The High Holiday Song
Sung to the tune of
"The Serving-Girl's Holiday"
by Melusine
I've waited longing for today
Spin the bobbin and spool away!
In joy and bliss I'm off to play
Upon this high holiday!
CHORUS:
Sung after each verse
And spin the bobbin and spool away!
Oh joy that it's a holiday!
This night of Imbolg now we greet
Hail my friends, and merry meet!
Strike the harp; the drum we'll beat
Upon this high holiday!
The wine and cakes we've bought and made
Found a spot in a moon-lit glade
Our love and trust will never fade
Especially on this holiday!
In forest glade we've built a fire
Symbol of our heart's desire
Within Her Love we'll never tire
Wit thee well this holiday!
Cast the Circle, we're within
Let the Spiral Dance begin!
Invite the Lord and Lady in
Upon this high holiday!
Dancing, spinning to the tune
The Piper plays beneath the moon
We chant as one the Witches' Rune
Upon this high holiday!
from the
Pagan Library
Meditation
It is a lovely spring day. The air is fresh with the fragrance of green plants preparing to bloom. The sun's radiance bathes you in comfort, perhaps the first warmth you have felt in many months. You sense that you are in Ireland, because it is green and everything feels clean and alive. The landscape is timeless and magical. In the distance, you hear birds singing as they welcome the unexpected warmth of the day. Inside you, happiness begins to bubble and dance, very quietly at first. It feels almost like anticipation, but it puts a smile on your lips as well.
You are walking up a slight hill, not steep enough to tire you but just enough to sense that something wonderful can be seen from the top. As you walk, the grass is already tall enough to brush against your lower legs. You know you are in a wild place where Nature flourishes.
Towards the top of the hill, you see a dolmen - two standing stones and a large stone across the tops of them, like an arch. You wonder why you didn't see this dolmen sooner. It is as if it appeared when you were just twenty feet from it. Does it mean something? Is it real? You do not pause to wonder, but keep walking towards it.
As you walk between the stones, you notice carvings and symbols on the sides of the dolmen. Some of them are lines and hash-marks, which you suspect are an Ogham message. Others are just symbols, which you will return to look at, another day.
As you pass through the dolmen, you feel an invisible curtain brush over you gently. In the space of a blink, it is a clear, crisp night. The stars are above you, brilliant and twinkling. You know the moon is behind you, but you do not notice its light because there is a sparkling fire just ahead. There is no breeze, but the evening is chilly as you would expect when Winter is still in the air.
You pull your clothing more closely around you, as you continue up the hill. You are eager to reach the warmth of the fire, which is bigger than you thought at first. In fact, it is a bonfire and you realize you have arrived at Imbolc.
You run the last few steps to stand next to the fire pushing your hands towards it, to capture the heat from a safe distance. Tall yellow and white flames seem to warm you inside and out. You pause to look at the sky again, and savor the moment.
Looking across the flames, you suddenly realize that you are not alone. You can see the top of someone's head, and you aren't certain if you have intruded on a private ceremony. Slowly, you walk around the fire, and your companion stands up from the rock she was sitting upon. She is a tall, strong woman, with long hair so light you cannot tell if it is blonde or white. She looks like the Queen of Pentacles in a way, with an ageless sense of knowing and accomplishment. She wears a long gown and an embroidered cape, yet you can see her bare feet peeking out from under her skirt. You know she is someone noble yet without artifice. Without a word, she stretches out her hands to take yours in welcome. You know, as if you've known her all your life, that this is Brighid. This is a special and sacred moment.
She welcomes you to her fire, which will burn tonight and every night, for Imbolc is her festival and her fire is never extinguished. You sit down next to her, on large flat rocks that are warm from the fire, and very comfortable. She begins to explain to you the meaning of Imbolc, and its promise of a fresh beginning--not just to the plants and animals, but also to everyone on Earth who chooses to permit Imbolc into their lives.
