Winter Solstice 2003 arranged by ---Shining Spider- 2003 The astrology of today: Moon- waning moon in Scorpio About the Solstice: It is the Winter Solstice when the night reaches its peak, and the Sun enters Capricorn. As the shortest day of the year, this day was honored in many pagan traditions with many names: Yuletide, Alban Arthuan, Winter Rite or Midwinter. Other faiths during this time of year also work with the same themes of a reborn sun/son and the bringing of light: Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa being the most well known. The return of the sun was seen as new hope. Even though it is the first true day of winter, and there were cold months to follow, it was at this time that people shared in feasts and each other. I Creating A Sacred Space A. Group Meditation (ground and center) B. Cleanse Space with salt water and incense C. Call Elements as group 1. As each element is called we chant: We honor the energy of the elements within us. We are earth. We are dark, we are heavy, we are substantial. We are grounded. We are water. We are fluid, we are clear, we are vital. We are renewed. We are fire. We are bright, we are hot, we are intense. We are passionate. We are air. We are light, we are movement, we are open. We are changed. D. Cast Circle II. Coming Together A. Calling And Honoring the Divine To call the Goddess** (Sun Goddess) a participant reads: In this short night you hide and cry flooding this land with your sorrow and darkness. Oh sun mother we beg of you to cast your bright image over our land again. We sing for you we dance for you we beg of you to move past grief; to be reborn bright and loved. To call the God** (Sun God) a participant reads: God of yearly rebirth and of warmth. As a stag you stand watching the snow fall watching what was green fade turn white and then grow green again. God of hope in winter we dance and sing for you as well. C. Myth: The lush green forests of the southern tip of the Appalachian Mountains were once the home of the Cherokee. In the early part of the nineteenth century, a Cherokee named Sequoya created an alphabet for writing the tribal language. His work left a rich legacy of myths transcribed from his people's oral tradition. In one of these myths, the flood is attributed to the uncontrollable tears of the sun-goddess. It was said that she hated people and cursed them with a great drought. In desperation the Cherokee elders consulted "Little Men" (whom they regarded as gods). They decreed that the Cherokees' only hope of survival was to "kill the sun". Magical snakes were prepared to deal a death blow to the sun-goddess. But a tragic mistake was made and her daughter, the moon, was struck instead: When the Sun found her daughter dead, she went into the house and grieved, and the people did not die any more, but now the world was dark all the time, because the Sun would not come out. (The history of the Cherokee Indians tells a story of their lives as farmers in the Southern Appalachian mountains where they defended their lands against the colonists. When gold was discovered on their lands, the U.S. Government forced them to sell their lands, and in the winter of 1838-39 they marched on the Trail of Tears losing thousands of their people along the way to settle in what is now Oklahoma. ) When Sun's daughter was bitten by a snake and taken to the Ghost Country, Sun hid herself in grief. The world was ever dark, and Sun's tears became a flood. At last the Cherokee sent their young men and women to heal Sun's grief, which they did with singing and dancing. III. Pathwork A. Meditation*** Close your eyes. Settle your mind. Breathe in deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Find your pulse slowing into a deeply soothing rhythm. Breathe in deeply through your nose smelling the dark earth And exhale through your mouth feeling the hot air escape into the cold night. The air on your limbs is cool and refreshing. When your eyes open you see a night's sky full of stars and a moon thin and waning. You look at the ground ahead of you. The land all around is icy, and cold. Your eyes follow up the white hill to it's crest: a forest. You walk to the woods. Notice how it feels to crunch through the wet and heavy snow. The smell sounds and sensations feel familiar and you are drawn in to the grove. Inside the woods, it is dark, and the snow lessens as the tree limbs caught most of the fluff. The trees are dense, and while at first the path was not obvious you find yourself picking between brush and winding between large majestic trees. It is silent in these woods, as if they are waiting for something. The moon gives enough light that you can see ahead of you and the path that you are on. You continue walking smelling, listening and sensing the nature around you until the path stops at an evergreen tree. Walk around the tree, feel its bark, and smell it's perfume. You sit by the tree, resting your back against it. Relax. You hear light footsteps in the snow. For a bit it's image is hidden by the shadow of trees. You see a creature of the forest is coming towards you. What is it? What does it say? Do you have anything to ask it? As suddenly, and as shyly as it came, the creature leaves you alone at the tree. Sit and relax, and think of the evergreen. When you are ready pick your way through the woods, finding your path to the clearing again. When you are in the field close your eyes. Settle your mind. Breathe in through your nose And out through your mouth. The air is warming, and there is light against your eyelids Now feel your physical body, and the temperature of this room. When you area ready, open your eyes. IV. Spell-work - A. Raising Energy- Chants: Sun Chant *** Your warmth winter has taken Your presence we do mourn Sun Goddess please awaken Sun God be reborn V. Thanking A. Share in dried cranberries B. Thank the god/dess C. Thank the elements D. Break the space Incense: Credits: Chant * by Lee Lanning and Nett Hart God/dess Invoking Poetry ** by Shining Spider Meditation **** by Shining Spider Sun Chant by Shining Spider |