The Altar Stone
This stone in a country garden was used for many years as an altar where the rituals described in The New Pagans’ Handbook were performed.
And now, as promised, the first section of the ritual for Midsummer:
Preamble
The Midsummer festival marks the change from the waxing to the waning year. The God shows His other face and becomes Arthur, who at the Hallows acts as Lord of the Dead. The core of the ceremony deals with this change. Robin is replaced in a ritual killing. This sham killing can be managed in a number of ways, some of which can still be seen in many of the long sword dances performed by folk dancers. The robin, as we know, is Robin’s bird, and the old rhyme, ‘Who killed Cock Robin?’ almost certainly has something to do with the matter. We will recall that at Yule Arthur’s spirit was incorporated in the wren and that there were, and still are wren hunting rituals at that time.
No comments yet.
