THE GODDESS AND MAGICK
YULE
The Winter Solstice - December 20-23 (date varies according to the year)
Alternate Names
Midwinter, Celtic 'Rebirth of the Sun'
Druidic Name - Alban Arthuan (Light of Arthur)
Christian Equivalent - Saint Thomas' Day, Christmas Day (25th December)
Place in the Natural Cycle
Yule is the solar festival that marks the shortest day of the year, with the sun rising and setting at its most southerly points. The winter quarter of the year runs from Samhain to Imbolc, so Yule stands at the midpoint of winter.
Further Details
Yule may mean 'Yoke of the Year', derived from the Anglo-Saxon Geola, though some suggest a derivation from the Norse Jul, meaning 'wheel'. Although it marks the sun's weakest point in the year, Yule is also the point at which the sun is reborn, as days begin to grow longer again. This link with the rebirth of the sun means that Yule was chosen as the birthday of the main deity in many religions. Dionysus, Mithras, Helios, Horus and Jesus (despite the Bible's indication of a spring birth) were all reputedly born on 25th December, the date on which the Winter Solstice used to fall before calendar changes. The Druidic name for Yule, 'Light of Arthur', identifies the legendary British King Arthur with the sun god.
Saturnalia the Romans' seven-day festival in honor of Saturn, took place from 17-23 December each year and was a time of great merriment and gift-giving. The Roman name of the Yule festival was Sol Invictus - the Undefeated Sun, and this was designated as the birthday of Christ in 336 by Pope Julius I in order to appropriate the most important of the pagan festivals. The 'Twelve Days of Christmas' are the days after Christmas Day until the Epiphany (the day designated for the manifestation of Christ to the Magi) on 6th January.
The Winter Solstice sees the crowning of the Holly King, God of the waning year, and his fall to his lighter aspect, the Oak King, God of the waxing year, who is reborn on this day (days grow longer after Yule). This aspect of the festival is seen in the Christmas carol 'The Holly and The Ivy', whose refrain concerns 'the rising of the sun', and which begins and ends:
The Holly and the Ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The Holly bears the crown.
Decorating with evergreens over the Yule period is an ancient custom, most commonly seen today in Christmas trees and wreaths. Such plants were considered magical and protective in being evidently alive at this seemingly dead part of the year, and so are symbolic of the survival and rebirth of the sun at Yule. An evergreen Yule wreath symbolizes the survival of sun through the wheel of the year.
Here is an edited version of the salutation to a friend by Fra Giovanni. It was written on Christmas Eve, 1513, and its sentiments sit particularly well with this time of the year:
No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in today. Take heaven!
No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present little instant. Take peace!
The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach is joy.
There is radiance and glory in the darkness could we but see - and to see we have only to look.
Life is so full of meaning and purpose, so full of beauty
- beneath its covering - that you will find earth but cloaks your heaven.
And so, at this time, I greet you.
Not quite as the world sends greetings,
but with profound esteem and with the prayer
that for you now and forever,the day breaks, and the shadows flee away.
Yule Ritual
Preparations
If it's physically feasible, fast and pray for three days before hand. This allows you to enter the new year's cycle purified in body and spirit. Also consider a ritual bath with cinnamon, mint, and rose petals to improve psychic awareness.
Decorate the sacred space with gold and silver spheres to represent the returning sun, and wreaths to symbolize the turning of the Wheel. Have oak shavings ready as a base for your incense. Add any other personally meaningful herbs to this mixture and start burning it before the invocation to help prepare the sacred space. Finally, put your sun candle from earlier in the year at the southern point of the circle.
The Altar
Cover the table with a pale green cloth - the color of early sprouts, which represents continuance. Add red berries for life's blood; holly; ivy; and pine branches as a symbol of longevity. The pine also welcomes sylvan spirits to your circle.
Have a Yule log at the center point, placing there your God and Goddess candles. Always keep part of the candles or the log itself for future years; this brings good luck, life, health, and providence.
Invocation
Light the Goddess candle in the Yule log, then move tot he northern point of your circle. This is the quarter traditionally ascribed to the season of winter.
