Category: Yule

Yule has finally ended and with it, the new year has begun! Politically, it is a mess, and currently Australia is on fire, but I know that I, at least, will do my best to channel good vibes for the new year! I took down all the decorations so I can start off nice and fresh. Low key, all the extra decorations and clutter stressed out my anxiety….. So I feel really good putting it all away!

With taking 2 car loads of items to Goodwill, I have opened a ton of space in my garage so that I will better be able to store my decorations when I put them all back. On that note, I found a cool little Turkish shop and bartered with the lady (I love bartering) for a beautify protection piece. I plan to hang this by my altar right behind Hekate!

I also lit the final candle of the wreath! Yule has ended and now it is time to manifest everything we have meditated on during this season of renewal!

From our altar to yours, with love from the sea,

Yule is almost over and with all the hiking I did on Day 6 and the walking I did on Day 7, I took it easy again today. I even slept in until 0800!!! Exciting I know! But that doesn’t usually happen. 6am and I am up. I spent the time getting my house in order and putting away all Yule presents in their respective place. I still have a (very) small pile in front of the tree, but I need a few things to be able to hang them up so a trip to the hardware store is in order for me tomorrow!

I was busy working on 2 posts for tomorrow as well. One for turquoise, the birth stone of December, and one on holly, the birth plant of December. I realized today that I hadn’t done a crystal post in a few weeks and what better way than a monthly birthstone post!

My neighborhood has been very festive and ever since the Winter Solstice on the 21st, they have been setting off fireworks every single night. It has been a very enjoyable way to end each evening! I drank some lemon ginger tea this morning and then finished the day off with some sweet lemon tea.

When I woke up on Day 9, I had to go to physical therapy and that left me hurting. So I went and got a massage and some new Lush bathbombs! They have a lucky cat bathbomb I am planning on using for New Years Eve! They also have a super cool geode one I want to use some time this week as well.

I took a trip down to the river walk and had some Italian, finished off with a cappuccino while looking at the lights. It was all very festive.

Afterwards, I went to the zoo to see the zoo lights which was delightful! They had a light show and everything!

Day 8 ran away from me so I lit the 8th and 9th candle together on Day 9!

Yule is almost over but this holiday has been absolutely rejuvenating. I will write out my new intentions for the new year on the 31st and hopefully I will be able to manifest them all! I checked last years and I was able to manifest 7 out of the 9 things I had written down, and one other was in the works. Good odds I would say!

My tarot spread from the other night seemed very positive towards my goals (first time in 2 or 3 years I haven’t gotten the darn TOWER card!) so I look forward to what is to come! I also finished a new spread for the New Year! Again, this is one I had found before but it had GAUDY bold red colors and was hard to read and just not my aesthetic at all…..

From our altar to yours, with love from the sea,

Yule is half over but we aren’t even close to winding down! This is a season of joy and new beginnings and fun! As a sea witch, I really wanted to do something that had to do with the ocean and so today, I went on an adventure. It was my first time going to Sea World and it was magnificent!

I know some people are not a fan of Sea World for ethical reasons but from what I saw, it really seems like they are doing everything they can to take care of their sea creatures. These were some of the cleanest cages/tanks I have ever seen. There was no fishy/ fecal smell at all and truly it was a joy to be near such incredible creatures that we can’t often get close to.

It was just the rejuvenating ocean feel I needed!

I got a few ocean themed souvenirs to decorate my home with as well! One of my souvenirs was a new ornament for my tree to celebrate the season!

Due to the weather being a little dreary, the park was almost empty. There were no lines, there were no people far too close for comfort, and no wait to the restroom! I got 5 hours of walking in and was able to reconnect spiritually with the marine life. There were a few places where I was able to just sit and watch and meditate without any interruptions. This little guy was at one of those places.

Afterwards, when I got home the temperature had dropped about 5 degrees and it was beginning to sprinkle. I warmed myself up with some extra rich hot cocoa and spent the rest of the evening reading about the Goddess Isis.

And the 7th candle has been lit in my wreath! <3 What a day! <3

From our altar to yours, with love from the sea,

Yule is almost half over and it has been a truly wonderful season of rest and rejuvenation! To begin with, I woke up covered in a pile of cats which is truly the best way to start your day. After that, most of my day was taken up with hiking and it was well worth it! I did 9.5 miles in the back country areas. The ground was super unstable and I almost wiped out a few times, but it was amazingly relaxing. I was the only one out in those woods for the first 4 hours and it was great! I also found an abandoned house in the woods!

