[older woman to older man]:
One-eye, Wanderer, God of wisdom,
Hunt-lord, hail, who leads the hosting!
Nine nights hanging, knowledge gaining,
Cloaked at crossroads, council hidden.
Now the night, your time, is near us --
Right roads send us on, Rune-winner.
[older man to older woman]:
Every age your eye has witnessed;
Cauldron-Keeper, hail wise Crone!
Rede in riddles is your ration --
Wyrd-weaving at the World-tree's root.
Eldest ancient, all-knowing one,
Speak secrets to us, send us vision.
[younger woman to younger man]:
Lord of Life, hail Land-Master!
God of grain that grows and dies
And rises reborn, full of richness;
Fallow fields shall yet be fertile --
Spring sap runs as stirs your phallus
Bless barren earth, let it bear again!
[younger man to younger woman]:
Snow-shoes striding, hail swift Huntress!
Wild one, free and willful Goddess
Bow and blade you bear beside you,
Finding food to fend off hunger --
Winter will not leave us wanting;
Give good hunting, grant us skill.
USHERING IN THE NEW YEAR:
Welcome winter, waning season,
Now with night the new year comes;
Hail the horse's head with blessings --
Blessings be on those who bide here
And indeed on all the world!
SCRYING:
Wide are the worldgates,
Sights to be sent us;
Ready for rede-gifts,
We wait for your wisdom.
OFFERINGS/THANKSGIVING:
Grateful, we give now, gifts of our own
Heart-work and hand-work the hearth shall grace;
Happiness, harmony, health in the new year,
Send to the world and we in it, we wish you.
DISMISSAL/OPENING:
To watching winds we wish fair travelling;
To sleepless dead sweet rest we send;
Gods and Goddesses, go with praises --
See: the circle is severed thus. [cut with sword at east]
I wrote that ritual for David, myself, and two friends who are older than we. It was the first ritual that I wrote not based on NROOGD material in any way, but on entirely original structure and material. The horse's skull is a primitive form of the Mari Lwyd (Grey Mare/Mary), a Welsh folk traditional hobby horse that goes from house to house at the calendar New Year, but she's such a bizarre and macabre beast that she was almost certainly a Samhain leftover.
There's interesting material about her in Trefor Owen's WELSH FOLK CUSTOMS
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