03/11/2026
I wrote this on Patreon, but I am putting the full text here as well:
I was going to share my experiences and notes from Sacred Space/Between the Worlds next, but as usual that draft is running LONG, and I got told to share this first... and when Fairy Monarchs tell me to do something on a deadline, I try to oblige them!
So this ritual is for anyone and everyone who lives within their domain, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. If you live elsewhere, you may find your Locals think it's a good idea as well, but they may have you alter it slightly - or ask your deities, and see what changes they might make to it. But as for us in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed... upg warning for everything from here on, but the Fairy Wars against the Basdán (the unhael ones) continue, and in as-above-so-below tradition, conflict Over There frequently mirrors conflict Over Here, and there's been an uptick on both sides. Solar energies are anathema to the Basdán though, just as they are anathema to the normal cycles of growth and decay, so as the Spring Monarch and the Autumn King here shift power at the equinox, they would like us all to help Them and each other as we move into the brighter part of the year.
They request that if you decide to do it, that you complete the ritual before the equinox if possible, and do it as close to noon as possible, on a sunny day. Cloudy is better than rainy, and before midday is better than later afternoon, but these aren't hard and fast rules - it should work just fine as long as there's sunlight even if it's a sunset filtered through clouds, though the closer you can get to noon on a sunny day, the stronger the protection will be and the longer it will last before it needs repeating.
For the ritual, besides sunlight, you need only two things:
A non perishable solar-aligned object of some type, that is not already consecrated to a specific purpose, that fits in your hand
A leaf or flower or twig you have picked from a plant that is close to your front door
For the object, any number of solar-aligned semiprecious gemstones will do nicely, as will anything made of gold, or anything depicting the sun or a sunflower - you can also use anything red, orange, or yellow colored in a pinch, but try to avoid iron and plastic if you can. It does not have to be small if you immediately thought of something larger, but you do need to be able to comfortably hold it in one hand at chest level for a few minutes. It will also need to be able to be in the sunlight at least once a moon cycle at minimum, so an innocuous decorative object may be best if your practice is stealth.
For the plant, the closer to your front door the better, unless you have a nearby shrub you've tended and you'd rather use part of a plant you have a developed relationship with, rather than a little w**d. Little w**ds are fine though! If you live in an apartment building, anything close to the front door of the building is good. For the purposes of this ritual, the Monarchs insisted a mushroom counts as a "plant", despite my protestations to the contrary. Please don't pick anything that will harm you, however, and if you aren't sure, pick something else. You will need to be able to touch this piece of plant with your bare skin.
The ritual itself is very simple:
Pick up both objects in your bare hands (or somehow arrange for them both to be in contact with your skin) and hold them up to the sky or to a window with no obstruction (open the curtains etc if there are any; the idea is you have an unfiltered view of the sky). It does not matter which is in which hand, and your arms do not need to be outstretched, but the sunlight needs to fall on both objects, and they need to be at least level with your sternum, touching skin.
Then say (and feel free to read it):
"I consecrate this [name of object] in my [left/right] hand to the sun, that it may a protective shield for myself and for the watershed where this [plant/leaf/flower/mushroom - name the plant if you know its name] grew.
"I claim the protection of the sun for myself and this watershed, against all that is unhael and baneful and anathema to the natural cycles of growth and decay.
"By claiming this protection, I state my intention to use my own power to protect my neighbors, both physical and unseen, from our common enemies, when I am able and not otherwise overburdened.
"I am witnessed by the sun, the flowing waters, and by all my neighbors who are close enough to hear, from now until such time as I cast the token aside."
And then place the piece of plant somewhere it can decay back into the earth, and place the object somewhere it will occasionally get sun.
And then you're done.
As a note: yes, that is also a binding oath of alliance, but that is how the Fair Folk work, and this one has a Lot of wiggle room built in, because I negotiated hard. It's kind of a what you put in is what you get out arrangement - if you do more protecting others, they'll do more protecting you, but it's vague on purpose. Taking care of or organizing your human community? That's protecting neighbors. Removing invasive plants from your yard and planting native species? Doing a stream cleanup? Doing a small task for your local Fair Folk? Work in the healthcare or wellness industries? Political activism? Those all count. We're trying to promote natural cycles of growth and decay, and increasing our sense of community, both local human community and with our local ecosystems. (Human medicine and veterinary care count as natural! We've been doing both of those for at least 10,000 years! We've just gotten a lot better at it lately. Capitalism's need for constant and unending growth is not natural, however! And this community protection does not extend to diseases and cancer. Those can also f**k off. And actually, I do think the Basdán sometimes use sickness and pollution as a way in - I don't think they cause them, necessarily, but they can aim things at us and will certainly use whatever tools they can find. Speaking of which, if you're near the Shenandoah Valley, please take extra precautions near the Luray Caverns - I do not know why exactly, but the Basdán seem to congregate there in greater numbers. Insert Buffy Hellmouth joke here? But please be careful. You can take your token with you, but most of the time it should stay in your home.)
Also, the "able and not otherwise overburdened" means that if you are struggling too much now or later on to do much of anything, you'll gain protection anyway, because you're saying you'll chip in when you can.
It's all a sliding scale - the more solar power you can put in your token, the more protection your home will have; the more you help others out in the world, the more the Fair Folk of this region will make sure you also are protected against the Basdán. The more wellness we can create on this plane, the harder it will be for them to get their hooks in the adjoining planes of Fairy/the Otherworlds.
This does not mean that you can't be victimized by the Fair Folk - protecting the natural cycles and building community is also, in nature, a food web. Things still die; things still need to eat. Over There we're fighting against unnatural and not supernatural forces - they do not come from here or the adjoining planes, and they do not belong here, and where they manage to colonize will slowly on this plane become incapable of supporting normal life. And I don't think anybody really wants that happening in their neighborhood.
If you want more information on the Basdán, I unfortunately have been living under at least 3 rocks and have no idea what other people have said lately, and my own website is currently down, but I'm sure Morgan Daimler, John Beckett, and Cat Heath have a better idea, as they've been involved in this current themselves (and probably have not been living under three rocks for the past two years).
https://www.patreon.com/posts/ritual-of-solar-152783874
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