Along the way, I found a whole bunch of shells for my altar! Hekate has never had so many offerings before! I would like to make a Yule sachet before the holiday is over and use a few of the shells in it. Not only did I find some shells, I found a family member to the holly plant! It is called Agarita and apparently, people here open an umbrella under the shrub and shake it to collect the berries which they then ferment into tequila.

I also saw a wild boar that was about 3ft long and looking agitated. I didn’t hang around for any pictures as that is not a safe situation. The place I normally hike has dinosaur tracks along the trail but they have been under water for a few months now. The park ranger told me about some cool Cretaceous period fossils on another trail I can try looking for so I plan to search for those next time I go hiking!

The final hiking surprise I received was that I found not 1, not 2, but 3 hagstones! I am super excited as in all of the previous areas I have lived, I have never been able to find one. I also found a few extremely large hagstones but I had no plans on hauling a huge rock home with 6 miles left on the trail. I will do a post about hagstones later as they represent a very interesting take on magic.

I am extremely close to hitting my goal of 100 books for the year (I aim for this goal every year and so far, for the last 3 years I have made it) and so I spent the rest of the evening reading and being cuddled by my sweet boys. And of course, I lit the 5th candle of my wreath!

From our altar to yours, with love from the sea,

This has been the most wonderful season of love and progress for me! I truly hope that everyone is experiencing blessings and joy this holiday season. Last night, while I was sitting and reading, for the first time in the 4 years since I adopted my little black cat, he walked over and sat on my lap for over an hour and a half.

This may not seem like a big deal for some, but Constantine is an ex street cat who wound up in a shelter before I adopted him. He is my most skittish cat and is the first to leave a room and the last to enter a room. When new people come, he is hidden away until after a few visits when he gets used to them. When you pet him, he wants it on his terms and often comes behind you so that you have to akwardly reach around to pet him. Picking him up is a huge no no because he tenses and then runs off. During this last week, not only has he started laying on his back, he is also letting me pet his belly! Although he does make awkward eye contact when I do…. I think it still leaves him nervous to do it but he is still willing.

So I will credit this season of growth for 2 priceless presents. My little baby boy now allows for belly rubs AND he willingly sat in my lap, not once, but twice in one night! All of my friends and everyone who knows him is so proud and happy for his progress!

Now! On to the 4th day of Yule! Honestly, I wanted to take time for myself again. I had a physical therapy appointment yesterday and it left me very sore. Crazy enough there was an appointment on Christmas Eve. I was just as surprised by the opening in their schedule as you probably are. I stayed up late following the Santa Tracker offered by NORAD.

For all of you who do not know the story behind NORAD, in 1955, at the height of Cold War tensions with the Soviet Union, U.S. Air Force General Harry Shoup at the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD)in Colorado received a call on a top-secret hotline. Bracing himself for news of a missile attack, the general instead heard the shaky voice of a young boy asking, “Are you really Santa Claus?” The number had been mistakenly published in the newspaper as a Sears Santa hotline.

Instead of reaching the Santa standing by at the Sears Toyland, the children of Colorado Springs had instead connected with one of America’s most sensitive military installations. Shoup called AT&T and said to give Sears that phone number and get them a new one, but in the meantime they had to have servicemen answer the calls.

When Shoup visited his troops on Christmas Eve to distribute cookies, he looked up at the three-story-tall map of the North American continent that dominated the operations center to see that someone had sketched Santa’s sleigh descending from the North Pole alongside the unidentified objects detected in American airspace. The idea for the Santa Tracker was born, on December 24, 1955. Shoup became known as the “Santa colonel,” a nickname he embraced with pride. Today, 1,500 NORAD troops and volunteers answer phone lines on Christmas Eve.

In the digital age, St. Nick’s real-time progress can be monitored on social media, on smartphones and tablets through the official app, and on the NORAD Tracks Santa website, which is available in eight languages. As of 2017, Amazon Echo users can ask Alexa for Santa’s whereabouts.

