Funeral

1.1 The Altar

A. The altar is to the West, covered
in black. With a smaller table behind it (farther west) it is

covered in blue silk and holds the central-blue conductor candle.
The divinity candles are: One black (left-side) and one white
(right-side) both are dedicated to the Daghda. The altar is undecorated.

1. The Ritual color and garb: The priest/ess is dressed in black.

2. Music either recorded or played by an invited musicians can
be played at the appropriate time indicated by passage.

B. All items usually on altar are here, in addition:

A chalice or bowl made of ceramic or glass of rich and elaborate
design should be brought by the family. This item should be associated
with the departed in some way.

A black (thick)cloth bag large enough to hold the [item], a silver
cord and hammer all need to be present. The [item] and bag is
kept outside the circle in the most eastern part of the room.
The hammer may remain on the altar's north-side. A small bell
is placed on the altar.

Thurible incense:

Myrrh+Chervil.

The friends and family of the deceased (referred to as the Audience)
enter the circle from the East, before

C. Establishing the Circle.

The audience sits in a half circle around the altar in the West.
The immediate family sitsto the front nearest the altar (i.e.,
the mother and father, brothers and sisters, the deceased spouse
and children). While the remaining family sit behind the immediate
family, and friends sit behind the remaining family.

1.2 Opening Ceremonies

C. The circle is cast from the Northwest-west corner of the altar
around to the Southwest-west corner of the circle. So that a doorway
remains open behind the altar in the West.

D. The Bridge to the otherworld is opened.

The Priest/ess from behind altar; facing east toward the audience
turns and faces West. He (she) steps backward (1' ft or so), raises
arms in welcome and speaks...

" I call to thee O' great Manannan Mac Lír. Here within
this sacred circle may the spirit of our beloved parted one manifest and be made welcome. I ask of thee Lord of Tir fa Thon-let the castle gate of Murias be opened. So the Nereids of water may guide our brother (sister) to Tir Na Samhradh. Let him (her) be brought into the warmth of the land of Summer. O' great Oirbsean, grandfather, I honor thee and offer thee my humble loyalty."

F. Consecrations:

The hammer is consecrated. The priest/ess then turns and faces
east toward the audience; places his (her) right hand on the hammer
and speaks...

" O' great In Daghda; great father of life and death, Eochaid
Ollathair; deign to bless and to consecrate this hammer. That it may obtain the necessary virtue through you for this somber ceremony. Give this
tool the power to release our beloved [name of deceased] from this realm
to the land of summer where he (she) may be reborn, from your great cauldron."

The hammer is sprinkled with the saltwater mixture, then censed
with the incense, it is placed back on the pentacle and the leader
speaks...

"Eochaid Ollathair bless this tool of release prepared in
your great name,
and divine power."

The hammer is immediately wrapped in black silk and placed on
the altar.

G. Esbat (T. Funeral).

H. 2. The Chalice is consecrated and placed in the west position.

The priest/ess places the Chalice on the pentacle disc, lays his
(her) right hand on it and speaks; loudly and clearly...

"O' great In Daghda; In Ruad Ró-fhessa; almighty Eochaid
Ollathair; deign to bless and to consecrate this hallowed Chalice symbol of your great Cauldron of rebirth. That it may obtain the necessary virtues through you to be a conduit and bridge between the worlds of the living; Tir na mBeo
and the land of Summer; Tir na Samhradh."

The priest/ess sprinkles the chalice with saltwater mixture. Then
circles it with incense smoke--deosil. He (she) then replaces
it on the pentacle and speaks...

"O' great Eochaid Ollathair bless this hallowed chalice prepared
in your honor and great name."

The priest/ess turns West again and places the Chalice on the
small table covered in blue silk, before the blue candle--and
lites it. The chalice is once more circled with incense deosil.

K. The funeral is performed.

The priest/ess turns again and faces the East, waits several moments
for the audience to gather and grieve in silence, then he (she)
rings the bell three times only seconds apart then speaks...

"We the family, friends and associates of the deceased [name of deceased] gather together on this day with deep sadness in our hearts. We are saddened because a great man's (woman's) life has ended; yet we must remember that although he (she) has left this realm of the physical world and his (her) body has terminated. The soul will live on, ((Personal profile
insert() All the parts that makes a person like (the deceased) unique and special,
the parts we cherish, we love and know to be the true individual these parts will live on.

Remember he (she) has not gone from our hearts and our minds.[Name of deceased] will live in our hearts and our memories, vividly and tenderly. We
now carry and share a part of [name of deceased] within.

