Tryskelion Yule Outline, 1997

• Crystal glasses
• Yule tree and ornaments
• Cakes and Ale
• White tapers
• Food/ Drink for Circle
• Yule Log
• Gifts for exchange

Priestess reads the Yule house blessing
(Yule Chant 55 & 57 from A Pagan Carmen Gadaelica II by Mike Nichols)

Hail the sun! Hail the sun!
Blessed is he! Blessed is he!
Hail the sun! Hail the sun!
Blessed is he! Blessed is he!

Prosperity be upon this dwelling,
On all that we have heard and seen,
On the bare bright floor flags,
On the shapely standing stone staves,
Hail the sun! Hail the sun!
Blessed is he! Blessed is he!

Bless this house and all that it contains,
From rafter to stone to beam;
Shielded by the Goddess from pall to cover,
Be the healing of all herein,
Hail the sun! Hail the sun!
Blessed is he! Blessed is he!

May we be in lasting possession of the house,
May we be healthy about the hearth,
Many be the ties and stakes in the homestead,
Fair Ones dwelling on this foundation,
Hail the sun! Hail the sun!
Blessed is he! Blessed is he!

Offer to the Sun King from found to cover,
Every stave and stone and beam;
Offer again both rods and cloth,
Be health to all who dwell herein,
Every generation for aye!
Hail the sun! Hail the sun!
Blessed is he! Blessed is he!

Toast to the Old Gods

Quarter Invocations

Goddess and God Invocations

All: Chant (while sitting in around the Circle):

Blessed be the darkness
Blessed be the blanket of longest night.

Crone: (sitting in front of the cauldron, facing group) Looking into the dark cauldron, the Crone chants:

I sorrow not, though the world is wrapped in sleep.
I sorrow not, though the icy winds blast.
I sorrow not, though the snow falls hard and deep.
I sorrow not, for this too shall pass.

Looking at the group, the Crone continues:

At this time do we know the dark of the year.
The season of life is past, and all is cold.
Emptiness and bleakness are all about.
In darkness we join to wait out this night
For the womb of the dark holds the birth of the light.
But the darkness of the season soon shall be broken.

And new life be born once again!

Candles are passed out to all in the group, while the Priestess says:

Priestess: On this longest night, we renew and rebirth our bodies and spirit selves. It is appropriate we review what we have learned in the past year, and state what we wish to change in the coming year. After you have shared your lesson in your place of darkness, light your candle and say: "In darkness do I learn and heal. By this fire, my way to change I seal."

Go around the circle, letting each one briefly state what they have learned in the passing year, and stating what they wish to change in the coming year.

Priestess: We recognize that the Summer Solstice is a celebration of Light, and therefore, the Winter Solstice is a celebration of Dark. The dark is not to be feared, for it is in the dark that we meet and know ourselves.

Priest: And so let us now celebrate our rebirth as we celebrate the rebirth of the SunGod, by lighting the Yule Log.

After lighting the Yule log, the atmosphere should be much more relaxed. Seasonal music should be played as everyone helps to trim the Yule tree and munch on the goodies that were brought into circle. When the tree is trimmed and the time is right, someone turns on the lights of the tree while the Priest says:

Priest: All Hail the Sun King! Blessings to the newborn Sun!

All: All Hail the Sung King! Blessings to the newborn Sun!

Gift Exchange

Ritual of the Cakes and Ale

Quarters devocation

God/Goddess devocations.

Grounding/Blessing

Open Circle

Fairy Offering