No matter what your religion, or even if you have kids, watching Santa traverse the globe and waiting for him to come to your city is a lot of fun! Santa visited my city at 12:41 in the morning my time! I even left him a plate of cookies and some booze! 😉 If you didn’t know about it for this year, this could be a super fun activity to do next year on Christmas Eve with friends and family!

So I slept in a bit, called my family, and spent much of the day reading and doing research throughout my herbal books for my cloves post. I burned more sandalwood incense (it’s one of my favorites!) and watched a new movie because I have been feeling like such a lazy witch as of late! I always watch witchy movies to help me get back in the swing! Today’s movie was Mary and the Witch’s Flower. I highly recommend for any witch out there. It is by Studio Ghibli so if you enjoyed Kiki’s Delivery Service, Howl’s Moving Castle, or Spirited Away, then you will enjoy this movie!

Partway through my magical movie, I received a visit from a little kitty cat outside! The sweet baby took the time to stare at me for a bit before moving on with his lovely night.

I had made a post earlier about cloves and their uses, including around this time of year. It inspired me to try my hand at the clove citrus decoration and I think it came out rather nice. Super simple and easy to do. My hands smelled so nice afterwards! I made the pattern simple and next year I might get a little more fancy. In the meantime, it is now an offering to Hekate for her Yule enjoyment!

And finally, I lit the 4th candle in my beautiful wreath to say goodnight to another day of growth, rest, and slowly but surely, additional sunlight!

From our altar to yours, with love from the sea,

Today is the 3rd day of Yule! I hope everyone has been having a wonderful holiday season so far! This morning I greeted the sun with the sun salutation again. With each passing day, the sun grows stronger and stays in the sky for just a little longer. Greeting the sun with an easy and light yoga sequence is a great healthy way to celebrate this time of year and welcome in each new day.

I also finished off the last of my Yule log and spent some time talking to friends and family who live afar. Unfortunately, since I have recently moved, I have very few people that I know living in the city I now reside in. But that is ok because everyone I love is just a phone call away!

Today I also redid my altar. It was feeling a little unseasonable, so I decided to spruce it up a bit! There are an infinite number of ways to decorate your altar! The Winter season adds a few extra inspirational pieces that make a great addition. You can use ribbon, seasonal incense, fake snow, garlands, pieces of your Yule log, tiny Yule trees, extra candles in Winter colors, pine cones and pine branches, holly, ivy, mistletoe, dried fruits, spices such as cinnamon or star anise, poinsettias, reindeer statues, ornaments, strings of lights, crystals, and even skulls. You can find tons of the items either outside or in your local craft store. The pine came from my Yule tree when I was trimming it and the juniper that she is holding came from one of my hikes. She has a dream jar with my dreams for the new year written down and a jar of wishes courtesy a dandelion I found once. There is also a happiness jar I made a while back behind Hekate. I left Hekate an offering stone wishing her a happy winter solstice on the 21st. On the first day of Yule, I left an offering of a garlic bulb. I haven’t talked too much about my sea witchiness but as you can tell, I decorate with shells and a blue pedestal cloth in honor of the ocean. I will get more in depth with water witching and Hekate in a future post!

I did partake of some of the holiday sales and I found 2 new ornaments for my tree! I have been watching them on Amazon for a while and I found them both together for cheaper AND 70% off. I felt super lucky today!

And of course we lit the 3rd candle on my Yule wreath!

To finish off the night, I would like to tell you two of my favorite stories of the season. These both are especially appropriate for Christmas Eve: The Christmas Spider and The Legend of the Yule Cat:

The legend of the Christmas spider began long ago in Germany. A mother was cleaning up for Christmas. Spiders fled up the attic to escape the broom. On Christmas Eve, the spiders slowly came down for a peek. “Oh, what a beautiful tree!” In excitement, they scurried up and out along each branch. They were filled with happiness as they climbed amongst the glittering beauty. But alas! By the time they were done, the tree was shrouded in their dusty grey web. When Santa came with gifts for the children and saw the tree covered with spider webs, he smiled because he saw how happy the spiders were, but knew how heartbroken the mother would be if she saw it covered in dusty webs. So he turned the webs to strands of silver and the tree was even more beautiful than before. And that is the story of tinsel on trees and why every tree should have a Christmas spider in its branches.

