PRIEST
PRIESTESS
PURSUIVANT
EAST
SOUTH
WEST
NORTH
GAIA
OAK KING
HOLLY KING
PRIEST
Let us begin by clearing and releasing all excess energy. Find a comfortable position and release all of the tensions and anxieties of your day – let them flow out of you, like water flowing down through your arms, down through your legs, down and out through your hands and feet, returning to the universe to be reused in other in ways. Now, let us begin!
PRIESTESS
Imagine with me a strong yellow white light sweeping counterclockwise through this sacred space. A strong and cleansing light that sweeps out all negativity – imagine any negative or unfocused energy being carried away by this light. Behold – we do cleanse and purify this sacred space that nothing harmful may remain here and good alone may abide!
PRIEST
Imagine with me a strong blue white light sweeping clockwise through this sacred space. A strong and vibrant light that raises the vibration of all it comes in contact with. Imagine the vibration of the sacred space rising, becoming more spiritually charged. Behold, we do Bless and Charge this sacred space, directing its energy to the highest and strongest good!
PRIESTESS
Turn with me now to the direction of the East. Imagine with me a column of white light arising in the direction of the East, as we invoke the Eastern Guardian!
EAST
As inspiration is the beginning of all things, we call You first, O East!
For You are the power of Inspiration!
Yours is the Air! Yours is the Dawn! Yours is the Spring of the Year!
You begin the dance, and with Love we call you forth!
Dance with us O Beautiful One!
Power of Air and Imagination - We bid you Welcome!
ALL
Hail and Welcome!
PRIESTESS
Turn with me now to the direction of the South. Imagine with me a column of white light arising in the direction of the South, as we invoke the Southern Guardian!
SOUTH
As action is the manifestation of all things, we call You now, O South!
For You are the power of Action!
Yours is the Fire! Yours is the Day! Yours is the Summer of the Year!
You manifest the dance, and with Love we call you forth!
Dance with us O Beautiful One!
Power of Fire and Creation - We bid you Welcome!
ALL
Hail and Welcome!
PRIESTESS
Turn with me now to the direction of the West. Imagine with me a column of white light arising in the direction of the West, as we invoke the Western Guardian!
WEST
As emotion is experience of all things, we call You now, O West!
For You are the power of Emotion!
Yours is the Water! Yours is the Sunset! Yours is the Autumn of the Year!
You experience the dance, and with Love we call you forth!
Dance with us O Beautiful One!
Power of Water and Compassion - We bid you Welcome!
ALL
Hail and Welcome!
PRIESTESS
Turn with me now to the direction of the North. Imagine with me a column of white light arising in the direction of the North, as we invoke the Northern Guardian!
NORTH
As integration is the understanding of all things, we call You now, O
North!
For You are the power of Integration!
Yours is the Earth! Yours is the Night! Yours is the Winter of the Year!
You understand the dance, and with Love we call you forth!
Dance with us O Beautiful One!
Power of Earth and Wisdom - We bid you Welcome!
ALL
Hail and Welcome!
PURSUIVANT
Behold! The four powers dance and by their dance a circle is formed! A circle of art to focus and to contain the powers we shall raise herein!
PRIEST
Imagine now a circle of light surrounding you –circles of light surrounding us all –clear, bright white light forming a wall around us, moving upwards and downwards, over and under and all around us, a ball of light around each of us, around all of us –many balls of light and one ball of light, many circles and one circle –May our circle now be cast!
EAST
The circle is cast!
SOUTH
The circle is cast!
WEST
The circle is cast!
NORTH
The circle is cast!
ALL
The circle is cast!
PRIEST
We invoke you O Father God, Son, Brother, and Consort of the Goddess, you are the vehicle of creation! Lord of Light and Darkness, Lord of Time and Space, Lord of Life and Death, we call to You now! In all Your names and all Your forms, O God -we bid you Hail and Welcome!
ALL
Hail and Welcome!
HIGH PRIESTESS
We invoke you O Mother Goddess, You who are the source and sustenance of all creation! You who were before the first beginning and shall endure eternally, the Eternal Flame and Divine Spark of Life, we call to You now! In all Your names and all Your forms, O God -we bid you Hail and Welcome!