She helps you to remember your past dreams, especially the ones from your childhood which began, "When I grow up..." And as you recall these fantasies and goals, you realize how many of them were left behind with your childhood, yet how many are still alive in what you do each day, today. This is not a sad realization as much as it is a recognition that you can start afresh now. Every one of those dreams is still with you.
Brighid reaches to her side and picks up a fallen twig from a nearby yew tree. It looks like any other twig, in the firelight. However, when Brighid places it into the fire, the bark on it sparks and flames like a sparkler, giving enough heat energy to set the twig burning brightly. Without saying anything, Brighid is showing you how even a small spark will set alight your oldest and most neglected dreams.
The lesson was simple, but vital. Now it is time to return to your own world. As you stand, Brighid offers you a cup of clear water, which you sip. The sensation in your mouth is unique. There is a kind of life-giving energy, that is Spring itself. You take a large swallow of the water, and feel your entire body respond to that water with a vitality that--like your forgotten dreams--you had almost forgotten from childhood.
After returning the cup to Brighid, and then a quick embrace, you stride purposefully around the fire and back to the dolmen. Passing under it, you emerge back into the daylight and the warm air and clear sunshine of an early spring day. You know you have not merely learned the meaning of Imbolc, but actually experienced it in your soul. From now on, every time you sip fresh water, or see twigs and branches burning in a bonfire, you will feel Brighid's presence, and be reminded of the fire--and dreams--that burn within you, too, and will never be extinguished.
Groundhog Day Songs
Away in A meadow
Tune = Away in a Manger
Copr. 1991 by Don Halley
Away in a meadow all covered with snow
Joy to the world! It's Groundhog's Day!
It Came Upon The Morning Clear
It came upon the morning clear, that hideous story of old
Phillip the Weather Groundhog
You know Bambi and Lassie and Goofy and Winnie
Phillip the weather groundhog has a very chilly task
Hark! The Herald Groundhog Speaks
Hark! the herald groundhog speaks
The Ballad of Punxsutawney Phil
Come and listen to a story 'bout a groundhog, Phil
Well the next thing y'know, ol' Phil's a media star
A shadow means a longer nap for Phil and all his kin
The Daily Lunch
Here's the story of a little groundhog, who is known by all as Punxsutawney Phil
Here's the reason why he'll agree to interrupt his winter hibernation
If this is one day that he does not see his shadow, then he'll know that it is much more than a hunch
Groundhog Acres
Oh I Wish I Was A Punxsutawney Groundhog
Oh I wish I was a Punxsutawney groundhog
Oh I wish I was a Punxsutawney groundhog
Battle Hymn of the Groundhog
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the sun
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
My Groundhog 'Tis of Thee
My groundhog 'tis of thee, woodchuck of liberty
It's a Groundhog Leg
It's a groundhog leg coming up through the snow
Every heart knows he must come out and see
The Frostbitten Groundhog
Oh say can he see by the Groundhog's Day light
Spring Is Coming
Spring is coming, this I know
Yes! Spring is coming
How Cold Thou Art
Oh poor groundhog, when I in awesome wonder
Then bleeds my soul my frigid friend for thee
Amazing Groundhog
Amazing groundhog now's the time
For maybe it is soon we will
My Perch Is Built (On Ice, A Solid Block)
My perch is built on nothing less than frozen ground and barrenness
So Tell Us Mister Groundhog1
So tell us Mister Groundhog2
Some folks throughout the nation
1 Inspired by my friends, the Gaskells,
who were expecting a baby on 2/2/95
The Groundhog Corps Hymn
From the lakes of Minnesota to the shores of Frisco Bay
As the Groundhog Goes Strolling Along
Over hill, over dale, we all hope the shadow's pale
Groundhog's Awake
Groundhog's awake, my boys
Wintertime
In a tree trunk with a chipmunk
Oh my groundhog, oh my groundhog
Dawn appears on the horizon
Oh my groundhog, oh my groundhog
Of forecasters he's a master
Oh my groundhog, oh my groundhog
Punxsutawney
Oh I come from Alabama
Punxsutawney
Mister Groundhog
Mister Groundhog bring me a spring
Spring Will Soon Be Here
Punxsutawney has a groundhog
Spring may soon be here
But if he sees his shadow today
Spring may soon be here
Groundhog's Day Is Here Again
Groundhog's Day is here again
I See You
I see you, my shadow
Ol' Phil from Punxsutawney