The Yule Cat, or Jólakötturinn, is a huge and vicious cat who lurks about the snowy countryside during Christmas time (Yule) and eats people who have not received any new clothes to wear before Christmas Eve. Sheep husbandry occupied an important place in the farm life of Icelanders, after the autumn shearing of sheep, all members of the family worked hard to process wool. As a rule, the work was completed just in time for Christmas time, and those who worked hard received a new thing to wear (and to sell). To encourage children to work, parents scared them with stories of the Yule Cat.

I am happy to say that not only did I receive clothing for Yule, I received the most amazing pair of socks with a picture of my own cat’s grumpy face on them! Although his face doesn’t look as grumpy in the original picture, I guess it doesn’t translate well to knit-wear! Either way, I got socks and dodged the Yule Cat this year!

From our altar to yours, with love from the sea,

From our altar to yours, with love from the sea,

Animals: goats, pigs, squirrel, stag, wolf, robin

Mythological: Angels, Krampus, phoenix, gnomes, elves

Drink: Mulled cider/ wine, mead, Wassail, ginger tea, eggnog, beer

Food: Sweets, boar, fruits, nuts, cookies, goat meat, caraway cakes, turkey, lamb, roasted apples, breads, cream, soups

Colors: Red, green, gold, silver, white, blue

Gods: Horus, Osiris, Attis, Krishna, Zoroaster, Mithra, Heracles, Dionysus/ Bacchus, Tammuz, Adonis, Hermes, Prometheus, Yule, Baal, Nimrod, Ra, Balder, Balor, Frey, Holly/ Oak King, Jesus, Odin, Saturn, Thor, Apollo, Cronos, Lugh, Green Man, Horned God, Cernunnos, Thrym

Goddesses: Frigga, La Befana, Sol, Strenua, Sunna, Bridhid, Demeter, Diana, Freya, Gaea, Hertha, Isis, Hathor, Hecate, Neith, Athene, Minerva

Gemstones: Emerald, bloodstone, diamond, ruby, calcite (orange), citrine, garnet, alexandrite, blue topaz, cats eye, clear quartz, serpentine, peridot, tiger’s eye, rose quartz

Incense: Bayberry, cedar, cinnamon, clove, frankincense, myrrh, pine, sandalwood, spruce, pine, cedar, sage, rose geranium, lilac, ginger, nutmeg

Plants: Holly, evergreen, nutmeg, mistletoe, frankincense, myrrh, rosemary, sage, poinsettia, white Christmas rose, balsam, fir, English ivy, oak, palm rushes, pine, pinecones, poinsettias, wintergreen, laurel, bayberry, sage, oak, winter jasmine, Mahonia, cinnamon, cedar, cloves, ginger, saffron, valerian, wintergreen, evergreens

Symbols: Bonfires, candles, caroling, coal, evergreens, fire garlands, gifts, lights, mistletoe, oil lamps, ornaments, poinsettias, reindeer, Santa, sleigh, stars, stockings, sun wheel, trees, wreaths, Yule log, bells, snow, wreaths, sun

Magickal Energies: Alchemy, spiritual paths, new goals, new ideas, dreams, hopes, projects, reflection, beginnings, birth, daylight, death, divination, feasting, fertility, good health, good luck, growth, honor, hunting, illumination, incorruptibility, life, life cycle, light, luck, miracles, new year, purity, rebirth, resurrection, return, sacrifice, sun

From our altar to yours, with love from the sea,

Yule Fire Spell: On the darkest night of the year, gather together 3 dries leaves of holly and pulverize them into powder. On a clean 4×4 inch piece of paper, write a single word in red ink that represents what quality you would like to be born within yourself along with the newborn Yule Sun. Sprinkly the holly powder into the center of the paper, twist the whole thing closed with the holly powder inside. Light the wick of a red candle, and from this flame, light the holly filled paper on fire. As it burns, see your wish fulfilled. The spell is done.

Kiss beneath the Mistletoe: In Northern Europe the Druids, priests of the ancient Celts, decorated their temples with evergreens which were a symbol of everlasting life. To the Celts, mistletoe was known as the ‘Golden Bough,’ ‘Holy Wood,’ and ‘All Heal’ showing their veneration of this plant.

