Midsummer Ritual 2008
by Blayze

Set-up
This ritual utilises two circle areas. 

The small circle space is set up with the large cauldron. At the entrance are two censers. There are also baskets of leaves (given to the men by Male Guardian), baskets of flowers (given to the women by Female Guardian). A brass libation jug contains infusions of chammomile, elderflower and thyme. There are also bunches of herbs containing lavender, lemon balm, broom and rosemary. These are bound in amongst small bundles of twigs that are wrapped with gold ribbon. By the entrance there is also a long riding pole.

An arched gateway marks the path between the first and second circle areas. The arch is covered in flowers and sun talismans that hang from ribbons. On the back of each talisman is written a type of animal. As each person enters the 2nd area they will take a talisman to hang around their neck.

The second circle area is set with a copper table and copper mirror underneath the bower. The bower is covered in golden cloths and flowers.The altar is set in the North and holds a drinking horn. There is also a small cauldron of faery brew beside it, as well as a ladle, a candle decorated with sun flowers, a censer and a plate of summer fruits. These are additional to the normal altar tools already present. The sword is decorated with sunflowers. A shear black cloth is placed in the west.

First Circle Area – Pre-Ritual Blessing and Opening

Everyone lines up outside the 1st circle space. At the entrance stand two guardians dressed in yellow. The female guardian is crowned with flowers, the male guardian is crowned with leaves.

The Female Guardian holds a basket of flowers.

Female Guardian:	Once, long ago, I was Queen of all that blossomed. The flowers in the meadow were my crown and my mantle. Now, I guard the sacred well, the Cauldron of Creation. At the turning of the solstice-tide I will gift to you the blooming of the land, under the Sun's bright ray.

The Male Guardian holds a basket of leaves

Male Guardian:	Once, long ago, I was King of all trees. The leaves were my crown and my cloak. Now, I guard the sacred well, the Cauldron of Inspiration. At the turning of the solstice-tide I will gift to you the power of the woodland, under the Sun's dappled light.

Female Guardian:	If you have naught but love in your hearts, we invite you to enter freely the grove of the sacred well, this Midsummer's day.

As each person enters the circle, they are given instructions by either the Female Guardian (women) or the Male Guardian (men) as well as either a flower or a leaf.

Female Guardian:	The flowers hold my blessing. Seek within yourself the Mystery of Midsummer and give this gift to the well.

Male Guardian:	The leaves hold my blessing. Seek within yourself the Mystery of Midsummer and give this gift to the well.

Each person approaches the well, with a words of inspired utterance on the Mystery of Midsummer, they cast their flowers or leaves into the well.
After everyone has entered the circle, the Male Guardian takes up the libation jug.

Male Guardian:	Singly you entered the grove, single were your gifts. Now is the time for you to become as one before the well, the well that reflects the summer sky. Pass the vessel around the circle.

Female Guardian moves to stand beside the well. She takes up the libation jug from the last person to hold it.

Female Guardian:	Steeped are the sacred herbs within the waters. Combined as your energies have combined. It is then with love that I pour forth the blessings of Midsummer into the waters of the well.

Female Guardian libates the water into the cauldron. She then takes the jug back to the entrance of the circle as the Male Guardian takes up the bundles of herbs and twigs and gives a bunch to each person. He keeps one for the Female Guardian.

Male Guardian:	Just as the waters combine in the blessings of the season, so is magic made in the union of all things.

Female Guardian brings the riding pole to the Male Guardian. He exhanges it for a bundle of herbs and they kiss.

Male Guardian hold the pole above the well. She binds her twigs to the pole.

Female Guardian:	Come bind to the pole the branches you hold. A binding as golden as the sun that shines above.

Everyone binds their bundles to the pole to form a broom.

Male Guardian:	The power awakens as two become one, and the gates open between the worlds. 

He plunges the broom head into the cauldron.

Female Guardian: (To participants) Are you willing to journey beyond the gates?

Everyone:	We are willing to make the journey.

Male Guardian:	Then be blessed by the waters of the well. Power upon power, wave upon wave.

He withdraws the broom from the cauldron and asperges everyone with the waters.

