Geo's Memorial Service: Full Text

[sabrinamari]

For those who could not be there but wished that they had been: the full text of Geo's memorial service is beneath the cut.

EDIT: Thanks to Jen (jeneralist), I have added the lyrics to BREATHS and a link to an mp3 of the song at the end of this text.



George’s Memorial Service
December 17, 2006


Music mix playing in the background as people gather for the ceremony:

Cole Porter,Count basie, etc.


General Outline

A.) Call to Worship: Ossian’s Farewell

Sung by Matty after all have been seated

Fare thee well the bonny heather
Fare thee well the evergreen
Fare thee well perhaps forever
I am called to other dreams
In twilight sky the sparrow calls me
To cross the blue and restless sea
Do not keep the candle for me
I shall return no more to thee

Though I shall miss the small wren singing
And the ladies at their loom
Though the tears be cold and stinging
I shall bid a fair adieu
When the dew has wet the flower
I shall be far beyond the sea
Then but a thought my parting hour
I shall return no more to thee


A.) Invocation: Judy Harrow

We are here to return to the elements the gift that they gave us and thank
them:

For the earth that made up the body of our friend George
For the air that was his breath
For the fire that was his warmth and passion
And the water that formed his tears;
Joined by the ligaments of the spirit
And the bindings of life and love.

Blessed be this moment of transition and letting go.
Blessed be this sacred act.
Blessed is the mystery of life and death
And the sacred Presence that guides us all

[Taken from a pre-existing text and altered slightly; full citation to come]


B.) Readings

First Reading: Sabrina

Something has spoken to me in the night,
burning the tapers of the waning year;
something has spoken in the night
and told me I shall die, I know not where.
Saying:
“To lose the earth you know, for greater knowing;
to lose the life you have, for greater life;
to leave the friends you loved, for greater loving,
to find a land more kind than home, more large than earth,
whereon the pillars of this world are founded,
toward which the conscience of the world is tending-
a wind is rising, and the rivers flow.”

Thomas Wolfe


Second Reading: Liam

"I think...that when I die, I can breathe back the breath that made me live.
I can give back to the world all that I didn't do. All that might have been
and couldn't be. All the choices I didn't make. All the things I lost and
spent and wasted. I can give them back to the world. To the lives that
haven't been lived yet. That will be my gift back to the world that gave me
the life I did live, the love I loved, the breath I breathed."

The Other Wind, Ursula K. LeGuin



C.) Helpful words about death, grief and remembering: Judy Harrow



D.) The Sharing of Memories:

Family, friends and members of the community are invited to speak and share their memories of George.



E.) Final Reading: Lori

To think that you are gone, over the crest of the hills,
As the Moon passed from her fullness, riding the sky,
And the White Mare took you with her.
To think that we will wait another life
To drink wine from the horns and leap the fire.
Farewell from this world, but not from the Circle.
That place that is between the worlds
Shall hold return in due time. Nothing is lost.
The half of a fruit from the tree of Avalon
Shall be our reminder, among the fallen leaves
This life treads underfoot. Let the rain weep,
Waken in sunlight from the Realms of Sleep.

~Doreen Valiente


F.) Convocation: Judy Harrow

We turn to the East as a blessing
To the Spirit of Illumination
Open our eyes to the Sacredness
Of every living thing

We turn to the South for a blessing
To the spirit of transformation
Help us to grow in wisdom and grace
And the goodness of the ages

We turn to the West for a blessing
To the Spirit of peace
Make us whole, make us holy
Help us to love You and one another
With our whole hearts, our whole minds
Our whole souls

We turn to the North for a blessing
To the spirit of integrity
Give us your strength and the courage to endure

We look to the Heavens for a blessing
To the Spirit of Openness
Fill us with the wideness of your mercy
That lovingly embraces all.

We touch the Earth for a blessing
And thereby touch the spirit incarnate

Among us and within us
Help us to be more human
And to praise life through the work of our hands.