North~Ancient Mother, I look for your opulence, but tonight naught but barren trees decorate the land. In this restful moment, let my spirit find healing.
East~Ancient Brother, I look for your winds, but tonight they are still. In this quiet darkness, help me find inspiration.
South~Ancient Father, I look for your fires, but tonight the embers only begin to glow more brightly. May this gentle warmth temper my spirit.
West~Ancient Sister, I seek your glistening tears, but tonight they are frozen. Beneath this cool blanket, let my emotions find stability.
Center - Spirit ~Ancient Ones, I seek your face, but tonight darkness surrounds. Help me find your spark within to guide my path.
Meditation and Visualization
Winter Solstice is an excellent time to undergo a vision quest to find your magickal name, a totem animal, a mantra, or other empowering insights. This meditation is meant to accent that quest by opening your awareness to the power within and without all things.
Begin in a standing position. Center yourself and breathe deeply. Slowly take off your mundane clothes., likewise removing the "World" with each. Wrap a blanket around yourself for warmth, but remain naked for the meditation. You need no trappings to discover personal power.
Sit and close your eyes. Let any remaining tension drain away, then begin listening to the sound of silence. Smell the aromas of oak and herb. Feel the latent energy of everything around you and the magick you've placed there. Know it is your own.
Listen to your breath and your heartbeat. Sense the pulse and ebb within as the same energy without. Listen closely; does it whisper a message to you? Does it whisper a name? Do you hear the cry of an animal? Do you hear words that fill you with energy? Linger in this place between Earth and stars until you receive a message. Then return to normal levels of awareness, and write the experience in your journal.
The Ritual
Turn toward the northern part of your circle. Think of things that you want to banish, such as bad habits. Say:
"I call to the darkness. Come embrace my ______ (fill in with your negative characteristics). Take them to yourself. I release them. As the sun climbs in the sky, take these things with you in retreat, never to return to me again."
Turn to the south of the circle, light the sun candle, and repeat this chant. Let it naturally grow to fill the entire space with positive vibrations:
Strong sun, returning sun;
the light burns as the Wheel turns
Strong sun, returning sun;
the shadows fade; by magick bade
strong sun, returning sun;
the shadows flee, the magick is free!
Return to the altar now and light the God candle, using the goddess candle as a fire source (symbolic of the womb).
"Sun Father, your journey has left you weary. May this light give you strength to reach toward the heavens again with warmth and brilliance."
After so saying, go through your home and light all its candles, lamps, flashlights, or decorative lights to represent the sun's return.
Other Activities
Make symbolic decorations for the tree. The traditional pastime of stringing popcorn and cranberries can symbolize continued providence for example. Or bundle scraps of yellow cloth with brightly colored ribbons, tying wishes as you go. I have also tied bundles of lavender and rosemary sprigs together and place them on the tree.
Another customary activity in rural communities is the blessing of fruit-bearing trees. If you don't have a fruit tree nearby, use any indoor plant as a substitute. Sprinkle it with wassail mixed with the ash from your incense. This helps manifest a productive year.
Finally, make predictions for the coming year based on the weather. Folklore says a white Christmas brings prosperity, while a green precedes a bad year for crops; when the sun shines through fruit trees on the Winter Solstice, it foreshadows abundance.
Closing the Circle
West~Spirit of the West, thank you for cleansing body, mind and spirit. As you go from this place, likewise purify the Earth.
South~Spirit of the South, thank you for this warmth of body, mind and spirit. As you go from this place, likewise generate love on Earth.
East~Spirit of the East, thank you for this stillness of body, mind and spirit. As you go from this place, likewise bring peace on Earth.
North~Spirit of the North, thank you for healing me in body, mind and spirit. As you go from this place, likewise heal the Earth.
Center~Ancient Ones, thank you for the turning of the Wheel that enlightens the body, mind and spirit. As you go from this place, likewise edify the Earth.
Post Ritual Foods
Go with your traditional holiday foods, which for me include many that have solar symbolism. Cookies are round like the sun, eggnog is golden and fertile, gingerbread is hot and spicy, and fruitcake bears red and orange highlights. As a side, try a little flaming brandy to warm you up!