This ritual explores the idea of the God as it has developed through the ages, beginning with the stag-headed God of the Hunt of cave paintings, bringer of life and death; developing into the goat-footed God of the Herd of pastoral times; and culminating in the God of the Corn, provider of the harvest, and in winter the Dark Lord of the Underworld, where the seeds of the grain and the souls of the dead await rebirth. The Grain God as Dark Lord wears the antler crown to mark his identity with the oldest God, the Lord of Death. It is through this link that the full power of the God can manifest.
Cast Circle as usual.
Priestess of Diana stands in the East, Priest of the Stag God stands in the West.
MISTRESS OF THE WOODS, THE FOREST IS THY TEMPLE, THE PINE AND FIR MAKE INCENSE TO THEE; THE TREE THAT FALLS WHICH NO ONE HEARS SINGS OF ITS PASSING IN THE EAR OF THE LADY. BEFORE THERE WERE CITIES, THE WILD BEASTS ADORED THEE, THE BIRDS SANG THY PRAISES, THE DEER KNELT BEFORE THEE; WHEN THE CITIES ARE GONE, THEIR LANGUAGE FORGOTTEN, EARTH'S CHILDREN SHALL WORSHIP THEE STILL.
SWIFT GODDESS OF THE EVENING HUNT, THE WIND THY STEED UPON THE CHASE, THE NIGHT BRIGHT AS STARLIGHT IN CATS' EYES; CHOOSE WELL THY PRIEST, THE SACRED KING, THE SLAVE OF NO ONE SHALL HE BE, LORD OF THE FOREST TEMPLE. DRAW THE BOWSTRING TO THY HEART, SURE AND STEADY, CHOOSE THY MARK, AND LET THE STAR-TIPPED ARROW FLY.
DIANA QUEEN OF THE MOONLIT NIGHT, UNTAMED VIRGIN HUNTRESS, YOUR FOOTSTEPS TRACE THE ANCIENT PATHS OF LIFE AND DEATH, OF DEATH AND LIFE. THE GROUND TREMBLES AT YOUR PASSING WITH THE THRUM OF A PLUCKED BOWSTRING, AND STARS SWIRL AROUND YOUR HAIR TO SHAPE A SOVEREIGN CROWN. DIANA, HUNTRESS, SWIFTLY FLY, DIANA, QUEEN OF WOOD AND SKY, DIANA, GODDESS, HEAR OUR CRY, COME TO US DIANA!
HORNED ONE, STAG-MAN, HUNTER; SPIRIT, SHAMAN, DANCER; SLAYER AND SLAIN TOGETHER, DRAWN IN BLACK AND OCHER; SILENT FOREST WATCHER, STILL AS MIRRORED WATER, BECKONING AND FORBIDDING, FAMILIAR, YET FORGOTTEN; FROM THE WALLS OF THE SACRED CAVES I CALL THEE. FROM DEEP BENEATH THE EARTH I CALL THEE. ACROSS TEN THOUSAND YEARS I CALL THEE. MY BOW IS DRAWN; COME JOIN THE HUNT. CERNUNNOS! HERNE! COME!
Drum beat; Priest of the Stag God takes up bird-headed Wand, gives a blessing to each participant in the Circle by pressing his open left hand to the participant's right hand.
LAUGHING GODDESS OF SUNLIT MEADOWS, WARM SEAS AND GENTLE BREEZES, SMILE ON US, AND TOUCH OUR EYES WITH VISIONS OF ARCADIAN PARADISE. WHISPER NOW OF WILD DELIGHTS AND ECHOES OF ECSTATIC RITES; AROUSE WITH CALLIPYGIAN CHARM THE GOAT-GOD SLEEPING IN THE FERN.
AWAKE THE SLUMBERING SENSES, STIR THE MOTIONLESS LIMBS, HAUNT THE SLEEPING MIND WITH DANCING TUNES TO TAP THE FEET AND TWITCH THE THIGHS, TO SWAY THE HIPS AND WRITHE THE SPINE AND SMILE THE LIPS WITH HONEYED KISS DIVINE.
RISE FROM THE FOAM, O STAR OF THE SEA, ACROSS THE WAVES AND OVER THE LEA, COME FROM THE FAR CYTHEREIAN SHORE, COME WITH THE ECHOES OF DRUMS OF WAR, COME FROM THE TEMPLES ON CYPRIAN HEIGHTS, COME WITH THE SOFTNESS OF WARM SUMMER NIGHTS, COME ON THE WIND BY THE WHITE-FEATHERED WING, COME TO THE SHRINE WHERE YOUR PRAISES WE SING, COME WAKE THE SLEEPERS AND SET THEM FREE -- COME, APHRODITE! TO ME! TO ME!
