Yule/Winter Solstice December 21st
At Samhain we honour, celebrate and welcome the descent into, and return of, the dark - the beginning of the New Year, acknowledging that all beginnings emerge from darkness.
At the Winter Solstice we reach the depth of that darkness with the longest night of the year.
Darkness has reached its peak.
"Now we start to wonder: will this continue?
Will the Earth grow darker and colder as the Sun disappears into the south until only darkness is left?
But at Yule a wonderful thing happens.
The Sun stops its decline and for a few days it rises in about the same place.
This is the crucial time, the cusp between events.
The Sun stands still, and everyone waits for the turning.
In our heads we know the light will return. But in the darkness of Winter, can we be sure? do our hearts believe what our heads tell us?
Will the light keep its promises?
We all have moments of darkness, when we don't know how much deeper we will go before the light starts to return (or even if it will).
The world has moments too; it understands us, and lives as we do.
The Sun does start north again and the light comes back. In the world, in our lives, the light comes back.
This is indeed something worth celebrating, and it has been celebrated throughout the Northern Hemisphere in remarkably similar ways." (quote from The Pagan Family by Ceisiwr Serith)
The Festival of Rebirth and The Return of the Sun
With the end of the longest night the dark is defeated with the Return of the Sun, the return of light, hope and promise.
The Goddess gives birth to the Sun/Sun God. The Sun begins to wax and the days grow longer.
All that is hidden will begin to emerge.
This is the Sun's birthday! And it really is time to celebrate!
The Oak King and The Holly King
The Holly King rules over the dark part of the year from Midsummer to Yule, he is God of the Waning Year.
At Yule he surrenders his life to the young light Oak King, God of the Waxing Year and his twin, who rules over the light part of the year from Yule to Midsummer.
Both rule for half of the year, both fight for the favour and love of the Goddess and both surrender their life force for the well-being of the land.
In truth, they are one.(Merayllah Allwood)
What’s The Difference Between “Yule” And “Christmas”?
While some people use the word as a synonym for Christmas, there’s more to yule than the goings-on that happen on December 25th.
What is yule?
Yule comes from a name for a 12-day festival, celebrated by Germanic peoples, around the winter solstice in December and January.
By the 900s (yes, that long ago), yule was already mapped on the Christian celebration of Christmas and its surrounding festivities.
The word yule develops from the geōl, with cousin forms in such other Germanic languages as Old Norse and Gothic.
English speakers are most familiar with yule through associations dating to its original use.
For example, the yule log, as in the lyric “See the blazing yule before us,” was originally a real tree limb or trunk burnt on the hearth, but now makes an appearance at Christmastime as a cake shaped like a log.
Yule also carries associations with a farm animal. The Yule goat carried Father Christmas on his back and is a symbol of Christmas throughout Scandinavian countries.
The Yule goat may have associations tracing back to Norse mythology.
The now-famous comic book god Thor rode in a chariot pulled by two goats that could also be eaten and magically regenerated into living creatures again.
What is yuletide?
Christmas can refer to December 25th itself, but it can also refer to the whole Christmas season.
Other terms for the Christmas season are Christmastime and Christmastide, where tide refers to an old term meaning “a season or period in the course of the year, day, etc.” (In the Christian church, tide historically has a stricter sense of “a period of time that includes and follows an anniversary, festival, etc.”)
Yule can work the same way: yule can refer to both Christmas and the broader Christmas season, which can also be called yuletide.
That same tide, “season, period,” is at play here.
So, you can call “Christmas” yule and “Christmastime” yuletide, but you wouldn’t call “Christmas Day” itself yuletide.
Many Americans associate yuletide with singing carols, a tradition in Northern Europe, also known as wassailing.
THE TWELVE DAYS OF YULETIDE
On the first day of Yuletide
The Goddess sent to me,
A Pentacle in a pear tree.
On the second day of Yuletide
The Goddess sent to me,
Two wise Owls,
And a Pentacle in a pear tree.
