As the sun fades, at Summer’s end
And the dark times comes round again
As life ebbs and the light dies
Re-light the fires and burn them bright
(as Samhain comes)

The past, the present
The future are as one
The spirits of the dead
Seek this mortal plane

Vibrations, subconscious
Probing gently
Buzzing bedlam
Rampant in your mind
The veils between the worlds fade slowly
Otherworldly visions mesmerize

The bards and the brehons
The druids and the seers
Assemble at Samhaim
To greet the new year

Strip the leaves from the trees and quicken
The decay of the flesh of the year
Feel the chill embrace of winter
As the warmth fades away

The leaves they fall
As Samhain comes
The wheel has turned
As Samhain comes
The harvest stored
As Samhain comes
Our kin we call
As Samhain comes

Set a place for our forebears
Together we’ll dine
Remember, give honour
Their memories enshrined
The bounty of our labour
The harvest complete
Winter is calling
In darkness we meet

Ward of the spirits of sinister intent
Wear masks of confusion to keep them at bay
Feast on the flesh, fresh from the flames
Ritually fine with the souls of the dead

An Caileach
Enshrouded in her winter robe

Dormant land, in frozen sleep
Nothing stirs in this desolate place

The ancient which has strength withers not
The roots run deep, safe from the frost
A ray of light penetrates the womb of Mother Earth
Ensuring our survival, until growth begins again

Gather together at this sacred site
Invoke the Sun God on the longest night
Late in his coming, short in his stay
Profound is the feeling of the longest day

Re-enact our primal wisdom
At his appointed time
As ritual, ages old
Passed from the mists of time
Light flows like liquid gold
Across the chamber floor
Illuminating hearts and minds
Our dreams alive once more

Night falls, devouring the light
A darkness so dense
It can sense your fears
And taste your tears

Life from death, warmth from cold
The sun reborn, as hope returns

Adorn the hearth with holly
For protection and for hope
Use the sacred golden sickle

As you cut the mistletoe
Light candles in the winter trees
Hang the boughs with evergreen
Burn fires throughout the longest night
To drive the dark away

Lazy northern wind, it bites
Almost cutting you in two
Howling winter winds torment
Darkest times are almost spent
Days of promise, landscape bright
Evening lighter, shorter nights
Subtle hints of days to come
Shining sun, rain and snow

It’s time to plant our wishes
And watch them as they grown

Brighid, goddess of the land
Patroness of poetry and bards
Inspire us, both in word and in deed
Heal us, now that winter fades away

The lambs are born in icy fields
Count your blessings, count the yield
Omens for what the future holds
Grow in strength of sacred sun

I see faces in the flames
Ever moving in the haze
Purify the land
With cleansing fire

The fire of spirit shines through her eyes
Her inner fire touches the sun
Inspiration, see and guide
Lead us through the sacred spiral

Goddess thawing, restless sleep
Animate from slumber leap
Sow the seeds, plant them deep
Protect, sustain, oh Anú keep

Gathered in the unlight
Longing for the sky
Enticed by the warmth of the air outside
The warmth increases, at time to grow
Life energising, above, below

As the earth turns
The stars and the sun rise
Light floods the sky
In shining golden hues
And in due course
The solar disc above
Blesses the land
The vernal equinox is here

The light strengthens to rival the dark
The power of the sun god
Soon leaves his mark
The earth in quickening
To the beat of the sun
The buds burst forth, in glorious green

Life force of the fauna
Life force of the trees
Growing day by day
The shamrock trinity
From ancient times
The goddess of spring arrives

Winter is banished
Life springs from death
As Caileach returns
To sleep’s soothing depth

Douse the flames, renew, relight
Arise with the dawn, focus your sight
Fire on the water, healing our ills
Spells of protection, gather your will

Burn, the twin fires of Beltine high
Awaken from thy winter sleep
Anoint the earth with sacrifice
Infuse the land with fertile dreams

Make love in the forests
Cavort in the fields
Cast off inhibition, lower your shield
Salute the gods, gulp down the wine
An Caileach
Transformed to maiden divine

The rhythms of the seasons
The cycles of the moon
Feel the power of the elements
As the sun shines on you

Blackthorn dark, sister of the May
Blaze thy trail once more
A vaguely ghostly vision
Across the landscape sweeps
Give offerings to Anú
Our spirits safely keep

Arise in glory, feel the power of the sun
The land sparkles like emeralds
With every progeny of green
I can feel the grass grow beneath my feet
I can smell the bounty, yet to yield

And the night fades so fast, in a pre-dawn sky
Golden Lúgh, eternal eye

Leap through the flames of the fire upon the hill
Today is the day when the sun stands still
May the rays of the sun energise, light your way
Feast, make marry, on the longest day

Dance skyclad by firelight
From dusk until dawn
Celebration of life
Worship the sun
Partake of the gifts
The fruits of the land
As the god of the sun
Walks with Anú, hand in hand

The shadows shorten
The sun climbs high
Not a cloud to be seen
In the bluest of skies

Spirits of the land
Spirits of this place
Hear our call
Hear our cry

I am the fire
That burns within your soul
I am the flame within
That will never die
I am the sacred light
That makes your whole
I am the mighty sun
That will never rise

Gather here at Lúghnasadh
Assemble one and all
In memory of Tailtiú
The golden shining one
The champions and heroes
An assembly unsurpassed
Contend and vie for victory
In honour of the clan

The seeds that we have planted
Nurtured and watch grow
Almost ready for the harvest
When we reap what we have sown
Sacrifice the sacred bull
Cut the ripened corn
Tend the laden fields and trees
Toil form, early morn

Lúgh, Lámhfhada
Lúgh, the shining one
Lúgh, Samildánach
Lúgh, god of the sun

The moon is full, the stars burn bright
The people gather here this night
Invoke the blessings, call them down
For now we feast to Lúgh’s delight

Misty sun and cooling rain
Falls upon the pregnant swelling earth
Drying trees and fertile fields
Await, the mystery of birth

The wheel keeps turning
Last vestige of light
We bask in the warmth
Of the final summer sun

The stars are rising early
The days pass us by
The changes they are subtle
A dark tinge in the sky
The offerings are over
The rites said and done
The contest are all finished
The glory has been won

Pick the apples from the laden trees
In the heart of Macha’s realm
In verdant hues of red and green
An autumnal color scheme
The leaves are fading day by day
Store the harvest, safe away

The land, divine, has blessed us, her bounty stored away
As the nights begin to lengthen, and the light in fades to grey
Gusting winds that bring the rain, the leaves they spiral down
The moisture sinking deeper, softening the ground

The sun sinks toward the hillside
Bathing the mountains in blood
Rites performed at sundown
By the light of the harvest moon

Summer has slowly passed away
The rising dark soon holds sway
Prepare yourself for winter
The frost a warning sign

Twilight of the solar year
Winter visions, drenched in fear
Ériú’s wheel turns round and round
Blazing sun through frozen ground

Reap, reap, what we have sown
Now we reap what we have sown
Reap, reap, what we have sown
Dreams achieved, fully grown

Ériú’s wheel