Winter spells often draw upon the ancient Druidic rites that surround mistletoe. Druid beliefs regarding mistletoe varied from Norse myths understanding mistletoe magic, but the plant always featured heavily in the Winter Solstice rites. The Druids considered mistletoe to be the most holy of plants. Growing high in the treetops, the plant was believed by Druids to contain the essence of a powerful sky god whose energy they sought to harness for spells and rituals. In winter, they would search for it hanging from the sacred oaks to use in their rites. Suspended in the air between heaven and earth, the white berries were thought to be the semen drops of the Oak King, ruler of the summer months. From this associating, mistletoe became linked with fertility and love.

To fully utilize this magic, they cut the mistletoe and suspended it, never allowing it to touch the ground until the appointed hour. The earth represented the mother in whose womb the sky god’s spark would grow into longer days, starting a new cycle. Kissing beneath the mistletoe symbolizes the sexual energy that activates the plant’s magic. It is believed that kissing would keep true lovers together. The mistletoe had to be burned on after the 12^th night or courting couples who kissed under it would never marry.

Light a candle to welcome the warmth of the sun: Many of the customs surrounding the Winter Solstice involve honoring the return of the sun and celebrating the birth of the Sun King or Oak king in Celtic circles. Find a moment of solitude to welcome back the sun. Set the atmosphere for your private Winter Solstice ritual by darkening a room in your home and kneeling at a small table where you have placed a red candle. Light the candle and reflect on all the things that you hope for the New Year, and visualize the sun rising up out of the darkness to position high above the earth.

Another way to do it is from the beginning of the month, count down the days to Solstice with the simple ritual of lighting an additional candle each night. Light one candle a day and let it burn out that day. Adding essential oils with your intentions for the new year coming or burning intentions each night will help them come true.

Iceland starts celebrating 4 Sundays before December 24^th. The celebrations end on January 6^th. Icelanders light 4 candles, one on each Sunday until the 24^th.

The Feast of Fools: The ancient Yule rituals still predominate today. The Lord of Misrule, who originated in the wild Roman Suturnalia festivals (that ended on the Winter Solstice) presided over a time of chaos, which is still echoed in some of today’s parties. Normal behavior is replaced by people acting like the fool. Yule has always been a time of feasting and plenty, hopefully setting the pattern of abundance for the year to come.

In Austria, the Feast of St. Nicholas on December 5^th marks the beginning of Christmas.

Gifts: Gift giving is a popular tradition during this festive time. Gift giving originated for the people of the Roman Empire to give tribute to the emperor which became localized to every family.

Thor, Odin, and St. Nicholas also follow a tradition of a visitor bringing gifts at night. Sleipnir, Odin’s flying 8 legged horse that was birthed by Loki, carried Odin from house to house and it was his hooves you heard on your roof top.

Children were also escorted from 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 symbols 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 spirits 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 the 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.

Edible Tree Ornaments: A little less traditional although still very fun! Making an edible birdseed craft can help many animals make it through the long winter. As you watch them eat, try taking pictures, or draw sketches of the birds that are in your backyard.

Hang Stockings: Children in Spain leave their shoes on their balcony in hopes that the Three Kings will fill them with treats and small toys. Similarly, in Nordic and Germanic countries, Odin would come in the night and fill their shoes with small treats and toys.

From our altar to yours, with love from the sea,

There are so many activities you can do throughout the month of December. I love this time of year. I spent over 5 years in the desert and now that I am somewhere that has seasons and actually drops below 70 degrees, I am even more excited to celebrate! How exciting is that?! I won’t get a white Christmas here because I was told the last snow we had was 4 years ago and it was gone by the time work let out. Despite my lack of snowmen, there are a plethora of other activities I can participate in; crafts and feasts and gatherings just to name a few.

Sunset Gathering: On the eve of the Winter Solstice, gather with friends and family and watch the sun set for the last time under the rulership of the Holly King. Then invite everyone home and light the Yule log. Sit everyone down around the fire and let people tell their hopes and dreams for the following year. You can also make a hot punch with plenty of spices and apples, and even alcohol, then drink together from a communal cup- traditionally called the wassail bowl. Your gathering may wish to spread their good cheer and visit your neighbors with gifts of food, to share the festivities of Yuletide in this very traditional way.

