
  • January 15: Birth of Centry Rio
  • January 24: Selection of Aletheia
  • January 31: Birth of Dusk

January 1 – New Year’s Day
The transition to the new year has been part of the Other People’s holy calendar for quite a while, almost since its inception. New Year’s Day is both a cultural observance and a religious one. Spiritually, the Laetha and Dierne’s spirits are separated during this time, for anywhere from a week to a month, as they undertake their own duties and trials. It is also a time when initiates with those gods begin their training.

January 1 – Birth of Dawn
The sister spirits of twilight, Dawn and Dusk, are both born in January. Dawn enters at the start of the month. Dawn is a Greater Spirit that heralds the sun, sometimes pulling the light with her reins to throw off the darkness. She is associated with hope, fun, and pleasure, the latter association she shares with Dusk. She has a retinue of mist and water spirits that accompany her.

January 2 – Birth of Abel Blake
One of the Five Feathers (Aithne, Abel, Alynah, Eloise and Eloi), Abel Blake is a spirit of addiction, drunks, and life crises. Alynah Blake is his Companion, with Alynah evening out Abel’s otherwise self-destructive tendencies. He also takes on the form of Aletheia 059 (A. 059), allowing him to manipulate and create illusions. He is not a spirit that is called on to aid in recovery from addiction as much as he is a spirit of addiction and dysfunction.

January 5 – Birth of Aeron Blake
Another one of the Blakes (like Aithne, Abel, and the Greater Spirit Alynah) but not part of the Five Feathers, Aeron is a spirit of any and all ‘black sheep’. He falls outside the usual behavior, looks, and career of the rest of his family, and he can be petitioned for aid when handling similar family conflicts. He is also a giant and has ties to physical fitness, making him an excellent spirit to call upon for such matters. He has a preference for hockey.

January 7 – Birth of Aithne Blake
The first of the Five Feathers, Aithne is a spirit of sexuality and business acumen. She can be petitioned for both matters. She is the oldest and most well-adjusted of all the Blakes, making her an excellent addition when working with any of the others in that line. She is especially tied to business as it relates to modeling. She can also be considered when working on self-love, though her connections are secondary to her sex and business associations. She should not be called upon at the same time as Althea Altair and Lilibell Vega.

January 13 – Communique of Comity: Dawn & Dusk
In the Otherfaith, Comity is a type of relationship between spirits: a non-sexual semi-romantic relationship similar to life partners. Comity is a beneficial relationship that helps the spirits combine their energies toward positive ends, often strengthening connections between similar spirits. ‘Communique’ means ‘formal announcement’, and the term is used repeatedly in the Otherfaith calendar to refer to notable relationships, conflicts, or events. It is usually shorted to ‘Com’. The Comity of Dawn and Dusk is part of the ‘Friday the 13th’ celebrations but is observed regardless of what day of the week the date falls.

January 15 – Birth of Centry Rio
Centries are a group of spirits, created by the Clarene, to oversee and enforce the order of the West. They present as centaurs, though they are sometimes seen with lion halves instead of equine. Rio is assistant and second-in-command to Dallas. More fiery than Dallas, Rio enforces his will with explosive passion, chasing down criminals with grim determination.

January 24 – Selection of Aletheia
Each year a Laethic spirit is chosen to become one of the Aletheia Androids. This can either be a cause of great celebration or mourning, depending on the specific spirit chosen. Some spirits transform entirely, abandoning their past identities and selves. Others, such as Abel and Aeron Blake, retain their sense of selfhood outside of their android forms. Aletheia androids serve the Laethas, primarily the Laetha Ava.

January 31 – Birth of Dusk
Bookending with Dawn’s birth, Dusk is born at the end of January. A Greater Spirit like her elder sibling, Dusk is tied to secrecy, solitude, and pleasure. An entourage of starry spirits accompanies her as she drags the curtain of night to end the day. Dusk is quieter than her sister but can create more potent magic. She seduces the daylight to fade away, her sister’s reins replaced instead with gentle caresses.

For a complete list of all current Otherfaith holy days, you can download the Otherfaith 2019 calendar below. A ‘program’ of January’s holy days is also available for download.

Otherfaith Calendar 2019Download
Program for January 2019Download