Lughnasadh 2010 - Men's Rite / Main Rite
by Mark
Men’s rite
As the men enter The HP asks them to take a piece of grain from a basket sitting on the ground near the entrance, the altar is adorned with golden draping, freshly cut golden or yellow flowers, and grain from the recent harvest.
Circle Cast, by the HP, - At his discretion.
Quarters 
Each element will have the representation of the havest foods for the element in front of them, Air = Wheat, Fire = Corn, Water = Blue and BlackBerries, Cherrys, Watermelon, Apple, Earth = Strawberrys
AIR: 		As the Wheat has grown to be havested today, it has blown in the winds of inspiration, powers of air bless us during this rite.
FIRE: 		As the Corn has grown to be havested today, it has been warmed by the fires of the sun, powers of fire bless us during this rite.
WATER: 	As the Fruits has grown to be havested today, they have absorbed the waters of life, powers of water bless us during this rite.
EARTH: 	As the Strawberrys have grown to be havested today, they have grown from the womb of the earth, powers of earth bless us during this rite.
HP:		 Here we will create the temple of grain and gold; we will adorn our sacred space with the fruits of the land that have grown to their full height in readiness for the reaping, here in this place we will give thanks for all that we have grown this year.
HP: 		The Grain you have taken up at the start of this rite represents the grain that has grown in our fields; the same grain has been cut down for its use over the long winter to come. I would ask each man to spend some time concentrating on what they have grown in their own lives over this past year, that which you are now ready to harvest, and focus those thoughts into the grain you hold in your hand, when you are finished place the grain on the altar. If you wish, please sayout loud, that which you wish to harvest.
Men spend a minute or two concentrating on their grain and then one by one place the grain in a basket which is on the altar.
HP:  		Our grain has grown high, but at its height it must be bought down to sustain us, continuing the cycle of life. For as the grain falls by the harvest blade, so one of us must fall also. It is fitting then, that our sacrifice be one who was crowned our king
HP [To King]: O King of the May, will you consent to be our sacrifice?
King: I do
HP [To King]: Then drink of the Horn in token of the blood of life which be spilled from your body to replenish the land.
King drinks.
HP [To Men]: And let all of those men who have grown over this season, drink, to honor the season and the sacrifice.
Men Drink in turn.
HP [To King]: We the men of the Tribe will prepare you for your task.
HP [To Men]: Men, anoint our Sacrifice with a symbol of that which you wish to reap during the harvest, and wear that symbol yourself on your arms or face, as a sign that you honor his sacrifice, and will keep his promise to see our tribe through the winter to come.
The Men take the body paints and paint designs on the king and themselves. The King removes his shirt to be painted all over, while the warriors only have their arms and faces painted. 
Once the Men are completed all the men stand around the May King and Sacrifice.
HP: Men, we now will drink with our Sacrifice, to reflect on the work we have accomplished and Toast the season of growth we have shared.
When all have had a drink and can either say out loud a toast from the season of simply raise the glass. the HP starts to instruct the Men.
HP: Men, now we must call the women of our tribe, the keepers of the mysteries of the harvest, the reapers of the tides of life to our circle.
The Men then call the women of the tribe to the sacred space. 
Maiden, Mother, Crone of Old
Come to the temple of grain and gold
Come to the temple, women all
To hold the Harvest in your thrall!
X 3

The Women of the tribe enter the circle lead by the HPS and followed by the Maiden (Dressed in White), Mother (Dressed in Red) and the Crone (Dressed in Black) singing the Lughnasadh Song. The Crone carries the sickle.
By Barley seed and Rowan tree
By magic strong and free
By Goddess fair with golden hair
We do call to thee.
By harvest home and Summers gold
The fields and the grain
By heated days and blessed nights
And gentle Autumn rain.
Come gather in the harvest now
Come gather in the corn
Come gather in and sit awhile
By Oak and Ash and Thorn.

The HPS is stopped at the circles edge by the HP:
HPS: We have answered your call. 
HP: The harvest has been prepared for you to reap. Welcome to the temple of grain. 
HPS: We bring gifts of our own harvest in token that the harvest is shared by all.
HP cuts a door way into the circle and the Women of the tribe enter and move around the circle passing the altar and depositing their stalk of grain, then proceeding to fill any empty space. The Triple goddesses enter last, and after placing their grain in the basket, proceed to the centre of the circle and face to the North, into the sun. 
Await the closing of the circle and the HP to take position beside the alter and the HPS
Mother:  We are the reapers of the tides of life
Crone:  We come here to claim our sacrifice!
Maiden:  to see our fields reborn once more.
Crone: (calling out to the Men of the tribe) who here is to be our sacrifice?
Mother:  …the one who lays down his life for the tribes well being.
Sacrifice: I AM!
Crone: Then step forward and kneel before us.
Sacrifice steps forward 
Sacrifice: I am the bearer of the sigils of all the men of our tribe.We are bound in the harvest.
Mother reaches out for the sickle from the crone, who passes it to her
Mother: This sickle carries the sigils of the women of our tribe. They too are bound to the harvest.
During this exchange the HP and HPS have worked to fashion the stalks of grain in the basket in to a sheaf, tied together with a cord of ribbon, before the sacrifice kneels before the Triple Goddess.
HP and HPS together: As the harvest is bound to the King.
HP and HPS place the sheaf around the Sacrifices neck, the Sacrifice then kneels at the feet of the Mother. The Maiden and Crone take up positions next to the Mother and together place their hands upon the sickle and raise the sickle as one to the sacrifice's neck.
Triple Goddesses move the sickle across the kings throat and he falls to the ground.
Mother: The sacrifice is now at one with the land, he has given the last of his strength that we may survive the long winter’s nights ahead. We turn outwards as the season turns
Everyone turns to face outwards.
Mother leads all in signing John Barlycorn as the Crone and Maiden veil the Kings body with a sheet held between them.
	John Barleycorn is cut down dead
It is his time to die
The sun that warmed our summer days
No longer is so high
We thanks him and the Goddess fair
We thank them for the Corn
We gather in the harvest now
And leave the fields folorn.

While Mother sings, the man playing the King / Sacrifice will sneak out from behind the veil placing a basket of bread and Bottle of Wine behind the veil and placing a new shirt will join the circle once again.
At the end of the song the Crone and Maiden will remove the veil to reveal the sacrifice gone and the Bread and wine in his place.
Mother: For a King such as he, death is not the final act, when the land rests and the earth is still, then I will find him once more… but for now, the bounty of the harvest is ours to share.
HP and HPS bless the bread and wine which is passed around to all as cakes and ale.
Farewell Quaters.
HP and HPS Close circle.