On the third day of Yuletide,
The Goddess sent to me,
Three Moons arising,
Two wise Owls,
And a Pentacle in a pear tree.
On the fourth day of Yuletide,
The Goddess sent to me,
Four Quarters calling,
Three Moons arising,
Two wise Owls,
And a Pentacle in a pear tree.
On the fifth day of Yuletide,
The Goddess sent to me,
Five shining stars,
Four Quarters calling,
Three Moons arising,
Two wise Owls,
And a Pentacle in a pear tree.
On the sixth day of Yuletide,
The Goddess sent to me,
Six rays of light,
Five shining stars,
Four Quarters calling,
Three Moons arising,
Two wise Owls,
And a Pentacle in a pear tree.
On the seventh day of Yuletide,
The Goddess sent to me,
Seven major Chakras,
Six rays of light,
Five shining stars, s,
Four Quarters calling,
Three Moons arising,
Two wise Owls,
And a Pentacle in a pear tree.
On the eighth day of Yuletide,
The Goddess sent to me,
Eight Wiccan Sabbats,
Seven major Chakras,
Six rays of light,
Five shining stars,
Four Quarters calling,
Three Moons arising,
Two wise Owls,
And a Pentacle in a pear tree.
On the ninth day of Yuletide,
The Goddess sent to me,
Nine Celtic maidens,
Eight Wiccan Sabbats,
Seven major Chakras,
Six rays of light,
Five shining stars,
Four Quarters calling,
Three Moons arising,
Two wise Owls,
And a Pentacle in a pear tree.
On the tenth day of Yuletide,
The Goddess sent to me,
Ten Doves of Peace,
Nine Celtic maidens,
Eight Wiccan Sabbats,
Seven major Chakras,
Six rays of light,
Five shining stars,
Four Quarters calling,
Three Moons arising,
Two wise Owls,
And a Pentacle in a pear tree.
On the eleventh day of Yuletide,
The Goddess sent to me,
Eleven Mystic Gates,
Ten Doves of Peace,
Nine Celtic maidens,
Eight Wiccan Sabbats,
Seven major Chakras,
Six rays of light,
Five shining stars,
Four Quarters calling,
Three Moons arising,
Two wise Owls,
And a Pentacle in a pear tree.
On the twelfth day of Yuletide,
The Goddess sent to me,
Twelve months returning,
Eleven Mystic Gates,
Ten Doves of Peace,
Nine Celtic maidens,
Eight Wiccan Sabbats,
Seven major Chakras,
Six rays of light,
Five shining stars,
Four Quarters calling,
Three Moons arising,
Two wise Owls,
And a Pentacle in a pear tree.
Rowan Morgana 2012
Symbols of Yule.
Nature Symbols of Yule:
Holly,
Oak,
Mistletoe,
Ivy,
Evergreens,
Laurel,
Bayberry,
Blessed Thistle,
Frankincense,
Pine,
Sage,
Yellow Cedar.
Food and Drink of Yule:
Yule Log Cake, Gingerbread,
Fruits, Berries, Nuts,
Pork dishes, Turkey,
Eggnog,
Ginger Tea,
Spiced Cider,
Wassail
Colours of Yule:
Red, Green, White, Silver, Gold
Red represents the waning Holly King.
Green represents the waxing Oak King.
White represents the purity and hope of new Light.
Silver represents the Moon.
Gold represents the Sun/Son.
Stones of Yule:
Rubies, Bloodstones, Garnets, Emeralds, Diamonds
Activities of Yule:
Carolling ~
Wassailing the Trees ~
Burning the Yule Log ~
Decorating the Yule Tree ~
Exchanging Gifts ~
Kissing under the Mistletoe
Deities of Yule:
Goddesses:
The Great Mother and Earth Goddess,
Freyja,
Gaia,
Diana,
Bona-Dea,
Isis,
Demeter
Gods:
Mabon,
The Sun God,
The Star (Divine) Child,
The Oak King,
The Holly King,
The Green Man,
The Red Man,
The Horned One,
Odin,
Lugh,
Apollo,
Ra
Traditions and Symbols of Yule
When the days grew colder and the nights grew longer, people of ancient times would light candles and gather round fires to lure back the sun. They would bring out their stores of food and enjoy feasting and festivities.
