Solstice Night
Characters:
The Fool, Earth Caller, Air Caller,
Fire Caller, Water Caller, Holly King,
Oak King, Dawn Princess, The Goddess,
Evergreen Princess
Props:
Chair for the Goddess
Red, Yellow, Green, Blue candles
Solar disk for Dawn Princess
Pine sprigs for the Evergreen Princess
2 swords for the Oak and Holly Kings
Volcanic rock for the Fire Caller
Crystal point for the Earth Caller
Incense and holder for the Air Caller
Shell with water for Water Caller
Goblet of wine
Red scarf
Bells for the Fool
Any other props that can be thought of to enhance the play - including music.
(Some music, candles, and other props would be good here. Set up a chair for the Goddess. Set up the candles and other props at the four corners. Directorial artistic license is allowable for where certain characters stand in the course of the play. The Fool should be dressed like a court jester. "He" may be male or female. The Callers should be dressed in the elemental colors and aspects of the elements in their costumes. The Callers should all be female. The Holly King should be older, plump, and like the Santa Claus of old. The Oak King should be young, handsome, and strong-looking. The Dawn Princess should be in solar colors - reds, oranges, yellows - with solar symbols in her costume. The Evergreen Princess should be in green with sprigs of pine in her costume. The Goddess should look regal, but she can be of any age.)
(Enter in the Fool.)
The Fool:
Welcome all on this Solstice Night,
Where we welcome in the Sun's first light.
The Child of Promise will rise in the East
As we dance and frolic, sing, and feast.
(The Fool motions to the Callers who come in one by one as he/she calls them.)
Winds come! Welcome in the Caller of Air
(Enter in Air Caller.)
And the Caller of Fire, Lady so Fair
(Enter in Fire Caller.)
Oceans come! Welcome in the Caller of Water
(Enter in Water Caller.)
And the Caller of Earth, the Goddess's daughter.
(Enter in Earth Caller.)
The Evergreen Princess dances and brings
(Enter in the dancing Evergreen Princess with a sprig of pine.)
The pine of the season as Dawn Princess sings.
(Enter in the Dawn Princess, carrying her solar disk.)
The Holly and Oak King will battle to rule
On this longest night, the Sabbat of Yule.
(The Holly and Oak King do not enter in at this point.)
But also we welcome in all jesters and fools
(The Fool points to himself.)
To laugh and scorn these yearly duals.
For a fool is a King and a King a fool
And a jewel a rock and a rock a jewel.
And now we welcome in the greatest of all,
(The Fool, now serious, bows to the Goddess as she comes in.)
The Lady, the Mother, the Queen of the ball.
For She is the Mother of the Child of Day,
And it is for Her that we put on this Solstice play.
(Enter in Oak King, as all who have been mentioned take their places.)
Oak King:
Where is my brother, the old Holly King?
I have come to battle him, and to steal his ring.
(Oak King enters, chest puffed, pointing to his ring finger as he speaks.)
Dawn Princess:
(Lectures to the Oak King.)
He's late as usual. Time is not his game.
You should know better, for you are just the same.
(The Oak King looks insulted.)
Evergreen Princess:
(To the Dawn Princess.)
Time is not of issue, Sister, only as seasons grow
For we are children of plants, no timepieces we know.
Dawn Princess:
But the sun will come up, plants or no plants.
(Enter in the Holly King, voice booming.)
Holly King:
Ho! Ho! Ho! I'm the King of Holly,
I am strong and grand, happy and jolly!
Where is my brother, that insolent fool?
Who always thinks he can beat me to rule?
The Fool:
(Hands on hips.)
Hey! I resemble that remark!
Dawn Princess:
(Drumming her fingers on her arm.)
You're two hours late.
The Fool:
(The Fool looks at his wrist at his watch, then shrugs.)
For a Pagan, he's right on time.
(All glare at the Fool.)
Oak King:
Brother, brother, the Winter King,
I have come here to claim back your ring.
The right to rule is mine until the Summer sun,
Rises in the South and my season is done.
Holly King:
(Speaking like he would to a child.)
