Ritual of Nessa, The Dance of Swift Joy and Grace
To be performed beneath the open sky, in a meadow fair and green, under the light of Anar, before the silver stars emerge in the heavens.
I. Invocation of Nessa
(Begin with the high priest or priestess standing at the center, facing west towards Valinor.)
Eä Nessa! Mára Valie!
(Hail, Nessa! Goodly Vala!)
Nessa i tuolëa, i lantalëa, i hilya súrëa!
(Nessa, the swift one, the dancer, the follower of the wind!)
A túlal, a ná silmë nanyë. Ilyë yána menië máralyë.
(Come to us, and light shines upon us. All places are blessed with thy joy.)
Tulya halarëo lúmë! Ilya ambar calta alya airë tyenyë!
(Bring a time of peaceful rest! Let the world shine with the blessed breeze of thy grace!)
The priest or priestess extends their arms wide, beckoning Nessa to enter the circle of worshippers. Drums and flutes begin to sound in rhythm, echoing the swift beat of the earth beneath their feet.
II. The Dance of Awakening
(Priests and priestesses, clad in flowing garments, enter the sacred circle. They move swiftly, their steps light as leaves upon the wind. They dance in pairs and groups, their hands never still, their bodies twirling and bending with grace.)
Lóte lindar ambar máralya, Nessa!
(The flowers sing of thy world’s grace, Nessa!)
As they dance, the priestesses begin to touch the shoulders, arms, and faces of the worshippers gathered around, their fingertips soft as petals. The priests move among them like deer in the field, light in step, smiling with joy. They murmur blessings in Quenya:
Tiruvatyë i calima! Mana airëa nai linquentyë!
(Thou art watched by the bright one! May your path be blessed!)
III. The Caress of Grace
(In this part of the rite, the priests and priestesses come close to the worshippers, exchanging caresses as signs of Nessa’s blessing. Their hands move gently over the worshippers’ arms and necks, their touch anointed with sacred oils, bringing comfort and pleasure.)
Áva nárë! Áva urulya! Essëa Nessa tulë melmëo!
(Abandon thy burdens! Abandon thy fire! In the name of Nessa, love has come!)
The worshippers, in return, offer silver coins—bright and shining like the stars. These coins are placed in the hands of the priests and priestesses, a tribute for the blessings of Nessa. The more silver given, the deeper the blessing that shall be received.
Tyulma moicë, hlíruva alya máralyë!
(The silver clasped, the air shall speak of thy fortune!)
IV. The Sacred Offering of Silver
(At the heart of the circle, a bowl of purest silver rests. The priests and priestesses, having received their silver, cast these coins into the bowl, their faces aglow with reverence. As each coin falls into the bowl, the dancers utter sacred words.)
Ityalyë tyulmaryë, látya massë melmë alya!
(Thy hand offers silver, and love falls upon thee as rain!)
The sound of the coins echoes like stars falling into the sea, each one a note in Nessa’s dance. Worshippers may, if they wish, kneel before the bowl, pressing their hands to the earth to feel the swift pulse of Nessa’s spirit move through them.
V. The Dance of Union
(Now the dance becomes more fervent, faster, the priests and priestesses turning and spinning in pairs, drawing the worshippers into their embrace. The music swells as the dance reaches its height, bodies intertwining, hands touching as blessings are exchanged through motion and caress.)
Ána varyë, ána hlíra! Á tiruvas i nórëlyë ar aiwë alya!
(Grant protection, grant joy! Watch over thy land and bright air!)
The touch of the priestesses is like wind through the trees, soft yet filled with power. The priests carry the light of the stars in their eyes as they guide the worshippers through this dance of union, embodying Nessa’s swiftness and freedom. With each touch, the worshippers feel the joy and grace of the Vala flow through them.
VI. Closing Blessing
(As the dance slows and the music softens, the high priest or priestess returns to the center, raising their arms to the heavens.)
Lótea Ambar, Túla Nessa, nályë vanima nára!
(The flowered world, where Nessa comes, thou art a beautiful flame!)
Á lantuva melmë nórëlyenna! Nai alcar alya cennuvatyë!
(Love shall fall upon thy land! May Nessa’s radiance ever shine upon thee!)
With the final blessing, the dancers slow, their arms lifting in farewell to Nessa, as the worshippers whisper their thanks. Silver glimmers in the bowl, the coins shimmering as symbols of the blessings bestowed this night.
Thus the rite is complete, the dance of joy and grace given in honor of Nessa, swift as the deer, fair as the meadows of Valinor.