6 parts: First officiant, Second officiant, 1 for each quarter
Words and noises in all caps are to be spoken by all
First officiant draws banishing circle widdershins with appropriate words and gestures and comes to the altar
First Officiant:
Now is all nature engorged and aching,
Irises erect, roses slowly spreading,
We beasts trembling, our hearts’-blood thund’ring,
Poised for the thrust and thrash of Summer’s dance,
Joyous reaching for Fall’s soft satiety
And tristesse. Now, May’s strong sun risen high,
Let it begin: Twist and Shout!
East quarter:
[like a tenor sax, overblown]
YAAAAAH! Astheun Wilrago! [ahz thee un will rah go]
Hey, Golden boy, Blow yr horn, Wind through that golden bell make sounds echo through valleys and hills and trees, describing the world, musical analysis. Ho, Lou, Blow hard and dew sprays from yr keys, jazzing to put pure light to our eyes, to understand what is. While the Dawn sisters, Bridey, Dana & Anna, jig and groove and scat in perfect dissonance to your song,
To do and to be and to do be do be do, To see and to dare and to dare to know,
Beadley op sha doop and Hausos, Eos, Aurora, cooing and grooving
Skronk and rip and Gothis Unwrail [goth iss oon rah ill], Warblis Drumcon [war bliss drum con] & SKEE BOP A LU BOP A BIM BAM BOOM!
South quarter,
[like lion, or a damn big car]
GRAAAHR. Harbets V’Likdown [har bets vuh lick down] GAHR HARHOO GAHARR
Roaring up, 1959 big-finned Cadillac convertible, fireapple red and top down, the Fire’s clenched in steel under the hood, makes that big damn car drive, to blow out your red hair and beard like a mane and sun glints red on yr mirror shades. Three wild women in the back seat, Iris & Hellen and Mama/Sister Ray, whistle and catcall when you jump out and swing yr big clown hammer down on the Test O’ Strength, and make the Mercury pop out the top. Swing it like Hank Hammerin’, Downbets V’Likher [down bets vuh lik ker], vromshend flictwa [vrom shend Flick twah]
Har Har, Hou Hou, Danse Ici, Danse La
Dare to Be, Dare to Move, Dare to Do Your Will IO EVOHE ROOOORAAAHHHRR
West quarter,
[like water rushing]
SHOOOROAURSHEEERRRS, Clavor Sfendst Lautrismy [klah vor ss’fenced law trizz mee]
WHOOSH AND ROAR, that Wave gotta be 100 feet high but there she goes up top with her silver hair flying. She rides the top and hangs this and that goes under and comes out, does things on her surfboard that you can’t do in a blue wetsuit and sparkly gray board and then she raises her arms and that wave sets her down smooth and gentle as summer sun drops away at dusk. And on the beach, 3 boys bring seashells, quick Hermie brings a conch, and bitter Lucky brings a cone, and solid Herk brings a scallop. And she pulls from somewhere a bottle of blue liquor, you never saw anything so blue and liquid, like sparks of electric fire turned cool and sweet and she pours out a jot into their shells each and they drink and they start to cry when it burns into them and she whispers to Hermie, “Dare to Want,” and she whispers to Lucky “Dare to Love’ and she whispers to Herk “Dare to be brave, even when it hurts.” And they all understand ‘cause her medicine kills the false in them and she and they all hold each other as the waves wash around and over them. shendtofi shendtofi [shin toh fee], here in this place we will enjoy what we are and what we have,
SHUUURFROOHAWEERRSHAFROOO
North Quarter
[Like big trees creaking, like preliminary tremor of an earthquake]
BOOMBADOOM BOM, BOOM BADA BOM BOOM. You walked by that old shop on the North side of the street too many times and never turned in, past the winding vines & shrubs that almost cover the windows
Fronthisera Fronthisera [fron this sehr ah]
But today with nothing left you turned and walked past the bundled herbs and barrels of things and meat & cheese hanging from the ceiling and strange rich smells. And you walk to the counter which is like a huge block of black stone. There is a woman bent over a steaming vat and through the back door three men, and they are Waylon banging on the anvil, and Luke pumping the bellows and Mac quenching a shiny new sickle in water, or maybe blood, and she turns toward you, white hair and skin like old leather and the brightest green eyes and you know she’s older than mountains, older than the Moon, but you’ve never seen anything so beautiful and you stutter and halt and she pulls you toward her and whispers a thing you need to know and gives you what you need and asks nothing of you that you would not give her anyway. Then she licks a flick of blood off her lips and says out loud “Dare to Be Silent.”
