Please feel free to adapt this template, and all others in these notes, to suit your circumstances.

Blessing for a New Group

Invite all members of the parent group, and all core group members of the offspring group, to attend. 

Ask each to bring a tiny gift (small enough to comfortably fit in the palm of their hand) that symbolises their wish for the new group. Leaders of the parent group are asked to provide an ornamental jar or container large enough to hold all these tokens. If either or both of the groups is a non-hierarchical collective, they can draw lots in advance to choose who will act as their representative in this rite in lieu of a leader.
 

  • Parent group representative makes sacred space or opens ritual in their usual way.

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  • If the new group will focus on particular Deities, those are the ones that should be called.

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  • Guided group meditation - invite each person to imagine their ideal of a nurturant, fully-functioning group.

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  • Pass the container around. Each person explains their wish and adds their token.

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  • Parent group representative presents filled jar to the quarters, invokes the blessings of the Elemental Guardians upon it and upon the new group.

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  • Raise power in the parent group’s usual way, release it into the container, then close the container.

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  • A representative of the parent group presents container to a representative of the offspring group.

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  • A representative of the offspring group expresses gratitude verbally, or with a gift of some ritual object to the parent group if they wish.

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  • Ritual blessing and sharing of food and drink together.

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  • Lots of conversation: embarrassing reminiscences about their training, pedantic advice and other expressions of love.

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  • Close in your usual way. Consider whether the parent or offspring representative should close. Each choice makes a different symbolic statement.


    • If this is also the first branch from this elder, a promotion ritual for the elder is equally in order. You can combine these rituals, but be careful to give full attention to both statements. Invite the extended family, especially all of those who are elder to your elder, and make it a great, big feast!

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    The address of this page is http://www.proteuscoven.org/proteus/endings/branchbless.htm
    Last modified February 7, 2002