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Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com


 
 
                                   YULE RITUAL
 
          The celebrants gather in a room apart from the ritual area.
          It is best if the ritual can be held in a room without lights
          and with no heat.  Priest and Priestess may choose to cast
          the circle before hand and allow all to enter through a
          portal, or cast after the candle lighting. At the time for
          the ritual to begin, the warden and maiden lead all into the
          ritual area with only one dim candle to light the way which
          circles to the Southern tower and stays there.  As all shiver
          in the darkness, the priest and priestess, at the Southern
          tower begin, alternating:
 
          It is winter.
          It is night.
 
          We await the Sun.
          We await the light.
 
          In this darkness
          In this night,
 
          We await the warmth.
          We await the light.
 
          (Together:) And slowly it comes.
 
          (As they have moved around the cirle saying these things, the
          Priestess Widdershins and the Priest Deosil, they light
          candles which completely surround the circle. By the time
          they have finished, the room should be very bright.)
 
          Circle is cast if not already.  Salt and water. Fire and air.
          Quarters summoned in manner appropriate to the season.
 
          God Invocation
          Priestess:
 
          Horned 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 greet you.
 
          Goddess Invocation
          The Winter God (lighting the appropriate candles, which are
          held by women appropriately dressed):
 
          White is for the Maiden, divine and joyous child.  Fresh as
          the snow is her taper.  I give greetings, Blessed One.
 
          Red is for the Mother, warm embracing creation queen.
          Scarlet as the winter sunset is her taper.  I give greetings,
          Regal One.
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          Black is for the Crone, keeper of magical mysteries.  Ebon as
          the stormy night is her taper.  I give greetings, Wise One.
 
          Queens of winter, Sister, Mother, Grandmother, I greet you
          and ask your blessings upon your people gathered here.
 
          The three Goddesses, dividing the parts appropriately, invoke
          the Sun (the Maiden then crowns the God with a crown of
          candles or other appropriate crown, the Mother gives him a
          staff with a pine cone tip and the Crone gives him a kiss):
          Return, oh, return!  God of the sun, god of the light,
          return!  Darkness has fled -- Thou hast no enemies.  O lovely
          helper, return, return!
          Return to thy sister, thy spouse, thy mother who loveth thee!
          We shall not be put asunder.  O my brother, my consort, my
          son, return, return!  When I see thee not my heart grieveth
          for thee, mine eyes seek for thee, my feet roam the earth in
          search of thee!  Gods and men weep for thee together.  God of
          the sun, god of the light, return!  Return to thy sister, thy
          spouse, thy mother, who loveth thee!  Return!  Return!
          Return!
 
          The God raps three times on the altar with his wand
 
          Sun King:
          Newly born, am I.  What wisdom says the watcher of the east
          to aid me and those gathered here with me?
 
          East:
          This is a time for entering wilderness and seeking its
          magical strengths.  A time for standing alone and godlike,
          and seeing all things clearly.  It is a season of joy!
 
          Sun King:
          What wisdom says the watcher of the south?
 
          South:
          This is a time of active seeking, both without in nature and
          within oneself.  Eagerness and resolution shall concern
          mysteries and create results.  It is a season of courage!
 
          Sun King:
          What wisdom says the watcher of the west?
 
          West:
          This is a time for devotion to the way of the wild places and
          seeking the calmness of solitary locales.  A time for finding
          understanding, and confiding only in trusted friends.  It is
          a season of meditation!
 
          Sun King:
          What wisdom says the watcher of the north?
 
          North:
          This is a time to know the endurance of the hills, and to so
          grow in one's own inner firmness.  A time for scrupulousness
          and thoroughness and considering all things.  It is a season
          of confidence!
 
          The Winter God:
 
          Rich are these gifts of knowledge.  Soon I will give way to
          my Son, but until that time mine is the feast and the season
          of joy.  (The God blesses the feast as is customary for the
          group.)
 
          Each Deity and Watchers is thanked and bid farewell as they
          were invoked.
 
          The circle is released as is appropriate to the group.
 
          Notes:
 
          If anyone is crowned with a crown of candles, a veil helps
          with the dripping wax.  Holly can be pretty uncomfortable,
          too, so ditto.
 
          Portions of this are liberally stolen from the Magical Rites
          from the Crystal Well by Ed Fitch.  It's great stuff and you
          may want to use it outright, rather than my mutilated
          version.
 
          If you have enough people and candles, everybody may be naked
          by the end of this.
 
          It's great to use your oldest male as Winter and your
          youngest male for the Sun (kids are great suns).  Same for
          the Goddesses.
 
          Obviously, this is just an outline that can be spindled,
          folded and mutilated any way you like.  The opening part with
          the candles we have used for more than one Yule and it's
          really great.
 
          We have also done a guided meditation into Herne's Grove,
          rather than a Winter God invocation.  It involves a treck
          through the winter forest, trudging through snow until you
          find the lone pine tree in the clearing in the heart of the
 
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