We don't watch television in Punxsutawney
We don't care at all about computers
Winter boots are still in style if I see my shadow
I'm proud to be Ol' Phil from Punxsutawney
Where Oh Where
Where oh where is my shadow
Shadows Lying On The Ground
In the morning glow I see them
Now I'll head back to my slumber
Don't Rile The Woodchucks1
Don't rile the woodchucks
1 Inspired by a Dave Barry article
about a woodchuck holding people hostage in a sewage plant
I've Got Friends in Low Places
Blame it all on my eyes and those somewhat gray skies
Oh I've got friends in low places
In My Hole Again
In my hole again
Woodie's Dream
Woodie's up each winter on February Two
Woodie's been a woodchuck most all his life
Woodie's never been a star
Wheezy Sneezy Nose
You can tell my feet fur-lined boots are really neat
But don't tell my nose, my wheezy sneezy nose
I Hope I Don't See My Shadow
I hope I don't see my sha-adow
I'm Gonna Hire A Rhino
I'm gonna hire a rhino to speculate on spring
Warmer Winters
I was raised in a most inhospitable clime
You should've seen the looks on the faces of all my friends
Yeah, I like my winters just a little on the warmer side
Mama It's Hazy
Mama it's hazy, hazy over me
Springtime Splendor
Springtime splendor, springtime sweet, how soon will it be?
Getting the Winter Blues
Groundhogs say only six weeks more
If a shadow shows, surely it will be
Soon Springtime
I'll have a soon springtime without you
I'll have a soon springtime that's certain
Warm Spring Air
Oh I just want to be in the warm spring air
I don't wanna be in mittens 'cause mittens soon get lost
Groundhog
You ain't nothin but a groundhog, sleepin' all the time
You said you could forecast, I think that was just a line
Net Sisters� �
1998, 1999, 2000 - by Diamonds Sisters
The little old groundhog looks for his shadow
The clouds in the sky determine our fate
If winter will leave us all early or late
Joy To The World
Tune = Joy To The World
Copr. 1991 by Don Halley
May he glad tidings bring
Let every cloud get in his way
So that we may have spring
So that we may have spring
So that, so that we may have spring
Tune = It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
Copr. 1991 by Don Halley
When groundhogs see their shadows out in the bitter cold
Snows on the earth, windchill again in our vocabulary
For this is now the Groundhog's Day, Second of February
Tune = Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Copr. 1991 by Don Halley
Smokey and Porky and Mickey and Minnie
But do you recall the most famous mammal of all...
And if you ever watch him, be sure to wear your ski mask
All of the other groundhogs stay inside their cubbyholes
They never help poor Phillip look for any shadows
On the second of this month, Phillip comes to say
"Winter with your arctic blasts, won't you go away at last"
But if he sees his shadow, then we know that it will be
Six weeks or maybe more, till the winter's history
Tune = Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Copr. 1999 by Don Halley
Spring will come in six more weeks
He's unearthed for us today
Gathered round to hear him say
Just this morning he did rise
Wiped the sleep out of his eyes
Then he looked for his shadow
Found it at his feet below
Hark! the herald groundhog speaks
Spring will come in six more weeks
Groundhog Television
Tune = The Ballad of Jed Clampett (The Beverly Hillbillies theme)
Copr. 1988 by Don Halley
He sleeps throughout the winter to escape the bitter chill
And then one day on February Two
He's up from the ground, and here's what he will do
Open his eyes - Look around - Prognosticate
Camera crews and newsmen come from near and far
To Punxsutawney town in the middle of PA
To determine whether winter will go or will it stay
Six more weeks - Maybe longer - In Minnesota
They begin to huddle up and start a new sleep-in
But you and me we just can't sleep throughout the winter here
So have a heapin' hopin' the shadow won't appear
Tune = The Brady Bunch theme
Copr. 1990 by Don Halley
Every year about this time, he stirs and rises into the bitter chill
He's the foremost expert at the science of prognostication
That the spring will soon be thrust upon us, and then he can start to have a daily lunch
Tune = The Green Acres theme
Copr. 1990 by Don Halley
Man
Woman
Groundhog's Day is finally here
Springtime may soon be near
T-shirt weather's just around the bend
Hide that shadow just give me that warming trend
No! The ski slope's where I'd rather be
Rosy cheeks are just fine by me
I just adore a cozy fire
Groundhog I love you but give me that warm attire
The rose!
