Yule Ritual 2003

Priest and Priestess: Orca and Iothalassa

Landvaetter: (Elemental and animal guardians for Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Ice)

Note: hugely relevant parts for Landvaetter are highlighted in green.

Anointer

Green Star Grove, Sylvan Grove, and guests in attendance

 

Quick summary:

The ritual is modeled in tone on elements of Northern tradition – that of the Norse, Germanic and Anglo-Saxon traditions that much of our Yule symbology comes from. It is not however, an Asatru ritual, since much of its structure remains in the Sylvan Tradition.

To celebrate the Solstice, we acknowledge Winter and Mother Earth’s resting; seek the gifts we have by journeying through the night to visit the guardian spirits of the land – the Landvaetter; celebrate the return of the Sun by lighting the Yule log and bonfire; and strengthen the bonds of friendship by sharing wassail and food – declaring our gifts to each other. 

As paraphrased in a Woden’s Harrow article on the spirit of the Yule celebration: “Frith (peace) is held between everyone [and strengthened], all are focused on celebration, family, feasting, honoring the Ancestors [and the Gods], making holy oaths, and peace.”

 

Setting:

-The Feast is inside the house, also where the ritual plan is advised, and gifting takes place. Also, the Yule log waits to be carried outside.

-The Anointer has their vial of oil and will stand either near the outside door with the ground strewn with pine boughs or conduct the anointing within the grounding circle.

-At the fire circle a bonfire is ready, the five stations of the Landvaetter are set (but their torches are not lighted), and the altar is set. The Landvaetter’s stations can likely be set at short distances from the fire circle/altar: the Fey garden for Water/Vanaheimr, the gate to the hill path for Air/Jotunheimr, the fire walking place for Fire/Muspellheimr, and the forest area opposite the hill path gate for Ice/Niflheimr. Earth’s station will remain at the altar.

-The altar includes the usual set up of candles/elementals (including one to ice)/fey bell/matches/incense/snuffer/wand and-or athame as desired (I may use a pine branch)/god figures/and a drinking horn for offering/sacrifice.

-The Wassail/Sumbel cups (alcohol and non alcohol), a plate of spice cakes, a bowl of ice chips are all set below. (Priest/ess carries out hot wassail as we troop out).

-Any items or tokens that the representative of the Landvaetter of Earth are stashed beneath the altar, or carried on their person. Extra small candles are also there in case some people don’t visit the Fire elemental and wish one (if the fire elemental is doing candles).

 

Ritual:

-Participants have been invited in the days before to bring any small, organically burnable item with them that they may want to affix to the Yule log.

 

-Participants are introduced to the ritual’s form and grounding indoors, the Landvaetter and anointer are gathered, and volunteers to carry the Yule log outside.  The Yule log is praised and any last minute affixing of tokens to the Yule log done. 

-Priest or priestess leads the grounding.

 

-Everybody gets the bathroom break and coats/cloaks on.

 

-People queue up to be greeted by the anointer as they step across some pine boughs – unless this is done just after grounding within the circle. The oil is a pine-winter type of scent. Everyone troops out to a darkened circle and the Yule log is placed beside the bonfire. The house has been darkened as well, except for the tree.

 

-Priest or priestess cuts the circle in traditional fashion. Elements are called by those embodying the Landvaetter, they are invoked and ale is poured as offering to them. Then the God and Goddess are invoked into the priest and priestess as they call on the gods, after which they’ll light their candles and call the Fey. At each calling a bit of ale can be poured.

The God and Goddess here will be sort of a “Spirit of Winter” – combing for the God several appropriate attributes of Odin (as Jolfothr)/Father Frost/Thor/Ullr/Frey/Holly King/Santa; and for the Goddess the attributes of Snow Queen/Skadhi/Bertcha/Mother Berka/Frau Holle/Hulda.

 

[from : http://www.tryskelion.com/yule3.htm]

Invocation of Goddess (spoken by priestess):

We invoke Thee,
Luminous Lady in White,
sweeping mount and vale with falling flakes
as Thy Winter-wand
scatters upon us
a spell of sparkling snow!

