Hi everyone, please feel free to share in this thread about our Telluric Waterway Ritual experiences :).
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The geese and I did our ritual down by our small spring on our property (which almost is always flowing, even in the depths of winter) on December 21st. Lucky for us, the big storm isn’t coming through till today (we are getting freezing rain right now).
The spring is a sacred place to all of us, including the geese. It was very special to our goose, Curious Ivy, who passed. She spent a lot of time there at the end of her life, and there is a shrine down there and I know they remember how much she loved the spring. So I thought it would be a good place to go to do the ritual, since it was clear they decided to participate.
It was warm for this time of year and the sun was shining. The honks helped call peace in the directions. I did the ritual and when doing the SOP and at three points, Widdershins blessed the stone by nibbling on it and honking. Since we were preparing for the storm, I didn’t have time to take it where it will go just yet. But soon, I will take it to a local waterway once the storm ends. For now, it sits in the flowing spring waiting for a permanent home.
It was a beautiful ceremony!
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Sounds beautiful!
I love the name Widdershins, the Goose 
Liadain
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We gathered our stones a few weeks ago. We went to a local park and I addressed the landscape, telling it my intention. 12 stones came.
One was this little clump of gravel and concrete all clomped together. I had this idea of dropping it in the storm grate that runs straight to the creek. I did the blessing yesterday eve, and we will distribute them throughout the watershed, with a few likely going to other water bodies in the area, over the next week or so.
The little piece of conglomerated concrete seemed to become so filled with joy as I was working the directions of spirit, that I couldn’t but help giggle when I touched it. Every stop around the table for the forms of spirit, this feeling of joy came out of this clump of concrete and stone and I’d laugh. It was really sweet. It reminds me a bit of the velveteen rabbit, yes, you too are a real stone.
I’m looking forward to the second half of the ritual. As well as a creek, we have natural springs that emerge from the landscape all over the hillside. A few of those feel very special to me, so it will be nice to be able to gift them with healing intention.
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@Babs : Can I just say that I love that you blessed Concrete and Stone!!! 
It’s cold here already. I did mine indoors and very casual. It’s been a long week, but I’ve been putting out special treats and fresh water for “city nature” in the snow and ice all week, so hopefully I’m forgiven for any informality or casualness of attire
I liked the colors flowing in the ritual. I saw them vividly, and I love swords, so that part was easy to manifest. I am thankful for all the energies put forth in this beautiful healing ceremony. May it so have its effect in the health of fresh water (and thus all the elements) in this time. Blessed be and Happy New Year to all!
I’m putting my rocks out by a special river when it’s not 19 degrees out and icy. 
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I did the blessing ritual indoors this past Sunday - too cold and windy for outdoor ritual. The stone I blessed came out of the local creek that I showed photos of during my presentation on waterways in November.
What surprised me was how strongly the stone radiated the blessing I set into it, and that the stone wants me to place it at the confluence rather than the local creek. It has big energy and wants to be in a place where that energy is needed. When the weather moderates, I will do as the stone asked.
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A quarter mile south of our house there is a clear little brook that runs through a ravine down to the Fox River, which is a very large river. I went there in the morning and gathered two stones. I had to wear my balaclava as it was 1 below zero.
One stone I gathered from the brook, and the second from as near the river as I could safely get. I had to find free running water to pick stones from - all else was frozen in place. I also gathered the water of the brook to use during ceremony.
I felt, like Babs, that during ceremony (conducted indoors in the warmth) the smaller stone was bubbly and joyful. The larger stone felt like it had a heavy, almost sleepy, energy, and during ceremony both it and my palms grew very warm.
After the ceremony inside I brought the stones back to their places. The smaller stone I left beside the little brook as a blessing for the area, the second I put at the final little cascade into the river to flow blessing downstream to Green Bay, Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario, the St Lawrence River and the Atlantic Ocean.
When I was done offering prayers I climbed out of the ravine to look over the brook and the river. I stretched my hands out to bless the whole little ravine, feeling the joyful energy of the little stone. I stood silently afterwards, waiting for 3:47pm, the moment of the solstice. While I was waiting joyful little birds flew into the ravine, chasing each other playfully and hopping from branch to branch. It was beautiful to feel connected to everything there and also to so many of you offering your prayers and blessings around the country.