In El Salvador, children celebrate the season by playing with firecrackers and sparklers.

Sunrise Gathering: Just the opposite, Wiccans sometimes celebrate Yule just before dawn, then watch the sun rise as a fitting finale to their efforts

Wassailing: Wassailing is an English folk custom. The term refers to the practice of singing to trees in apple orchards in cider producing regions of England and other fruit and nut bearing tress. Oftentimes, an alcoholic cider is drunk while this is being done and is shared with the trees as well. By pouring some of the alcoholic cider on the roots of the orchard trees, it was thought to keep the trees fertile and reproducing year after year.

Yule Log: I’m sure everyone has heard of this one by now! Especially with it becoming more popular as a cake in these modern times. The Yule log is the dead stock of Nimrod, deified as the sun god but cut down by his enemies; the Christmas tree is Nimrod redivivus- the slain god come to life again. The Yule log symbolizes the revival of the sun and celebration of our Sun King. Communities of old gathered around the Yule log to celebrate the birth of the son of the Goddess, Mabon, the Star child; this son would become the Sun God representing the return of light, and within a few days the nights would begin to shorten. When we light the candles, we embrace our hopes that winter’s end is near as we ask for blessings upon our homes and loved ones.

Yule is the Scandinavian sex and fertility god. The log is a phallic symbol and is lit on fire for 12 days. On each of these nights a human or animal sacrifice is offered in the fire. Wild, delirious reveling accompanied the daily sacrifices as drunken participants strived to make contact with spirits. This is where the 12 days of Christmas comes from.

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 in cider or ale, and dusted with flour before set ablaze by a piece of last years log (held onto for just this purpose). It is often the center of the celebration. All light and power is extinguished just before midnight. They would burn throughout the night, then smolder for 12 days after before being ceremonially put out. Another version is 12 hours.

The Yule log was traditionally cut from oak, because of its connections with the Oak King of summer. It burns slowly and with great heat, redolent of the sun. Upon acquiring your piece of wood of 18”, preferably oak, drill 3 holes in the top of the log. Then wedge 3 red candles into these holes in the log. Decorate the log with holly, ivy, and mistletoe, pinecones, pine needles, dried berries such as cranberries, ivy, feathers, cinnamon sticks, festive ribbon, and finally light the 3 candles to welcome the rebirth of the Sun King. When the season’s festivities come to an end, keep you log to use for next year’s Winter Solstice.

Different types of wood are associated with various magical and spiritual properties; logs from different types of trees might be burned to get a variety of effects. Aspen is the wood of choice for spiritual understanding, while the mighty oak is symbolic of strength and wisdom and is the wood of choice. A family hoping for a year of prosperity might burn a log of pine, while a couple hoping to be blessed with fertility would drag a bough of birth to their hearth. Ash is also a 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.

Nowadays, the Yule log is generally a cake. Red candles area a traditional accompaniment to the Yule cake, representing the hearth flames. These were eventually integrated into the decoration of the Christmas tree, which in turn have become the tree lights known today.

Yule/ Saturnalia Tree: The Yule log was later replaced by the Yule tree but instead of burning it, candles were lit on it. The tree is the symbol of life and the cosmos (The World Tree), lights are the light over darkness, fruit decorations are bringing in what we want/ wishes of fertility, and the tree is made sanctuary to the “little people.” The modern “Christmas tree” originated in Germany. But the Germans got it from the Romans, who got it from the Babylonians and the Egyptians. An old Babylonian fable told of an evergreen tree which sprang out of a dead tree stump. The old stump symbolized the dead Nimrod, the new evergreen tree symbolized that Nimrod had come to life again in Tammuz. Among the Druids, the oak was sacred, among the Egyptians, it was the palm, and in Rome, it was the fir, which was decorated with red berries during the Saturnalia.

Christianity does not tolerate the Yule tree despite having a “Christmas tree” per Jeremiah 10:2-4 which states “Thus said the Lord, learn not the ways of the heathen, and do not be struck with terror even at the signs of the heavens because the heathens are struck with terror at them. For the customs of the people are just an exaltation, vain and worthless; for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the craftsman, with the axe and chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold to beautify it; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.”

