White Fox, Black Jackal

iheartpaganism:

Yule, (pronounced EWE-elle) is the second holiday in the pagan calendar, 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. It is the time when it is the rebirth of the light, the sun, when the Goddess gives birth to the Divine Child of Promise. His is the promise of summer and the return of the sun. Bonfires were lit in the fields, and crops and trees were “wassailed” with toasts of spiced cider.

One of the four minor Sabbats, Yule celebrates the rebirth of the Sun, the Sun God, and honors the Horned God. Yule is the longest night of the year, when balance is suspended and then gives way to the coming light. It is a time to look on the past year’s achievements and to celebrate with family and friends. In ancient times, the Winter Solstice corresponded with the Roman Saturnalia (Dec. 17-24), pagan fertility rites, and various rites of Sun worship. This day is the official first day of winter. The Goddess gives birth to the Sun Child and hope for new light is born. The origins of most of the Christian Christmas traditions come from the Pagan Yule celebration, such as the Christmas tree, the colors red and green and gift giving. Yule is also known as the Winter Solstice, Midwinter, Alban Arthan, Finn’s Day, Festival of Sol, Yuletide, Great Day of the Cauldron, and Festival of Growth.

It is the time of year when the Earth (wood) spirits are encouraged to rest, in preparation for all the hard work ahead of them to replenish the Earth with the fresh blooms of new life, the forthcoming of spring. Celebrations were held in honor of the wood spirits. Trees were brought into the homes, and decorated with bells, candles and brightly colored threads to attract the spirits. Bread, fruit and nuts were hung from the branches to provide food for the spirits. Group singing (caroling) was also a way of guiding the spirits towards the shelter of the homes and Yule logs were lit to provide warmth. This festival has been adapted since its earlier Pagan origin to be known as the more popular festival Christmas.

In early human civilization, as the days grew colder and the nights grew longer and darker, candles and fires were lit to lure back the sun. At this “time of darkness”, while the Earth was sleeping, many did not survive. Winter was a time of death and stagnation. Shelter was drafty, disease was common and food was scarce. The night of the sun’s “rebirth” was celebrated with much joy. From this day forward, the days would become longer. Even though the cold and darkness still prevailed, hope was renewed and the people began to look forward to the warmth of summer.

Yule was not celebrated in early Celtic traditions. It was brought to Britain by the invading Saxons who viewed Yule as the “turning time”. Yule literally means “wheel” in Old Norse. Because the symbolism of the wheel was so important to this Sabbat, it became a day sacred to Goddesses of the spinning wheel. Wreaths were a popular representation of the endless cycle…the Wheel of the Year.

Evergreens were sacred to the Celts because they did not “die” thereby representing the eternal aspect of the goddess. Mistletoe represented the seed of the God, and at Midwinter, the Druids are said to have gone deep into the forest to harvest the mistletoe. They cut the mistletoe with a golden sickle and caught it in a white cloth for it was not to touch the ground in deference of its sacredness.

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 relatively modern tradition of decorating the Christmas tree is a custom that evolved from the silver fir and pine groves associated with the Great Mother Goddess. The lights and ornaments hung on the tree as decoration are actually symbols of the Sun, Moon, and Stars as they appear in the Cosmic Tree of Life. They also represent departed souls who are remembered at the end of the year. Sacred presents (which evolved into modern day Christmas gifts) were also hung on the tree as offerings to various deities such as Dionysus.

There is an ancient Egyptian ritual involving Isis and Osiris, and his brother/enemy Set, who kills Osiris and is driven away by the shaking of Isis’ sistrum, to bring about Osiris’ rebirth. For the festival, people decorated the outside of their houses with oil-lamps that burned all night. At midnight, the priests emerged from an inner shrine crying, “The Virgin has brought forth! The light is waxing!” and showing the image of a baby to the worshipers. Osiris and Horus, his son/other-self, represent at the same time the solar and vegetation God-aspects; Horus is both the Sun reborn (the Greeks identified him with Apollo) and “Lord of the Crops”. The lamps burning all night on the eve on Midwinter survive, in Ireland and elsewhere, as the single candle burning in the window on Christmas Eve, lit by the youngest in the house, and as the modern lights that are strung on the outside of houses.