We invoke Thee,
Ice Enchantress,
star-studded Goddess of Northern nights;
Thy frosted garments
shimmering in the slumber-still
visions of December dark
as Thou guardest the gateway
to the portals of polar Mysteries. We invoke Thee,
Crystal Queen,
Crone of cold and Artic climes;
in this season of barren woodlands
and naked branches
upraised to grey-veiled sky,
we invoke Thee
to be here among us!

Invocation of the Sacred Stag (spoken by priest, if available):

We invoke Thee,
antlered Ancient One,
both Lord and Victim
of the Winter's hunt;
giver of Thy flesh
for the love of our lives,
in this,
Thy season of Sacrifice.

We invoke Thee,
shape-shifting Solstice Stag,
Thy hoof prints brushed away by driven snow
as Thou guardest the pathways to the Invisible. Winter-reigning forest-phantom,
be here among us
as we celebrate
this turning of the Solar Wheel!

-The priestess/Goddess leads a short meditation on Winter, the rune Isa (Ice) – both about the reality of cold and death’s sleep, and on the sere beauty and necessity of Winter. Then to bring it to a physical immediacy she goes about the circle and places a sliver of ice on everyone’s tongue, saying to each something like: “This is Winter/I am Winter/I am Quiet/I am Stillness/I am Death/I am Waiting/I am Silence/I am Rest/I am Hope….” Perhaps people might quietly take up a chant by repeating what was said…?

 

[from Odinsi, Woden’s Harrow]:  On the forested, snowy slopes of mighty ramparts of stone, it is the end of day. The clear pale sky fades to indigo behind looming, icy peaks; under the darkening sky the snow blanketing the foothills seems to cast its own blue light. A thin crescent, Mani hangs low over the crags as the welkin's stars blossom forth. In shimmering clouds my breath hangs about me in the stillness.
   In the starlight a snowy landscape of hills dotted with fir trees is revealed to my eyes, frosty and leeched of colour. The rocky shoulders of the mountain loom up behind the hills, grim and icy. A fitful north wind begins to blow, cutting like a knife; the air, piercingly cold and fresh, fills my lungs and body with a purifying exhilaration.
   There: I see the Goddess Skaði approaching, stalking prey. Gliding skilfully on skis she moves between the trees in utter silence. Just as silently, a pair of snowy owls ghost down from a tall juniper on muted wings, to circle and hover near the Goddess.

 

[from Sagewoman, summer 2002]:  It is night, and the air is chill. . . A wind from the glacier swirls around you, sweeping the night sky clean of all but the stars. They glitter in the darkness like chips of ice; with each breath, frost hangs in the air, but the furs you are wearing keep you warm.

In the distance, you can hear the call of a wolf, most lonely of sounds. You stand on a white slope; above you lift the mountains of Jotunheim where the frost-giants dwell, icy crags wind-sculpted into fantastic forms, trees of ice, frozen waterfalls. Upon the height a fortress clings, white walls gleaming in the starlight. A dark forest laps the slopes below.

Suddenly, a bluish radiance ripples above you as if a ribbon of light had been shaken across the sky. It shivers again, glows purple, lemon yellow, pale green. The crystal walls of the castle glimmer with rainbow refractions. Then the color fades; the night is dark once more. The howling of the wolves sounds again, closer. You still, listening. Are they coming this way? Suddenly you are aware of how alone you are in this waste of rock and snow.

You hasten towards the nearest patch of forest, sliding into the shadow of the tall evergreens. Peering from its shadow, you see a dark shape loping across the snow. In a moment it is followed by another. More come after-- grey wolves, white wolves, black wolves, running light-footed across the snow. You hold your breath, wanting to run with them, afraid to be seen.

