The Sacred Hearth

Preparations:

Each person should be prepared for the rituali ahead of time. They should be wearing clean clothes and have bathed that day. If a person has had sex or come in contact with anyone who is sick or dying, or who has recently been born or given birth (and has not bathed since) then that person should bathe again before ritual. Everyone should wash their hands immediately prior to ritual.

Materials:
A bowl of water
A bowl of grain
A bottle of cider, juice or wine and a larger container with more. It should be mixed with honey.
A bowl of salt
A censor containing herbs or incense of your choosing
A plate or bowl holding a loaf of bread or something similar for sharing
A dish of oil
A fire or a couple of candles placed in a dish

Cleansing the area:
Sprinkle some salt into the water saying "The sea is the womb of the Earth. Alli things are purified in the sea."
Light the incense saying: "The fire is the mouth of the Gods. By fire all that is unworthy is burned away."

Walk around the ritual area with the incense, fumigating it well. You may also wish to smudge participants as they enter.
Use a bay branch or a bunch of herbs of your choice to asperge the area with water. Sprinkle it lightly around the area and on all participants.

Participants enter the area dancing and singing a chant decided ahead of time and playing on drums, rattles, tamborines and other percussion instruments. Cistrums are traditional.

Next perform the evocation or introduction. If you are invoking a specific God, you can use a prayer or poem about that God or Goddess or use the The Homeric Hymns or The Orphic Hymns. Alternatively, you could tell a story about the God or Goddess by way of evocation or, if the ritual is more of a exploration or celebration than worship, you may do a guided meditationi here.

When the evocation is complete, all present should repeat some appropriate line such as "Holy Mother, be with us." or "So mote it be" or whatever suits you and everyone should throw a handful of grain into the fire as an offering. If there is no fire available, you could sprinkle incense over the incense burner or over the bowl of candles. If this is a meditation/exploration ritual rather than a ritual of worship, you can skip this part.

Proceed to the main event of the ritual. It may be a craft, a spelli, a discussion or a seasonal ritual.

Thank all deities, ancestors and spirits present and invite them to partake of your feast.

The leader takes the cup and pours out libations first into the fire and then to the four directions and then into the fire again. You may use the ritual found here. You may speak the prayers aloud or say them in your head.

The cup is then passed around the group so that everyone may drink. You may wish to say something like "May you never thirst."

The bread is dipped in olive oil and sprinkled with salt. A portion is thrown into the fire as an offering to the Gods and then passed around the group for everyone to have a bite. You may say "My you never hunger." or something similar as you do so.

Declare that the rite is over and the feast is begun and that all guests, seen and unseen are free to stay or go as they please.