Yule2007

Items needed: cauldron filled with a flammable liquid, a sprig of holly, a small votive candle, some salt and honey.

Purify and cast Circle.

Invoke Goddess with:

“Inari, you are the land in slumber while the Morrighan is the cutting winter wind. I call both of you to my Circle tonight, to help me usher in the beginning of light as the Fallen God is reborn as the Infant Light. Hail and Welcome, goddesses!”

Make an offering of grain to the goddesses, then say:

“Inari, Morrighan, accept my sacrifice!”

Invoke God with:

“Lucifer, light bringer, this is your night as overwhelming darkness gives way to the brightness of dawn. I call you to my Circle tonight to help me celebrate the return of light as you are transfigured in radiance. Hail and Welcome!”

Make an offering of honey to him, then say:

“Lucifer, accept my sacrifice!”

Say:

“This is the night of the Solstice; when darkness triumphs, and yet gives way and changes to light. Time stops, and all wait while the cauldron of the Dark King is transformed into the infant Light. Holly gives way to Oak, the Wren to the Robin, Old to New. I stand now in the long night, and I pray for the sun's return. In the darkness is the stillness behind motion, when time itself stops. I help to turn the Wheel and the dawn rises, as the God is reborn. Blessed be!”

Say:

“To die and be reborn
The Wheel is turning.
The light was born
And the light has died
Everything passes,
All fades away.
Our bodies are salt
Taste the breath of death."

Sprinkle some of the salt on your tongue, taste its bitterness and feel your connection with death and your ability to destroy.

Say:

“Turn your face to where the Sun goes down,
One thing becomes another.
Make of your heart a burning fire,
Pass an instant through the open gate,
Over the dark of a sunless sea
Guide the ship of the rising sun
Into the raging wind and storm.
Sleep the sleep of the newborn
And taste the sweetness of life.”

Place a small amount of honey on your tongue, allowing its sweetness to melt there. Feel your connection with life and your own ability to create.

Say:

“As above, so below…
As the universe, so the soul,
As without, so within.
Blessed and gracious Goddess,
I watch for the coming of Dawn on Solstice Night,
When you, Holy Mother, give birth to the Divine Child,
The Winterborn King who is the hope of Summer.
With my rite, I call the Sun from the womb of night."

Light the cauldron on fire.

Say:

“Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter,
all fades and passes, day to night.
Time and Death, Life and Seasons,
All must pass, All must change.
As the Wheel turns, the fire burns.”

Watch the cauldron until the fire burns itself out. Feel the heat that radiates from it,
imagine that light and head expanding, filling the world. Recognize it not only as the symbol of Sun reborn but also as the first herald of Spring and Summer.

Say:

“Blessed be the darkness
I sorrow not, though the world is wrapped in sleep.
I sorrow not, though the icy winds blast.
I sorrow not, though the snow falls hard and deep.
I sorrow not, for this too shall pass.
Blessed be the blanket of longest night.”

Place the sprig of holly in the offering dish for the Holly King, whose time ends this
night. Then say:

“Spin we now a mystery, now as long ago
Blood red holly berries, blood upon on the snow
The Oak king shall rise, the waxing year to bring
Therefore bid we farewell to the Holly king
Now in deep midwinter all seems in a trance
Comes the golden Oak King in his age old dance
Comes he to slay, yet honor he does he bring
To his fallen brother the darksome Holly King.”

Say:

“With the birth of the new sun at hand,
The waxing of the year begins.
The Oak King must replace his Twin
And rule over the land until the height of Summer,
When his brother shall be born again.”

Take a votive candle and hold it.

Say:

“We recognize that the Summer Solstice is a celebration of Light, and therefore, the Winter Solstice is a celebration of Dark. The dark is not to be feared, for it is in the dark that we meet and know ourselves. On this longest night, we renew and rebirth our bodies and spirit selves. This year for rebirth and renewal, I choose to purge all that is negative in my life. I release past hurts and angers, I release any from my life who bring nothing but grief or sadness or anger.”