Placing cakes in the boughs of the oldest apple trees in the orchard and pouring on cider, as a libation was an old pagan Yuletide custom practiced in England, and known as “Wassailing the Orchard Trees”. It was said that the cider was a substitute for the human or animal blood offered in primitive times as part of a Winter Solstice Fertility Rite. After offering a toast to the health of the apple trees and giving thanks to them for producing fruit, the farmers would then enjoin the trees continue producing abundance.

Holly King/Oak King

We celebrate the light overcoming the dark, as the two are brothers, rivals or the flip sides of the same coin. The Oak King rules from midwinter until midsummer, and the Holly King rules from midsummer until midwinter. Every year at Yule, the Oak King cuts off the Holly King’s head and rules for six months until midsummer, when the Holly King kills the Oak King and the cycle begins again. You can see the vestiges of the myth in the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Janet and Stewart Farrar devote a whole chapter to these two in their book The Witches’ God.

For pagans this is the time to celebrate the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King or the Giver of Life that warms the frozen Earthmother and aids her to bring forth from seeds that have been protected through the fall and winter in her womb. From this day forward the sun will remain in the sky longer each day as a sign of the God’s strength and warmth returning.

Yule is the time when the Oak King triumphs over the Holly King. The Holly King represents the death and darkness that has ruled since the onset of Samhain. At Winter Solstice, the Oak King brings the opportunity to be reborn and begin new life. The Yule Season raises one’s spirit and brings tidings of comfort and joy as the carol goes… It is a period of reflection. During Samhain, one has recognized the lessons given in past experience and now Yule brings the opportunity to be reborn with new light. The customs created at this time are what are now identified with Christmas. A Yule tree is decorated and the house is adorned with holly, ivy and candles to represent the approaching light. Father Winter, complete with a white beard and red coat trimmed with fur, visits each home bringing gifts. The Yule log, which is made of oak from the previous year is burned into the fire to symbolize the Newborn Sun/Son.

An extraordinarily persistent version of the Holly King/Oak King theme at the Winter Solstice is the ritual hunting and killing of the wren - a folklore tradition found as far apart in time and space as ancient Greece and Rome and today’s British Isles. The wren, “little king” of the Waning Year, is killed by his counterpart, the robin redbreast, who finds him hiding in as ivy bush (or sometimes in Ireland in a holly bush, as befits the Holly King). The robin’s tree is the birch, which follows the Winter Solstice in the Celtic Tree calendar. In the acted-out ritual, men hunted and killed the wren with birch rods.

The Yule Log

The ceremonial Yule log, a phallic symbol, 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. 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. 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. Originally, the Yule Log was burned in honor of the gods and to bring good luck in the coming year. On a scrap of cloth or paper personal faults, mistakes and bad choices were burned in the flame so everyone’s new year would start with a clean slate. The log is never allowed to burn completely, a bit is kept in the house to start next years Yule log. The Yule log also brings good luck. Any pieces that are kept protect a house from fire, or lightning, or hail. Ashes of the Yule log can be placed in wells to keep the water good. Ashes are also placed at the roots of fruit trees and vines to help them bear a good harvest.

A different type of Yule log which is more suitable for modern practitioners would be the type that is used as a base to hold three candles. Find a small branch of oak, pine or a wood you can find locally 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 or cloves and then dust with flour.