Young brother, the naïve Summer King,
Whose season of warmth and growth you bring
The right to rule as King will always be mine.
Come join me in peace with this goblet of wine.
(Holly King takes a goblet and offers it to the Oak King, like he would offer
a child a piece of candy.)
Oak King:
(Voice filled with frustration.)
Old Brother! You don't understand!
It is my turn to take over rule of the land!
The Fool:
(The Fool raises his hand, clearing his throat.)
Excuse me!
(All turn to the Fool.)
The Fool:
I think we are forgetting the Callers.
(He/she points to the Callers of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.)
(The Holly King laughs, clapping the Oak King on the shoulders. The Oak King glares at him.)
(The Air Caller laughs and lights the incense and yellow candle.)
Air Caller:
Air and winds, and the newborn fawn,
Welcome the East, direction of dawn.
For Air is the beginning of the cycle round
And the Child of Promise's first sound.
We look to the East towards the year's new
In the bright court of the wren and the yew.
Come Airy spirits! And rejoice in the light!
As we wait for the Child of Promise's sight!
Blessed Be!
(The Fool is busy looking at something on the ground, so he/she doesn't join in the part of All.)
All:
Blessed Be!
(The Goddess nudges the Fool.)
The Fool:
(Too enthusiastically and loudly.)
Blessed Be!
Oak King:
Now, brother, let's be on our way…
Fire Caller:
(Highly irritated.)
Ahem! Excuse me!
The Fool:
(Pointing to his head.)
Pardon, Lady. He has been hit in the head by too many acorns.
(Oak King raises his fist threateningly.)
(Fire Caller shakes her head, then lights her red candle while holding up a piece of volcanic rock.)
Fire Caller:
Flame and candle, and the dragon's pyre
Welcome the South, direction of fire.
For Summer's glow is the sun's great peek
And warmth is where we go to seek.
We look to the South to see the Sun's course
And the court of the ivy and that of the horse.
Come Fiery spirits! And rejoice on this day
As we urge the Sun King on his way!
Blessed Be!
All:
Blessed Be!
(The Water Caller lights the blue candle and holds up her shell of water.)
Water Caller:
Ocean and river, and the fish in the streams
Welcome the West, direction of dreams.
The Autumn harvest is what we must sow
When colder waters begin to flow.
We look to the West where the sunset's clear
And the court of the mistletoe and that of the deer.
Come Watery spirits! The day is almost done
For the Midwinter Child, God of the Sun.
Blessed Be!
All:
Blessed Be!
(The Earth Caller lights her green candle and holds up the crystal point.)
Earth Caller:
Rock and crystal, horse hooves on stone,
Welcome the North, direction of bone.
Where no sun does shine but all must go
When the Winter comes and it begins to snow.
We look to the North where the Northern lights
flare
And the court of the holly and that of the bear.
Come Earthy spirits! The Goddess gives birth
To the New Born Sun, warmth of the Earth.
Blessed Be!
All:
Blessed Be!
(The Fool sees the Oak and Holly Kings gear up for battle, but he/she holds up his/her hands in protest.)
The Fool:
And now, gentlemen, before you do fight,
Let first the Goddess give us Her light.
For this is Her season when She is the Mother
Of the Sun God Her lover, son, and brother.
(All look to the Goddess.)
The Goddess:
(The Goddess raises Her arms.)
Tomorrow I give life to the newborn Sun,
And in my arms, He and I are One.
I am the Goddess, and I am with all
From the new sprouts of spring to the death in the fall.
I have many names, Isis, Modron, Gaia too,
Mary, Shakti, the Crone, and the Maiden new,
Hera, Yemaya, Kali, and Rhea,
Astarte, Hecate, Brighid, and Inanna.
Bless the Sun Child, my baby boy,
To whom the seasons owe their joy.
Tomorrow watch as the Sun's first light
Comes over the horizon, as He ends the night.
(The Goddess turns to the Oak and Holly Kings.)
You may resume your battle.
(The Oak and Holly Kings face off, taking out their weapons. The Holly King is old and slow. It does not look like a fair match.)
Oak King:
(Getting his weapon ready.)
Are you ready to be defeated, Old Man?