The early Christians discouraged the use of evergreen decorations in Christian homes because their display had long been associated with heathen festivals. The Christ-mass tree is the solar serpent tree damned in Genesis 3. The solar serpent is represented in reliefs from ancient Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and India. Ribbon draped around the tree looked too much like the solar serpent (enlightenment serpent) coiled around the Bodhi tree. The star which we believe is placed on top of the Christ-mass tree is not a star but a sun burst representing the sun god which represented his worship. The sun burst is not new and can be seen everywhere sun worship is practiced.

Some of the first records of Christmas trees appear in the 15^th century. Since then, they have become common in homes and public places. Some families even have 2, one in the garden, one in the house. People put all types of decorations on the trees, including lights, balls, tinsel, and popcorn.

Yule Goat: The goat, a symbol of Thor, became a symbol of Yule and a customary sacrifice. This is perhaps referring to the myth in which Thor could slaughter his goats and then revive them the day after with a blow from his hammer; a symbol of resurrection.

The Yule goat or Julbock is a pagan Yule symbol most often represented by a straw figurine of a goat, traditionally made from the last grain of the harvest, bundled in red ribbons and kept as a token of hope for the New Year.

The Thor-based Yule Goat symbolism may have also persisted in Germanic lore. Krampus is another goat character who goes around with Santa punishing bad children.

Yule Wreath: Holly and mistletoe were used in fertility rites to ensure the coming of spring. Red holly berries represent the life blood of the female, while white mistletoe berries represent drops of male semen. The Yule’s holly wreath also referred to the wheel of the year as Yule means ‘wheel.’ Cypress and laurel wreaths decked the halls of the city of Rome lending their scents to the pre-Saturnalia frenzy. Only with this one, I urge you to be VERY careful if you have pets!

Most of the plants decorating and associated with Yule/ winter holidays are very toxic to animals and lots of animals get very sick around this time of year due to ingesting them. All of the holly plant is toxic to animals and children who tend to put them (especially the berries) in their mouth. Mistletoe can cause severe G.I issues in children and is very poisonous to animals. Many dogs die every year from ingesting it. Poinsettias are a very lovely plant that you can find in abundance around this time of year but, while not toxic to humans (you would need to eat a LOT of the leaves to have an affect), it IS highly toxic to dogs and cats. And finally, the Christmas rose, which, when eaten, causes burning sensations in the mouth and throat, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, depression, and a slow heartbeat.

What will your family be doing this Yuletide season?

From our altar to yours, with love from the sea,

The Winter Solstice, which marks the longest night and the subsequent lengthening of days, is different from Yule, which hails the rebirth of the Sun. The origin of the word Yule comes from the Old Norse word jól, a pagan festival celebrated at the Winter Solstice. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year with the shortest amount of sunlight and the longest night, that being the exact opposite of the Summer Solstice. The Winter Solstice is a term to describe a specific astronomical alignment. It is the longest night of the year and usually celebrated on 21 or 22 December. Yule, on the other hand, is a religious celebration with many spiritual traditions. The date of this sabbat varies from December 20 to December 23 depending on the year in the Gregorian calendar.  This year, Yule will begin on 22 December and run until 2 January so adjust yourself accordingly!

Yule is when the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half. In old almanacs, Yule was represented by the symbol of a wheel, conveying the idea of the year returning like a wheel, The Great Wheel of the Zodiac, The Wheel of Life. It is celebrating the rebirth of the sun which is the promise of spring and life even on this, the darkest day. It marks the beginning of the new solar year and ending of the old. Starting the next morning at sunrise, the sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day. Known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, much celebration was to be had at this time knowing that the sun would be returning again.

The world is frozen at Winter Solstice and, in nature, little is happening on the surface. Deep in the earth, roots are quietly putting out shoots, building up the resources for the great push towards life when the weather warms in spring. This is the season of rebirth and many religions celebrate the birth of a Sun King.

Yule or Yuletide (“Yule time” or “Yule season”) is a festival historically observed by the Germanic peoples. Scholars have connected the original celebrations of Yule to the Wild Hunt, the god Odin. Some consider this the New Year instead of Samhain. Bonfires were lit in the fields and crops and trees were “wassailed” with toasts of spiced cider. The burning of the Yule log was meant to give the sun strength. The Roman festival of the Solstice was Saturnalia, which lasted from December 17^th until the 24^th was their version of this festival.

