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- FIRESTAR BELTAINE 1986
-
- Note: there is NO meeting dance before the ritual because the spiral
- dance occurs inside it.
-
- BARD PRIESTESS GODDESS
- FIREMAKER PRIEST GOD
-
-
- BARD:(harp accompaniment)
-
- This is the air, oh people; these are the creatures:
- Far-flying Goose; far-seeing Hawk;
- Owl who knows; Raven who talks;
- Crane who dances; Thrush who sings;
- Quail the humble; Wren the king;
- Lark who revels; Loon who weeps;
- Jay who scatters; Buzzard reaps.
- This is the air I conjure, and this is the birth of the world.
-
- This is the fire, oh people; these are the creatures:
- Drake who hoards; Kirin who gives;
- Angel heals; Chimera reaves;
- Coal the slow; lightning the quick;
- Salamander, power's wick;
- Soul who praises; Gryphon scorns;
- Phoenix dies and is reborn.
- This is the fire I conjure, and this is the birth of the world.
-
- This is the sea, oh people; these are the creatures:
- Whale who chants; Dolphin who speaks;
- Clam content; Salmon who seeks;
- Pike who rages; Shark who mourns;
- Walrus steadies; Carp transforms;
- Seal who gathers; Crab the lone;
- Otter wave-borne; Eel in stone;
- This is the sea I conjure, and this is the birth of the world.
-
- This is the earth, oh people; these are the creatures:
- Deer who worries; Boar who schemes;
- Cat who conjures; Sheep who dreams;
- Hare the playful; Brock the stern;
- Mouse who teaches; Horse who learns;
- Wolf who wanders; Bear who stays;
- Stag who guards; Puma who preys.
- This is the earth I conjure, and this is the birth of the world.
-
- Now is the darkness. Now is the pain. Now is the fear.
- Now is the danger. Now is the hate. Now are the tears.
- Call on our mother! She is the one! Hers is the way!
- She will bring comfort. She will bring life. She will bring day.
-
-
- PRIEST:
-
- Earth Mother, Birth Mother, Birch Mother,
- Sea Mother, Stone Mother, Star Mother!
- Queen of night and death and birth,
- Womb of deep and fertile earth,
- Dame of heaven's silver wheel,
- Lady of the greening field,
- Keeper of the apple grove,
- Mistress of the arts of love,
- Shine out in the fearsome dark --
- Teach us how to strike the spark.
- People, we can feel Her near!
- She is coming! She is here!
-
-
- GODDESS:(emerging from hiding -- should be in green, with amber & copper)
-
- Now the veils of worlds are thin;
- To move out you must move in.
- Let the Balefires now be made,
- Mine the spark within them laid.
- This My gift: that people meet
- In peace and plenty made complete.
- This I give: the Sacred Way,
- The strength, the soul, the sight, the say.
- Move beyond the fiery screen
- Between the seen and the unseen;
- Shed your anger and your fear,
- Live anew in a new year!
-
-
- FIREMAKER:(at each tree name, holds up twig, then binds all together
- into a torch)
-
- The Nine I sing, the Nine blessed trees
- Which were empowered of old:
- Oak, thou druid's door, open the way for us.
- Apple, thou knowledge-giver, break our circle of blindness.
- Ash, thou world-supporter, drive away ill powers.
- Birch, thou tree-mother, help in our healing.
- Hawthorn, thou branch of May, give us light and hope.
- Willow, thou soul-leader, grant us safe passage.
- Holly, thou forest king, be our safe refuge.
- Hazel, thou wise-one's branch, give us true vision.
- Alder, thou river's love, let us flow outward.
- In peace let us flow outward; in power let us flow outward; in beauty
- let us flow outward.
-
- (The Goddess lights the torch, the Firemaker lights the two fires,
- which have been saturated with some flammable material, ie charcoal
- starter. White Sage and Cedar chips may be thrown thereon.)
-
-
- FIRE-PASSING CHANT:(drum)
-
- Dark to light, night to day,
- Through the fires lies the way;
- Old to new, death to birth,
- Between the worlds to our rebirth.
-
-
- (Once all have passed between the fires)
- PRIESTESS:
-
- Sky's Father, Wise Father, Wine Father,
- Sun Father, Sap Father, Song Father!
- Lord of forest, field and beast,
- Lord of harvest, hunt and feast,
- King of heaven's golden fire,
- Dancer of the soul's desire,
- Master of the drum and flute,
- Keeper of the vineyard's fruit,
- Shine on us and warm our souls --
- Teach us how to make us whole!
- People, we can feel Him near!
- He is coming! He is here!
-
-
- GOD:(emerging from hiding, dressed in green, with leaves & horns)
-
- Let the light of living blaze!
- Dance within the spiral maze;
- Cry of pipe and thump of drum;
- Out you go and in you come!
- Mine the living pole of May --
- Outside loving starts today!
- This My gift: that lovers join
- Touching at the lip and loin.
- This I give: the Joyous Dance,
- Music, song, the vine, the chance!
- Now do fear and anger cease:
- Dance the healing and release!
-
-
- (A fairly simple triple spiral should be traced on the ground in lime
- or flour, to give the people guidelines for dancing. The dance should
- go on until satiation or until the circle forms again; there is no one
- human focal point -- the intent should be for peace, understanding,
- tolerance, etc.)
-
- SPIRAL-DANCING CHANT:(drum)
-
- Joy, health and peace be in the world
- That spins into the May-o,
- For summer is a-comin' in
- And winter's gone away-o.
-
- BLESSING THE FOOD:
-
- God: Mine is the ripening sun.
- Goddess: Mine is the nurturing soil.
- God: Mine is the fruit of the vine.
- Goddess: Mine is the chalice of life.
- Both: We are the blessing of wine! And the wine blesses us.
-
- God: Mine is the planted seed.
- Goddess: Mine is the fertile earth.
- God: Mine is the mower's blade.
- Goddess: Mine is the oven of making.
- Both: We are the blessing of bread! And the bread blesses us.
-
- Feasting, dancing, singing, party, etc. Some kind of grounding afterwards.
-