After 3:47pm I did not linger long as it was still only 9 degrees, and my cheeks were starting to burn!
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This ritual went a lot better for me than my stumbling efforts at the summer solstice ritual. I picked a small rather triangular stone out of the stone wall that runs around my property–as everything is pretty much frozen down here, it was hard to find one that I could readily pick up! I blessed it during my Alban Arthan ritual, which felt good, and later that same day (Dec. 21) I took it to a spot that has become a favorite of mine, in a local park by a small stream that flows out of a lake and into the Susquehanna–which is still damaged by coal mine drainage and needs all the help it can get.
As I placed the stone in the water and blessed it, I could see and hear a pileated woodpecker drumming on a large dead pine. The thought came into my head that the woodpecker has no idea of the consequences of its actions in pecking holes in the tree–and those consequences are generally good, as the hole provides homes for other animals, reveals rotting wood that becomes food for insects, and helps the natural process of the wood decaying. So, does that mean I have no idea of the consequences of my actions? I can only hope those consequences are good!
All in all, a very worthwhile experience.
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I did my ritual indoors at my favorite hermitage at St. Francis Woods. A creek (Hickory Creek) runs along the back of the property and is my favorite place to hike on retreat. There is a small waterfall that I love to meditate at. That is where I found my rock this past June.
The ritual, as @fisherkm also experienced, flowed much more smoothly for me than the Summer Solstice ritual did. It merged perfectly with the GCC Winter Solstice ritual. Walking back to the creek was magical. Because of the threatening weather I was the only person staying on the grounds and the silence of the snowy woods was profound. As I approached the creek I could feel the energy of the stone in my pocket respond. A group of chickadees and nuthatches flittered in the trees, following my journey. I had feared that the water would be frozen, but since it is in motion at the little waterfall it was not. I placed the stone into the flowing water and could sense the blessing expanding out from it and being carried downstream (I’ve circled the stone, but the line was pretty thin).
This was a wonderful experience. Just writing about it feels calming and warm. This is one I will most definitely do again.
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This was probably my first “real” feeling druid ceremony since joining AODA about a year ago. I spent a day creating the audio of the opening/closing ceremonies and SOP, all with background music to set the mood (since I’m a solo practitioner at this time). That helped SO much! Next day went in search of stones thinking I could access the riverbank but, alas, no. Found a couple stones off the beaten path that called me to include them in the Telluric Waterway Ritual. The feel of the whole experience, from gathering the stones, setting up the altar, going through the ceremony was quite yummy. 
By evening it was too dark and cold to return the stones to the watershed so I returned at dawn. Oddly I awoke in a grumpy mood, but there’s been a heavy family issue to contend with. The funny thing, soon as I gathered up the stones to take them to the waterway, I immediately popped back into a good mood! I tossed them lovingly near the cattails and heard “crack!”, and realized the water had frozen solid! wooops! hahaha! A little rainbow appeared in the ice under the rocks while the Solstice sun beamed down, so I thought, “Ok, little rock friends. This is where you’re telling me to leave you, so I’ll trust this process.” Afterwards, took a walk along the dock at the river and turned just in time to see the sun exactly lined up with the walkway ramp! I said to the sun, “Smile!” and took it’s picture. All in all, a very rewarding adventure, filled with great love and feeling of accomplishment.
A sincere, heartfelt thank-you to whomever(s) created the Telluric Ritual, and a big hug to everyone here who shared their experiences. Means so much to me!
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Beautiful Images!!! One and all.
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My husband and I did the ritual together on the 21st. I felt very unprepared going in, but that’s mostly just because the past month has been an absolute mess in terms of everyday life, leaving little time for said preparations. I wanted to do the whole ritual outside at the waterway itself, but it was so cold that we decided to bless the stones in the back yard and give them to the waterway another time. We used snowmelt for the water and happened to have a couple river rocks from the waterway itself.
As if to emphasize how ill-prepared I felt, I completely blanked as we started the SOP to bless the stones, even though I’d done the SOP for the grove opening just fine!! I took a breath, though, and then the rest of everything went alright.
