Winter ...
Yule: A Fire Festival
This is the time of year when the world outside turn's dark, cold and somber we turn inside to reflect on the past year and dream of the upcoming year. We turn inside ourselves to reflect on who we are and what we do. We reflect on our families and regain family bonds over long winters. In Pagan traditions, the hearth is the center of the home. It also relates to the element of fire. The hearth becomes a shrine to those Gods associated with matters of the hearth and home. The ancient power of the hearth, which brings fire for heat and cooking and light to help with even the deepest dark of winter, brings the promise of returning light.
In speaking of fire, on aspect of the Yule celebration is the use of the Yule log. Yule logs are a long-standing tradition in the Pagan community representing the Green Man, God of Nature and Vegetation. To make your very own, you can walk the forests or your backyards to see what gifts have been given to you to create your Yule log. Usually made of Oak to honor the Oak King once you have found a nice log, find its flat spot so it will not roll on you. Drill eight holes and place tapers in these holes. Then you can decorate the log with evergreen boughs (symbolic of hope and life), holly and/or ivy.
On the day of the Winter Solstice (on or around December 21), you can have a ritual celebration and feast. While watching the candles burn down during your celebration, concentrate on the return of the light. This is the main reason behind this time... to ask the Gods to return light and life back to the people. If you have a hearth, burn the log down saving a chunk to start next year's Winter Solstice fires. If you do not have a hearth, after the candles have burned down, save the log and reuse next year.
Enjoy Herbs of the Season
English mistletoe in a silver birch. Photograph © Andrew Dunn, 26 December 2004.
Holly: Hung around the house for good luck at Yule, Holly also guards against evil.Mistletoe: Long used for protection and good luck. When laid near bedrooms, it helps with restful sleep, beautiful dreams. Also kissing your love under the mistletoe will keep you in love. This herb well honored by the Druids especially when found growing on Oak trees. The Druids never allowed Mistletoe to touch the ground so they had to climb the trees and pass it down.Pine: Pine needles burned during the winter months will cleanse and purify the house. Branches of Pine when hung above or over the bed will keep illnesses away. Also Pine branches hung over the doors will ensure continual happiness and joy inside the house.Ivy: Magically paired to holly ivy is often used for fidelity and love charms.Cedar, Bay, Juniper and Rosemary: These all have the same properties as above; guards and protects the home, used for clearing and cleansing against all evil; helps with love and aids in healing.
Many of these herbs used by our ancestors were needed for protection from the long cold winters. That is why they all seem to have the same properties
Apples, Oranges, Nutmegs, Lemons and Whole Cinnamon Sticks are associated with this time of year as well. They can be used as decorations for the Yule Tree if dried and tied onto string to string the tree. You could also make homemade potpourri with these items. Take a pan and fill halfway with water, add as many of these items as you would like to the water (be careful not to have items out of water) and simmer for a few hours. My personal favorite is cinnamon sticks, oranges and lemons. It smells fantastic.
Please always remember that Gaia gives us many seasonal gifts to decorate. Get outside and go for walks. There are pine branches and pinecones, winterberry branches, birch branches, juniper branches with beautiful blue berries and many types of evergreens. You could make container gardens with mixtures of all the winter splendor and add a beautiful bow to it.
Get out and breathe deep, give thanks and enjoy what has been given to you!
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