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| | From:  LustreofHope (Original Message) | Sent: 10/29/2007 4:12 AM |
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Yule Lore (December 21st)
Yule, (pronounced EWE-elle) is when the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half. 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 as the ancestors awaited the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King, the Giver of Life that warmed the frozen Earth and made her to bear forth from seeds protected through the fall and winter in her womb. Bonfires were lit in the fields, and crops and trees were "wassailed" with toasts of spiced cider.
Children were 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 symbolic of immortality, the wheat stalks portrayed the harvest, and the flour was accomplishment of triumph, light, and life. Holly, mistletoe, and ivy not only decorated the outside, but also the inside of homes. It was to extend invitation to Nature Sprites to 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 pay visit to the residents. The ceremonial Yule log was the highlight of the 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 be 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. Deities of Yule are 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.
--Adapted by Akasha Ap Emrys For all her friends and those of like mind--
Copyright © 1997-99 Akasha, Herne and The Celtic Connection wicca.com. All rights reserved
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YULE
(Circa December 21)
Also Known as:
Midwinter Winter Rite
Alban Arthan Winter Solstice
This holiday is celebrated annually on the First Day of Winter which falls between December 20-23. This does, however, vary according to when the Solstice occurs astronomically. We gather together with friends and feast, drink cider and make our own heat when the Earth is providing none.
This is also the longest night of the year, the turning point when the day begins to grow longer and Winter begins its passage to the coming Spring. It is the time when the Goddess gives birth to the Divine Sun who shall soon be her lover and father to the child in the next cycle.
The Pagan Winter Solstice is a time of feasting and exchanging gifts. It is a time when we celebrate together, finding thanks in how far through Winter we have come, and how we can now look forward to longer and warmer days. We know that we still have some of the coldest days and nights of the year to come, but we rest assured that we have been blessed by the Gods and the Goddesses with an abundance of love and the things we need.
Traditional Ritual Herbs
Juniper
Chamomile
Pinecones
Bayberry
Mistletoe
Evergreen
Roesmary
Blessed Thistle
Moss
Frankincense
Sage
Cedar
Oak
Holly
Atlar Decorations:
Holly
Strings of coloured lights
Mistletoe
Kriss Kringle shaped Candle
A small Yule Log
Presents in colourful packages
Yule/Christmas Cards A homemade wreath
Traditional Incense:
Bayberry
Pine
Cedar
Rosemary
Gemstones or Jewels:
Cat's Eye and Rubies
Sabbat Deities:
Lucina (Roman goddess of Lunar Mysteries)
Frey (Scandanavian God of Fertility)
Attis (Phrygian Fertility god)
Dionysus (Greek God of Wine)
Woden (Chief Teutonic God)
Kriss Kringle (Pagan god of Yule )
Candle Colours:
Gold
Green
Red
Silver
Foods:
Roast Turkey
Fruitcakes
Nuts
Caraway Rolls
Eggnog
Mulled Wine
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| Yule - The Midwinter Festival |  | | What was Yule? Yule, or Jol, was the name of the midwinter festival of the pagan Norse and Teutonic people of northern Europe. From the 8th century onwards, as the Norwegians settled in Orkney and Shetland, they carried their Yule festival with them. And they were celebrated for centuries. In the Northern Isles, Yule lasted about a month - a period referred to as "the Yules" or "atween the Yules". Using our calendar, this began somewhere around December 20 and ended on January 13. The dates from the surviving sources vary, however. In earlier days, for example, it is inferred that the Yule festivities started on the eve of December 12 - Maunsmass E'en, the eve of the feast day of St Magnus. Even the duration of the festivities varies according to recorded accounts, and which period they date from. One, for example, states that, although some people feasted for 12 days after Yule day, it was known for others to continue right up to the 24th night. However long the celebrations lasted, we know that feasts and parties were commonplace throughout, with fiddling, dancing and drinking going on late into each night. Within this section, I have separated various Yule traditions into manageable chunks, each dealing with individual elements of the festival. Readers should remember that some of these traditions were not necessarily universal and may only have been found in certain localities. Along the same lines, there were undoubtedly other traditions that have long since been lost. Bonfire celebrations In Orkney, one of the few things we know with certainty is that Yule was one of the four great fire festivals of the year. At Beltane, Midsummer, Hallowmass and Yule, massive communal fires were lit on hilltops across the islands. Yule greenery A widespread Yule tradition, and one that persists in our Christmas festivities today, was the decoration of the house with greenery. There are no surviving records of this taking place in Orkney and, given our lack of trees and suitable greenery, was probably left out. It may be that the tradition of dressing the house was so common that the early writers did not consider it 'remarkable' enough to record - but I doubt it. | |