Picnics!
This is the day!
Groundhog's Day is here!
The snows!
Lutefisk!
Sunshine come our way!
Groundhog's Day is here!
Tune = The Oscar Mayer Wiener Song
Copr. 1998 by Don Halley
That is what I'd truly like to be
Some other folks would rather be a hot dog
But I think that is just plain ol' silly
Telling all if springtime soon is near
'Cause if I was a Punxsutawney groundhog
I'd only have to work one day a year
Groundhog Patriotism
Tune = Battle Hymn of the Republic
Copr. 1989 by Don Halley
I ramble o'er the meadow where my forecasting is done
And if I see my shadow then there's six more weeks to come
As winter marches on
Springtime may be coming to ya
Wipe away the winter blues, yah!
Happy Groundhog's Day!
Tune = My Country 'Tis of Thee
Copr. 1990 by Don Halley
Harbinger of spring
When will the snow be gone, up in Lake Wobegon
When will my toes be warm
Not freezing
Tune = It's a Grand Old Flag
Copr. 1990 by Don Halley
So we know that he must be in there
He's the emblem of the spring I love
The hope for the end of winter
Whether light casts his shadow about
Now the whole world waits for this moment
Come out groundhog oh please come out
Tune = The Star Spangled Banner
Copr. 1997 by Don Halley
What would mean that the spring will be six weeks in coming?
A shadow on the ground that appears in his sight
Will provide a forecast: temperatures will be numbing
But if images there do escape from his stare
It is proof that quite soon there'll be spring in the air
Oh say does that frostbitten groundhog yet see
On the land his shadow, or will spring be early?
Groundhog Religion
Tune = Jesus Loves Me
Copr. 1990 by Don Halley
For the groundhog tells me so
The snow is deep and it's ten below
But he did not see his shadow
Yes! Spring is coming
Yes! Spring is coming
The groundhog tells me so
Tune = How Great Thou Art
Copr. 1990 by Don Halley
Consider all the trips that you have made
Up through the woods, amid the dead of winter
To look around and see if there was shade
How cold thou art, how cold thou art
Then bleeds my soul my frigid friend for thee
How cold thou art, how cold thou art
Tune = Amazing Grace
Copr. 1990 by Don Halley
To wake from your deep sleep
To bundle up and then to climb
Outside to take a peek
Put gloves back in their box
Or maybe it won't be until
The vernal equinox
Tune = My Hope Is Built (On Christ The Solid Rock)
Copr. 1994 by Don Halley
I dare not trust the weatherman but wholly lean on my own scan
On ice, a solid block, I stand
To see when spring this year is planned
To see when spring this year is planned
Tune = Go Tell It On The Mountain
Copr. 1995 by Don Halley
Do any signs of life appear?
So tell us Mister Groundhog2
Will springtime3 now be born?
