Ritual Script for our Summer Solstice Ritual Friday 17th June 2022
For the craft you will need –
A pipe cleaner or piece of thin wire
A bead (for the head)
Wool for the hair – your choice of colour
Wool or embroidery thread for the body – your choice of colour
Scissors
Needle
Sharpie pens - black/blue and red/pink (optional)
Casting the circle -
Maiden cast your circle white, Weave a web of healing light,
Mother cast your circle Red, Weave the strands of glowing thread,
Matriarch cast your circle Green, Bring to life the worlds unseen,
Old crone cast your circle Black, Bring the wisdom that we lack.
Calling in the quarters:
Spirits of the East, Element of Air, we ask for your protection and guidance in this circle. Bring us your wisdom and inspiration.
Welcome!
Spirits of the South, Element of Fire, we ask for your protection and guidance in this circle. Bring us your energy, passion, and healing.
Welcome!
Spirits of the West, Element of Water, we ask for your protection and guidance in this circle. Bring us safety for our emotions, feelings, and expression.
Welcome!
Spirits of the North, Element of Earth, we ask for your protection and guidance in this circle. Bring us grounding and the wisdom of the Ancestors.
Welcome!
Calling in the God and Goddess:
God of strength, protection, and healing, harnessing the bright, powerful essence of the sun, to draw it across the sky with Your horse-drawn chariot.
We call upon Belenus, God of the Sun! We ask You to honour us with Your presence!
Welcome!
The Sun Goddess is life and love, who turns the wheel of the year, giving us the seasons, death, and rebirth. She who is the light and the shadow.
We call upon Sulis, Goddess of the sun and hot healing springs! We ask You to honour us with Your presence!
Welcome!
Summer Solstice -
We get the most hours of daylight on this day because of the position of the Earth in relation to the Sun. It occurs when the Earth's geographical pole - on either the northern or southern hemisphere - becomes most inclined towards the Sun. When the summer solstice takes place in the northern hemisphere, the Sun will reach its highest possible point.
It is thought our ancestors celebrated the return of light, life, fertility, and the potential for a good harvest on the longest day of the year.
Summer solstice is still celebrated by thousands of pagans across the world.
For example, people gather at Stonehenge, which is believed to have been used as an important religious site by early Britons 4,000 years ago. On the summer solstice, the central Altar stone at Stonehenge aligns with the Heel stone, the Slaughter stone, and the rising Sun to the northeast.
This is a time to celebrate the arrival of summer with outdoor feasts, bonfires, and lots of singing and dancing. The longest day can also be used as a time to reset your life, letting go of what no longer serves you, while opening yourself up to meaningful change.
Whatever your reason for celebrating, we have a craft which each of us can make and keep, for as long as you need it, to remind you of this day.
Craft –
As you make your doll, add your intention into each part.
Take the pipe cleaner/wire and cut off a third of it, the smaller piece is for the arms/
Bend the longer bit in half and thread the bent end through your bead.
Take the wool you have chosen for the hair, wrap this loosely around your hand or CD box. Take off and thread through the loop of your wire, then pull the wire down tightly to hold the wool in place.
Take the short piece of wire and wrap this tightly once under your bead.
The other wool/thread, starting at the neck, wrap this around the shoulders, then down one arm to the end. Then bend the end over and continue wrapping with the wool/thread to form the hand then go back up the arm, repeating this on the other side.
Now wrap the thread around the two wires to make the body.
Once happy with the body, separate the wires and wrap the legs in the same way as you did the arms.
Wrap more around the body, leaving a length of wool/thread. Using the needle, weave this end into the body, to secure it firmly.
Cut the loops on the wool hair.
If doing, use the Sharpies to draw a face on the bead.
Time to eat, drink and chat!
Releasing the God and Goddess:
Goddess Sulis, we thank you for blessing us with Your presence here today.
Farewell!
God Belenus, we thank you for blessing us with Your presence here today.
Farewell!
Releasing the Quarters:
Spirits of the North, ruler of earth and body, we thank you for your presence with us today.
Farewell!
Spirits of the West, ruler of water and emotion, we thank you for your presence with us today.
Farewell!
Spirits of the South, ruler of fire and passion, we thank you for your presence with us today.
Farewell!
Spirits of the East, ruler of air and thought, we thank you for your presence with us today.
Farewell!
Releasing the Circle:
Maiden uncast your circle White, Release your web of healing light,
Mother uncast your circle Red, Release the strands of glowing thread,
Matriarch uncast your circle Green, Releasing now the worlds’ unseen,
Old crone uncast your circle Black, With gratitude for wisdom lacked.
The circle is open but never broken.