A simple daily personal devotion is the most common rite which we see in Druidry and often the first rite that we as individuals actually perform. Our personal daily devotional rites are the basis for our individual spiritual lives and for our spiritual relationships. Given here are several examples of individual and family daily devotions. These are gathered here to serve as inspiration, motivation and to provide ideas for each individual or household to design a daily devotional that is able to serve their own needs perfectly.

Simple individual rite:

The individual prepares a small daily offering of flowers, honey, grain, cream, butter or bread.

The individual then approaches the personal shrine and lights a candle saying “welcome the sacred flame” and then replaces the offering of the previous day with the new offering.

The individual then says “a gift freely given to honor the gods, may the gods of my ancestors be honored by my gift and my words” and stands peacefully gazing at the flame enjoying a moment of quietude.

After coming to a moment of peace the flame is extinguished and the offering of the previous day is disposed of outside.

Simple outdoor rite:

The individual finds an outdoor place that he or she may visit daily, it may be on a hill, a beach, under a tree, in a park or down a forest trail basically any peaceful yet dynamic place that inspires a spiritual awareness or reaction.

Approaching the special place the person gives a small offering saying “a gift to this place and the spirits that dwell here” and then a moment of stillness in enjoyed as the person calms his or her mind letting it come to a point of peaceful awareness.

Then while raising both hands the person intones “hands within this world, my heart turns toward the gods of my people, a fire of inspiration burns in my head, with head, hands and heart I worship and this ancient altar” then a moment is taken to remain calmly listening, looking, feeling, tasting and smelling the surroundings.

Household rite:

The various actions and spoken parts may be assigned to the several members of a household. Children may be allowed to carry the offerings and place them on the altar and as they grow older they may become responsible for other parts of the ceremony as they feel the desire to participate. No member of a household should ever be made to feel that their participation in a rite such as this is required, forced or coerced. 

This rite is here presented with a household patron deity as a demonstration of this type of patronage. This rite is easily modified to honor any patron deity.

In real time households and families come in many shapes and sizes and modifications to any family style rite have to be made so that the rite suits the spiritual needs of the household. In a rite such as this it is important that the structure of the family be reinforced. A parent, parental figure or a parental couple should stand in the center when facing the altar and in the case of a parental couple they should be together in the center side by side never allowing children or others to stand between them.

The company stands before the altar for a moment of quietude then the altar flame is lit or if already burning is addressed. “Here the sacred flame, a fire on the altar a fire in the head”

Then there is a call and response section where one person makes a statement and everyone responds.

Call:                                                                                                  Response:

We are one household.                                                                   From the center to the edge.

We stand together.                                                                         From the center to the edge.

We stand with the gods of our people.                                          From the center to the edge.

The group begins a quiet chant of barely above a whisper this chant will be the name of the patron deity and will continue through the next part in this instance the chant is done with a triplet feel or a waltzing feel of three with the emphasis on one. “Morrighan, Morrighan, Morrighan……..

One of the people will begin a slow monotone chant of “Moooooriiiighaaaan” which will also continue for the duration of the chanting and someone will start to lightly clap to the rhythm of the chant.

The new offering is placed on the altar and the offering of the previous day is removed with the words “A gift freely given, as we give, may we receive the blessings of the gods of our ancestors.”

 As the chant continues one voice raises above it and intones an address to the household patron “Great Queen, Mor Righain, raven of the sky, lady of nine tresses, with one voice we honor you and ask that you spread your wings over us. Guide our heads hands and hearts to prosperity, happiness and health, we stand within your protection and we are still.”

At the word “still” all chanting and clapping are to stop and the people stand together quietly for a moment of peace.

Daily rite of the Druidh:

This daily devotional is designed for the person who is acting as a Drui or Bandrui for a tribe, organization or local group. This rite is performed by the Drui but for the benefit of the spiritual egregore of the group, the rite is done on behalf of the corporate spiritual identity. This rite is written to be done with an honoring to a tribal patron deity. For the purposes of this presentation, we apply here a tribal name and a tribal patron.

Before the tribal altar or within the tribal sacred area the operant stands and simply relaxes his or her mind for a few moments while breathing and quieting the mind with the goal of reaching either of two mental states; ataraxia or apathia. When one of these states, whichever preferred by the operant, is reached then the rite can proceed with the operant in a state of complete mental focus and calm.

The operant then lights the tribal flame or candle or if a flame that is already burning he or she simply addresses it.  “From the center to the edge, shines the light of the gods. From the center to the edge, flow blessings of the gods. From the center to the edge the people stand as one.”

“I call to you oh ancestors to witness this rite.”

An offering is made of bread, flowers, honey, butter, beer, mead, whiskey or anything else felt appropriate to the identity of the tribe and acceptable to the patron deity. “From the f the ‘Tribe of the Hand Held Aloft’ a gift freely given to honor you ‘Lugh of the Long Arm’. Your people honor you with gifts as you bestow upon us your gifts. The long hand reaches into the sky and is or guide, it parts the darkness and is our light, it shields us and is our protection.”

The operant then stands softly chanting the name of Lugh and he or she meditates upon the god and upon the Tribe letting the face of each member enter the minds’ eye for a moment.