DESERT MOON CIRCLE
SUMMER SOLSTICE

Needed:

INTRODUCTION -

"The Sun God is seen as split between two rivals: the God of light and his twin or 'other self', the God of Darkness who is devoid of any ill wish or evil. They are Gawain and the Green Knight, Llew and Goronwy, the Holly King and the Oak King, etc. Often they are depicted as fighting seasonal battles for the favor of their Goddess/Lover, such as Creiddylad or Blodeuwedd, who represents Nature.

The God of Light is always born at the winter solstice, and his strength waxes with the lengthening days, until the moment of his greatest power, the Summer Solstice, the longest day.

And, like a look in a mirror, his 'shadow self', the Lord of Darkness, is born at the Summer Solstice, and his strength waxes with the lengthening nights until the moment of his greatest power, the Winter Solstice, the longest night. So Midsummer is a celebration of the Sun god at his zenith, a crowned King at the height of his power. However, at the very moment of his greatest strength, his dark twin, the seed of his ritual death, is born - just as the days begin to shorten."

INVOCATION TO LLEW
BY BOB GRATRIX

The shadow of the Young Lord
Now lays long upon this land
And here betwixt the worlds we wish
For Llew to join this band.
Join us Llew, the Sun Faced One,
Your Beltane plantings quickly come,
And wise ones here with ease discern
That You have planted plenty.
Come Green Man, celebrate this turning,
Soon Harvest comes, another journey.
We'll miss you when the light retires,
The seed of rebirth born in fire
Of the One, the end of all desire.
Welcome Llew ! Now You are here!
Blessed Be Llew!

Cast the Circle:

Draw the Circle Purify Circle w/ salt & water
"By salt which is the body of the Earth, and by water through which life flows, I do purify and consecrate all this circle may hold. Mother, Be thou adored."
Purify Circle w/fire & incense
"By the power of air and fire I do purify and consecrate all this circle may hold. Father, Be thou adored."
(Call the Quarters and Guardians)

Invocations:

Prt:

"I call unto the Sun God!
Great one of heaven, secret center of the sun!
We give honor to you on this the longest day when your power is supreme -
Join us in this sacred circle listen and attend our prayers!
We call upon you by your ancient names
Lugh - Helios - Herne - Sol
Apollo - Baal - Ra!
Shining one we call and invoke thee!"
(Samina lights God candle while invocation is made)

Prsts:

"I call unto the Earth Mother
Great one of Earth, Soul of Nature!
We give honor to you in this time when the earth heavy with new life and the harvest is at hand.
Join us in this sacred circle -
Listen and attend our prayers!
We call you by your ancient names
Isis - Demeter - Astarte - Juno - Freya - Gaia!
Lady of Abundance we call and invoke you!"
(PRST. lights Goddess candle as invocation is made)
"Join hands breathe the breath that makes us one. (Cone of Power)
We are between worlds."
Serve mead and toast the Sun King and Mother Earth while Priestess hands out birch bark and markers and says:
"Birch is a lovely pale, fine-grained wood that has long been associated with fertility and healing magic. Birch twigs were used to bestow fertility on cattle and newlyweds, and children's cradles were made from its wood. Birch is one of the first trees to grow on bare soil and thus it births the entire forest."

"By birch and flame do we petition God and Goddess to bear allegiance to our cause. If our wish is like a single tree on bare soil, may an entire forest one day stand, thick and verdant. May life grow from what we dream."

(places rosemary and sage on Fire ring as an act of purification. Birch strips are put into the wicker sun wheel on the altar,)
"The Holly is the Underworld Sun God, He is Evergreen, holding life force, heat and light within himself. He is the sacred fire of inspiration and intuition, the lightening of illumination! He breaks old patterns and calls for internal revolution. Where lightening strikes change is at hand! "

"At Midsummer, the Sun has reached the height of power. In this strongest moment the Oak King acknowledges the challenge of the Holly King who will bring about the end of his reign. The story of death and rebirth within the turning of the Wheel of the Year goes on unbroken. Every turn is made in honor of the Goddess. Love inspires the actions of the Oak King, which permits the understanding of his potential and the acceptance of the Wheel of Rebirth. The Gods have chosen that each of us know the essence of Life in a way that is unique and original. To that end we dedicate this sun Wheel, Let us turn the Wheel and manifest our prayers and the divine potential within ourselves. We are one with the Gods!"

All:
"Blessed Be the Circle of Life
Blessed Be the Wheel of Rebirth"

(Wheel is then rolled around circle 3 times.)

Prt:

The Ballad of the Oak and Holly

Harken to the ancient story
Filled with Solar magick's glory

Of Oak and Holly is it told
About those sacred Lords of Old

One of the season of the light,
the other dark, now out of sight

Even now the circle turns
as the high Sun brightly burns

"Of all the trees there in the wood"
The Oak and Holly are most good

But at this quarter of the round
The "Holly now shall wear the crown"

Eager are the Lords to meet
in combat, to gain heaven's seat.

The eternal cycle of the Sun
pauses not till it is won.

As the drama does now unfold
The Goddess guides her Lord so bold

She in her aspects white and red
The hunter now becomes hunted.

Meet they on this earthly sphere
Sense the change is almost here!

Build we high the solstice fire
For the Oak King, light the pyre!

Like Herne around the tree of peace
May the circle never cease.

Holly king take up the spear,
become the Green Knight, and draw near.

At midsummer and round to Yule
The Lords do fight the Solar duel.

Greet them now with fire and drums
The old King passes the new LORD comes!

Build we high the solstice fire
For the sun wheel, light the pyre!

Like warriors around the tree of peace
May the circle never cease.

Ill luck we banish from the year
Now bring the solar wheel here!"

(PRST presents solar wheel before Priestesses)

Prsts:-

(touching Solar Wheel)
"Blessed be the Sun God whose love for Goddess makes light and Life"

Prst:-

"The rays of the Sun reach to the World. I ask all men of our circle, men of good heart, men who know and love Life to connect a ray to the Sun Wheel with the cord I pass to you. As you receive the cord to tie on the rim of the wheel proclaim:

"Hami hon mor!-
I am one with the Great God!"

(After cords are passed, all men are invited to come forward to tie long cords onto the rim of the sun wheel, forming rays extending out to circle)

"It takes all of us to keep the Sun Wheel high as we chant-"

(Sing while wheel is turned by the men 8 times around over fire ring)

Wheel chant:

"May all Ill luck be burned away
Peace and abundance here to stay!"

(PRST. lights fire in ring from Solstice flame)
(Wheel is lowered onto central flames in fire ring - )

As the wheel burns all sing:

"We all come from the Sun God
And to him we shall return
Like a spark of flame
Rising to the heavens"
 (Men return to the circle)

Prsts:-

"Women come forward and take a candle, light them off the Solstice flames, circle around and bless each man in the circle with your Candle light and with the heart light from your eyes - show each man willing to see, the Goddess in you..."
(Prsts. lights a candle from the fire ring and lights the women's candles from them)

All chant:

(As women circle and bless the men by looking deeply into their eyes)

"We all come from the Goddess
And to her we shall return-
Like a drop of rain,
Flowing to the ocean...."

Prst:

"Let us all now receive the blessings that Goddess sends. Let us be complete and whole in the love of Goddess. Blessed Be!"

Closing:

Prst:-

"We thank you mighty Sun God for all you are,
all you give. As we complete our circle we
wish you Hail and Farewell, Blessed Be!"

Prsts:-

"We thank you great Earth Mother for all you are,
all you give. As we complete our circle we
wish you Hail and Farewell, Blessed Be!"

Release Quarters

Hail and Farewell!