PAN, YOU CALL ME SHADOW BLACK ON THE DAWN MEADOW, NIGHTSHADE AMONG CELANDINE. YES, BUT WARM LIPS ARE MINE, SOFT ARMS THAT CALL TO YOU, AS THE SUN CALLS THE DEW. COME, FOR I CALL YOU NOW, THE FRUIT GROWS RICH UPON THE BOUGH, THE SAP GROWS FIERCE AMONG THE GREEN, THE NIGHTS GROW DEEP THE STARS BETWEEN. ALL NATURE THRILLS AT YOUR APPROACH. IO PAN! O GREAT GOD PAN, RETURN TO EARTH AGAIN; COME AT MY CALL AND SHOW THYSELF TO WOMEN AND MEN. SHEPHERD OF GOATS UPON THE WILD HILL'S WAY, LEAD THY LOST FLOCK FROM DARKNESS UNTO DAY. FORGOTTEN ARE THE WAYS OF SLEEP AND NIGHT WE SEEK FOR THEM WITH EYES THAT HAVE LOST THE LIGHT. OPEN THE DOOR, THE DOOR THAT HATH NO KEY, THE DOOR OF DREAMS WHEREBY WE COME TO THEE. SHEPHERD OF GOATS, O ANSWER UNTO ME. RUSHING WITH THY GOAT FOOT COME! PAN! IO! IO PAN! COME, O GOAT GOD, COME AGAIN!
Flute music; Priest of Pan takes up Scourge, begins to dance around the Circle. The other participants will join the dance one by one as the Priest strikes them with the Scourge.
ONCE CROWNED WITH A GARLAND OF SPRINGTIME FLOWERS, O INNOCENT CHILD OF SPRING, SISTER OF SUNSHINE AND DAUGHTER OF SHOWERS AND FRIEND OF ALL LIVING THINGS.
A SECOND TIME CROWNED WITH THE BONES OF THE DEAD, O QUEEN OF THE UNSEEN LAND, OUR BLOOD IS THY WINE, OUR FLESH IS THY BREAD, AND THOU ART OUR HOPE AT THE END.
THRICE CROWNED WITH THE GOLDEN WHEAT OF THE FIELD, O KEEPER OF MYSTERIES, COME TO US NOW, THAT THY WAY BE REVEALED; COME, O PERSEPHONE!
COME CORN KING, RISE FROM THE GROUND, PUSH THROUGH THE EARTH WHERE YOU LIE BURIED; GROW TALL AND STRONG, STAND AND BE CROWNED LORD OF THE HARVEST, FEAST AND BE MERRY. COME CORN LORD, BOW TO THE BLADE; LIE WITH THE EARTH, YOUR LOVER AWAITS. GO TO HER GLADLY, DON'T BE AFRAID; AT HER SIDE, YOU ARE LORD OF THE FATES. COME GREEN MAN, WE CALL TO YOU NOW, COME TO OUR CIRCLE, SPEAK TO OUR HEARTS; COME TAKE THE HORN CROWN UPON YOUR BROW -- COME TAMMUZ, COME PLUTO, COME BARLEYCORN, COME!
Ring bell at intervals; Priest takes up Athame, performs the Wine Blessing with the Priestess of Persephone, then steps back. Priestess puts the Antler Crown onto Priest; Priest crosses Athame and Scourge in the Osiris position.
Priest of Pan and Priest of the Horned God move to stand behind Priest of the Grain God, forming a tight triangle. Priestesses of Aphrodite and Priestess of Diana move to stand in front of Priestess of Persephone, forming a loose triangle. Priestesses draw the God into the Cakes from the Priests. Officers of the East, South and West then tap each of the Priestesses on the shoulder with a wand, speaking the Priestesses' names.
Cakes and Wine.
Close Circle.
All invocations are written by Janus, except for "Pan, you call me shadow..." which was, I think, written by Dion Fortune. The bird-headed wand is a reference to a painting in the Shaft at Lascaux Cave which depicts a bird-masked man next to a staff which also has a bird at its end. The hand thing is a reference to the negative imprints of hands found on some paleolithic cave walls, thought to be part of an initiation ritual. The use of the Antler Crown by the Grain God is intended to emphasize the historical and symbolic continuity of the various forms of the God, the latest form retaining many of the traits of his predecessors.