The Yule Tree

The Christian tradition of a Christmas tree has its origins in the Pagan Yule celebrations, but using evergreens as a decoration was commonly used in the Roman and Greek cultures during their winter celebrations. The idea to use in during Christmas originated in 8th Century Germany, where legend has it that St. Boniface was trying to convert a group of Druids. He tried everything that he could think of to convince the Druids that the Oak tree was not sacred or invincible. He finally tried one last desperate measure… he cut the oak tree down. As the tree fell, it took down everything in its path, save but one small evergreen sapling. St. Boniface declared it a miracle and that the evergreen was sacred to the Christ-child, and ever after, trees were brought into the home and decorated for the holidays.

Pagan and Christian 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.

Another reason that trees were first decorated with fruits, nuts and artificial flowers was to bring about the return of spring and fertility, warmth, and light, and to restore and maintain the balance between darkness and light, coldness and warmth, and death and rebirth.

Yule trees are cut and decorated with images of what we wish to receive during the next year, such as love charms to draw love, nuts for fertility, fruits for a successful harvest, or coins to ensure wealth and prosperity.

In the earlier parts of the 20th Century many families would decorate their trees with candles. Then the family would come together for the lighting of their Christmas trees - it was a spectacular event, filled with the beauty of the candle glow from the evergreen branches… but it was also a one time of the year event. It wasn’t exactly a safe thing to do, it was very easy for the lovely candles to cause the tree to catch on fire. Still, it sounds like it would have been a lovely sight to behold!

Mistletoe

Mistletoe was considered very magical by the Druids, who called it the “Golden Bough”. They believed it possessed great healing powers and gave mortal men access to the underworld. The living plant, which is actually a parasitic shrub with leathery evergreen leaves and waxy white berries, was at one time thought of as the genitalia of the great God Zeus, whose sacred tree is the Oak. The phallic significance of mistletoe stems from the idea that its white berries were drops of the God’s Divine Semen in contrast to the red berries of the Holly, which were equated with the Sacred Menstrual Blood of the Goddess. The life-giving essence which mistletoe suggests provides a symbolic divine substance and a sense of immortality to those who hang it at Yuletide. In ancient times, ecstatic sexual orgies frequently accompanied the rites of the Oak King; in modern times, however, the custom of kissing under the mistletoe is all that remains.

Date: Dec. 20, 21, 22
Type: Lesser Sabbat
Etymology: The word “Yule,” is likely derived from an archaic Norse word “Jol,” meaning “a wheel.”
Symbolism: Rebirth of the Sun, The longest night and shortest day of the year, The Winter Solstice, Introspect, Planning for the Future, death of the Holly King (Winter), reign of the Oak King (summer).
Place in the Natural Cycle: Yule is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year. At this time the sun rises and sets at its most southerly point. After this day the sun will begin to appear farther North each day, and the days will begin to grow longer. On Yule the Sun is at its most southeastern point over the Tropic of Capricorn in the northern hemisphere and has no apparent northward or southward motion.
Pagan Mythology: The dark time between Samhain and Yule draws to an end. We are half way through the weight of winter and celebrate the transition from death to life.
Animals: reindeer, the stag, mouse, deer, horse, bear, wren/robin,
Astral/Mythological Beings: Snow faeries, storm faeries, trolls, ugly chaos monsters, jule gnome, phoenix, winter tree faeries, yule elf.
Altar Decor: Bells, holly, holly berries, ivy, mistletoe, oak, solar symbols, symbols of rebirth, candles, cinnamon sticks, fir or pine bows, fire, garlands, stars, wheel symbols, wreaths, Yule log, Yule tree.
Herbs: Bay, bayberry, blessed thistle, bougainvillea, cinnamon, cedar, chamomile, frankincense, ginger, holly, ivy, laurel, mistletoe, moss, myrrh, nutmeg, pine cones, rosemary, sage, valerian, yarrow.
Flowers: poinsettia, tropical flowers, dried flowers, mistletoe flowers.
Trees: All evergreens. Cedar, fir, juniper, larch, oak, pine, spruce, yew.
Celtic Tree Month: Elder (Ruis)
Planetary ruler: Saturn
Zodiac: Zero degrees Capricorn.
Moon: Oak Moon, Snow Moon, Ice Moon, Wolf Moon, Cold Moon, Winter Moon. The full moon after Yule is considered to be the most powerful of the whole year.
Traditional Foods: Apples, beans, caraway cakes soaked with cider, cookies, dried fruit, fruitcake, ginger bread, nuts, oranges, pears, pork, poultry, short bread, roasted turkey.
Traditional Drinks: Cider, eggnog, ginger tea, hibiscus tea, mulled wine
Incense: Apple Spice, bayberry, cedar, cinnamon, chamomile, frankincense, ginger, juniper, myrrh, nutmeg, pine, rosemary, saffron, sage, sandalwood, wintergreen.
Tools: Candles, cauldron, chalice, bell, horned helmet, lantern, Yule log.
Stones/Gems: Rubies, bloodstones, garnets, emeralds, diamonds.
Goddesses: Brigid, Isis, Demeter, Gaea, Diana, The Great Mother.
Gods: Apollo, Ra, Odin, Lugh, The Oak King, The Horned One, The Green Man
Colors: Red, green, gold, white, silver.
Threshold: dawn
Oils: Cedar, ginger, juniper, myrrh, nutmeg, pine, rosemary, saffron, wintergreen.
Spellwork: Spells concerning renewal. Peace, new beginnings, harmony, love, happiness, prosperity spells.
Meditations: Creative inspiration, death and re-birth, inner renewal, new life, light out of darkness, return of the Sun, the Mysteries, regeneration, reflection/introspection, transformation.