Next year, I’ll definitely do the blessing inside. The water dipped finger was absolutely frigid by the time we were done, and I feel like I rushed the ritual because of it. And I’ll probably mark something on my calendar to get stones to bless when things are less frozen!
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I completed mine at the river with some stones I had gathered for a ritual over the summer, so it was nice to give them back with intention. It has been super cold here so it was short and sweet. I look forward to something similar to when the weather feels more…inviting. This was my first Druid ritual and I’m finding this journey very rewarding.
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This was my first Druid holy day!!! As a new Druid, I wanted to involve my partner in some way, so we went out and collected stones and altar decorations together. Then I completed the ritual indoors in the evening on my own. After I had blessed the stones, I felt compelled to take the perspective of each of the other powers, reflect on their relationship with the waterways, and extend unique gratitudes on their behalf. The ritual was lovely and I was so thrilled to celebrate my first Druid holy day. But the next morning is when I really had a divine experience!
It was raining, not too light or heavy, so it felt like Water was beckoning me to the creek. I took my stones and an umbrella, joined the runoff and descended to the creek down the road. There’s a beam that crosses the creek, so I crossed it halfway and dropped my stones directly into the middle. After that, I stayed there a while and felt one with the rain, winds and rushing water. It felt surprisingly peaceful once I tuned into the beauty, power and connection of Water and how hard She works for the world. I will definitely be taking my future kids to sit by the creek during a rainstorm with some umbrellas and a little picnic 
On the way back into my house, I noticed that the water-repelling sealant on my front steps made the falling raindrops explode into microbubbles, and they looked like gorgeous little fireworks! Mother Nature never fails to deliver unexpected beauty 
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That sounds beautiful, magical, and hopeful! Thanks for painting the pictures of your journey. I could see the image in my head.
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We had an unusually sunny day, cold, not too windy. I collected two stones that spoke to me on the shore of Lake Erie. On the 20th, (we were unexpectedly traveling all day on the 21st to beat the storm), I performed the ritual indoors at my altar. Immediately afterwards, I took the stones back to the lake shore, placing one on the shore to bless the watershed and one in the water to bless the water as it flows toward Niagara Falls and all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. Picturing the blessed water and the blessed land and its inhabitants made me very happy. Only one other person was on the beach, but it was simply beautiful, dazzling sun on snow and water. This was my favorite special day so far in my first year.
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I blessed my stone before the big storm (as shared above). Yesterday, I was able to offer the stone to the local lake after my partner and I took a nice hike at the park.
I slid it out on the ice as far as it could go. Now, it will gather the energy of the sun and moon before the ice melts and it sinks into the lake. It was a beautiful 65 degrees yesterday, such a difference from the -35 windchill we had only several days before.
Anyways, here’s the very frozen lake and my stone :). It was so beautiful!
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Beautiful, and much like my own experience! Thank you.
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I used three stones for the ritual that I had gathered in the days before the ritual as I walked around our property, one stone for the pond and one each of the two streams on our property. I did the ritual on December 21 in my grove above the pond behind our house. It was pretty cold and windy although the really bitter weather was a couple days away. After completing the Alban Arthan and Telluric Waterway rituals, I placed the stones. The stone for the pond I placed in the area we call “Frogtown”; it’s fairly shallow and is a gathering place for all the frogs in the pond. The stones for the streams went into deep-ish pools just below small rapids so that the energized water would flow over them but they wouldn’t be washed away. It was a wonderful and meaningful experience. And it only took a 15 minutes or so for my hands to thaw out!
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With a warm day and recovery from a sinus infection, I and my husband Mike were finally able to walk to the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers so I could place the stone I blessed back on December 18th. The confluence is within a state conservation area that has been heavily damaged by river flooding multiple times, most recently in 2019. Although the confluence used to be accessible by vehicle, that is no longer possible. The closest parking space is a mile from the confluence. The walk is easy enough, but I had to recover from the infection before I had enough energy for it. We had an excellent walk there and back. Three bald eagles soared above us at one point as we walked toward the confluence. I took that as a good omen. I placed the stone in the shade of a tree and prayed that the confluence itself and both rivers be blessed and healed.
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