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Yule Yule Factsheet -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Winter Solstice, on or around December 21st (Northern Hemisphere). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lore: Yule is when the God is born to the Goddess. It is the longest night of the year, and afterward the days get longer and longer until midsummmer (Litha). Most Pagans believe in reincarnation, so the God is not really "born" at this time; He is simply returning from being recycled. The Goddess sleeps at this time after Her birthing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Special Time:This is a time to celebrate the light as well as to revere the night (as it is the longest night of the year). We accept both sides of our nature. We honor the God, who has been reborn, and it is a reminder of rebirth and continuing recycling. Yule is a time to honor the Mother and all mothers and to call back the light of the Sun. The old year is banished and the new year is begun. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Activities:Many people have a Yule tree, a Yule log, or both. The Yule Tree is often lit up with candles on Yule, and the log is decorated and later burned. It is customary to exchange Yule gifts and to make wreaths, and to hang mistletoe over doorways. The altar and other areas of the house can be decorated with holly, mistletoe, evergreen, pine cones, ivy, berries, and ribbons. Also, holly and mistletoe represent different things: Holly is representative of the "holly king," the king of the waning or old year, and the mistletoe is representative of the "oak king," the king of the waxing or new year. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Yule season:
Yule Herbs
Ash, bay, chamomile, frankincense, hazel, holly, juniper, milk thistle, mistletoe, oak, pine, pine cones, rosemary, sage, sandalwood, walnuts Yule Incense
Bayberry
Pine
Cedar
Rosemary
Juniper Yule Colors
Red
Green
White
Silver
Gold Yule Decorations
Yule log (oak or pine)
Mistletoe
Wreaths
Strings of dried flowers and cinnamon sticks
Apples
Oranges
Yule tree
Holly
Lights Yule Foods
Nuts
Apples
Oranges
Caraway rolls
Mulled wine
Gingerbread men cookies
Roast turkey
Yule Cookies
Pears
Pork
Wassail
Eggnog
White grape juice
Honey cakes Yule Sacred Gemstones
Cat’s eye
Ruby Spellwork appropriate for Yule
Harmonious future
Peace
Tolerance
Respect
Love
Unity |
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Yule Ritual and Other Information
HERBS
Sun plants like mistletoe, balsam, and fir, and also any dried herbs
from Summer, are predominant this time of year because they contain
light and warmth. On Yule, when witches decorate their houses, they
do so from the doorway inward, this inviting the light inside. We
adorn doorways and mantles with evergreen boughs, bunches of dried
summer herbs and Witches cords in reds, blacks, greens, and golds.
Our ancient ancestors brought an evergreen tree inside to mystically
ensure there would be light all year round. The evergreen retains
sunlight, staying green all year, and reminds us that life is forever
present and renewable. Other Yule herbs, plants, flowers and seeds:
holly, mistletoe, pine cones, pine needles, oak leaves, Yule log
ashes, fir, birch, hazel bark, sandalwood, ivy, comfrey, elder,
cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, chamomile, sunflower, frankincense, myrrh,
wintergreen, apple leaf, dried apple
OILS
Carnation, cedar, spruce, pine, rose, cinnamon, bayberry
MAGICKAL STONES
clear quartz, jet, ruby, diamond, garnet, alexandrite, kunzite,
citrine, green tourmaline, blue topaz, pearls
PREPARING YOUR ALTAR
Candles: red, green, white, gold, silver
Incense: bayberry, pine, spruce, pine, spice, cedar, cinnamon
Decorate circle with holly, mistletoe, ivy, pine, pine cones, a Yule
Log, and place ash twigs in the cauldron (to burn for prosperity).
The Holly King and the Oak King
They fight for power every year at Yule and Midsummer.
The Holly King and the Oak King are part of Celtic mythology, and
they represent two sides to the Greenman, or Horned God.
They battle twice a year, once at Yule and once at Midsummer (Litha)
to see who would rule over the next half of the year. At Yule, the
Oak King wins and at Litha, the Holly King is victorious. In other
words, the Oak King rules over the lighter half of the year, and the
Holly King over the darker half. The change from one to the other is
a common theme for rituals at Yule, and also at Midsummer.
