Y U L E   1984 
                                               Julia Phillips 

            Circle is cast and Quarters erected. 
             
            HPS:       We now stand at the turning of the year. 
             
            Dark Lord: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, 
                       All fades and passes, day to night. 
             
            Dark Lord extinguishes candles leaving only altar candles alight. 
             
            HPS:       Let us dance for the long year's end, for the sun     sets 
                       quickly in the West, and we begin the long night of 
                       hope. 
             
            Coven do Wheel or Cord dance widdershins about the cauldron 
            chanting: 
             
            Time and Death, Life and Seasons, All must pass, All must change. 
             
            Star Child now leaves the circle, and stands behind the veil in the North. 
             
            HPS stands at the cauldron in the centre, wearing a black veil. 
             
            HPS:       I am the Hag who engendered you all; 
                       I am the Three and the One who is here; 
                       I am the log that is ripe for burning; 
                       In my end is your hope of beginning. 
             
            HPS now lifts the cauldron aloft and presents it to each quarter. 
            She returns to the centre, and lights the cauldron candle, from 
            which she lights a quarter candle for each member of the coven. 
            The quarter candles are placed in their respective quarters. 
             
            Narrator:  This is the night of the Solstice; the Mother         Night. 
                       Now darkness triumphs, and yet gives way and changes            to light.
            Time stops, and all wait while the             cauldron  of the Dark King is
            transformed into the         infant Light.  We watch for the dawn when the Mother 
            again gives birth to the sun, who is the bringer of              hope and the 
            promise of summer. Holly gives way to          Oak, the Wren to  the Robin, Old to
            New. 
             
            Narrator:  We stand now in the long night, we pray for the       sun's return. In
            darkness and shadows the Great           Mother  groans. The Mother labours to bring
            forth            the sun from her pain. From her cries of labour comes forth our 
            cries of welcome; from her toil and            anguish our hope is reborn. Let us
            now call forth         the Great Mother, and the Lord of Life, her husband and son. 

            The Star Child emerges from behind the         veil, and lays at the feet of the
            HPS. The HPS points to the Star Child and proclaims: 
             
                       Behold the Child! Here lies our king! 
             


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          The HPS crowns the Star Child with a crown of misteltoe. She 
            removes her veil and announces: 
             
                       I am the Mother who brought forth the child; 
                       I am the inspiration, and I am the rebirth. 
             
            Narrator: You are the ecstasy of the blessed 
                       You are the light of the sun's beams 
                       You are the lordly door of welcome 
                       You are the guiding star 
                       Yours is the step of the roe on the hill 
                       Yours is the step of the white-faced mare            
                       Yours is the grace of the swimming swan 
                       You are the jewel in each mystery 
             
            Coven now do Wheel or Cord dance deosil about the cauldron 
            chanting: 
             
                       Power of soil and power of air, 
                       Power of fire and power of water, 
                       Power that spins the wheel of birth, 
                       Spins the wheel of joy and mirth, 
                       Spins the wheel of sun and moon,   
                       Push, push, push, Open the gate. 
             
                       Power of spell and magic free, 
                       Eternal power that binds the sea, 
                       Weaves the web of infinity, 
                       Light of dark and light of day, 
                       Speed the spokes fast on their way, 
                       Push push push - ah ah 
                       Open the gate, So Mote It Be! 
             
            HPS now invokes the Lord of Misrule into the circle. He is 
            challenged upon entry by the Dark Lord, and must explain who he 
            is, and why he is there. The Lord of Misrule is now in charge of 
            the circle, and may behave as he sees fit. At some point, he must 
            take the burdens of the coven for the previous twelve moons and 
            pack them in his bag. 
             
            Cakes and Wine. 
             
            The Lord of Misrule must be ritually hunted as a wren to bring 
            about his downfall. The coven mime hunting the wren chanting, 
             
                       "Burn the bush, hunt the wren" 
             
            When he is discovered, the coven point their athames at his neck 
            to symbolise his death. 
            Close ritual.


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