A Yuletide Celebration - 1999 Show

This show is a series of original songs and ceremony based on very ancient themes and stories. Her quest: To bring to modern life the original understandings of the astronomical events of Winter Solstice.

Tauring has been actively involved in Nature Spirituality since she can remember (her earliest prayer sessions took place in a willow tree). While growing up in the Lutheran Church she was always fascinated by what she calls the "layering" of Christian holidays onto the astronomical events (the two solstices and equinoxes). Awareness of these events and celebrating Christmas, Easter, and other holidays which coincide started her on the journey so many in Western culture undertake: the uncovering of origins.

With over a decade of serious study in the spiritual disciplines including Lakota traditions, Modern Wicca, and Gnostic and Theosophical Christianity, Tauring has written songs which evoke the most Paleolithic memories to tunes which are catchy and danceable. The ritual/show will take place at Gus Lucky's Gallery (17th Avenue and Lake Street in Minneapolis) on Thursday December 16th at 7pm. The show is child friendly and includes audience participation.

This work is the culmination of her studies in Spirituality, in music, and is propelled by her desire to build a strong, safe community for her children. Seeing this work broadcast on the internet allows her dream to become a global reality.

"It has been so wonderful connecting with others around the world who are working toward these same goals."

One of her many hopes, as with all people who view the Earth as their Mother, is to increase the awareness of environmental and life style changes which need to happen in order to maintain the balance of nature.

"One great sadness this year was seeing the Oak Groves, sacred to all who understand their living connection to the Earth, mowed down to make room for a highway expansion project. It seems that money is still more powerful than a multitude of voices. The Yule Log we will use in the ritual show is a remnant of an oak from that grove which was destroyed so thoughtlessly. My children helped me dig it out of the muddy wreckage. Seeing my pain and feeling the pain of the loss, my four year old decided he was going to invent a tree planting machine with a house on top so he could live in it and keep planting day and night."

A couple of songs available for download and CDs are for sale at: http://www.mp3.com/karitauring and a complete script and song book is available below.

Yuletide Script

Carolling with David DeYoung
Melanie Tauring - Greeter

7:30

Mel - "We invite you all to join the circle as we celebrate the longest night of the year. We call you friends and family, enter into the circle."

7:35

Audience is seated, lights are out except for the musicians and the center of the circle.
Song "I sing of a Maiden"

7:40

Kari - "We call you friends and angels, spirits of the East"

(Lights will come up lowly during this section)

Eastern dancer comes in with burning cedar and sage/or candle

Kari "Guide us with the wisdom of the rising sun, the rising moon, lead us spirits of good will, all others we invite you to leave through the smoke of cedar, sage, and bayberry candle."

(East Drummer begins)

During this time the dancer has carried the cedar and sage around the circle and sits in position when the drummer starts.

Kari "We call you friends and angels, spirits of the South"

Southern dancer comes in with burning cedar and sage/or candle

Kari "Warrior of the heart and protector of the children's fire, the grandparents and the integrity of our passion, lead us spirits of good will, all others we invite you to leave through the smoke of cedar, sage, and bayberry candle."

(South Drummer begins)

During this time the dancer has carried the cedar and sage around the circle and sits in position when the drummer starts. Kari "We call you friends and angels, spirits of the West"

Western dancer comes in with burning cedar and sage/or candle

Kari "Make magic with our dreams and tel us understand the ancient ways as the sun sets and the moon sets and we go beyond the horizon intothe unknown, lead us spirits of good will, all others we invite you to leave through the of cedar, sage, and bayberry candle."

(West Drummer begins)

During this time the dancer has carried the cedar and sage around the circle and sits in position when the drummer starts.

Kari "We call you friends and angels, spirits of the North"

Northern dancer comes in with burning cedar and sage/or candle

Kari "Creator of all, beyond our understanding, ease our fears on this the darkest night, lead us spirits of good will, all others we invite you to leave through the smoke of cedar, sage, and bayberry candle." (North Drummer begins)

During this time the dancer has carried the cedar and sage around the circle and sits in position when the drummer starts.

Kari "We welcome you all into the circle. We know the story and tell it again"

Drums end

7:50

Yule Poem Song/Spoken Word - Bass, drum, guitar, possibly a sax.

The dance of the Sun God

The audience will participate in the repetition of the words. They will have the words in a programm and some words will be displayed on the video screen.

Kari: "When the harvest is done and the last grain is cut, the spirit of the grain in the last seeds we save. But the god of the grain who has given his life goes down to the underworld grave."

All: Goes down to the underworld grave

Kari: "he is the god of the summer sun and his kingdom below is the summerland. He steps onto his ship and leaves her alone in the darkness of winter surrounding.

All: In the darkness of winter surrounding
(this is repeated for a few measures as the sun god finishes his dance and is taken off and the Maiden, Mother, and Crone Dance Begins]

Kari: "She is crying, her tears are cold snow. Jack Frost is trying to cheer her you know. With patterns of Frost Fairies spiraling so, but our queen the mother knows she must go."

[Violin brings the next song in and the video begins]

Song "Winter's Come"

East Drummer begins and says "scrying and thinking, Feeling and knowing, all of us wondering, the goddess is going"

South Drummer begins and says "scrying and thinking, Feeling and knowing, all of us wondering, the goddess is going"

West Drummer begins and says "scrying and thinking, Feeling and knowing, all of us wondering, the goddess is going"

North Drummer begins and says "scrying and thinking, Feeling and knowing, all of us wondering, the goddess is going"

Video slide show
"REMEMBERING" begins.