Dances were danced and songs were sung and all would delight in decorating their homes.
Evergreens for Yule
Evergreens were cut and brought indoors to symbolize life, rebirth and renewal.
They were thought to have power over death because their green never faded, and they were used to defeat winter demons and hold back death and destruction.
Because of their strength and tenacity, they were also believed to encourage the Sun’s return.
Christmas Holly
Holly, which represents the masculine element, was often used to decorate doors, windows and fireplaces.
Because of its prickliness it was thought to capture or ward off evil spirits before they could enter a home and cause harm.
The holly leaves, symbolic of the Holly King, represent hope, and the red berries represent potency.
Holiday Traditions: Mistletoe
Mistletoe, which represents the female element, also holds much importance as it was used by Druid priests in special ceremonies during the Winter Solstice.
They believed that its green leaves represented the fertility of the Mother Goddess, and its white berries, the seed of the Forest God or Oak King. Druids would harvest the mistletoe from sacred oak trees with golden scythes and maidens would gather underneath the trees to catch the falling branches, preventing them from falling to the ground; for if this happened, it was believed that all sacred energy in the plant would pour back into the earth.
The branches and sprigs were then divided and distributed to be hung over doorways as protection against thunder, lightning and other evils. Mistletoe was also worn as an amulet for fertility, or hung above the headboard.
Yule Tree: An Important Pagan Symbol
The Yule Tree was also another important symbol in pagan tradition.
Originally, it represented the Tree of Life or the World Tree among early pagans.
In ancient times it was decorated with gifts people wanted to receive from the gods.
It was adorned with natural ornaments such as pinecones, berries and other fruit, as well as symbols sacred to the gods and goddess.
In some holiday traditions, garlands of popcorn and berries were strung around the tree so that visiting birds could feed off the tree as well.
To Honour and Protect: The Yule Log
The custom of burning the Yule Log began with the ancient Scandinavians who burned a huge log, felled from and Ash tree, to honour their god Thor.
In the Celtic tradition, a continual hearth fire was kept to prevent spirits from entering the home.
In order for the fire to keep burning, a large Oak tree was felled and brought into the home where the tree was placed trunk first into the hearth, with the last remnants set aside to burn with next year’s fire.
It was also believed that the longer the Yule log burned, the faster the sun would come to warm the earth.
Other Yule Traditions and Symbols
Candles were another way to have an eternal flame within the home.
They symbolized the light and warmth of the sun and were used to chase away evils and lure back the returning sun/son.
Wreaths were also traditional in ancient times for they symbolized the wheel of the year and the completion of another cycle.
They were made of evergreens and adorned with cones and berries and hung as decoration throughout the home.
They were also given as gifts to symbolize the infinity of goodwill, friendship and joyfulness.
Bells were often rung during the Winter Solstice to drive away demons that surfaced during the dark time of the year.
They were rung in the morning as everyone began to wake to chase away the dark days and herald in the warmer, brighter days following the solstice.
Elves first became associated with Yule because the ancients knew that the Spirits that created the Sun inhabited the land of Elves.
By including elves in the Yule celebrations, the ancients believed they were assuring the elves assistance in the coercion of the Sun to return.
Gingerbread was considered to be a specialty bread during this time since ginger had not been available until the Crusaders brought it back in the 11th century.
There were strict laws regarding specialty breads in that time, so gingerbread was only allowed to be produced during the holidays and thus, it became associated with winter and Yule.
Wassail derives from the Old English words waes hael, which means “be well”, “be hale” or “good health”.
It is a strong drink, usually a mixture of ale, honey and spices or mulled apple cider.
When pagans went into the forest to fell the great oak for the Yule log, they would anoint the tree with wassail and bedeck them with wassail-soaked cakes, thus the ritual of wassailing was born.