Holly King:
(Doing the same.)
Are you ready to be humiliated, Little Boy?
(The Oak and Holly King jostle, until the Oak King fights the Holly King to the ground. He points his sword at the Holly King's exposed chest.)
Oak King:
(Sneeringly.)
I am victorious. Give me your ring!
Holly King:
(The Holly King pushes the sword out of the way angrily.)
I am the victorious one. I am King!
(Suddenly, the battle turns fatal as the Holly King is stabbed.)
Holly King:
Brother, brother! You have wounded me!
(The Goddess runs to the dying King, a red scarf pours out of his shirt, symbolizing blood.)
Oak King:
The dark half of the year is gone, winter passes,
And tonight we toast with wine in our glasses!
(Oak King raises a wine goblet in celebration as others grab a goblet and also
raise them in toast.)
For light will rule until the waning Sun
Begins to turn with the Midsummer run.
Six months of light and six months of dark,
Like the owl the night and the day the lark.
I will pass off my power to the dying light,
When Midsummer comes in the shortest of night.
(The Holly King rises with the help of the Goddess. The Oak King helps him brush off.)
Holly King:
(Relentingly, hands over the ring off of his finger.)
Bright brother, six months you will be King,
Willingly now to you I give the ring.
When you battle me at Midsummer sunrise,
I will personally see to your demise!
(He points at the Oak King threateningly, but with a twinkle in his eye.)
(Both laugh and hug each other in brotherly camaraderie.)
(The Evergreen and Dawn Princesses now invoke the energy of the Midwinter spellwork. The following should be done with seriousness.)
Evergreen Princess:
By ivy and mistletoe, holly and oak,
We join hands as joyous Pagan folk.
(She joins the circle of the audience, motioning to everyone to join hands.)
For life still breathes beneath the snow
Even if Spring has three more months to go.
Circle around we go hand in hand
And know that warmth will return to the land.
Make a wish for others, for all you love,
And then send it into the universe above.
(Everyone waits until everyone has joined hands. We then wait as all think of the wish/es for loved ones in the coming year.)
Dawn Princess:
The time will come for the returning Sun,
The light half of the year for now has won.
This is a new year for looking ahead,
To make way for the new and remove the dead.
Rebirth is imminent, you can feel it inside,
Like an ocean sunrise over a morning tide.
Now think of what you want to see reborn
At the sunrise of the Winter Solstice morn.
(All wait a moment while everyone contemplates their own rebirth.)
(The Dawn Princess and Evergreen Princess break from the circle and join hands with the Goddess.)
The Goddess:
Now we leave you with thoughts of mirth
On this the Eve before the Sun King's rebirth.
I am the Goddess, the Mother of all
If you listen to your heart, you can hear Me call.
(The Princesses and Goddess turn to the Kings.)
Oak and Holly Kings:
We are the rulers of light and dark,
Like the night the owl and the day the lark.
For We are One, two halves of a whole
One God, One being, One man, One soul.
(All turn to the North.)
Earth Caller:
Thank you for being here, spirits of Earth,
Welcome in the Sun King's rebirth.
(She blows out the green candle.)
(All turn to the West.)
Water Caller:
Thank you for being here, spirits of the Waters,
We are your blessed sons and daughters.
(She blows out the blue candle.)
(All turn to the South.)
Fire Caller:
Thank you for being here, spirits of Fire,
It is to the Goddess that we all aspire.
(She blows out the red candle.)
(All turn to the East.)
Air Caller:
Thank you for being here, spirits of Air,
Of rebirth so beautiful, precious, and rare.
(She blows out the yellow candle.)
The Goddess:
Now we share with you this Midwinter meal
With songs, poetry, and thoughts of the Year Wheel.
But first, let us listen to the fool speak
(She motions to the Fool who takes center stage.)
For even he has some wisdom to leak.
The Fool:
(Laughing, and shaking his/her bells.)
Now let's get the hell out of this rhyming crap.
And sing some songs and eat!
All:
The circle is open, but never unbroken. Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet
again!
(Singing of Yule carols, reading of poetry, feasting, and other social activities may follow.)