YULE PLAY
YULE DIVINE PLAY - by Lady Allusha, Coven Tara, publiched in the Georgian Newsletter, December 1983Characters: Narrator, Earth Goddess, Handmaidens, Sun God
Props: Yule Fire
Narrator: It has been a long cold winter. Here, where the trees are all barren and the snow covers the ground the nights are dark and long.
Earth Goddess enters, followed by her Handmaidens. They all move slowly around towards the birthing spot.
Narrator: We see shadowy figures in the distance, moving slowly. The delicate footprints lead into the deepest realms of the forest. It is the Earth Goddess, pregnant with Life, followed by her Handmaidens.
Earth Goddess stops. Handmaidens gather before her and kneel. Earth Goddess starts to make soft birthing sounds.
Narrator: Listen! The Earth Goddess is about to give birth. In the midst of deepest darkness, light shall be reborn. Lend her your aid!
Handmaidens start swaying gently, joining in the birthing sounds. Narrator encourages all present to join in the birthing sounds. The sounds get louder and louder until...
Narrator: The Sun is Born!
Sun God jumps out from hiding into the center. He appears small and weak.
Earth Goddess: Go, my faithful Handmaidens, and build up the Yule fire.
That the weak Sun God shall grow in warmth and strength by its flames.
She collapses with a sigh. Handmaidens build up the fire. The Sun God slowly grows as the fire grows, until he stands tall with his arms outstretched. He says,
" I have returned" Then he dances a little jig.
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.
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 forest.
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