Yule Ritual 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, _____, 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, _____, 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, _____, 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, _____, 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. ---