Not all Seekers of Light are kings, and not all soldiers take lives. In many cultures, there are spiritual visionaries who consider themselves warriors. They battle for freedom from destructive energies that would rob us of our vital force. Though they often wander, they focus ever vigiliantly on the Star of Light.

Here We Come A-Wassailing

Here we come a-wassailing among the leaves so green;
Here we come a-wandering, so fair to be seen.
Love and joy come to you, and to you our wassail, too.
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year
and send you a Happy New Year

And though we go a-carolling this night from door to door;
We are your neighbours children whom you have seen before. Refrain

We have a little purse made of ratching leather skin;
We want a little sixpence to line it well within. Refrain

Bless the master of this house, likewise the mistress, too;
And all the little children that round the table go. Refrain

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I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In

I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas day in the morning.

And what was in those ships all three?
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
And what was in those ships all three?
On Christmas day in the morning.

Our Saviour, Christ, and His Lady,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
Our Saviour, Christ, and His Lady,
On Christmas day in the morning.

And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On Christmas day in the morning.

And all the angels in heaven shall sing,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
And all the angels in heaven shall sing,
On Christmas day in the morning.

Then let us all rejoice and sing,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day
Then let us all rejoice and sing,
On Christmas day in the morning

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Holly and the Ivy

Oh the holly and the ivy,
Now they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown.

Oh the rising of the sun,
The running of the deer.
All merry folk arise and sing
To greet the dawning year.

Oh the holly bears a berry
As red as any blood,
And the ivy grows beneath the snows
That blanket all the wood.

Oh the holly bears a blossom
As white as any flower,
And the ivy turns the winter wood
To a green and leafy bower.
Chorus
Oh the holly bears a bark
Bitter as the gall,
And the ivy leaves are shaped like stars
In the skies above us all.

Oh the holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn,
And the ivy climbs on hills and towers
To greet the Yuletide morn.
Chorus
The holly bears a blossom
As white as any flower
As our Mother bears the infant Sun
In the winter's darkest hour.

The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood
As our Father bears the hunter's spear
for His hungry children's good.

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Of Soldiers and Kings

We be soldiers three.
Pardona moy, je vous an pree.
Lately come forth of the low country
With never a penny of money.

Here good fellow, I drink to thee.
Pardona moy, je vous an pree.
To all good fellows where 'ere they be,
With never a penny of money.

And he that will not pledge me this.
Pardona moy, je vous an pree.
Pays for the shot, whatever it is,
With never a penny of money.

Charge it again, boy, charge it again.
Pardona moy, je vous an pree.
As long as there is any ink in thy pen,
With never a penny of money.

We three kings of Orient are,
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder Star.

O, star of wonder, star of might,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to the perfect light.

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Jolly Old Saint Nicholas

Jolly Old Saint Nicholas,
lean your ear this way!
Don't you tell a single soul
what I'm going to say:
Christmas Eve is coming soon;
now, you dear old man
Whisper what you'll bring to me;
tell me if you can.

When the clock is striking twelve,
when I'm fast asleep
Down the chimney, broad and black,
with your pack you'll creep
All the stockings you will find
hanging in a row
Mine will be the shortest one,
you'll be sure to know

Ian wants a pair of skates,
Erin wants a sled
Nellie wants a picture book,
yellow, blue, and red
Now I think I'll leave to you
what to give the rest
Choose for me, dear Santa Claus;
you will know the best.

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Chanukah, O Chanukah

Chanukah, O Chanukah
The sweet celebration
Around the feast we gather
in complete jubilation

Many are the reasons for good cheer
Now that the Season of Lights is here

Together we'll weather
whatever tomorrow may bring
So hear us rejoicing and merrily voicing
the Chanukah song that we sing
So hear us rejoicing and merrily voicing
the Chanukah song that we sing

Chanukah, O Chanukah
The Festival of Joy
A holiday, a jolly day
for every girl and boy
Whirling dreidels all week long
Eating latkes, singing songs

Now light them, tonight then
The candles all in a row
Retell the story of God in his glory
and dance by the flickering glow
Retell the story and God in his glory
dance by the flickering glow

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The first thing you'll need to do is create a viewing circle. Anchor a reference stake at the center point of the circle and place your compass on top of it. Find due north and place a marker at 50 feet north of the center. Repeat the process for east, west and south. (The rope is used as a guide to insure that all markers are equidistant from the center stake.) Again, using the rope as a guide, place a small marker stone every few feet around the perimeter of your circle. The center of the circle now becomes your fixed reference point and the westward facing perimeter is where you'll be placing the sunset markers.

The calendar can be started at any time, but the solstice sunsets are the most fun. Mark the point of sunset with a pole, stake or other (not easily moved) marker. Tag the marker with the date of sunset.

Repeat the process every seven days or so. Over the weeks and months you'll note that the sun appears to "walk" faster at some times of the year than others. When you've finished (in a year's time) you'll have a working astronomical calendar and an excuse to invite friends and classmates over to the house to check the date ;-)

Non-construction alternatives

Photo-op: Take a snapshot of the western skyline and tape it to the wall by a western facing window. With a felt tip marker draw an arrow on the photo corresponding to the point of sunset and note the date. Repeat the process.

Window marks: (This takes two people.) Standing at the same point in the room of a western facing window, have the other person make a small mark on the glass where the sun sets. Note the date and repeat the process on a weekly basis.

How it works

The principle behind an astronomical calendar is simple. The apparent rising and setting horizon point of the sun changes with each passing day. The different points correspond to different days of the year.

At minimum, an astronomical calendar only requires a fixed reference point for viewing and another fixed reference point marking the position of the rising and/or setting sun on the horizon.

In the Northern Hemisphere, if you were to watch a time-lapse movie of a year's worth of sunsets, you would notice that the sun appears to "walk" back and forth across the western horizon. The winter solstice marks the southern limit of the sun's journey and the summer solstice is the northern boundary. Closer examination would reveal that, with the exception of the two solstice extremes, every other point on the horizon is crossed twice during the course of the year. Once on the southern march and again on the northern return.

At the time of the winter and summer solstices, (around December 22 and June 22) the sun is directly overhead at either the Tropic of Cancer (summer) or the Tropic of Capricorn (winter). In the Northern Hemisphere these dates mark the beginnings of summer and winter and the days of the longest and shortest hours of daylight.