Yule Ritual 2013
by Blayze

Temple is in darkness except for Quarter Candles. There is an unlit candle in the centre of the circle. The pillar is decorated with holly. (Music is the Winter Suite from Howard Goodall's Seasons)

MUSIC: Track 5 - Sepia Landscape

Everyone enters the Temple space. Last in are 4 element bearers and HPS.

Water, Salt, Incense, Candle

HPS goes to altar and casts the circle.

MUSIC: Track 6 - Frozen Light

Water and Earth go the altar. They each consecrate their element and then combine the water and salt. They take the salt water around the circle. One carries the bowl and the other asperges.

Return bowl and aspergum to altar.

Air goes to altar and consecrates the incense. Take it and cense the circle.

Return censer to altar

Fire goes to altar and consecrates the candle. Fire takes candle around the circle. Returns candle to altar. 

Element bearers then call the Quarters silently using gestures.

HPS takes taper (using Fire candle as flame) and lights the Goddess Candle. HP takes taper and lights the God Candle.

HPS and HP perform silent invocation gestures upon one another. They join the circle.

Everyone holds hands in a circle. Raise arms up and then down. Begin to dance slowly anticlockwise around the circle.

When the strings get to the pizzicato, come in towards the centre and back out.

Gesture is made for everyone to sit down and close their eyes.

MUSIC: Track 7 - Storm Warnings

Think about the darkness of winter. HPS walks around lights everyone’s taper.

A couple of minutes in HPS touches each person lightly and gestures to the lit candle in front of them.

Open eyes. 

Sit and contemplate the returning light.

MUSIC: Track 8 - Solstice Night

At a gesture from the HPS, each person passes their candle to the person on their right.

HPS receives the final candle and then HPS lights the candle in the centre of the circle.

MUSICL Track 9 - Snow carpet

Cakes and Ale

Close and feast