NORTH: 1 Aug. SOUTH: 2 Feb

Ritual:

WATER Rings bell 3 times

PRIEST Casts circle & says: " I consecrate this circle of power to the Old Ones, here may they manifest & bless their Children."

All: visualise.

PRIESTESS Blesses altar & says: Welcome & merry meet at Lughnasadh Rite"

Music starts and all dance around circle.

AIR lights Incense, blesses smoke with pentacle, then he / she carries it around the circle. Makes invoking pentacle then says: " I call upon Paralda & the powers of Air to witness & guard this quarter & our circle, so mote it be.

Now do silent call while covenors chant " Paralda"

When the presence is felt---give the silent gesture.

ALL "Welcome Paralda"

FIRE lights candles & takes fire's candle around circle.

Makes invoking pentacle & says: " I call upon Djinn & the powers of Fire, to witness & guard this quarter & our circle, so mote it be"

Now do silent call while coveners chant " Djinn"

When the presence is felt---give silent gesture.

ALL " Welcome Djinn"

WATER blesses water & sprinkles it around circle. Makes invoking pentacle & says: " I call upon Nixa & the powers of Water to witness & guard this quarter & our circle, so mote it be"

Now do silent call while coveners chant " Nixa"

When the presence is felt--- give silent gesture.

ALL " Welcome Nixa "

EARTH blesses salt & sprinkles it around the circle.

Makes invoking pentacle & says: " I call upon Ghob & the powers of Earth to witness & guard this quarter & our circle, so mote it be "

Now do silent call while coveners chant " Ghob "

When the presence is felt --- give silent gesture.

ALL " Welcome Ghob"

NARRATOR: John Barleycorn is cut down dead, it is his time to die . The Sun that warmed our summer days is no longer so high. We praise Him and our Goddess fair, we gather in the harvest now and leave the fields forlorn. The dying summer may make us sad, but always remember that spring follows winter, as day follows night and in order to grow we must let go for we can not stand still while all else moves.

AIR: Let us dwell on the bounty of the Goddess

FIRE: Let us dwell on the bounty of the God.

WATER: May we honour them all the days of our lives.

EARTH: Now is the time of the first harvest when the bounties of Nature give themselves so that we might survive.

1ST GUARDIAN: We thank the elemental realms for the harvest

PRIESTESS: O God of ripening fields Great Lord of Grains grant us the understanding of sacrifice as You prepare to deliver Yourself under the sickle of the Goddess and journey to the lands of eternal summer.

PRIEST: Our Goddess of the Earth Teach us the secrets of rebirth as the sun looses its strength and the nights grow colder. Great Mother and Lord of the Harvest descend we pray upon our circle and empower our Harvest Rite.

WATER Rings bell three times

ALL: Queen of the corn, Queen of the fertile Earth come to us now for we have need of you.

Queen moves to the centre of circle.

QUEEN: God of the meadow, God of the hill, God of the corn and our true will come to us now for we adore you.

The Lord of the corn steps foreword and has His hands and feet washed by the Queen.

The Queen fills the cup with wine and blesses it.

QUEEN: Kill the King.

ALL: For what purpose kill?

QUEEN: To feed the land.

ALL: What feeds the land?

QUEEN: The blood of the King, the honour of the King, the life of the King. Guardians step forward and loosely bind the Kings hands and feet. The men all turn and face outwards. The Queen cuts His throat symbolically with athame and catches his blood in the cup.

The women help Him to the ground and cover Him with a Green cloth.

A maiden places His crown on the bread on the altar.

A crone stands at His head and a maiden at His feet.

The men turn to face inward and the dancing begins to "John Barleycorn".

When music finishes all stand facing outward including crone and maiden.

The Lord removes His bindings and cover and silently makes His way to the altar.

He takes up the bread and wine.

QUEEN: Behold the mystery, the grain, the crop, the food. As She speaks all turn and face inwards.

The Queen kneels before the reborn Lord and says

QUEEN: Behold the mystery.

She rises and drinks from the cup. The Lord breaks a piece of bread and gives it to her as she hands back the cup. She walks to the altar dips the bread in the honey and eats it.

Each in turn moves forward to receive the blessing.

WATER Rings bell three times

All move back to their places.

Meditation on the Tarot card number 8 Strength begins. WATER HANDS OUT CARDS.

1ST GUARDIAN: We have partaken of the first harvest mixing its energies with ours that we may continue our quest for the starry wisdom of perfection.

AIR: O Lady of the Moon and Lord of the Sun we offer thanks for the fertility of the Earth.

FIRE: May the nodding grain loose its seeds to be buried in the Mothers womb ensuring rebirth in the spring.

WATER Rings bell three times

Cakes and ale

PRIEST: (hold ale up) This is the ale of Lugh!

Take a sip and pass around

PRIEST: As the seed undergoes change and becomes ale so by the Sacred Cauldron of Life shall we undergo change. And as this ale can give us enchantment of the Divine or sink us to the lower realms so do we realise that all humans rise or fall according to their strength and will. We ask that You lay Your Blessings upon us O Ancient One that this season of waning light and increasing darkness may not be so heavy and bleak.

PRIESTESS:(Lift cakes)We know that every seed every grain is a record of ancient times and a promise of all that shall be. This cake represents life eternal, through the cauldron of rebirth.

WATER Rings bell three times

ELDER: We give thanks to the Lord and Lady

AIR: Depart in peace O powers of Air, farewell Paralda our thanks and blessings.

FIRE: Depart in peace O powers of Fire, farewell Djinn our thanks and blessings.

WATER: Depart in peace O powers of Water, farewell Nixa our thanks and blessings.

EARTH: Depart in peace O powers of Earth, farewell Ghob our thanks and blessings.

Fire puts candles out.

1st GUARDIAN: To all beings visible and invisible depart in peace, may there always be peace between us. Our thanks and blessings.

2nd GUARDIAN: Merry meet, Merry part and Merry meet again. This rite is done

ALL: So mote it be.

All dance widdershins around the circle

Take offerings out to fire

Feast begins.

The corn is ripe, the grass is green.
We the children of the goddess, look forward to harvest of mabon.
We pray for good weather now to gather the harvest in.
Let us praise the lord And lady, who have shown their love for us.
We drink to john barleycorn and our mother earth , we give thanks. Blessed

Chant:

John barley corn is cut down dead, It is his time to die,
The sun that warms our summer days, no longer is so High.
We praise him & our goddess fair, we thank him for the corn,
We gather in the harvest now & leave the fields forlorn.

Each one attending should bring their tarot cards, orange flowers & ivy, some dry autumn leaves, & if possible some wheat or barley, some thing to eat & drink, such as: nuts, a rice dish, a bean dish, whole wheat bread, meat stew, braai meat. A salad, orange fruit, apples or any type of berries. Nut cakes & biscuits, apple tarts, fruit tarts, banana bread, boston loaf, or cream cakes, ice cream, trifle, custard.

They should wear orange, brown or neutral black or white.