Audience is invited to chant with us

Direction dancers may dance ...?

Chanting ends with Kari: "Become my child, through me be born, and claim your majesty for all our children need us to begin the cycle of life. Renew your vow and comit us now to end the winter's strife. Be born in me the Mother, Earth, I need your warm embrace. Come home through me and start again, the sun disk you must chase."

Song "Be Born in Me"

Men: "I will, I will for I am he, I will be born through you and be, the sun and claim the victory again, again, again."

Women: "This feast of life and victory is brief, you brave and honorable god. You are the sacrifice supreme and in birth I will suffer blood. You will suffer for the grain eternal love renew again."

All: Again, Again, Again, Again

Kari: "And so the dark night has it's reign and yet the sun is born again."

East: "with the light comes wisdom"
South: With the light comes righteousness
West: with the light comes knowing
North: with the light our crops will flourish
All: Again, again, again! Blessed be!!

Song "Light a Candle - harp and vocal
Children enter through arch with their shakers and masks and candles
Lights up slowly.
Audience is invited to sing.

Song "Starlight Yule Bright"
Lights are up.
Audience is invited to sing.

Kari: "The circle is open, yet unbroken, merry meet and merry part and merry meet again"

All: Blessed be

8:30

Song (postlude jam song)
"The Wheel"
All are invited to dance and sing and play drums etc.

8:35

The Medieval Recorder Consort "Mad Robin" pulls chairs to the center and begins playing chamber music for about 1/2 hr. We can all retire at that point. Wassail will be served after the show and there will be lots of goodies.

Songs included on the CD or the live show

Speaking as a sensible Nordic farmer, Wassail is a good way to use up the last fruits of the season before the first fruits (Rhubarb in my climate) are ready to be picked. So at Yule feast we see an abundance of preserved meats, baked dishes like puddings which use dried berries and nuts, baked goods which use up last years flour, and the cider which has begun to turn. Spices were a rare and heavenly addition to the meal. See these recipes for Yule Pudding and Wassail.

Deck the Halls
Traditional

A traditional English carol which reveals the seasons origins. Boughs of Holly represented the Holly King who is the god of the dying year. Holly berries at this time are bright red and represent the blood of the sacrifice as well as the blood of the birth of the new king, the new year. There is a Yule Log and much singing and dancing. The "old year passes" as the darkness is defeated by the return of the sun.

The Log is Set
Words and Music by Kari Tauring
C.P. 1999, BMI
An original song about a tradition dating to prehistoric times. The Yule Log in many traditions was of oak and sometimes of Ash. Nowdays, a birch log is often seen as a candle holder or in candy decorations. It is significant to use the Birch as in Nordic Runelore, Beorc, the birch, signifies birth and the coming of Spring. A piece of last year's Yule Log was carefully kept through the year as an amulet of protection for the household. This years log will be lit with the old years log. And so the cycle is complete. These days many of us do not have a safe way to light a Yule fire. You can make a log cake or use a log with holes drilled in it wherein candles are inserted. This song also mentions the Spiral Dance. To dance in a spiral is to become one with the spirals of life from DNA to the seasons of the year.

I sing of a Maiden
Music by Kari Tauring
C.P. 1999, BMI
The lyrics date to the 1200's and are of Middle English origin. The tune is original. Most likely written as a tribute to Mary, the mother of Jesus, this song holds within it the key to the feminine divine. "A mother and a maiden there were none but she", are the two faces of the goddess. The third is the Crone. The aspect of Crone is most often celebrated from equinox through Samhain. The power of the crone in her solitary state wanes as she becomes the maiden who conceives of her own will. I address some aspects of Crone in the song Winter's Come.

Winter's Come
Words and Music by Kari Tauring
C.P. 1999, BMI
Written during a winter stay with my Grandmother on her farm, it depicts the strength of being alone and the pain of lonliness. One aspect of the Crone is that the next step is to become a maiden again. Love and fulfillment, loss and bereavement are balanced in the seasons, in the divine, and in our lives as humans.

Be Born in Me
Words and Music by Kari Tauring
C.P. 1999, BMI
This is the creation myth re-told. The god who is sacrificed at harvest must return as the sun. The goddess goes to the underworld to retrieve him. She must convince him, there is the understanding that the cycle will continue and he agrees to come back.

The Wheel
Words and Music by Kari Tauring
C.P. 1999, BMI
A simple song of celebration at the continuance of the cycle of life. A song of praise for the attributes of selflessness and promises kept, god-like qualities we should all emulate.

Light a Candle
Words and Music by Kari Tauring
C.P. 1999, BMI
This lullaby is about the tender time after giving birth. The bonding of mother and child and the joy of the community upon the arrival of the child, the sun. The candle adorns the tree, lights the feast table, and rings the wreath of Santa Lucia. In Scandinavian areas, a young maiden is selected to play Santa Lucia. She wears a wreath of candles on her head and sings the light into the world.

Starlight Yule Bright
Words and Music by Kari Tauring
C.P. 1999, BMI
Another song of celebration, of joy, of affirming the Mother and offering support for the mother/child relationship. It is a delicate and extremely important time, the first few weeks after birth. The world has been dark and the light, barely perceptible, comes slowly to us, a gift. We strengthen our committment to the divine, to one another, and to the health of the Earth when we celebrate the Yule in this way.