Ways to Celebrate

- Gift-exchanging with friends and family.
- Decorate Yule Tree
- The feeding of creatures have been associated with Yuletide holidays for hundred of years in Europe. To continue this tradition feed our feathered friends as a family project. See who comes to visit your little sanctuary and identify them with a field guide, try stringing peanuts in the shell and popcorn garlands for the trees.
- Tell stories.
- Let your child stay up with you all night, and watch the Yule log burn. If your child (or you!) can’t make it all night long, wake up extra early and plan a dawn picnic in a park, or on a hill, or somewhere where you can watch the sun rise.
- Make a wreath out of pine boughs that the family collects on a family outing. Put the wreath in a visible location, such as on the front door, on an inside wall, or in the center of the dining table.
- When summer solstice arrives it may be burned in the fire.
- Make or decorate a special red candle to light on Yule.
- Make a Yule Log
- Bake Sugar Sun Cookies.
- Keep a candle lit throughout the night to encourage the Sun to keep it company. Make sure the candle is in a safe place where it can’t accidentally set your home ablaze.
- Create a ritual of re-birth. Let it begin with all in darkness, and, throughout the ritual, light candles until you are surrounded by warmth and brightness.
- Donate to food-banks, or give to a child toy charity.
- Gather up Yule greens after 12th night and save. At Imbolc, burn the greens to banish winter and usher in spring.
- Make offering to household and nature spirits during this cold time.
- String popcorn and cranberries and hang them on an outdoor tree for the birds.
- Hang little bells on the Yule Tree to call the spirits and fairies.
- Make a Yule log. Drill three holes in it to hold three candles of white, red, and black. (Don’t let the candles burn down *into* the wood!)

theprettylittlefaerie:

In ancient times priests known as the dendrophori cut boughs from the sacred groves.  These branches became offerings known as strenae, and were carried to the interior of the sacred temples.  Here they were placed before the appropriate gods and goddesses.

The Yule log featured prominently in the veneration of the Sun God/Stag God.  The log represented the Lord of the Woods, and the fire symbolized the awakening of the divine forces of the sun.  Setting the log ablaze awoke the ancient spirit of the woodlands and united him as one with the bright Sun God.  The hearth, a symbol of the gateway to and from the Underworld, contained the sacred log.  This gateway served as a magical doorway through which the Sun God could be evoked to return to the world of the living.

From: Witchcraft - A Mystery Tradition by Raven Grimassi