Good Blessed Solstice Morning To You, My Brothers & Sisters Of The Craft,
What a glorious event awaits us on the longest night of the year. We will gather with loved ones, family and friends alike. We will sing carols, play games, talk and fellowship. Have a huge traditional Yule supper. I can almost smell it now. After we are through eating, we will exchange presents with each other. Then I am sure for the children stories will read. Preparation for the burning of the Yule log begins. You can either burn it in your fireplace or go outside and build a bonfire.
Each of our traditions vary on how we do things. But the men here go and prepare a huge stack of wood to be burned. Then on top, the yule log is placed. We are central time remember. Around 3:30, we light the fire. We start by singing carols and praying to the Goddess. Then it is time for our ritual. I have included it here so perhaps in some way we can all be together this year.
It has always been a dream of mine, that one day we could all meet and have a ritual together. This year would have been exceptionally nice. With all the horrors and tragedies that have occurred it is comforting to have a kindred spirit with you. You can hold each other and give comfort, cry, let all you feelings that have been bottled up out. Let your sadness go, turn it over to the Goddess. Now is the time to start anew. We have a fresh start with the rebirth of our Sun. The promise of life, love and hope.
With this fresh new season upon us, let us pray. Pray that mankind becomes kind and gentler. Pray that we learn how to show compassion and love to all. Pray for an end to all the senseless killings of our children, our future. Pray that the Goddess continues to watch over us, keep us in her love and light.
Now join us in ritual, my dear brothers and sisters!
Our Yule Ritual We Would Like To Share With You
Our Altar has:
Presence candle
Goddess and God candles
salt
water
small cauldron with sand for incense stick
bell
chalice, four decanters and juice
plates with bread
Corner candles are set out and lit.
HP: Let it be known that the circle is about to be cast, let none
be here but of their own free will.
Priestess: “I cleanse and purify this space with sound.”
Rings bell three times, circling deosil.
HPS lights Presence candle.
I light this Candle (light
Presence Lamp)
in the name of that ancient presence,
which is, was, and ever shall be
male, female, all-knowing, all-powerful
and present everywhere.
And in the names of the four Mighty Ones,
the rulers of the elements,
may power and blessing descend
in this hour upon this place
and those gathered here.”
HPS: Salt and water blessings, fire and air blessings
Priestess: “With water and earth I cleanse and purify this space.”
Sprinkles consecrated salt and water.
Priestess: “With fire and air, I cleanse and consecrate this
space.”
Circles deosil with incense.
HPS:
Take up athame, face north and say:
I conjure thee, O Circle of Power, as a boundary between the worlds. A
meeting of love and joy and truth; a shield against all wickedness and
evil; a Rampart and Protection that shall preserve and contain the
power which we shall raise within thee. I do bless and consecrate
thee.
Cast circle to the east. See it glow. Salute the East, then draw an
invoking pentagram and say:
Spirit of the East! Spirits of Air!
Oh Lords of the great icy towers of the North,
I, Lady of the Abyss, do summon, stir and call you up
To guard our circle and Witness our rites!
We ask you to come to us now on the cold winter wind
and breathe into us the spirit of the pure joy of life.
So mote it be!
Cast circle to the south. See it glow. Salute the south, then draw
an invoking pentagram and say:
Spirit of the South! Spirits of Fire!
O lords of the firey towers of the South,
I, Lady Of The Abyss, do summon, stir and call you up
To guard our circle and Witness our rites!
We ask you to come forth from the fires that
warm the planets heart, from the fires that
protect us on this winters night. Kindle
within us the warmth of spiritual awakening.
So mote it be!
Cast circle to the west. See it glow. Salute the west, then draw an
invoking pentagram and say:
Spirit of the West! Spirits of Water!
I, Lady Of The Abyss, do summon, stir and call you up
To guard our circle and Witness our rites!
We ask you to come forth from the streams,
the lakes, from the vast expanse of your watery realm.
Bring to us the water of life to wash away our fears and resentments
that we may find peace of mind.
