Call of the Horned God (song)

In July my coven (Prärie Hexen aka Praxen) attended Grand Sabbat in Wisconsin, hosted by Steven Posch. Covenmate Alana also covens with Steven, and she requested that she and I create a women's procession to bring Steven and the Horned God to ritual space to prepare Him for ritual later that evening.

Alana and I are both belly dancers, and were inspired by the North African Tuareg tribe's trance dance called the guedra. Our song is NOT a guedra, we were simply inspired by the cadence, call/response format and that it is a women's ritual. We created our own song and, hopefully tradition.

We women gathered around Steven, and processed with baskets of flowers, ritual preparations like paint, offerings and decorations to ritual space. A few women drummed and the rest of us clapped as I sang the call part, and the rest of the women sang the response.  The song is not intended to be like normal singing, but called loudly and with celebration. (we had to be heard over the sounds of walking and other sabbat campers so they knew the procession was happening!)

Steven asked us to record our song so he could share it and others could use it in sabbats around the world! We hope you enjoy. :)

Invocation of the Horned One

I found another treasure from Doreen Valiente that reminds me of Grand Sabbat. :)

Invocation of the Horned One

By the flame that burneth bright 

O Horned One!

We call thy name into the night 

O Ancient One! 

Thee we invoke by the moon-led sea

By the standing stone and the twisted tree

Thee we invoke where gather thine own

By the nameless shrine forgotten and lone

 

Come where the round of the dance is trod

Horn and hoof of the goat-foot God

By moonlit meadow on dusky hill

When the haunted wood is hushed and still

 

Come to the charm of the chanted prayer

As the moon bewitches the midnight air

Evoke thy powers, that potent bide

In shining stream and secret tide

 

In fiery flame by starlight pale

In shadowy host that ride the gale

And by the fern-brakes fairy-haunted

Of forests wild and wood enchanted

 

Come! O Come!

To the heartbeat's drum!

 

 Come to us who gather below

When the broad white moon is climbing slow

Through the stars to the heavens' height

We hear thy hoofs on the wind of night

As black tree branches shake and sigh

By joy and terror we know thee nigh

 

We speak the spell thy power unlocks

At Solstice, Sabbat, and Equinox

Word of virtue the veil to rend

From primal dawn to the wide world's end

Since time began---

The blessing of Pan!

Blessed be all in hearth and hold

Blessed in all worth more than gold

Blessed be in strength and love

Blessed be where e'er we rove

Vision fade not from our eyes

Of the pagan paradise

Past the gates of death and birth

Our inheritance of the earth

From our soul the song of spring

Fade not in our wandering

Our life with all life is one,

By blackest night or noonday sun

Eldest of gods, on thee we call:

Blessing be on thy creatures all.

Grand Sabbat 2015

our encampment altar

Grand Sabbat!

My spiritual bucket is not only full, but my PSG trauma is healed. I know it seems silly but there was so much build-up in preparing for PSG and to hang out with good friends there that when we were evacuated it just seemed a huge wound left on our hearts.

Grand Sabbat was amazing though. Weather was perfect, the site was amazingly beautiful, and everything seemed magical.

This event is hosted by Steven Posch and by invitation only (the site being small and limited in how many campers it can accomodate). It is not a festival, but a long weekend event that focuses on one ritual, the Grand Sabbat. The ritual harks back to traditional witchcraft lore and the ecstatic celebration of the Horned God.

Call: Blessings be with our ancestors!

Response: May it be so!

C: Mother of Witches, lady of the moon!

R: I adorn my King!

C: Lord of the Forests, King of the people!

R: Lord of Life and Death!

C: Life to the Horned God!

R: Life to us too!

C: Worthy of worship!

R: Worthy of praise!

C: He is rising!

R: He is coming!

C: Shin-ing!

R: Ri-sing!  

Lyrics for the Women's procession of the God, by myself and Alana.