ALL
Hail and Welcome!
PURSUIVANT
O Ancestors, Beloved Ones who have gone before – we invoke you and invite you to be with us this night! You who have prepared the way – walk with us and led us forward! Join with us in our circle tonight, the living and the spirits together – hand in hand! One Circle! One Family! One People! Beloved Ones, we bid you Hail and Welcome!
ALL
Hail and Welcome!
PRIEST
We come together tonight to celebrate the blessed Solstice. For those of us in the North it is the Summer Solstice, while for those of us in the South it is the Winter Solstice. But while these two are opposites, one the longest day and one the longest night, yet they have this in common – each marks the furthest extent of their respective energy. The Summer Solstice marks the height of the Yang energy – the energy of action and movement. The Winter Solstice marks the height of the Yin energy – the energy of stillness and introspection. The former is ruled by the Oak King, Lord of Light and Life. The latter is ruled by the Holly King, Lord of Death and Dreams.
PRIESTESS
At Solstice the Oak and Holly Kings do battle, to see which of them shall reign as the Lady’s consort. Light and Darkness meet in pitched combat, as the wheel of the year turns anew!
GAIA
I am Gaia, the Mother of all life. The green earth is my body and the stars of the sky are my adornments. All things come from me, and all things shall return to me, as surely as a river returns to the ocean. From my abundant love I created the universe and all things in it. I am the Maiden, and in time I shall also be the Crone – for I resolve within myself the Oneness of all things.
OAK KING
I am the Oak King – Lord of the Sun! I am the warmth that gently dries the rain from the Earth: the Light that gilds the forest leaves with gold. I am the great Poet, the Lover, and from my magic harp comes the music of the heart. Young love belongs to me. I am the son of the Goddess, her brother and her lover. Born at Yule, I grow in strength until I wed the Goddess at Belteine, and reach the height of my power at Midsummer.
Thereafter I decline and die, only to be reborn again when Yule returns. I am the Lord of Light and Life. The Lord of love and beauty. Dance the dance of life with me.
HOLLY KING
I am the Holly King – Lord of Winter! I am the ancient Greenwood Lord. I rule the forest and all the creatures that dwell within it. I am crowned and bearded with verdant, twining greenery – and I sing with the voice of the stag! I am Pan! I am Cernunnos! I hold the Cauldron of Plenty and wield the Staff of Life and Death. I am the Lord of the Dance and – birth or death – none may refuse to dance with me! I am at the height of my power at Midwinter, when the night is longest and dreams of the Otherworld are deepest.
Thereafter I shall decline and die as the Oak King rises to displace me, and the Light returns to the world.
OAK KING
Lord of Midwinter – I challenge You!
HOLLY KING
Lord of Midsummer, I challenge You!
OAK KING
Let us contest! Let us fight for pride of place! One shall rule, and one decline! You or I – which will it be?
PRIESTESS
At Solstice the Oak and Holly Kings do battle, to see which of them shall reign as the Lady’s consort. Light and Darkness meet in pitched combat, as the wheel of the year turns anew! Who shall win? Each in his turn. In the north the Holly King displaces the Oak King as the Longest day gives way to waning light. In the South the Oak King displaces the Holly King as the Longest Night gives way to the waxing light. The only constant between them is change …
GAIA
I am the Crone, Lady of Winter, Mistress of Death and Regeneration. Once I wore the red dress of the Maiden, red as the Maiden’s Moonblood. Then I wore the white cloak of the Queen – white as the holy Moon. But now I wear the black veil of the Crone. The flowers have withered, for the King has died.
I am the Mother of Knowledge, the Poser of Riddles. I offer you now this paradox, upon which all life is based: When the fruit reaches perfection it falls from the tree: when power is at its height, then change must come … Thus it ever is on the Solstice, when one King overcomes the other. Light gives way to darkness: darkness gives way to light: Light gives way to darkness again. Even as day follows night and night follows day, so the wheel of the year turns ever onward. For my wheel is never still, and the bright stars spin on forever.