So mote it be!
Cast circle to the north. See it glow. Salute the north, then draw
an invoking pentagram and say:
Spirit of the North! Spirits of Earth!
I, Lady Of The Abyss, do summon, stir and call you up
To guard our circle and Witness our rites!
We ask you to come forth from the fertile bosom of our Blessed
Mother Earth, and nourish us so that our wisdom may grow in strength.
So mote it be!
Close the circle, then turn to the altar and say:
HPS:
The circle is cast. We are between the worlds.
Tonight we celebrate the Solstice, the night that the darkness is
triumphant over light, and yet on the morrow, the dark begins to give
way and the light will return.
The spirit of nature is suspended, all living things wait the
transformation of the Dark Lord of Shadow into the newborn Child of
Light. We watch for the coming of Dawn, when the Holy Mother will
again give birth to the Divine Child, the Sun God who is the bringer
of the life of Spring and the promise of Summer. We call the Sun from
the womb of night, and so, turn the Wheel.
Blessed be!
All: Blessed Be!
HPS: Antlered God, Winter God, Father of the Sun, with frost upon your
beard and the blazing of Yule fires in your eyes, you bless us with
your presence. We invoke and greet you!
All: So mote it be.
HP: Blessed Lady, Maiden, Mother and Crone, Mother heavy with unborn
child, we greet you and ask your blessings upon your people gathered
here. We invoke and adore thee!
HPS:
The light was born, and the light has died.
All: Everything passes, all fades away.
The God enters in the west, HPS goes to him and raises him up. He
begins to dance and chant , deosil around the circle:
At Yule I’m born and at Yule I’ll die,
round and round the wheel,
forever flying thru the sky,
ever mindful of what must be.
All: So turns the wheel.
At spring I nourish the seed and hide therein growing with the light!
Round and round the wheel,
forever flying thru the sky,
ever mindful of what must be.
All: So turns the wheel.
In summer the young stag am I in love and lust I seek the Goddess, our
union and bliss sustains the world.
Round and round the wheel,
forever flying thru the sky,
ever mindful what must be.
All: So turns the wheel.
In fall as I weaken with the sun, the grain is cut
for Harvest, that all may carry on.
Round and round the wheel,
forever flying thru the sky,
ever mindful of what must be.
All: So turns the wheel!
In winter old and tired am I, dying with the light.
Round and round the wheel,
forever flying thru thr sky,
ever mindful of what must be.
All: So turns the wheel!
God falls into crouch, dies, is covered by black cloth, behind the
birthing mother.
All light is extinguished and the Mother wails for the loss of the
God.
All: Start chanting “It is Winter, It is night chant”
It is winter, it is night,
We await the sun,
We await the light.
In the darkness
In this night,
We await the warmth,
We await the light.
The Mother, kneeling in the east moans in labor., Make ’em fit the
breaks in the sentences of HPS/narrator.
HPS: I am the great Mother. I exist beyond time and space. I bring
forth all of creation.
Moan.
HPS: My voice rides upon the wind. Stars pour from my soul. I am
the silence of the sea, and the secret of the standing stones.
Moan.
I am the Mother of all things, and the soul of nature, who gives life
to the universe.
Moan.
I am the Giver of light. Tonight I give light back to the world as I
mourn the death of the God and rejoice in his birth.
Moans come to crescendo.
HP exits from beneath Mother’s legs, then lights fireplace match.
All chant:
Mother who has birthed this light
In the darkness of this night
Infant child of glowing light
We celebrate you both tonight!
Light cauldron, all other candles.
Repeat, with drumming, dancing and singing, then send off the power.
When everyone has calmed down a bit, have them gather again into a
circle.
HPS: Blessings of the Goddess and God upon this bread and the fruit of
the vine!
Pours out juice into decanters, holds hands over them.
May you never thirst!
Holds hands over bread plates.
May you never hunger!
Juice and Bread are passed among gathered folk.
When everyone has partaken, ground the energy (two hands on the
floor).
Then dismiss the elementals, and open the circle.