Female Guardian:	The journey will be long but full of joy. Sing out your joy to the Midsummer's Day. Sing as you pass through the gateway and take up the Talismans of the Sun.

Male Guardian again dips the broom. This time he carries it with him as he leads everyone out of the grove and into the circle.

The Bard leads everyone in singing “Midsummer's Day” as they circle around the grove and move to the archway. Keep singing until everyone has entered the circle. 

Song: 
Midsummer's day and we have come
to dance for joy and for the sun
our King is high our King is tall 
our King strong but he must fall
but we have come to dance today
and not to cry for Sun's decay
and we will keep on dancing till we cannot dance no more.

(Chorus x 2)
we're dancing for the sun
we're dancing for the sun
and we will keep on dancing till the light is overcome.

Main Ritual

Everyone sings as the progress to the next circle area. When they reach the gateway, they take one of the talismans that hang from it. They move into the circle  and keep walking around it until everyone has entered.

Male Guardian and Female Guardian asperge the circle with the waters from the well. They then lay the broom across the threshold / gateway and join the circle.

HP and HPS come forward to cast the circle.

HPS blesses the incense and HP takes it around the circle.

HPS casts circle with the Sword.

HP replenishes the incense and gives it to the Air Guardian who takes it to the East and makes of it an offering before calling the Quarter. (Kings and Pentagrams)

HPS lights lantern from the altar candle and gives it to the Fire Guardian who makes of it an offering before calling the Quarter (Kings and Pentagrams)

HP takes a small drinking horn of the water and gives it to the Water Guardian who makes of it an offering before calling the Quarter (Kings and Pentagrams)

HPS takes the plate of summer fruit and gives it to the Earth Guardian who makes of it an offering before calling the Quarter (Kings and Pentagrams).

HPS takes the large drinking horn and fills it with Faery Brew. She stands in the centre of the circle. All join hands for the Central Invocation. HPS libates some of the brew around the Sun Mirror Altar.

Everyone then dances the Witches Rune.

HPS passes the drinking horn around the circle for everyone to have a sip.

HP returns the horn to the altar.

HPS speaks the opening Midsummer Charge, as she speaks she walks around the circle. The Charge becomes the Invokation of the Summer King which builds in power as she moves to stand before the HP whom she masks.

HPS:	Winters' kiss faded with the dawning of the spring
and now we stand entwined in Summer's warm embrace
Can you feel the energies of the land growing around you?
Can you feel the powers of the Sun shining upon you?

Light to light, heat to heat
The flaming spear is thrown from the east to pierce the skies above
For the Lord Of the Sun is coming
King of the Earth, blazing in glory
His light eternal, the fire of mystery

He was with us in the dawn, life renewed
He is the last light of dusk, the fond farewell
The warrior's flame that guards our dreams of what is past and what will be! 

I do invoke thee and call upon thee
O Bright Father of us all
Bringer of light and warmth.
By Seed and Soil
By Fire and Flame
By Sun and Spear and Shield
By life and love do I invoke thee to descend into the body of thy servant and Priest

Hail Lord Of The Sun & Sky
Shine forth thy rays of love
As lowly I bend before thee.
I adore thee from beginning to end
and with loving sacrifice thy shrine I adorn
Thy foot is to my lip
My prayer upborne upon thy golden flame
My eyes behold thy radiance
Spend thine ancient love
O Mighty one
Descend to aid me who without thee am forlorn 

HP 	I am He who rides the dawn wave
to break on the Western Shore.
I am the Spear, the flight of birds
I am the Sword, the scent of battle 
I am the Shield, guardian of fertile earth.

My blood is the golden tide that awakens the Land
My heart the red rending of sacrifice to come.
I give green gift to the leaves of the trees
Yet shroud my face lest they fall too soon,
For Might and Mercy are within me
And Honour is my domain

I am the budding horns of kid and kine
I run with hooves of burnished bronze
Across fields that ripen at my touch
I am Lord of Forest and Field
My chariot, the endless sky
I am the core of men and the sum of all
And I stand in the rays of the Sun. 

HP draws the power of the Sun into the mirror at the centre of the circle. Enchanting it with the dreams of the animals.