At home, the wassail would be poured into a large bowl during feast time and the host, when greeting his or her guests, would lift a drink and wish them “waes hael”, to which they would reply “drinc hael”, which meant “drink and be well”.
Carolling was also a popular Yule tradition when young children honoured the Winter Solstice with song.
They would go through the villages, singing door to door.
The villagers, in return, would reward them with tokens and sweets and small gifts which symbolized the food and prosperity given by the Mother Goddess to all her Earthly children.
Christmas can refer to December 25th itself, but it can also refer to the whole Christmas season.
Other terms for the Christmas season are Christmastime and Christmastide, where tide refers to an old term meaning “a season or period in the course of the year, day, etc.” (In the Christian church, tide historically has a stricter sense of “a period of time that includes and follows an anniversary, festival, etc.”)
Yule can work the same way: yule can refer to both Christmas and the broader Christmas season, which can also be called yuletide.
That same tide, “season, period,” is at play here.
So, you can call “Christmas” yule and “Christmastime” yuletide, but you wouldn’t call “Christmas Day” itself yuletide.
Many Americans associate yuletide with singing carols, a tradition in Northern Europe, also known as wassailing.
Wreath
The wreaths we hang on our door were originally big wheels made of woven branches. They would be set on Fire and rolled down snow covered hills. This would symbolize the return of the sun. Source Negral lead sing of Behemoth. Revolver Magazine January 2008.
Witchy DIYs for dark days & balance
Yule ritual to Lilith
Cain and Lillith (Deviant Art)
Yule Ritual to lilith. Altar should be facing west this time (instead of east this time) Ritual should be down after Sundown. Call the corners and invoke lilith. Speak to lilith in your own words. Then say" This is the night when darkness Reigns. The time of shadow and night. Oh Gracious Dark Goddess lilith. On this night of yule. When Darkness is triumph over light to honor you. "Mediate upon lilith. Speak to lilith in your words. Then say " Night is strong on this sabbat. Even though the sun returns. I remain loyal to you lilith and the shadows. Even though the oak king vanishes the Holly king . I remain loyal to you oh great Goddess lilith. I am loyal to you lilith. " Do Divination or magick if you wish. Speak to lilith in your own words. Move onto cakes and ale. Close the ritual.
The Astrology of the Winter Solstice
Buttermilk Bread Charm for Yule
You will need:
3 mugs of strong white flour
500 ml of Buttermilk (available from the supermarket)
I teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda
Yule ribbon in red & green or gold
4 dessertspoons of honey
3 dessertspoons of golden syrup
4 dessertspoons of mixed peel
3/4 cup of mixed dried fruit
3 pieces of ginger, roughly chopped (the type you get in syrup)
chopped walnuts and rich brown sugar for sprinkling
Place the flours in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Sieve in the blended salt and soda and pour in the buttermilk. Mix well all the remaining ingredients with a wooden spoon until the dough feels springy.
You can add some of the preserved ginger syrup for extra stickyness and zing) If it feels too sloppy just add a little more flour. Turn it onto a board and cover with a fine dusting of flour. Pat it with your hands until you have a round shape. Take a sharp knife and score lightly into eight sections, one for each festival. Brush with milk and sprinkle with nuts and sugar.
Place onto a greased baking tray and pop your buttermilk bread into a moderate oven for about 20-25 minutes.
Keep an eye on it. When the bread is ready it will change colour and it will sound hollow when you tap the bottom. Cool completely on a wire rack. When it is cool, tie it with Yule ribbon.
Take time to concentrate on the bread you have created and turn the loaf three times saying "From the fields and through the stones, into fire, Yule Bread, as the Wheel turns may all be fed. Goddess Bless."
Now take your bread and share it with your family and friends and pass on the generous blessings of this festival of Rebirth! Eat it fresh, as soon as it is made if you can.
Recipe donated by the Counter Enchantress. Adapted by the Boss Lady with permission.
The Counter Enchantress is discovering that you can add almost anything appropriate to this simple bread recipe and it STILL WORKS beautifully.