New Year celebrations are rooted in the Winter Solstice, which marks the longest night and the subsequent lengthening of days, while Yule hails the rebirth of the sun. After the Norse brought Yule into prominence, it nearly replaces Samhain as the date of the New Year, and many modern Celtic covens still honor Yule this way. Trees were strung with flaming torches to encourage the sun’s return and rich foods were eaten with a view to abundance in the year ahead. These festivities set the tone for winter magic, which is performed with intent of long lasting effects for the next 12 months.

The ancient season of Yule is a time of both reflection and celebration, a time to connect in a relational way with one’s own inner wisdom and with the people that surrounded them. Many different cultures from the Nordic Vikings to the Celtic Druids, Egyptians to the Hopi ritualized this sacred time to promote spiritual unity and atonement.

The winter is an excellent time to review your life goals and to focus on your dreams with the help of a little magic. It is a time for reflections, resolutions, and renewal. In the depths of winter when sunlight hours diminish and the nights seem endless, the power of magic to restore your spirits is much needed. Spells can boost your energy levels, attract new blessings, strengthen your relationships, and assist in creating positive change in your life. Many traditions that you take advantage of such a decorating a Christmas tree and leaving out your stockings have their origins in winter magic.

Many of the customs you may observe at Christmas are rooted in pagan ritual. Later departing from its pagan roots, Yule underwent Christian reformulation resulting in the term Christmastide or Christmastime. Many present-day Christmas customs and traditions stem from pagan Yule traditions. Evergreens, for example, have always been brought indoors at Yuletide to symbolize everlasting life. This ritual survives in the traditional Christmas tree. Other aspects of the festivities, such as kissing under the mistletoe, giving presents, and stockings also hark back to ancient beliefs.

The ideas, dreams, and visions you begin to connect with at Samhain can now be born. They will grow in power and strength- in parallel with the waxing of the sun’s strength and nurturing warmth as it begins its journey towards the Summer Solstice. In Wiccan lore, the power of the Holly King is at its maximum but the summer Oak King has been born. He will gain in ascendancy from this point on, showing that the Wheel of the Year always turns.

The Story of the Holly King and the Oak King: On the Winter Solstice the Triple Goddess gives birth to the son of light known as the Oak King. People celebrate on Yule at his birth as the sun will now start waxing. After the Goddess gives birth to the Oak King she dies and descends to the underworld. In spring Imbolc, the Oak King brings back the Goddess and she is reborn, she is maiden in her Triple Goddess aspect. She flirts with the growing sun god the Oak King.  On Ostara the Goddess and the Oak King become lovers, the earth starts to grow and bloom at their reunion and the Oak King grows more powerful. On Beltane the Goddess and the Oak King will marry and are deeply in love. On Litha (Summer Solstice) the Goddess is heavily pregnant and becomes the mother of her Triple aspect.

The sun god, after fertilizing the earth and shining so brightly for so long, is now weakened. There is to be a major battle as the Holly King (the Lord of the Dark Sun) is rising from the underworld. As the Holly King rises the Oak King, weakened, starts to lose his power. In the following weeks there is a major battle where the holly King will kill the Oak King and ascend as the new Sun King and sun starts to wane. On Lughnasadh it is the final days on earth for the Oak King as he descends into the underworld (the Goddesses womb) and the dark lord, the Holly King, takes over the skies. The Goddess gives birth to the harvest. On Mabon the Goddess is still giving birth to crops and the earthly fruits. On Samhain the Triple Goddess, after giving birth, is now in her crone aspect of her Triple Goddess phase, in such sadness at the loss of her husband, the Goddess opens up the gates of the underworld to see her beloved, making the veil between the two worlds thin so spirits can communicate with lost loves once more. The Holly King sees this and closes the gates. Seeing the Goddess weak, the Holly King tries to mate with her, but she battles him. She longs to see her beloved husband again. So with her last ounce of strength on Yule, she gives birth to the Oak King once more, the child of light is so strong that he knocks the Holly King back into the Underworld, but because the Goddess was so weak she also dies. She is reborn again as the maiden aspect of the Triple Goddess on Imbolc, thus continuing the never ending cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. That is why at this time fires are lit to give strength to the sun and to encourage it to return.

From our altar to yours, with love from the sea,