We must remember our brother (sister) as he (she) was, and we must forgive
him (her) for any suffering he (she) caused us. We must also forgive ourselves for any pain and suffering we may have caused him(her) We must say good-bye to our beloved , and ensure that he (she) has nothing keeping him (her) from his (her) next incarnation."

If there are any words to be spoken by the friends or family they
may be spoken now. The priest/ess introduces the first speaker
then stands off to the left (SW). Or the priest/ess may deliver
the Eulogy at this point

[...Eulogy...]

-->After the eulogy's are said, then music is played.

After the eulogy has been delivered the priest calls for the Chalice
[item] de inseacht (chalice of telling) this is the chalice that
the family has brought. The [item] is placed on the bag; and brought
to the priest/ess--untouched by the assistant who stands to the
priest/ess's left-side.

Mourners may be brought to cry before the entry of the [item].
The procession walks slowly toward the altar from the East. It
is given to the priest/ess.

(The Music ends abruptly. The priest/ess places the [item] on
the pentacle and speaks into the [item]...

"We must let your spirit go [name of deceased]. Stay no longer
then you wish and fear not, for we will finish any tasks uncompleted by you,
let this new-found freedom be your only concern, O' blessed spirit; we
give you our blessing to leave, for you await a new destiny."

The [item] de inseacht is circled three times with incense, and
lifted up with both hands. The priest/ess announces to the audience...

"Death seems like a senseless destruction, an abrupt ending to an unfinished purpose. Death does not give us time to tell our departed ones how much we
will miss them, or how much we loved them. With the belief that like attracts like; by destroying this [item] it will become property of the nothing, the darkness, the destruction. The words we speak into this [item] will travel to the realm where our beloved [deceased] now dwells. Is there anyone here who would like to speak into the [item] de inseacht"?

The assistant delivers the [item] to the new speaker, and will
deliver it back to the priest/ess after all who wish to; have
spoken into the [item].

The assistant returns to the left of the altar and steps back
behind the blue covered table (behind altar). The priest/ess then
speaks loudly and clearly...

<<<<<<<WITCHES BIBLE COMPLEAT J&S FARRAR'S>>>>>>>>

"If ever the silver cord be lost, or the golden bowl, orthe pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel be broken at the cistern;then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return
to the cauldron of Eochaid Ollathair who gave it."

The priest/ess unties the silver cord, and places it on the pentacle
disc. The priest/ess then wraps the cloth around the [item] and
breaks it with one swift blow to the side so as to inflict the
most damage as possible.

>>>>>>END OF THE COPIED SECTION FROM J&S
FARRAR'S BOOK>>>>>>

The blue (conductor)candle is immediately blown out after breaking
the [item].

The broken pieces in cloth are set aside. The priest/ess then
speaks...

"O' [...word of description...] handsome (beautiful) one,who has died so young and so soon, we will miss you deeply, but we know that you shall be

reborn again. As the fallen tree gives way to life for young sapling so do we give way for new life. On the moment of your passing, a mother struggled to bring forth new life-- On {date of deceased' passing}...A baby --{sex}

weighing{weight} Was born on {date} at 00:00--{name of child or say '..Unnamed' } ".]was born. When your last breath was exhaled the child filledits tiny new lungs, for the first time. Let us no longer cry out of sadness for your death. Let us now be joyful for this young life. For this is thegreat cycle, as night precedes day, and winter precedes summer,
so does destruction precede creation ".1

The priest/ess takes the cord on the pentacle disc and hands it
to the assistant (on pentacle disc--untouched by assistant). Who
offers it to (in order of preference) the wife/husband/lover,
the mother, the father, the youngest son (daughter), brother (sister)
or any relative, not listed above.

End of Funeral.

It is customary to have a Wake after the funeral, if this is done.
The deceased should have a place set for them, with food, drink
and even a chair.--No one may sit in the chair, eat any of the
food nor drink from the deceased's glass. The broken pieces
of the [item] may be buried or added to cremation ashes with the
deceased or given a separate burial/cremation of it's own.

This funeral was written with the idea in mind, that the deceased's
body was not present. If a body is present some minor changes
may be made to the ceremony. Such as: an opportunity for the audience
to view the body. If this is done then place the body in
the far West corner, and place the altar to it's left (South).
This way when the priest/ess speaks facing West he (she) speaks
toward the deceased.

All printed material above; except the indicated passage from
THE WITCHES BIBLE COMPLEAT. Copyrighted in 1996 by O'Duigenen
Press. Kenneth O' Duigenan is a 2nd Degree Wiccan Priest
& Druid. Initiated into the Coven na Scaithe on October 31,
1988.