You can decide for yourself what the appropriate additions are for a particular festival, and just do it. There is much kitchen magic in working with one recipe through the Wheel of the Year just changing it a little as the wheel turns....
Cleansing Ritual For the New Year Ahead
Top 5 DIY Witchy Crafts For The New Year
Wicked, Monstrous and Mischievous Creatures of Yule.
The Christmas Cat: The Monsters of Christmas
This is a really interesting read, well written and just fun to read. RW
Krampus
The interest in Krampus has grown over the last century as more people are reconnecting with pagan roots and customs.
Even modern culture has shown interest in this Yule creature with films, clothing and collectibles.
Krampus originates from the Bavarian and German regions as a half-demon, half-goat creature that is closely connected to St. Nicholas.
Krampusnacht (“Krampus Night” in German) is celebrated on December 5, the eve of St. Nicholas Day which is December 6.
While St. Nicholas rewards well-behaved children on December 6 with gifts and presents, Krampus comes for the misbehaved and naughty children on the night before.
Krampus is known to carry a wicker basket on his back and reeds for whipping children before taking them away to presumably be tortured, leaving the good and nice children behind to be rewarded the next day.
In modern times, Krampusnacht has become a night for people to dress up as Krampus and festivities take place outdoors and indoors to partying, celebration and drinking.
While men customarily dress up in masks and costumes as Krampus, women may often dress up as Frau Perchta who can be connected to Krampus.
Invoking Krampus is said to keep everyone behaved in a household (even annoying neighbours or coworkers!), so when you need to whip someone into behaving, call on Krampus!
If you’re looking to add a touch of Krampus magick to your witchcraft, check out The Witchery’s Krampus products.
Frau Perchta
Frau Perchta originates from the geographical regions in Europe as Krampus, mostly in Germany, Austria and the Alpines.
She rewards good children with silver coins in pails that are set out for her, while bad children are dismembered and gutted, then refilled with garbage, straw and rocks then sown up again.
Some say that Frau Perchta is connected or a depiction of the Norse goddess Freyja and a nature goddess of the Alpine.
There is also belief that her story and origins are connected to La Befana (Italian) and Baba Yaga (Russian / Eastern European), both witches that can be seen as helpful and kind or wicked and baneful.
Père Fouettard
The story of Père Fouettard is a bit of a gruesome one that originates from France.
Some stories say that he was an innkeeper while others say that he was a butcher.
In either case, it’s said that he (some say with his wife) robbed and murdered three young boys who appeared to be wealthy and were heading towards a rich boarding school.
Père Fouettard is said then to either have drugged and slit their throats or just murdered them, but some stories say that he then cooked them into a stew.
Soon after, St. Nicholas comes to town and some how finds out about the atrocity and apprehends Père Fouettard.
St. Nicholas manages to resurrect and revive the three young boys and as punishment for Père Fouettard, he must then serve St. Nicholas to make amends.
Père Fouettard (which means Father Whipping) is then in charge of whipping bad children who have misbehaved all year long while St. Nicholas rewards the good children.
Jólasveinarnir / The Yule Lads
Iceland is home to many stories of enchanted creates such as elves and dwarves.
Even to this very day, many Icelanders still believe in elves and dwarves exist in Iceland.
Some people have even witnessed events that can only be attributed to nature elementals.
Christmas / Yule is a time celebrated in Iceland with lots of traditions steeped in history of both Christian (Lutheran) and old pagan customs.
The most well-known of these is Jólasveinarnir or The Yule Lads.
The Yule Lads are the sons of the troll Grýla and her husband Leppalúði.
The Yule Lads are 13 dwarves that arrive one by one starting on December 12 and staying each for 13 days, with the final dwarf leaving on January 6 (Epiphany).
Each Yule Lad has something peculiar about themselves and can be troublesome to annoying, yet they’re said to either leave a gift for children who are nice and rotten potatoes for children who are bad.
To learn more how to pronounce their names in Icelandic, be sure to check out the Icelandic Pronunciation.