HP:	You wear my symbols around your necks. Written in the sun is the name of an animal you must search for, find and dance for me. Come look into my mirror, come look beyond the flame. Search, find and dance... and when you are ready, gift to me your knowledge and symbols of the animals.

Drum music begins to play as each person comes to look into the mirror. When they find their animal they begin to dance it around the circle, moving in time to the music.

The music continues for some time as people look, dance and then give their token to Sun King. 

When everyone has danced and the King wears everyone's tokens, he begins to speak the Song Of Amergin.

HPS sings each line in gaelic. HP speaks.

Am geath I m-muir  			I am the wind on the sea
Am tond trethan			I am the stormy wave
Am fuaim mara			I am the sound of the ocean
Am dam secht ndirend		I am the bull with seven horns
Am seig I n-aill			I am the hawk on the cliff-face
Am der grene				I am the sun's tear
Am cain lubal				I am the beautiful flower
Am torc ar gail			I am the boar on the rampage
Am he i l-lind				I am the salmon in the pool
An loch I m-maig			I am the lake on the plain
Am bri a ndai				I am the defiant word
Am gal I fodb feras feochtu		I am the spear charging to battle
Am de delbas do chind codnu	I am the God who put fire in your head

HPS fills drinking horn and sends it around the circle again.

She then takes up the Sword.

HPS: The power of  Midsummer is here, illumine the world, illumine the land!

She hands to sword to the Sun King.

HPS:	O Lord Of The Sun, will you kindle the magic of Midsummer throughout the land.Will you join your powers to the waters of life?

HP:	I will.

HPS:	Then let the veil be opened once more as we journey to the sacred well. 

Male and Female Guardian take up the broom from the threshold and HPS opens the circle.

Bard begins to sing "Dance Till The Dawn". All can join in chorus.

All process under the gateway and back into the 1st circle area.

When everyone is standing around the cauldron, the Sun King takes the sword and plunges it into the cauldron.

HP:	Spear to cauldron, lance to grail, seed to womb, spirit to flesh, God to Goddess, Sun to Earth and Moon to Sun. So mote it be!

HPS places her hands over the pommel of the sword and together the HP and HPS withdraw the sword from the cauldron.

She takes a bunch of herbs and asperges everyone with the charged waters.

HPS:	May the blessings of Midsummer be upon you.

Sun King then takes the sword back to the 2nd circle area. Everyone follows.

HPS:	Let us return to celebrate the season.

All process back. When they arrive back in the circle, the Shadow Lord awaits. The mirror has been covered by a black cloth.

Shadow Lord begins to stalk around the circle.

Shadow Lord:

I am He who lies beyond the Mirror's edge
The Shadow haunting the periphery,
Hunting in the liminal space.

You may not always see me,
But in your hearts and minds
you know that I am always there,
Waiting... Watching...Longing.

I am the reflection glimpsed,
but not always understood.

I am eternal,
yet reborn when the Sun pauses at the Zenith.

For what is the Sun without the Shadow?   

(Shadow Lord stops near the Sun King and has an attitude of disdain, before he walks and speaks to everyone gathered. Sun King still has sword)

You celebrate the light, the life giving ray.
But who amongst you can stare at the Sun
without longing for the shade?

For when the light becomes too much to bear
I am there... waiting

Even the animals whose power you claimed for the Sun,
know the cycles of darkness.

Their knowledge is within you.
Marking you. 
Changing you.

Speak to me of the Animals' shadow
And I will return their light to you.
For without Me, light has no meaning.

I am the reminder and the memory.
Between the worlds, beyond the veil.
Above and below.

Shadow Lord moves to stand next to Sun King. Slowly he removes each of the tokens from around the Sun King's neck. Shadow Lord gives each token back to its owner after first receiving insight from them about the shadow aspect of the animal.

When all of the tokens have been handed back Shadow Lord whisks the cloth from the mirror and throws it over the Sun King's hand where he holds the sword. The Sword is exchanged under the cloth.

The Shadow Lord then leaves the circle with any adlibbed parting words.

The HPS and HP then perform Cakes and Ale.

Farewell Quarters

Close.

(If additional dialogue is needed for more ritual understanding, it can be adlibbed.)