Weaver Ceremony

Recordings of The Weavers Song performed by Bob Stewart are available on The Rollright Ritual and More Magical Songs and on the album Up Like the Swallow Broadside Records, BRO 133. Further recordings were made and broadcast by the BBC, German and French radio, and on several live recordings were issued by festivals in Europe between 1976 and 1982.

Background
In 1973 I had the inspiration to write words and music for a short song, which is the basis of the ceremony for Peace which follows shortly. It involves the sacred Directions of the Planet, East, South, West, North, Above, Below and Within. At the time of writing the song, it appeared as a waking dream, in which a man from an ancestral megalithic culture was lying on his back in the centre of a stone circle, attuning to the Directions, the stars, sky and earth.

Some years passed before I realised the wealth of meaning and vast tradition behind my vision of the sacred Directions and the sacred land and planet. Such traditions have their variants worldwide in every culture, and represent a truth, something to which we are now beginning to return, at a time of great need for simple powerful truths. I recorded the 'Weaver's Song' in several different arrangements, and performed it many times on tour. The heart of the words, however, can be opened our into a non-denominational circling ceremony for Peace, focussing upon the riddle of the last line: 'Peace is a secret unknown'.

This may be conducted by any number of people, who, are each allocated roles around the circle.

The Opener of Gates: North-east and Centre
Further people are aligned according to each Direction.

All:

The ceremony begins in silence, each of the four Directions holding a candle.
All present turn their attention inwards towards peace.

Opener:

Peace is a secret unknown.

All:

Still are the voices that echoed alone.

Opener:

Open the Gates of the Star-ways.
(Lights candle or flame in centre)

All:

Gone are the places of whispering stones.

Opener:

From one thread of light are all words and all worlds woven
And no single part is severed from the whole:
Let us summon the power of the Weaver here among us,
According to the pattern of the mystery.
(Takes taper, lights it from central flame and then passes it to East)

East:

(Lights Eastern flame with taper)
I call upon the power of the East
To awaken and attend through this blessed Gate:
By the power of Air,
By the power of Dawn,
By the power of Life.
(Hands taper to South, who lights Southern flame)

South:

I call upon the power of the South
To arise and attend through this blessed Gate:
By the power of Fire,
By the power of bright Noonday,
By the power of Light.
(Hands taper to West, who lights Western flame)

West:

I call upon the power of the West
To increase and attend through this blessed Gate:
By the power of Water,
By the power of Sunset,
By the power of Love.
(Hands taper to North, who lights Northern flame)

North:

I call upon the power of the North
To appear and attend through this blessed Gate:
In the name of the power of Earth,
By the power of the Mirror of Stars,
By the power of Law and Liberty.

All:

All resonate HUM, AUM or AMEN, according to choice, and focus attention upon the central light.

East:

Now for you I weave some weaving;
Listen to it well.
Now for you I twist some twining;
Listen to its spell:

10.

All:

Once I was held in the eyes of the night,
(Arms raised in the sign of Stars)
Once in the voice of the Day,
(Arms held out level in the sign of the Sun)
Once in the arms of a child alone,
(Arms crossed in the sign of Humanity)
And once in the mind of a stone.
(Arms held downwards in the sign of the Earth)

11.

East:

In and in the words are weaving
Through these eyes so blind;
Through and through you hold my weaving
In your own design.
(Pauses before proceeding:)

12.

East:

Once I gained a seed from the Dawn,

South:

Once the jewel from a nest,

North:

Once the light from a fair lady's mirror,

West:

Once a word from the West.

13.

West:

Now it is ending,
Slow your breathing,
Now your joys are mine;
Through and through you hold my weaving
In your own design.

14.

All:

Gone are the places of whispering stones,
Open the Gates of the Star-ways,
Still are the voices that echoed alone,
Peace is a secret unknown.

15.

Opener:

The Opener chants AMEN; all chant AMEN (or resonate HUM or AUM).

16.

East Begins:

A circle dance begins, led by East (if space permits): all except the Opener move East/South/West/North, awakening to the energies of each Quarter as they pass.

17.

Opener:

The Opener allows the energies to build as required, then strikes a gong or claps his/her hands three times. East now changes the direction of the dance to pass East/South/North/West three times. After third 'Z' movement, all return sunwise (clockwise) to their original positions.

18.

All:

All pause here for silent meditation.

19.

Opener:

The Opener extinguishes the central light, using the Crossing Formula as follows:

In the name of the Star Father,
The Earth Mother,
The True Taker,
The Great Giver,
One Being of Light.

20.

All:

All resonate HUM, AUM or AMEN and depart in silence.

You may pass this on freely to other people, but it is forbidden to sell it, to publish it, or to publish extracts from it, in any form whatsoever, be it printed, electronically published, or otherwise without written permission from RJ Stewart who holds worldwide copyright.