Shining Lakes Grove - Yule 2003 Order of Service

Welcome to Our Celebration!

Before we begin...

Take off your coats, greet each other, and check out the Raffle items before the Briefing. Words to the songs we will be singing are on the back of this sheet.

Preparing ourselves for our time with the Gods and Spirits

Processional and Purification - The Wassail Song
Bardic Invocation for our eloquence and inspiration
Welcoming the Allies, the spirits of the people and their gods who lived in this land before us
Honoring our Mother Ana - Ana Come Be With Us
Unity Chant - Single Threads
Statement of Purpose - Yule is a time of joy as we settle in for the winter. We honor Danu’s presence in the land, and Bel’s growing presence from this day forth.

Declaring Center and Opening the Portals

Tree, Fire, and Well
Acknowledging the Outsiders - the forces of chaos and change
Invocation of Manannan mac Lir, our Lord of the Dead, to guide and protect us in the Otherworld

Acknowledging and Honoring our guests

Ancestors - our beloved dead
Nature Spirits - the spirits of the land and its creatures
Deities: Lugh, Bríd, and Aren (feel free to offer a silent welcome to your own gods)
Archetypes - Acknowledging the three societal functions within us
Deity of the Occasion: Danu and Bel, our primal father and mother.

Giving and Receiving

Passing the wreath: Direct your praise and energy to the wreath to build a group offering. While you hold it, you may give praise or thanks to the gods silently or in the form of a vocal or physical offering. When you finish, pass the wreath to the person next to you. You may also choose to swear an oath on the boar, an old Norse custom.
Group Praise - decorating the Tree (Deck the Halls) / snowball fight / Danu's Wave of Power
Main Sacrifice - Offering the wreath
Omen of Return - runes
Return blessing - a visit from Danu and Bel?
Cauldron blessing
Welcoming new members, officers, and guild members, and bestowing other honors

Unwinding and Closing

Recessional - Now the Rite Is At an End

And afterwards... Join us for a potluck and socializing, and don't forget to get your Raffle Tickets!

Yule Songs 2003

Processional:

The Wassail Song

Here we come a-wassailing
Among the leaves so green,
Here we come a-wand'ring
So fair to be seen

Love and joy come to you,
And to you your wassail too,
And may all our Gods bless
you throughout the new year,
May the gods bless you through the year.

River Mother:

Ana Come Be With Us

by the SLG Bardic Guild

Ana, come be with us,
May your blessings ever flow,
Ana, still and quiet,
Take our love beneath the snow.

Blessed Mother, Ancient and renewing
Blessed Mother, take our love below.

Unity:

Single Threads

©1996 Marae Price

Single threads entwined in weaving
Are our hearts and minds and souls
As the branches weave the forest
So our joining makes us whole.

Mannanan Invocation

©1996 Marae Price

We stand at the border and watch the mist close in.
Waves rolling, rolling,
Where shore meets the ocean, where land meets sea and sky,
We call to you, Manannan,
Manannan, Manannan,
We welcome you as you one day will welcome us.

Group Praise:

Deck the Halls

Deck the hall with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
'Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Don we now our gay apparel,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Troll the ancient Yuletide Carol,
Fa la la la la la la la la.

See the blazing yule before us,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Strike the harp and join the chorus,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Follow me in merry measure,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
While I tell of Yuletide Treasure,
Fa la la la la la la la la.

Recessional:

Now the Rite Is At an End

© Paul Kershaw and Marae Price

And now the rite is at an end, again we're parting ways
May truth and hour be your friend and lucky be your days.
I'll hold you dearly in my heart, I'll hold you in my mind,
And through our branches grow apart, our roots shall be entwined.

Note to Parents:Children are welcome to stay and attend the ritual with you, but only if they are supervised.

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