❄YULE❄

❄YULE❄

❀ also known as winter solstice

❄ When Is Yule?

one of the shortest day and longest night of the year

❄ Northern Hemisphere: 20-24 December

❄ Southern Hemisphere: 20-23 June

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❄ What Is Yule?

❀  Yule, also known as the winter solstice, is the celebration of the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun reaches its southernmost point in the sky in the Wheel of the year’s cycle. Yule is the celebration of the abundance of light, we are celebrating even though the darkness has taken over our green earth; we  are aware that from this day forward the days will become lighter. Also, the sun king is now returning and will begin to thrive. It’s a time for renewal in all aspects and makes us aware that the brighter, longer days are near. At this time, fires were traditionally burnt by the Celts in order to frighten off the wintery cold and to welcome the sun.

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❄ How To Celebrate It:

❀ If you are not aware, Christmas as we know it was traditionally the pagan holiday Yule. Many ways that you can celebrate Yule are similar to the ways that Christmas is traditionally celebrated. So, you can decorate pine trees and yule logs etc, as many of these rituals are meaningful to both holidays. There are tons of things you can do and everyone will have their own way of celebrating just as many people have their own individual ways of celebrating Thanksgiving or Christmas. Here are a few ideas:

  ⛄ Activities:

❀ Decorate a Yule tree: around this time of year it’s a tradition for pagans to bring pine trees into their homes and hang food on them for wandering spirits, so that on the coldest day of the year the spirits have somewhere to reside and food for this day and night.

❀ Start planning for the future and the warmer days to come.

❀ Write your goals for the next year in your Book of Shadows.

❀ Plan spells that you would like to try out in the coming months.

❀ Make plans for your herb garden.

❀ Burn small pieces of pine in a cauldron for good luck in the new year.

❀  Bring old pine into your home, for protection and protection spells.

❀  Create an evergreen wreath to hang on your door. This represents continuous life on this earth, how life and warmth will always return to the Wheel of the Year even after a long and cold winter. The wreath can be created with mistletoe (fabulous for healing , protection and this plant represents growth and fertility.) Or you can simply have mistletoe in your home too to symbolize these positive properties.  Holly can be combined with mistletoe , as it represents the marriage of the sun returning to earth. Holly is also amazing for its protective purposes alone, Ivy, which can represent everlasting life including growth of the natural earth, can also be included. Of course, you could also include many other seasonal plants and maybe create the base from pine; this is amazing for protection, particularly relevant to this Sabbat.

❀ Celebrate the Sabbat with a meal with Yule-related food for your loved ones.

❀ Sing solstice carols.

❀ Spells such as fire spells, prosperity spells, new beginnings, yuletide charms, and peace and luck for the months to come, are all great to cast at this time.

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❄ Altar Ideas ❄

Decorate your altar at this time of the year with relevant decorations to honour the Sabbat and give thanks to your deities.

❄ Make use of the seasonal colours of red,white,black and green. They represent warmth and the darkest and coldest night of the year, as well as the warmer green days that are on their way.

❄ Mistletoe

❄ Pine cones

❄ Ivy

❄ Yule log

❄ White and black ribbons represent the cold and dark days surrounding you.

❄ Though it might seem irrelevant, pictures of the sun can be great; this welcomes the sun king back and honors the warmer days to come.

❄ Food And Drink ❄ 

Good foods and drinks for around this time of year are anything with strong, warm and spicy flavours. This honors and welcomes the return of the sun, while also warming you up. Suggestions are:

❄ Spicy food such as curries

❄ Cinnamon-flavored or spiced cakes

❄ Ginger Tea

❄ Hot apple cider

❄ Spiced mulled wine or wassall

❄ Seasoned soups

❄ Spiced buttermilk bread

❄ Nuts

❄ Crystals❄

Relevant crystals to carry around with you this time of the year, to meditate with, to use in divination and spell work and to place at your altar are:

❄ Bloodstone

❄ Clear Quartz

❄ Emerald

❄ Garnet

❄ Citrine

❄ Herbs❄

Herbs that are relevant at this time of the year are seasonal plants and also those that represent warmth. You can dry these herbs at your altar for future use; they’re amazing for cooking and making teas (depending on what they are and if they’re edible) as well as using them for magical workings too.

❄ Mistletoe

❄ Fir

❄ Oak leaves

❄ Pine needles

❄ Camomile

❄ Cinnamon 

❄ Cloves

❄ Nutmeg

❄ Incense ❄

You might need incense to use around the Yule time during casting circles, burning at your altar, for cleansing and consecrating, as well as for magical workings. Good examples are:

❄ Cinnamon

❄ Cedar wood

❄ Pine (all winter tree scents)

❄ Bayberry

❄ Frankincense

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SOURCE: WICCA BY HARMONY NICE

ART BY: @MARGARETMORALES ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/margaretmoralesart/