Light the votive candle, then say:

“In darkness do I learn and heal. By this fire, my way to change I seal. May the light and love of this season remove all lingering negativity and replace it with joy and prosperity. For I know that as the old negativity sloughs away, new friend and faces will replace that void and bring harmony to my life. With the light I am reborn and made new, I invite only the positive to fill the void left inside me!”

Say:

“It is only now in the darkness, when the sun is weakest that we can truly see how we shine. Our own inner fires blaze brighter at this time of year than at any other. These small light represent me, as it burns it sends out my desire for change into the night so that my wishes may be returned to me.”

Say:

“Having prayed and made sacrifice,
I open myself to the Gods, Ancestors, and Spirits of Place,
To those ancient and wise ones,
And ask what blessings they offer in return.
Mighty Kindred, please give me a glimpse of what is to come,
Between now and Imbolc.”

Pull three Runes.

Interpret the runes and decide if what is to come is favorable or unfavorable. Then
say:

“Gracious Deities, Ancestors, and Nature Spirits, I thank you for this small foretelling So that I may plan wisely for what the future brings.”

Say:

“While the celebration of Yule has just begun, my rite is coming to a close. The Dark God has passed through the Gate, He has been reborn through the Mother. With him we are all reborn. The tide has turned! The light will come again! In a new dawn, in a new day, the Sun is rising! It is the Sun Child, the Winterborn King! Blessed be to the Lightbringer!”

Say:

“As is has been done in the past, as I have done now, as will be done in the future; I have again forged a link in the chain of tradition and the Gods have answered. Let me go forth into the world secure with the knowledge that my ritual has pleased the gods and I go forth with Their blessings. I am a Child of the Earth, may the sacred presence remain within me always, I go now in blessings and peace. My rite has ended.”

Bless the chalice with:

“Holy Mother of birth and transformation,
We offer this wine in Your honor.
As we drink it, fill us with the nectar of Your love.
By Your many names,
Do we bless and consecrate this wine.”

Bless the cakes with:

“Child God of rebirth, Lord of Yuletide,
We offer these cakes in your honor.
As we eat them fill us with the power of Your spirit.
By your many names,
Do we bless and consecrated these cakes.”

Eat the simple feast and open Circle.

Eidolon Moon's Notes:

This is a solitary rite that I basically updated from my Yule 2003 group ritual. I had been having a tough time with a few close friendships and had meditated on what I should do about it. I talk a little about it here in my blog. My answer was that I should make renewal part of this Yule ritual, do what I had to to cut away dead friendships and move on.

I felt very peaceful while writing this, it was very reminiscent of the one spell I did to bring peace to the pharmacy. Everything flowed pretty smoothly but I just realized that I didn't spell check it so there may be a few spelling error. *is ashamed* I was really hoping that my anger and dissapointment at a few select people would vanish (like in the pharmacy one) but I still have remnants of these feelings. I wonder if that is because I actually know these people as people and not just co-workers.

This ritual is very much a blending of Wicca and ADF druidry. I just don't understand a lot of the ADF liturgy and without access to a Grove and 'live' rituals, I don't think I'm going to get it. I really wish I lived closer to either Philly or Pittsburgh, then I could get the experience I need. Anyway, since this is a solitary ritual I made the God and Goddess invocations specific to my patron deities. I really like the idea of offering honey to Lucifer, as it is liquid sunlight.

For the omen I pulled Thurisaz, Raidho, and Berkana. I'm taking that as a 'good' omen... Thurisaz because I was trying to get rid of that which I don't need anymore and because it shows that I can 'defend' myself against that which I know isn't good for me. Raidho (which can mean 'wheel' just like Yule) is for new beginnings, but it also means the right course in religion and ritual... I think that means that I am on the right path with what I'm doing. Even if it does seem like a mish mash. Berkana... I don't entirely get. It can be nurturing and fertility and rebirth. I'm guessing that it means rebirth for me, or perhaps just a nod to the idea that Spring is coming.

Overall, I'm very pleased with how this ritual turned out. I'd like to work on making some solitary sabbat rituals that can be used year after year with only a little tweaking.