(An outdoor carnivorous, cholesterol-laden Feast of the Times celebrated at the Summer Solstice.)

Celebrants:
Ra (in Egyptian dress)
Ahathoor (in Leopard aspec)
The People (in whatever it is their will to wear!)

Props:
• The Holy Cow —in a bovine piñata with a gold paper solar disk inserted between the horns. It is filled with such things as reflect the solar nature of the holiday…lemon drops, gold-wrapped chocolate coins etc.
• A litter decorated with flowers, real or paper.
• A decorated baton to break the pinata
• A hoodwink or blindfold
• A rope and a tree (heh, heh, this IS Texas!)
• The Bark of the Sun with 6 candles and a lighter

The Feast for and by the People:
• Beef
• Cheese
• Round Loaves of Bread
• Yellow and Orange Things – squash, corn, carrots, sweet potatoes, curries, etc.
• Ice Cream
• Cheesecake
• Red Beer or other red beverage

The Ritual:
Let the Holy Cow be borne with honor on a flower decked litter! Three times let her be carried around deosil, coming to rest at the throne in the south, under a large tree. Let her be placed on the altar at the feet of the Ahathoor, who shall mark the Cow with the Eye of Ra.

Ra shall bear the bark of the sun from the east to the south, three candles lit and lighting two more as he goes. Let the drums be played as he travels, increasing in tempo from moderate to fast as he approaches the Eye of God, ceasing as he arrives. Upon the arrival of Ra at the throne, let him place the bark of the sun on the altar and make the sign of Vir whilst declaring:

Hail unto thee who art Ahathoor in Thy triumphing
Even unto thee who art Ahathoor in Thy beauty,
Who travelest over the heavens in Thy bark at the Mid-Course of the Sun.
Tahuti standeth in his splendor at the prow, and Ra-Hoor abideth at the helm.
Hail unto thee from the abodes of morning!

Ahathoor returns the sign while Ra lights the final candle. The drums begin again, slowly. Then shall Ahathoor and Ra throw a rope over a branch of the tree and tie one end to the Holy Cow and hoist her up. At this sign, let there be loud rejoicing! The altar, litter and bark shall be removed to the side (Note…this is a good time to extinguish the candles).

The people shall approach the Holy Cow each in turn with the baton and shall be hoodwinked and allowed three swings until there comes One who shall strike the Holy Cow and burst it asunder, showering forth Her goodness to all below!

Then shall the fiesta begin! Let the bounty of the Cow in the Sun be revealed in the feasting thereof!

Beauty and strength, leaping laughter and delicious languor,
force and fire, are of us. —AL: II:20

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