Hello my fellow witches and wiccans, Yule will be upon us once again. This will be my second Yule since becoming a Wiccan/Witch.
For those that are new to the Path and Craft and seeking information about Yule, you've come to the right place. From what I have learned is that Yule falls on December 21st and lasts for 12 days.
This was a time to celebrate return of the Sun and the rebirth of the Oak King or the Sun King. Bonfires would be lit and trees were decorated and toasted with spiced cider. Children would go about house to house with gifts of clove spiked apples and
oranges which were laid in baskets of evergreen boughs and wheat stalks
dusted with flour. The apples and oranges represented the sun.
The boughs were symbolic of immortality (evergreens were sacred to the Celts because they did not "die" thereby
representing the eternal aspect of the Divine). The wheat
stalks portrayed the harvest, and the flour was accomplishment of
triumph, light, and life. Holly
and ivy not only decorated the outside, but also the inside of homes,
in hopes Nature Sprites would come and join the celebration. A sprig of
Holly was kept near the door all year long as a constant invitation for
good fortune to visit tthe residents.
Mistletoe was also hung as decoration. It represented the
seed of the Divine, and at Midwinter, the Druids would travel deep
into the forest to harvest it.
The ceremonial Yule log was the highlight of the Solstice festival. In
accordance to tradition, the log must either have been harvested from
the householder's land, or given as a gift... it must never have been
bought. Once dragged into the house and placed in the fireplace it was
decorated in seasonal greenery, doused with cider or ale, and dusted
with flour before set ablaze by a piece of last years log, (held onto
for just this purpose). The log would burn throughout the night, then
smolder for 12 days after
before being ceremonially put out. Ash is the traditional wood of the
Yule log. It is the sacred world tree of the Teutons, known as
Yggdrasil. An herb of the Sun, Ash brings light into the hearth at the
Solstice.
A different type of Yule log, and perhaps one more suitable for modern
practitioners would be the type that is used as a base to hold three
candles. Find a smaller branch of oak or pine, and flatten one side so
it sets upright. Drill three holes in the top side to hold red, green,
and white (season), green, gold, and black (the Sun God), or white, red,
and black (the Great Goddess). Continue to decorate with greenery, red
and gold bows, rosebuds, cloves, and dust with flour.
Many customs created around Yule
are identified with Christmas today. If you decorate your home
with a Yule tree, holly or candles, you are following some of these
old traditions. The Yule log, (usually made from a piece
of wood
saved from the previous year) is burned in the fire to symbolize the Newborn
Sun/Son.
Deities of Yule:
All Newborn Gods, Sun Gods, Mother Goddesses, and Triple Goddesses.
The best known would be the Dagda, and Brighid, the daughter of the
Dagda. Brighid taught the smiths the arts of fire tending and the
secrets of metal work. Brighid's flame, like the flame of the new
light, pierces the darkness of the spirit and mind, while the Dagda's
cauldron assures that Nature will always provide for all the children.
Symbolism of Yule:
Rebirth of the Sun, The longest night of the year, The Winter Solstice, Introspect, Planning for the Future.
Symbols of Yule:
Yule log, or small Yule log with 3 candles, evergreen boughs or wreaths,
holly, mistletoe hung in doorways, gold pillar candles, baskets of
clove studded fruit, a simmering pot of wassail, poinsettias, christmas
cactus.
Herbs of Yule:
Bayberry, blessed thistle, evergreen, frankincense holly, laurel, mistletoe, oak, pine, sage, yellow cedar.
Foods of Yule:
Cookies and caraway cakes soaked in cider, fruits, nuts, pork dishes,
turkey, eggnog, ginger tea, spiced cider, wassail, or lamb's wool (ale,
sugar, nutmeg, roasted apples).
Incense of Yule:
Pine, cedar, bayberry, cinnamon.
Colors of Yule:
Red, green, gold, white, silver, yellow, orange.
Stones of Yule:
Rubies, bloodstones, garnets, emeralds, diamonds.
Activities of Yule:
Caroling, wassailing the trees, burning the Yule log, decorating the
Yule tree, exchanging of presents, kissing under the mistletoe, honoring
Kriss Kringle the Germanic Pagan God of Yule
Spellworkings of Yule:
Peace, harmony, love, and increased happiness.
Deities of Yule:
Goddesses-Brighid, Isis, Demeter, Gaea, Diana, The Great Mother.
Gods-Apollo, Ra, Odin, Lugh, The Oak King, The Horned One, The Green
Man, The Divine Child, Mabon.
As a new wiccan/witch myself I did find this article by Selena Fox Helpful on ways to celebrate Yule
13 Ways to Celebrate Yuletide
by Selena Fox
- Create
a Pagan Winter Solstice framework for the entire holidays season -
understand that Christmas Eve and Christmas, New Year's Eve and New
Year's Day have their origins in Winter Solstice celebrations of a
variety of Pagan cultures through the ages.
- Decorate your home with sacred plants connected with
Winter Solstice: evergreen wreaths & boughs, mistletoe, holly, and
ivy. Learn about the Pagan symbolism of each.
- Harvest a Yule tree in a sacred way from a tree farm
that practices sustainable agriculture, if you can, or intuitively
select a tree, cut or symbolic, from a shop in your area. Set up the
Yule tree in your home and decorate it with lights, sun symbols, and
other images. Reflect on blessings of joy, renewal, and well-wishes as
you decorate the tree.
- Kindle lights to represent the Sun. Decorate with
electric lights and candles. On one of the nights of Solstice, turn off
all lights, experience the longest night, reflect on renewal and peace,
and turn the lights back on to symbolize the birth of the New Solar
Year.
- Recognize Santa as a multi-cultural, multi-religious
character - learn about the Pagan roots of Santa and other Winter
Solstice sacred gift bringers, including the Goddess Holda (see my
article: When Santa was a Woman on beliefnet for more info).
- Learn about holidays foods, symbols, customs, and/or
lore from an ancestral ethnicity and incorporate something you have
learned into your celebration of Yuletide.
- Listen to Pagan Yuletide music. Create a Yuletide chant, poem, or song.
- Burn a Yule Log in a hearth, in a bonfire, or by
burning candles on, in, or near a log of Oak on an altar. Learn about
Yule Log traditions and create your own.
- Meditate on the rising and/or setting of the Solstice
Sun. Note its position on the horizon at this time of year and observe
its change in position on the horizon as the days start lengthening
again.
- Join with others in celebrating Pagan Yuletide.
Attend a ritual, be part of a festival, join an on-line discussion, host
a party, listen to a Yuletide show on internet radio (I will be doing 3
podcasts this Yule!)
- Contribute to a charity of your choice. Spread the joy of Yuletide.
- Learn about sacred sites aligned with the Winter
Solstice. Envision your own celebrations of Winter Solstice being part
of a vast network of Solstice celebrations happening around the planet
(Winter in the Northern hemisphere & Summer in the South). Watch
live video of Winter Solstice at New Grange or other sacred site with
coverage.
- Focus on world peace and planetary well-being in your
rituals, meditations, prayers, and other workings. Peace-making was
part of Winter Solstice among many peoples in the past. Keep this
tradition alive in the present and future.
https://www.circlesanctuary.org/index.php/celebrating-the-seasons/13-ways-to-celebrate-yuletide
Here is a handy website for which food you can make and serve during the Yuletide season http://recipesforapagansoul.weebly.com/yule-dec-21-23.html.
I hope this information helps you and that you have a blessed Yule, please drop me a comment on what you and yours do for the Yule season. As always blessed be and merry meet and merry part.
