This Winter Solstice Ritual was crearted by Deborah Pope-Lance, Tom Yelton, Leslie Lowe, Judith Christianson and YON - Jan C. Hardenbergh in 1990.
Oh, the rising of the Sun and the running of the deer,
The turning of the winter season, sweet singing all may hear.
The Holly bears a berry as red as any blood,
And the ivy grows upon the rock, evergreen throughout the wood.
Oh, the rising of the Sun and the running of the deer,
The hand upon the harp string, sweet singing in the choir.
The Holly bears a flower as white as the lily's flower,
And the Goddess bears the Sun again, to bring us strength and power.
Oh, the rising of the Sun and the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry pipes, sweet singing in the shire.
The Holly bears a prickle as sharp as any thorn,
And the Goddess in her ivy gown greets the winter sun each morn.
Oh, the rising of the Sun and the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir.
The Holly ever bears a bark, bitter as any gall,
And the ivy weaves within our lives, like the Goddess in us all.
Oh, the rising of the Sun and the running of the deer,
The turning of the winter season, sweet singing all may hear.
(Sings: "The Holly King" verses 1 and 2., traditional)
Now in deep midwinter all seems in a trance
Comes the golden Oak King in his age-old dance
Comes he to slay, yet honor he does bring
To his fallen brother the darksome Holly King
This year has brought the new millenium. The past millenium saw humans go from smart animals with basic tools and local subsistence to demigods with the power to split atoms and refine genetic codes; from a small dominion of domestics to a confusing confluence of technologies and economies - bring a race between the global threats and promises. We have invoked the powers, the seasons, the elements to help us, to guide the global promises. Let us ask Geos, grandmother of Zeus, the global goddess to lead this race, to grow the noosphere (noo or noah, know'a') of global consciousness over our geosphere, growing promises and reducing threats, and baptizing the gaia hypothesis, the interdependent web forming one organism. Let us celebrate the health of the geosphere, as we celebrate her journey and the rebirth of the Sun.
In this ceremony, in this night, as the Wheel of the seasons turns, we have chance to set something aside, to leave it in this circle, to change it before the light returns.
Each of us may name what is to be lost to the night. We will all chant:
The wheel is turning,
What shall be lost to the night?
Then the person holding the talking stick can name one thing to be lost to the night.
Sing we of the Mystery now as long ago
Blood red holly berries, blood upon the snow
The Oak king shall rise, the waxing year to bring
Therefore bid we farewell to the Holly king
'Twas at the feast of bright Beltane
When we all were a-Maying,
Sweet minstrel Queen in Her gown of green
Spring roundelay was playing.
And though now roped in snow
Her wintry garb deceives, for
Bedipped with holly and mistletoe
She is still Our Lady Greensleeves.
So drink ye wassail everyone
Good Pagans all made merry
With wine as red as the reborn Sun,
As red as the holly-berry.
Dancing, come join the ring,
As Her Yuletide spell she weaves.
Fair Queen, the evergreen,
Sweet lovely Lady Greensleeves.