CoTH Autumn Equinox 2015

Cast circle with Stang. 

May King wears his Beltane crown. Another crown sits upon the altar. 5 elemental brooms rest against the altar. There is a basket with the black cloth, the pentagram rug and the cushion.

HPS: It is the Autumn Equinox, when day and night are equal. A time of magic and sacrifice. Let us dance the dance of the dying god and sing of the fate foretold.

All gather in a circle, facing outwards and  holding hands and dance two steps left, one step right. HPS sings the Prophecy with the harmonium. (Drumming if there are enough people or someone is unable to dance).

All stop dancing when the song concludes. HPS walks around the circle and stops in front of the May King.

HPS: Behold the King of Summer, he who was crowned by the Red and the White. Now the season turns as the leaves turn, for all things pass, all things fade and all things die.

As the Sun’s strength wanes to equal day and night, are you willing to give up your crown?

KING responds.

HPS: Are you willing to nourish the soil with your blood?

KING responds

HPS: Are you willing to give your life to the land?

KING responds 

HPS: Then you shall be prepared.

Each person takes an object from the altar; incense, salt water, candle, wheat, cake, drink etc to prepare the King for sacrifice with inspired utterance and action.

His crown is taken by HPS

Return objects to the altar. 

King is helped to kneel upon the ground (cushion placed under Pentagram circle rug). 

HPS takes the sickle from the altar. She stands behind the crownless, kneeling King and places the sickle blade against his throat.

HPS:	Again I ask you, are you willing to give your life to land?

KING responds.

HPS removes sickle. 

HPS: 	Then you shall be crowned as the sacrifice.

5 to take up elemental brooms and form pentagram over the King’s head. HPS takes the crown and places it in the centre of broom pentagram so that is held over His head. Dance in a circle to “The Druid’s Dance*” (recorded). 

When the music slows, lower the crown to rest upon the King’s head and then widen the ‘points’ of the pentagram (holding ends in two hands) to lower the centre of the pentagram over the King’s head and end around his neck resting the brooms upon his shoulders.

(If there are not 5 dancers, use 3 brooms instead – earth / water / air for earth, sea and sky)

Slowly raise the brooms up. 

King to lay upon the ground (from kneeling position to curl up) as the music fades.

Unwind brooms.

King is covered with a black cloth.

HPS sings Lament of John Barleycorn. As she does this, everyone faces outwards. 

HPS uncovers King, assists him to rise, she leaves cloth on ground with crown atop it. He who was the king, joins the circle.

At end of song, all face inwards again.

Contemplate the mystery.

Cakes and Ale.

Farewell and close.

*Thou King of the moon,
Thou King of the sun,
Thou King of the planets,
Thou King of the stars,
Thou King of the globe,
Thou King of the sky,
Oh! lovely Thy countenance,
Thou beauteous Beam.