The 13 Jólasveinarnir / The Yule Lads are:
Stekkjastaur (Sheep Cote Clod)
Stekkjastaur arrives on December 12 and leaves December 25.
He’s said to harass sheep, but due to his peg legs, he’s not so good at it.
For Iceland that has at least 2 sheep per person in the population of the country, this can be quite troubling to sheep farmers!
Giljagaur (Gully Gawk)
Giljagaur arrives on December 13 and leaves on December 26.
He waits for the chance to steal milk in cowsheds after waiting in gullies (again really annoying to farmers.)
Stúfur (Stubby)
Stúfur arrives on December 14 and leaves on December 27.
He steals crumbs and crust left on pans and is unusually quite short and stubby, hence the name.
Þvörusleikir (Spoon Licker)
Þvörusleikir arrives on December 15 and leaves on December 28.
He steals all your spoons and licks them. Have no spoons around? He‘s the one to blame.
Pottaskefill (Pot Scraper)
Pottaskefill arrives on December 16 and leaves on December 29.
He steals all the leftovers in pots – so be sure to wash your pots and put leftovers away if you don‘t want Pottaskefill to do his work!
Askasleikir (Bowl Licker)
Askasleikir arrives on December 17 and leaves on December 30.
He hides under the bed just waiting for the chance to steal someone‘s “askur” (a type of pot with a lid).
Don’t leave your “askur” unattended or out of sight.
Hurðaskellir (Door Slammer)
Hurðaskellir arrives on December 18 and leaves on December 31.
Just as his name implies, he slams doors in the middle of the night which will wake people up from their slumber.
Skyrgámur (Skyr Gobbler)
Skyrgámur arrives on December 19 and leaves on January 1.
Skyr is a type of Icelandic yogurt (similar to kefir), which Skyrgámur can’t get enough of.
Run out of skyr? It was probably this lad.
Bjúgnakrækir (Sausage Swiper)
Bjúgnakrækir arrives on December 20 and leaves on January 2.
He likes to hide in smokehouses in the rafters to get the chance to steal smoked sausages.
(A word to the wise: traditional Icelandic smoked fish and meats are cured by heating sheep dung!)
Gluggagægir (Window Peeper)
Gluggagægir arrives on December 21 and leaves on January 3.
He‘s not exactly a “Peeping Tom”, but Gluggagægir does want to look into windows to see what he can steal.
Around this time, keep the curtains and blinds closed.
Gáttaþefur (Doorway Sniffer)
Gáttaþefur arrives on December 22 and leaves on January 4.
Laufabrauð (known as “Leaf Bread“) is a popular Icelandic bread that is storebought or fried at home and eaten during the Yule / Christmas holiday season.
Gáttaþefur loves to sniff out the bread by standing by doorways with his unusually large nose.
Ketkrókur (Meat Hook)
Ketkrókur arrives on December 23 and leaves on January 5.
He loves to steal meat by using a hook to snatch it away. Keep meat out of his sight!
Kertasníkir / Candle Stealer
Kertasníkir arrives on December 24 and leaves on January 6.
Who doesn’t love candles? Candles were often made from animal fats, so Kertasníkir finds those ones especially tasty and loves to steal them all.
Try vegan candles to deter him from stealing yours.
And last but not least of these Yule creatures:
Jólakötturinn / The Yule Cat
The Yule Cat is said to belong to Grýla and Leppalúði, the parents of the Yule Lads.
The giant black cat is tall as the tallest building in Iceland (which is Hallgrímskirkja which stands the height of 74.5 metres.)
It has become customary for most people to receive new clothes at Christmas (yes, socks!), but in Iceland, if children didn’t receive new clothing for Christmas then the Yule Cat would come to eat the children!
In 1987, Björk Guðmundsdóttir (commonly known only as Björk) recorded and sang a song about the Yule Cat / Jólakötturinn in Icelandic
Winter Solstice Shadow Work Spread
Yuletide Funnies
Merry Yule everyone :))
Helela
Jamie
Karen Black
RuneWitch
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