Another version of the Holly King and Oak King symbolism, is that
they do not directly switch places twice a year, but rather both live
simultaneously. The Oak King is born at Yule, and his strength grows
through the spring, peaks at Beltane and then he weakens and dies at
Samhain. The Holly King lives a reverse existence, and is born at
Midsummer, waxes more powerful through the summer and fall, to his
peak at Samhain. His influence then lessens until Beltane, when it is
his turn to pass away. In this perspective, the two Kings enjoy a
more intricate interplay of power and is perhaps a better
illustration of their duality. At any given time, they both exist but
have varying levels of influence throughout the year.
Either way, each King represents different ideas. The time of the Oak
King is for growth, development, healing, and new projects. The Holly
King's time is for rest, reflection, and learning.
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Yule - Winter Solstice
Yule: the Winter Solstice, Yuletide (Teutonic), Alban Arthan (Caledonii)
December 20 - 23 Northern Hemisphere / June 20 - 23 Southern Hemisphere
This sabbath represents the rebirth of light. Here, on the longest night of the year, the Goddess gives birth to the Sun God and hope for new light is reborn.
Yule is a time of awakening to new goals and leaving old regrets behind. Yule coincides closely with the Christian Christmas celebration. Christmas was once a movable feast celebrated many different times during the year. The choice of December 25 was made by the Pope Julius I in the fourth century AD because this coincided with the pagan rituals of Winter Solstice, or Return of the Sun. The intent was to replace the pagan celebration with the Christian one.
The Christian tradition of a Christmas tree has its origins in the Pagan Yule celebration. Pagan families would bring a live tree into the home so the wood spirits would have a place to keep warm during the cold winter months. Bells were hung in the limbs so you could tell when a spirit was present.
Food and treats were hung on the branches for the spirits to eat and a five-pointed star, the pentagram, symbol of the five elements, was placed atop the tree.
The colors of the season, red and green, also are of Pagan origin, as is the custom of exchanging gifts.
A solar festival, The reindeer stag is also a reminder of the Horned God. You will find that many traditional Christmas decorations have some type of Pagan ancestry or significance that can be added to your Yule holiday. Yule is celebrated by fire and the use of a Yule log. Many enjoy the practice of lighting the Yule Log. If you choose to burn one, select a proper log of oak or pine (never Elder). Carve or chalk upon it a figure of the Sun (a rayed disc) or the Horned God (a horned circle). Set it alight in the fireplace at dusk, on Yule. This is a graphic representation of the rebirth of the God within the sacred fire of the Mother Goddess. As the log burns, visualize the Sun shining within it and think of the coming warmer days. Traditionally, a portion of the Yule Log is saved to be used in lighting next year's log. This piece is kept throughout the year to protect the home.
The Winter Solstice has been celebrated for millennia by cultures and religions all over the world. Many modern pagan religions are descended in spirit from the ancient pre-Christian religions of Europe and the British Isles, and honor the divine as manifest in nature, the turning of the seasons, and the powerfully cyclical nature of life.
Most pagan religions are polytheistic, honoring both male and female deities, which are seen by some as two aspects of one non-gendered god, by others as two separate by complementing beings, and by others as entire pantheons of gods and goddesses.
It is common for the male god(s) to be represented in the sun, the stars, in summer grain, and in the wild animals and places of the earth. The stag is a powerful representation of the male god, who is often called “the horned god.�?BR>The Goddess is most often represented in the earth as a planet, the moon, the oceans, and in the domestic animals and the cultivated areas of the earth.
In many pagan traditions the Winter Solstice symbolizes the rebirth of the sun god from his mother, the earth goddess.
The Winter Solstice is only one of eight seasonal holidays celebrated by modern pagans.
One example of a Winter Solstice reading:
This is the night of the Solstice, the longest night of the year. Now darkness triumphs, yet gives way and changes into light. The breath of Nature is suspended: all waits while within the Cauldron, the Dark King is transformed into the infant light. We watch for the coming of Dawn, when the great Mother again gives birth to the Divine child Sun, who is bringer of hope and the promise of summer. This is the stillness behind motion, when time itself stops; the center, which is also the circumference of all. We are awake in the Night. We turn the Wheel to bring the Light. We call the sun from the womb of night.
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