Thanks to The Mother

photo (c)2008 Earrach

BY LAND AND SEA AND SKY,

and by all the Blessed of those therein;

by the wisdom, love and example of our Honored Ancestors,

and by the exalted Gods, Guides and Heroes of the Eternal Realms,

let us now, with an ancient hymn,
likely a thousand years old, one thousand years ago*,

give thanks to our First and Greatest Mother…

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" E  A  R  T  H ,    
Divine Goddess,  Mother Nature,

who generatest all things and bringest forth anew,

the Sun which thou hast given to the nations;

guardian of sky and sea and of all gods and powers;

through thy power all Nature falls silent and then sinks in sleep.

And again thou bringest back the light and chasest away night,

and thou coverest us yet most securely with thy shades.

Thou dost contain chaos infinite, yea and wind and showers and storms.

Thou sendest them out when thou wilt and causest the sea to roar;

thou chasest away the Sun and arousest the storm.

Again, when thou wilt, thou sendest forth the joyous day

and givest the nourishment of Life with thy eternal surety.

And when the soul departs, to thee we return.

Thou art duly called the Great Mother of the Gods;

thou conquerest by thy divine name.

Thou art the source of the strength of nations and of gods,

without thee nothing can be brought to perfection or be born;

thou art great, Queen of the Gods.

Goddess ! I adore thee as divine; I call upon thy name;

be pleased to grant that which I ask thee,

so shall I give thanks to thee, Goddess, with due Faith... "

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- * An ancient hymn to the Earth Mother of uncertain date, but possibly Roman and likely a thousand years older than our oldest surviving source: an Anglo Saxon book of herbal charms and medicine from the 11th Century C.E.,  MS. Harley 1585, FF. 12 V.-13 R., Translation from "Early English Magic and Medicine" by Dr. Charles Singer, Proceedings of the British Academy, Vol. IV.

For a printable PDF of the above CLICK HERE...
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And now,

THE BEST THANKSGIVING 

SONG, EVER (IMO)...

MARIGOLD  by  Maddy Prior  
and the hymn,

HARVEST HOME  - traditional.

When the marigold no longer blooms

The summer Sun has turned to gloom
See the forecast winter snow

See the evergreen that lonely grows

Move closer to the fire place

Neglect the garden

See the ground harden

At a ghostly pace

The golden summer sun is silver now

The fruit has fallen from the bough

The season moves to chestnut time

Toffee apples, treacle and mulled wine

Quilts and furs and woolens gay

You wrap around you

But the cold confounds you

On an autumn day

Stout and strong the walls of home and hearth

Curtains drawn against the draft

The rake has reaped, the blade has mown

Nights draw in to call the harvest home

The quiet of a hearth at rest

In peace abounded

By love surrounded

Here the home is blessed...

Come, ye thankful people, come,        (trad.)

Raise the song of Harvest Home

All be safely gathered in

Let the winter storms begin

Earth, our Mother doth provide

That our wants should be supplied

Come, ye thankful people, come

Raise the song of harvest home

Raise the song of harvest home.

.

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Listen to Maddy Prior's rendition HERE.
IMO, the recording on that YouTube page is not her best arrangement;
I greatly prefer her first version on the Steeleye Span album "Sails of Silver"
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( "Earth our Mother" insertion mine. Original hymn has "God our maker" -e.)