Panmankey

I love Christmas, mercifully enough most of Christmas has a slightly Pagan cast to it, so I can continue celebrating all the things I loved from my childhood.  The only bad part about Pagandom and Yule is that it's hard to get a group gathered for ritual, too much travelling and stuff.  I wrote this ritual with that in mind. It's small, fast, and informal.  Enjoy!


All material written by Jason W. Mankey


Yule Ritual 2003

Statement of Intent:
The world has grown cold. An icy stillness covers the land. Cold air fills our lungs, but despair does not grip our hearts. In the time of greatest darkness also comes the time of greatest light. As we look out into the dark world, we know that out there in that deep night, the Sun lies reborn. We know him as the child of hope and promise, born in humble circustances but nature's King. We know him as a burning star, source of light and heat in the green growing days yet to come. Tonight we honor the newborn Son and the Great Mother who gave him birth.

Lighting of the Yule Log:
As our ancestors did, so do we now. On this sacred night we light this Yule log to symbolize this holiday season and to pay homage to the our sisters and brothers across the world who gather on or near the winter solstice to pay their respects to the return of the light. Our differences seem so much slighter at this time of year as we share so many familiar holiday traditions. Blessed Be!

Quarter Calls
North: All hail to thee, endless realms of snow, Frozen tundra, forests in white, and mountains sheathed in ice. Rest deeply in glistening silence and mystery. Cast they spell, O Spirits of the North and join us in our circle! Blessed Be!

East: All hail to thee, skies of wind and of storm. Blow ye clear, cold and sharp Over the sleeping land. Cast they spell, O Spirits of the East and join us in our circle! Blessed Be!

 South: All hail to thee, far desert lands and places warm, Return ye soon, and with bounty, To bring back the warm seasons. Cast they spell, O Spirits of the South and join us in our circle! Blessed Be!

West: All hail to thee, crystalline lakes and rimed streams. Frozen in glittering beauty. Be ye places of mystery, and portals elvish. Cast they spell, O Spirits of the West and join us in our circle! Blessed Be!

Casting the Circle:
On this the deepest and darknest of nights we cast our circle. We create sacred space here in this place. We create a temple for the Lord and Lady. We ever strive for perfect love and perfect trust in this sacred space. The circle is cast. Blessed Be!!

Call to Santa Claus:
Oh bringer of toys of gifts, Herald of the sun's rebirth, Tamer of flying reindeer, Crafter of gifts for the young ones, Join us tonight in our circle! Come to us with your long white beard, Black boots and red and white suit. Fill our stocking with sweets and treats, For we've been good Pagans this year. We welcome Kris Kringle to our Celebration of the Sun's rebirth. Hail & Welcome Great Santa Claus!!

 Call to the God:
We call to the Great God this sacred night of the Winter Solstice. We call to Jack in the Green, he who runs across snow laden forests, protecting the life within so that it may awake in the Spring. We call to the Lord of the Underworld, caretaker of the land of death, whose hand has touched much of this world at this bleak time of year. We call to the Sun, he who is reborn this night, he who gives us light and life. We welcome the Great God in all of his forms and with all of his faces this blessed night. Welcome and blessed be!

Call to the Goddess:
We call to the Great Goddess this sacred night of the Winter Solstice. We call to the Crone, she whose wisdom in the face of difficulty keeps us here and in health. We call to the Lady of the Moon, she who casts her spell across the snow filled plains, her reflection glistening like silver and melting our hearts with its beauty. We call to the Great Mother, who magickally brings forth life in this time of death. We welcome the Great Goddess in all of her forms and in her many roles this blessed night. Welcome and blessed be!

Friendship Circle Ceremony
For thousands of years people have given gifts to others near the time of the Winter Solstice. This was done in the Old Religion, and then it was adopted by the New Religion, and when the Old Religion returned those who called to practiced this, and now it is our turn to continue this tradition. There are many things one can give as a gift. It can be some material item wrapped in fancy paper. It might be a sweet treat that fills the stomach and the heart for a time. It might be the gift of service, we all have friends who might need a baby sitter or a garden weeder. All of us here right now must be together for some reason though, some reason that transcends materialism and the other phony trappings of the season. Perhaps we are all here tonight because of the bonds of friendship, family, dare I say some sort of dysfunctional community? I ask you tonight, what gift would you give to your community in this coming year? What can you do to not only improve the bonds between us in this room, but to better this world when it wakes up from its winter's sleep?

After everyone talks for a minute or so they get to light a candle and place it somewhere in the room . . . . Simple, and hopefully very pretty.

Cakes and Ale
In times of darkness there are many blessings. At the harvest the Earth gave us bounty great enough to see us through this dark time. They have given us the wheat which we turn into warm bread to drive away winter's cold spell, if just for awhile. They have given us the apple which can be turned into so many things, but greatest of all is cider, sweet and intoxicating, it to drives the cold away. We thank the Lord and Lady for their gifts this night and for continuing to bless us at all times of the year. Blessed Be!

Goodbyes to the Lord and Lady

We thank the Great God for being with us tonight in our circle. As we look up in the sky and see the days get longer in the coming weeks and months we will think of you and say thanks for your presence in our lives. Hail and farewell, blessed be!

We thank the Great Lady for being with us tonight in our circle. Each time the gift of new life visits us this winter season we will think of you and your continual presence in our lives, thank you for your love. Hail and farwell, blessed be!

The Yule Log Part Two
We do not extinguish the candles on the Yule Log, may they burn until the sunrise to honor the child who has been given to us this night. May the candles here burn brightly over the next few weeks as a symbol of hope that all the people in this world might one day come together in love and in peace. Blessed Be!


Quarters Out
North: We thank thee, endless lands of snow, And give our blessing to thy far realms. Return now to thy sacred dwelling. Hail and farwell, Blessed Be!

West: We thank thee, crystalline lakes and rimed streams. And give our blessing to thy far realms. Return now to thy sacred dwelling. Hail and farewell, Blessed Be!

South: We thank thee, desert lands and places of warmth And give our blessing to thy far realms. Return now to thy sacred dwelling. Hail and farewell, Blessed Be!

East: We thank thee, skies of wind and of storm, And give our blessing to thy far realms. Return now to thy sacred dwelling. Hail and farewell, Blessed Be!

Circle Closing:
The Goddess, the God, and the Child have been honored, this rite of Yule is done. The circle is open, but never broken, Blessed Be! Statement Out: Tonight we have celebrated the solstice, the Great Mother, and the newborn Sun. May the gifts that we promised to give each other tonight grow as the sun grows in power and strength. The ritual is done, but the magick of the holiday season has only just begun, Blessed Be!