PRIEST
All things must change. For we in the north the Longest Day marks the decline of the Light toward inevitable winter. Though the warmest days are yet to come – still the dye is cast. For we in the South the Longest Night marks the return of the Light, as the winter inevitable gives way to the Spring – even though the coldest days are yet to come. It is even so in life – whenever we think we have reached perfection, then we must change – we must move and grow, for nothing can be stagnant.
Consider now your own life. What in your life is ready for change? Consider those things that you desire to see change – that are outgrown and outmoded in your life. See them clearly in your mind – and release them Now!
ALL
So mote it be!
PRIESTESS
We will now bless the chalice.
Behold, in the name of the Goddess and the God, may this cup of love be Blessed. As we share it, may it be as a bond between us, a token of the love we bear for Them, and They for us, and we all for each other! So Mote it Be!”
ALL
So mote it be!
PRIESTESS
Imagine with me the chalice filling with light – with beautiful white light shining forth in all directions. See the light as clearly and as strongly as you can. Feel the energy in the light – feel the power of the blessing, the love of Goddess and God filling the cup.
Now bring the cup to your lips and drink from it. Imagine the liquid entering your body, and with it the clear, shining white light. Let the light come into you. Let it go to every part of you, filling you completely. Imagine the white light shining out from every part of you, and filling you with divine blessing. Whatever you need: love, strength, healing – let the blessing give this to you now, as it brings you into perfect alignment with your highest self.
ALL
So mote it be!
PRIESTESS
Let us now give thanks!
PURSUIVANT
Beloved Ancestors, you who have gone before, we thank you for your presence and your aid this night and at all times – for we know that you are always with us! Beloved Ones, may the Blessing Be upon you now and always! So Mote It Be!
Beloved Father God, in all Your names and all Your forms we thank you for your presence and your aid this night and at all times! We know that you are always with us, for we dwell in one another’s hearts! Beloved Father God, may the Blessing Be upon you now and always! So Mote It Be!
PRIESTESS
Beloved Mother Goddess, in all Your names and all Your forms we thank you for your presence and your aid this night and at all times! We know that you are always with us, for we dwell in one another’s hearts! Beloved Mother Goddess, may the Blessing Be upon you now and always! So Mote It Be!
PRIEST
Now turn with me to the North. See again the column of white light we erected there when we called the Quarter. As we give thanks, imagine that pillar of light sinking back down into the earth.
NORTH
Beloved Ones of the North, Powers of Earth and Integration, we thank you for your presence and your aid this night and at all times! Beloved Ones of the North, may the Blessing Be upon you now and always! So Mote It Be!
PRIEST
Now turn with me to the West. See again the column of white light we erected there when we called the Quarter. As we give thanks, imagine that pillar of light sinking back down into the earth.
WEST
Beloved Ones of the West, Powers of Water and of Emotion, we thank you for your presence and your aid this night and at all times! Beloved Ones of the West, may the Blessing Be upon you now and always! So Mote It Be!
Now turn with me to the South. See again the column of white light we erected there when we called the Quarter. As we give thanks, imagine that pillar of light sinking back down into the earth.
SOUTH
Beloved Ones of the South, Powers of Fire and Manifestation, we thank you for your presence and your aid this night and at all times! Beloved Ones of the South, may the Blessing Be upon you now and always! So Mote It Be!
PRIEST
Now turn with me to the East. See again the column of white light we erected there when we called the Quarter. As we give thanks, imagine that pillar of light sinking back down into the earth.
EAST
Beloved Ones of the East, Powers of Air and Inspiration, we thank you for your presence and your aid this night and at all times! Beloved Ones of the East, may the Blessing Be upon you now and always! So Mote It Be!
PRIESTESS
Imagine now again that circle of light we created when we began this ritual – a circle of clear bright white light all around us, and above us, and below us. See that circle as clearly and as brightly as you can. And now, allow that image to dissipate as we release the energy of the Circle – see it fade and grow smaller and fall away.
PRIEST
s above – so below!
As the Universe – So the soul!
As without – so within!
May the Circle now be open!
PRIESTESS
May the circle now be open! Let us come back to ourselves now. Settling back into our bodies. Back into the here and now. On the count of three we are we began. One. Two. Three. Now let us take a moment to clear and release all excess energy.