~*Summer Solstice*~
First Day of Summer
June 21st
Preparation:
Two crowns should be made and placed next to the altar. One should be made of oak leaves, one of holly leaves. The ritual is being held outside, two small fires should be prepared for quick lighting. One should be halfway between the center of the Circle and the East candle: the other should be halfway between the center and the West candle. The cauldron should be placed in the center of the circle. For this ritual, it should be filled with water. A sprig of heather should be placed beside it for use as an aspergillum. You will also need a blindfold (to be placed near the altar) and as many straws as there are men in the coven (with the exception of the High Priest.) The High Priestess should select two men of the coven (not the High Priest) to serve as the two Kings for the ritual.
The Ritual:
After the Witches' Rune, the High Priestess says,
"Let the two Kings come forth."
She points to the one she has chosen to play the role of the Oak King, and says,
"Thou art the Oak King, God fo the Waxing Year. Maiden, bring his crown!"
The youngest female member of the coven places the oak crown on the head of the King. The High Priestess then points to the other man saying,
"Thou art the Holly King, God of the Waning Year. Maiden, bring his crown!"
THe maiden places the holly crown on the head of the Holly King.
The Oak King is then lead by the High Priestess to the center of the Circle. He stands facing West. The rest of the coven encircle him, facing him. The High Priest and Priestess stand with their backs to the altar on each side of the cauldron.
The High Priestess says,
"With the Sun God at the height of his power and majesty, the waxing of the year is accomplished, and the reign of the Oak King is ended. With the Sun God at the height of his splendor, the waning of the year begins. The Holly King must slay his brother the Oak King and rule over my land until the depth of winter, when his brother shall be reborn."
The Holly King moves so he is standing in front of the Oak King and places his hands on the Oak King's shoulders. He pushes downward with one swift (but not violent) motion, and the Oak King falls to his knees. The maiden grabs the blindfold, and she blindfolds the Oak King. The rest of the coven move to the edge of the Circle and sit, facing in.
The High Priestess takes up her athame and moves forward to lead the Midsummer Dance. Her place in front of the altar is taken by the Holly King. She dances deosil around the kneeling Oak King while the High Priest recites these words:
"Dance, Lady, dance - on the Oak King's tomb,
Wher he lies half a year in thy quiet womb.
Dance, Lady, dance - at the Holly King's birth,
Who has slain his twin for the love of Earth.
Dance, Lady, dance - to the Sun God's power
And his touch of gold on field and flower.
Dance, Lady, dance - with thy blade in hand,
That shall summon the Sun to bless thy land.
Dance, Lady, dance - in the Silver Wheel,
Where the Oak King rests, his wounds to heal.
Dance, Lady, dance - for the Holly King's reign,
Till his brother Oak shall rise again.
Dance, Lady, dance - in the moonlit sky
To the Threefold name men know thee by.
Dance, Lady, dance - on the turning Earth
For the Birth that is Death and the Death that is Birth.
Dance, Lady, dance - to the Sun on high,
For his burning splendor, too, must die.
Dance, Lady, dance - to the year's long tide,
For through all change must thou abide."
He then accelerates the rhyme of the words.
"Dance for the Sun in glory,
Dance for the Oak King's passing,
Dance for the Holly King's triumph -
Dance, Lady, dance -
Dance, Lady, dance -
Dance, Lady, dance-...."
The chanting continues, with the coven joining in, until the High Priest signals for it to stop. The High Priestess stops danceing and lays her athame on the altar. She and the Maiden help the Oak King to stand and they lead him to kneel in front of the West candle.
The High Priest then says,
"Let the Midsummer fires shine forth!"
The Maiden and the Holly King gather the two altar candles and place one 5 feet to the East of the center and one 5 feet to the West of the center (or they light the two bonfires.) The High Priestess, meanwhile, joins the High Priest at the altar.
The Maiden takes the High Priest's athame from the altar and stands in front of the further west of the two candles, facing East. The Holly King takes the chalice of wine and stands in front of the Eastern candle, facing West. The High Priestess moves to stand between the two candles. The Great Rite is now enacted. The Maiden and the Holly King hand over the athame and chalice at the correct moment in the ritual.
After the Ritual:
The High Priest takes the wand, and carries it on a path around the circle in the shape of a pentagram (starting at the alter, he goes to the southwest, the East, the West, the southeast, and back to the altar in the North.) The cauldron should be in the center of his path. He holds the wand high and says,
"O Great Power of the Sun, known to men by the names of Apollo, Mithras, Michael, return to this land as in the days of old! Let your light spread a protective cloak over us and drive away the darkness! Give us harvest of plenty and plentiful pleasures!"
He then lowers the end of the wand into the cauldron of water, saying,
"Thus is the Lance to the Grail and Man to Woman. Power of the Sun, give your blessing unto us."
He lays the wand back on the altar and joins the other members of the coven.
The High Priestess picks up the sprig of heather and stands next to the cauldron. She says,
"All ye children of the Goddess dance before this cauldron and ye shall be blessed by the touch of this consecrated water. So Mote it Be!"
The coven lines up and starts to slowly dance deosil around
the Circle. As each person passes, the High Priestess sprinkles them with the holy water. After everyone has been blessed, the Priestess joins the dance. Everyone moves, person by person, between the Midsummer candles and makes a wish, until everyone has done so. The candles are then picked up and returned to the altar as the dance continues.
Thus ends the ritual of Midsummer.
©2002NyWitch ~All information taken from my personal Book of Shadows~