Are filled today with mirth4
And rapt anticipation
Of an upcoming birth
2 or Gaskell
3 or baby
4 Be glad I didn't use girth
Groundhog Armed Forces
Tune = The Marine Corps Hymn
Copr. 1990 by Don Halley
We all look to Punxsutawney for the spring forecast today
Is it just around the corner or six more weeks away
It depends upon the shadow, for this is Groundhog's Day
Tune = As the Caissons Go Rolling Along (Army song)
Copr. 1990 by Don Halley
As the groundhog goes strolling along
He is brave, he is bold, he withstands the bitter cold
As the groundhog goes strolling along
For it's six more weeks of winter if he peeks
At shadows upon the ground, all around
But the spring will soon be here if the sun does not shine clear
As the groundhog goes strolling along
Tune = Anchors Away (Navy song)
Copr. 1990 by Don Halley
Groundhog's awake
Farewell to winter's ploys
If he does not a shadow make
He is our trusted friend
Let us just say
Until this day shall end
Here's wishing you a Happy Groundhog's Day
Groundhog Old Favorites
Tune = Clementine
Copr. 1996 by Don Halley
Hibernating for a time
There's a groundhog who's the top dog
On this day in wintertime
Oh my groundhog, so sublime
Is it frost and cold forever?
Are we stuck in wintertime?
Out of bed he starts to climb
Tis the day to find a way to
Check the length of wintertime
Oh my groundhog, so sublime
Is it frost and cold forever?
Are we stuck in wintertime?
He performs his craft so fine
Shadows mean no early spring so
Best get used to wintertime
Oh my groundhog, so sublime
Is it frost and cold forever?
Are we stuck in wintertime?
Tune = Oh Susanna!
Copr. 1995 by Don Halley
With water on the knee
I'm going to Pennsylvania
A groundhog for to see
It rained all night the day I left
The weather it was warm
But up north I ran into
Bone-chilling winter storm
Have mercy on me
For I come from Alabama
With water on the knee
Tune = Mister Sandman
Copr. 1991 by Don Halley
Make it the soonest that I've ever seen
Please don't have your shadow seen
Mister Groundhog bring me a spring
Tune = Joy To The World (the Three Dog Night version)
Copr. 1991 by Don Halley
He is a good friend of mine
He always comes outside on February second
To guess the end of wintertime
He always has a mighty fine time
All stand up and cheer
If he doesn't see his shadow
Winter soon will go
I'll tell you what it means
Bundle up your toes and your nose with warm clothes
Put away that sunscreen
All stand up and cheer
If he doesn't see his shadow
Winter soon will go
Tune = Happy Days Are Here Again
Copr. 1994 by Don Halley
The skies above are clear again
Winter will be long I fear again
Groundhog's Day is here again
Tune = This Old Man (or the Barney Song)
Copr. 1994 by Don Halley
That means six more weeks of snow
With a great big chill and a blizzard, maybe two
Oh I wish this was not true
Groundhog Country
Tune = Okie from Muskogee
Copr. 1990 by Don Halley
We don't let our kids watch MTV
In fact there's not a TV in the county
We like simple things and bein' free
We like using groundhogs to learn the weather
We don't let our kids become abusers
And the zoo is where the families all get together
Shorts and flimsy t-shirts won't be seen
Hockey still gets played by all the fellows
While I just sleep and let my body grow lean
A place where even groundhogs can get attention
Spring will soon be here if it is cloudy
Else the winter will be much too long to mention
Tune = a jingle from Hee Haw
Copr. 1991 by Don Halley
And why did it leave me here all alone
I searched all over and thought I had found it
But the sky was cloudy so thphbt it was gone
Tune = Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain
Copr. 1994 by Don Halley
Shadows lying on the ground
When the sunlight fell upon me
I knew winter'd be hangin' 'round
In my hole I'm headed down
And for six weeks I will remember
Shadows lying on the ground
Tune = Don't Rock The Jukebox
Copr. 1996 by Don Halley
They ought to be our friends
They need to tell us
When the winter ends
Also known as groundhogs
Or as marmots too
Don't rile the woodchucks
Or they'll be out for you
Tune = I've Got Friends in Low Places
