Yule Ritual

Cast circle as usual. On the altar is a large, unlit candle, plus bread and wine (or substitutes) for communion.

Tonight we celebrate Yule, the moment of rebirth of the Sun, and the ending of the Dark Time.

On this, the longest night of the year, all of nature sleeps. The Earth lies in the grip of the cold and darkness. The Wheel Of The Year pauses in its turning, a pure moment of stillness between death and rebirth.

Just as it has been the time for life on Earth to turn inwards for the winter, and to renew its energies ready for the new turn of the Wheel of Life, the Dark Time has been our special time in our spiritual lives when we have turned our energies inwards, to store away what we have learned over the year, to build the new knowledge and new strength into our spirits, and to renew ourselves ready for the new cycle of the year. Now that this special time is ending, we give thanks and honour to the Goddess for Her gifts that have made this possible for us, and we honour the Goddess as she gives birth to the Sun Child and brings the future into being.

A few minutes' silence for trance; meditate on the coming of new life and new insights as the Dark Time ends.

The winter stars hang pale above
While frost lies crisp upon the ground,
And all life pauses just a beat, the smallest pause before the dawn.
Now red rays tinge the sky, and all at once --- rebirth!
We see both Earth and sky transformed.
The New Sun lifts Himself above the land
In splendour shining down upon us all.
Renewed, revealed, revived, returned ---
We hail the Sun with joyful hearts!

Priestess and co-celebrants dance round the centre, chanting:

All: Dark of night, bring forth new light, bring forth new life.

Priestess earths the energy raised into the unlit candle.

The Circle of Life is unbroken, complete, never-ending. The Goddess renews all life, and in one timeless moment, the light of the Sun returns, as the Goddess gives birth to the Sun Child. Hail to the new-born Sun!

Priestess lights the candle.

I light this candle to the New Sun. Behold, the new-born Sun shall arise!

All: So mote it be.

Priestess circles deosil, pausing at each quarter, and saying "Peace on Earth, light and life to all". Priestess returns to North, communes with Goddess in the Yuletide candle. Co-celebrants meditate on the Goddess's gift of new life, new abilities and new gifts.

Priestess holds up communion bread and wine, saying,

By this communion we share in the renewal of all that lives.
With all living things we are loved and cherished by the Mother Goddess.
May we grow in Her love and wisdom,
Pagan children of the Goddess and the God.
We are reborn in freedom,
We are nourished in wisdom.

Priestess gives communion to co-celebrants and takes communion herself.

Priestess holds up wine, and makes the traditional toast:

To the Old Ones: Merry meet and merry part, and merry meet again.

A few minutes silence for meditation, then dispel circle as usual.

Click here to return to Paganism & Witchcraft Index