And sends you on your way
BLESSED BLESSED BLESSED
BARUM BRUM DA DUM. Norecsathi [nor ek sah thee]. BOOM BAROOM BUM.
2nd officiant:
Come on down, come on down, Kid Superguy, Sanctuary Man, snakehips banging and bopping in yr Sailor Ripley snakeskin jacket and shiny boots. Round and round this Circle, flamenco and boogaloo and polka, too, like a tornado, like a wildfire, like a flood, like an earthquake, all the grace in the world but that one foot drags behind. You dance and sing with a grin on your lips, you can tickle the ivories or make a guitar scream, you can make girls & boys & everyone else blush and tingle alike, you can fool the rubes and break their traps, and live by yr wits and teach us to be free.
Father and Brother, Friend and Accomplice, teach us yr tricks and wiles,
And help us build a temple here in this place for her who now comes, she for whom you prepare the way, she whom all must adore. Now she comes among us.
SEJACHLOVIM SEJACHLOVIM SEJACHLOVIM. [seh jahk low veem]
Light the god’s candle
1st Officiant:
Look, you people, is that your own daughter who you would lay down your life for?
IT IS.
Listen, is that the voice of one you have loved all your life?
IT IS.
And is that not also your Mother who held you at her breast?
IT IS.
Oh MAMA MAMA MAMA
You who whose feet make HOLY the ground they walk upon, come among us.
You who make PURE all that you touch,
Come among us and make us HOLY
Make our Eyes HOLY
Make our Ears HOLY
Make our Breath HOLY
Make our Loins HOLY
Make our Hearts HOLY
Make our Bowels HOLY
Show us how to be FREE
HOLY HOLY HOLY
Light the goddess’s candle
Now She is here among us and this place is consecrated to the LADY and all the Mighty Gods and Goddesses and Heroes and Bright Spirits. BLESSED BE.
2nd officiant:
Now is the time of the Fire, the Fire that spills down from above, The Fire that spirals up from below, the green fire that through the green fuse drives the flower, the blue electric fire that leaps to the clouds and runs down wires and nerves, the liquid red fire that flows through the earth and our veins, the golden fire that suffuses the blue sky.
A woman tends the fire, she is your mother. She has given you many gifts.
But she is the Mother of All Living, of bunny rabbits and lean wolves, and blackbirds and cattle. Also, the mother of scorpions, rattlesnakes, cockroaches and leeches. She is the mother of plague.
She has given great gifts to her humans, maybe greater than those she gave to any other children, but all have a place. And we all must enter the Fire, Dance in the Fire or be consumed by the fire.
The Simple Feast:
First officiant:
Here are the cakes from the fires of the oven, may you never hunger
First officiant passes the cakes deosil and says to each person “May you never hunger” and they reply “Blessed Be.”
Second officiant:
Here is the liquor brewed in the night. May you never thirst
Second officiant passes the cakes deosil and says to each person “May you never thirst” and they reply “Blessed Be.”
A libation is made to all the spirits attending
Other matter as desired
The Closing
Second officiant:
Bless you, our Mother for your attention tonight, Stay with us always wherever we walk
First Officiant:
Bless, Old Daddy, for your attention tonight, Walk with us alway, guide us and guard us
North: Hey, you rocky, booming Green and brown spirits, Thanks for coming, stay with us if you will, go as you must.
West, Hey, you quick rushing blue and silver spirits, Thanks for coming, stay with us if you will, go as you must.
South: Hey, you hot roaring red and orange spirits, Thanks for coming, stay with us if you will, go as you must.
East, Hey you cool singing gold and pink spirits , Thanks for coming, stay with us if you will, go as you must.