As the last wolf passes another figure appears, tall beyond the height of mortals, clad in a white fur cloak with black boots and gloves and black hair flowing behind her. Swiftly she strides, her snowshoes bearing her across the surface of the snow. She carries a bow. Closer and closer she comes, running with the wolves. You shrink into the shadow of the tree. Her face is smooth, her gaze ice-chill. As she nears, she pauses, that icy gaze passes across the wood and your heart stills. Has she seen you? Then her lips draw back in silent laughter, she leaps forward and speeds away down the slope, and a desire you cannot resist

 

-The tone is changed somewhat by the priest/God when he steps forth, lights the Yule bonfire and declares “something about the process of hunting or journeying for the Yule tokens/gifts from the depths of the Winter forest/the five elements/five realms – and to whom they must journey to.” They call forth the elements/animal spirits/Landvaetter and then bid them journey or stay and speak their will within the circle. The animal spirits retreat into the darkness to their station (except for the one representing Earth/Midgardr, who remains at the altar, which represents the Center); or, if the action is occurring within the circle they each step forward in their turn to speak.  

 

-After a short pause to allow the Landvaetter to reach their stations the priest/God declares something like: “We await your return to the hearth fire, to declare your gifts and bounties, to drink of the wassail bowl, to help bless and raise the Yule fire…” Wherein everyone splits off in their own order to seek the animal spirits and/or private meditations. It is not necessary that people seek out every Landvaetter – mostly the idea is that they make some connection with their place in the world and the sense of season’s turning.

 

-As the folk return to the fire circle with their tokens they are greeted by the Gods who welcome them to the feasting halls of Asgard – as the fire circle has become (by the raising of a rainbow flag to symbolize the rainbow bridge?) – and are given small tokens in turn from the Gods (pieces of rainbow ribbon? A crystal?)

Allowing a reasonable time for this to happen a horn is blown/or other signal to call the remaining people in. The ritual continues after the Landvaetter return to the circle as well, and a final the sound of a horn.

As they return people may either keep the tokens from the Landvaetter or hold them in hand to add to the Yule fire as they wish.

 

A possible chant to fill time comes from a “Holly and the Ivy” rendition:

         “Oh the rising of the sun

And the running of the deer

The shining of the winter stars

As the longer days draw near.”

 

-The priestess/Goddess asks the Landvaetter: “Holy Ones, you have been visited by our people, how do you find them?” To which they give some short answer like: “I see a quiet strength,” “I hear a joyful song…”

The priest/God asks: “Do they care about the land? Do they seek a strong community and family? Do they love themselves? Do the do honour to the gods?” And the Landvaetter answer: “Yes, we see the love within them!”

To the Landvaetter themselves the priest/God says: “And add now your energy and your gift to the Yule log, and so doing rejoin our circle as one.” The people holding the Landvaetter are devoked at this time and return to the circle.

 

-The priestess/Goddess steps forth. “Deep now in this heart of winter, where ice can blow and freeze and kill, we still hear the pulse of the Mother, beating slowly as she sleeps and rests. And now, at this moment she turns in her sleep, so slightly, but toward the face of the warming, journeying sun. The Mother needs her rest, but never forgets the turning of the wheel; nor does the sun forget that we feel joy in the light upon our faces.”

 

-Priest/God: “Then now, at this moment let us help her remember the face of the sun in her dreams. Let us declare and strengthen the bonds of kinship, kith and community between us – by adding the Yule log to the Solstice fire and sharing the wassail bowl!” As he adds the Yule log to the fire people could raise energy by chanting, singing, dancing or… The mood should rise to cheer and celebration for the sun’s return.

 

-The priest/God goes about the circle giving each person bites of a spice cake or some such warming food to symbolize cheer, warmth, joy, community, sustenance, and life. He repeats words to that effect like the Winter Goddess did earlier – as a balancing “antidote” to her ice. “I am Light/I am Joy/I am Strength/I am Warmth/I am Courage…”

 

-The wassail bowls are blessed with the [symbolic] Great Rite priest/ess leads the passing of the wassail bowls with adding their sacrificial tokens to the Yule fire and declaring what they offer to the world, or something that they discovered within during the evening’s meditation, like: “I found that patience is something between a battle and a meditation; and this year I vow to try to make it less of a battle! And to my kith I wish…”

“Wassail!” “Drink hail!”

 

-After a round or two of wassailing the circle is taken down. “Return now to our own halls and the realm of Earth “.

The elements are dismissed, then the priest and priestess are devoked, the Fey (Disir and Alfar) are thanked, and the circle closed.

Round about and back again,
Sacred circle be undone,
This place to all good use returned,
Leave me with the lore I've learned.

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