Copr. 1991 by Don Halley
My guess turned out to be wrong
I made my forecast that the cold wouldn't last
And the winter soon would be gone
But the next thing we knew the arctic winds blew
And the snows continued to fall
Now you're mad at me and I'm glad to be
Down where you can't crawl
Where the groundhogs sleep and they hide their faces
So they're never wrong if the winter's long
I'm not scared of your chases
'Cause I'm down here in this oasis
Oh I've got friends in low places
Tune = On the Road Again
Copr. 1991 by Don Halley
I just can't wait to be in my hole again
The life I love is hiberating with my friends
And I can't wait to be in my hole again
Tune = Maggie's Dream
Copr. 1993 by Don Halley
To cast a glance around for his shadow
But no-one's there to see him
Play this game of peek-a-boo
They're all over in a Pennsylvania meadow
Also known as a marmota monax
A woodchuck is a groundhog
By taxonomic type
But the crowds today all seem to ignore that
He says that all his forecasts are
Ignored
Because he's of the woodchuck type
But Woodie has a dream
Someday he's gonna change his name
To Gordie
And get in on all the hype
Tune = Achy Breaky Heart
Copr. 1993 by Don Halley
Or you can tell my head to wear a hat
You can tell my chin a beard will insulate the skin
My hands that warm gloves are where it's at
Just how long winter will last
Cause if you tell my nose, my wheezy sneezy nose
It might blow out another blast
Achoooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Tune = Where'm I Gonna Live When I Get Home
Copr. 1993 by Don Halley
Else there'll be another six weeks of snow
I'll just have to sleep
Below the snow so deep
So I hope I don't see my sha-adow
Tune = I'm Gonna Hire A Wino
Copr. 1994 by Don Halley
I've learned that trusting groundhogs can be so disappointing
He'll face his horn into the wind and if he does not sneeze
That means it won't be long until the buds bloom on the trees
Tune = Trashy Women
Copr. 1994 by Don Halley
The summers weren't bad, but I couldn't stand the wintertime
Mom and Dad, they used to say
"It's nice outside, go out and play"
To me, sending a kid out there was a serious crime
When I bundled up in layers numbering in the tens
They said "Why don't you peel off just one or two
There's more there of fabric than there is of you"
I said, "Ok I will, just as soon as there's a warming trend"
When my underwear ain't long and the frost don't bite
Too much windchill and too much snow
Gets me depressed and leaves me feeling low
So I like my winters just a little on the warmer side
Tune = Mama He's Crazy
Copr. 1994 by Don Halley
And in the spring is where I know I very soon will be
I've never been so sure, shadows I cannot see
Mama it's hazy, hazy over me
Punxsutawney Presley
Tune = Love Me Tender
Copr. 1992 by Don Halley
If there's no shadow at your feet, it may come suddenly
Springtime splendor, springtime true, may be on its way
But if all the sky is blue, winter's here to stay
Tune = Falling in Love With You
Copr. 1992 by Don Halley
But I can't help getting the winter blues
Shall I stay huddled up indoors?
For I can't help getting the winter blues
Arctic wind and snows for an eternity
Stay inside, that's the groundhog's news
Oh I can't help getting the winter blues
Tune = Blue Christmas
Copr. 1992 by Don Halley
I may see you but I'm hoping not to
Oh the leaves on the trees and the birds' songs so sweet
Won't be coming round here if you're here at my feet
If the clouds in the sky form a curtain
I'll be doing alright if you stay out of sight
Then I'll have a soon soon springtime
Tune = Teddy Bear
Copr. 1992 by Don Halley
Put some shorts upon my legs and with my feet go bare
Oh let me be in warm spring air
I don't wanna be in winter, my glasses get all covered up with frost
Tune = Hound Dog
Copr. 1992 by Don Halley
You ain't nothin but a groundhog, sleepin' all the time
Well you ain't never seen a shadow and I think you must be blind
You said you could forecast, I think that was just a line
Well you ain't never seen a shadow and I think you must be blind
updated January 27, 2000
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