[Taken from a pre-existing text and altered slightly; full citation to come]


G.) Closing

Breaths

Sung by Matty and Lori


BREATHS

adapted from poem by Birago Diop,
music by Ysaye m. Barnwell (c) 180
Barnwell's Notes Publishing (BMI)
P.O. Box 32164 Washington, DC 20007

http://jomiller.com/archives/breaths.mp3
[Not Matty and Lori singing above]


Listen more often to things than to beings
Listen more often to things than to beings
Tis the ancestors' breath when the fire's voice is heard
Tis the ancestors' breath in the voice of the waters


Those who have died have never left
The dead are not under the earth
They are in the rustling trees
They are in the groaning woods
They are in the crying grass
They are in the moaning rocks

Listen more often to things than to beings
Listen more often to things than to beings
Tis the ancestors' breath when the fire's voice is heard
Tis the ancestors' breath in the voice of the waters

Those who have died have never left
The dead have a pact with the living
They are in the woman's breast
They are in the wailing child
They are with us in our homes
They are with us in this crowd
The dead have a pact with the living.

Listen more often to things than to beings
Listen more often to things than to beings
Tis the ancestors' breath when the fire's voice is heard
Tis the ancestors' breath in the voice of the waters

Music playing as the ceremony ends: New Orleans jazz mix

Comments

[jlhlinnell.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Sabrina.

[evilbunny.livejournal.com]

Hey 'Brina,

Could I ask you to cross-post this to geomemories? Totally up to you, but I'd love to see it there, as well.

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

Kim, LJ won't let me post to this community. I don't know why. Can you re-post it for now?

[evilbunny.livejournal.com]

sure. I'm not sure why you can't post. Did you join the community?

[(Anonymous)]

Yes, I joined.

[darkvervain.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting this, Sabri!

[vgnwtch.livejournal.com]

I second that emotion.

[glenmarshall.livejournal.com]

Thank you VERY much for posting this!

As we were driving home, Barbara remarked about how close the words were to her own (sort-of Buddhist) beliefs. She's more Pagan than she'll ever admit.

Hugs.

[sligoe.livejournal.com]

Thank you, honey.

I had to let my spirit sing for Geo last night since I couldn't be there in person. I wish I could have been there.

[stormrider318.livejournal.com]

Thank you Bunny...

[jasminewind.livejournal.com]

Can someone post the words to Ancestor's Breath?

[jeneralist.livejournal.com]

BREATHS

adapted from poem by Birago Diop,
music by Ysaye m. Barnwell (c) 180
Barnwell's Notes Publishing (BMI)
P.O. Box 32164 Washington, DC 20007


Listen more often to things than to beings
Listen more often to things than to beings
Tis the ancestors' breath when the fire's voice is heard
Tis the ancestors' breath in the voice of the waters


Those who have died have never left
The dead are not under the earth
They are in the rustling trees
They are in the groaning woods
They are in the crying grass
They are in the moaning rocks
The dead are not under the earth

Listen more often to things than to beings
Listen more often to things than to beings
Tis the ancestors' breath when the fire's voice is heard
Tis the ancestors' breath in the voice of the waters

Those who have died have never left
The dead have a pact with the living
They are in the woman's breast
They are in the wailing child
They are with us in our homes
They are with us in this crowd
The dead have a pact with the living.

Listen more often to things than to beings
Listen more often to things than to beings
Tis the ancestors' breath when the fire's voice is heard
Tis the ancestors' breath in the voice of the waters.

[jeneralist.livejournal.com]

And a link to a recording (Sweet Honey in the Rock, not Mattie and Lori)

http://jomiller.com/archives/breaths.mp3

[elphaba-of-oz.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[papabear008.livejournal.com]

thank you

[eponacrony.livejournal.com]

Thank you

[treadwells.livejournal.com]

Thank you for this. I was a dear friend of his in the 1980s, and this news is a shock. He was the most amazing friend, and a credit to the Craft. A feel proud to have known him. I only knew him when he was just discovering Wicca, and I remember when he toldl me he was going to pursue it, so I introduced him to Kenny and Tzipora, two pals of mind who used to stay with me in Philly when they were on the road. The rest is history, and I moved away to the UK. We were all so lucky he was in our lives. What a beautiful priest, an inspiring witch. Christina. PS, Anyone who knew him who comes to London, please get in touch -- I make a mean coffee.