How to Perform a Celtic Friendship Ritual

Ancient Celts performed the anamchara, or friendship ritual to formally acknowledge a bond of friendship. Anamchara means "soul friend" and the ritual recognizes the partnership of friends and the ways in which friends balance one another. The Celtic friendship ritual is not witchcraft or magic. It is a ritual of the heart.

Things You'll Need

• 3 candles
• Candle holders
• 3 cups or glasses
• Friendship
• Altar cloth
• Tissues
• Drink of choice

Instructions

1. 

   Gather the necessary items. Select three candle colors that symbolize unity. One candle can be blue and one red while the third candle can be violet, a unifying shade. One of the three glasses should be larger than the other two. Keep your gifts for each other secret until the gifting moment. The items you use are meant to convey ceremony and bonding. Place all of the items on the cloth between you and your friend. You can use a table or the floor.

2. 

   Pour the drink into one of the smaller glasses. Each friend will sip from the glass. Pour what remains into the larger glass, which symbolizes unity. Together, state your friendship vow: "I am your friend, I am your teacher, I am your student, I am your dependent, I am your solace, I am your shield, I am your child, sister and mother." Takes turns drinking from the glass of unity.

3. 

   Each friend lights the candle that symbolizes you. The third candle is unlit and is placed between the two friends, symbolizing unity. If one candle is red and one is blue, then the violet candle is the unity candle. Each friend picks up a lit candle and together lights the third candle. Recite together a declaration of unity: "By this ritual I am bound to you as your soul-friend, your anamchara. Our flames shine brightly and burn hotter together than alone. I bring to you all my wisdom and secrets for all my life."

4. 

   Perform the gifting ceremony. An appropriate friendship gift is Celtic jewelry or crystals. Once you have shared your gifts, extinguish the candles and close the circle. Finally, take the glass of liquid outside and pour the drink on the ground as a gift to the Earth. Do this together. Visualize your spirits joining the Mother who bore you.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Celtic friendship rites
• Celtic symbols gifts
• Celtic rituals and charms