THEMES OF YULE
RITE FOR YULE
Cast the circle in the usual manner. The God and Goddess are invoked.
Priest: In this the season of the Dark Time, shrouded in the frosted cloak of the Crone, we celebrate the festival of Yule, the rebirth of the sun, and the life of the coming year.
Priestess:
In the coldness of winter we hunger
In the stillness of winter we are silent
In the ice of winter we are caught in the north wind’s blast
In the depths of winter the world is wrapped in sleep
We need the fire in our hearts to love
We need the fire in the hearth to eat
We need the fire in the head to make
We need the fire in the heavens to live
Priest: The year has reached its lowest ebb, all is darkness and death. Yet in this darkness we must find hope. In this darkness we must find light. The sun must be reborn!
He then leads the dance and chant which everyone joins in:
Water, air, fire and earth
Bring the Sun God to rebirth
Each person takes a token, usually the remains of last year’s mistletoe, or an object that symbolises something you wish to be rid of, or a piece of paper on which you have written all the things you wish to be rid of (such as bad habits, illness, old ties, destructive relationships and so on) and invokes into it all that they wish to leave behind with the passing year. This is then burned in the fire.
The Bard performs:
At the threshold of the Underworld, the Dark God waits,
As death moves to life and dark turns to light
The Lord of the Dead, he stalks the land,
The Bringer of Chaos, he stalks the land,
The Keeper of Mysteries, he stalks the land.
The year ebbs and the wheel spins as
Dark turns to light
At the threshold of the Underworld, the Dark God waits.
Through the underworld the God has passed
Open the gate and let him in.
At the threshold of the year, the Stag Lord waits,
Hunter and the hunted; red blood on white snow,
Antlered God of winter stillness, waiting
Our sacrifice of flesh for life, waiting
On the edge of the forest, the Lord is waiting,
He knows the ancient secret of
Red blood on white snow,
At the threshold of the year, the Stag Lord waits.
Through the underworld the God has passed
Open the gate and let him in.
At the threshold of life, the Green Man waits,
Ivy clad, scarlet berries, dark green leaves,
Ever green and ever growing, pauses,
The moment nears and yet he pauses,
The light will come, till then he pauses,
In the holly and the ivy,
Scarlet berries, dark green leaves,
At the threshold of life, the Green Man waits.
Our God has passed through the underworld
Open the gate and let him in.
On the threshold of dawn, the Sun King waits,
The light of the world, gold light in black sky.
On the rim of the world, the Sun King dances,
Our child of promise, the Sun King dances,
At his moment of birth, the Sun King dances,
The light of our hope,
Gold light in black sky.
On the threshold of dawn, the Sun King waits.
Our God has passed through the underworld
Open the gate and let him in.
Queen of Heaven and Queen of Earth
Queen of death and Queen of birth
Queen of sadness, grieving, bane
Grant our God returns again,
Grieving wife and widowed Mother
Awaken now thy son, thy lover.
Give him birth from womb of night
Renew the world with the power of light.
Give to us the promised One
The shining, radiant, beautiful Sun.
On the threshold of dawn, the Sun King waits,
The light of the world, gold light in black sky.
On the rim of the world, the Sun King dances,
Our child of promise, the Sun King dances,
At his moment of birth, the Sun King dances,
The light of our hope,
Gold light in black sky.
On the threshold of dawn, the Sun King waits.
Our God has passed through the underworld
Open the gate and let him in.
A man wearing a sun mask lights candles around the circle. He says: "The light is reborn!"
Priest: "With the sun we are each reborn. Blessed Be!"
All : "Blessed Be."
Meditation, magic etc is performed.
Bread and wine.
The circle is broken.