Yule The Rebirth of the God Yule celebrations were just that - celebrations. The longest night was passing, and with each succeeding day the sun’s light grow longer. People would go from home to home in celebration, bringing with them fruits and other food items. The crowning moment in each household would be the lighting of the Yule log which had been harvested specifically for this purpose, and decorated with holly and other greenery. (Note: some traditions hold that the Yule log was part of the previous year’s May Pole.)
Traditions still observed in our time include caroling, exchanging a kiss under the mistletoe, and great feasts. And we fill our homes with light, and hang wreaths and give gifts to each other. And the elders still sit around and tell tales to the children. Of all the Sabbats, Yule is the one where most of the traditions followed in ancient times are still practiced today.
Yule is the celebration of the birth of the God. The wheel of life has come full circle with his rebirth, and the Goddess is now resting. Goddesses include Gaea, Diana, Isis, Pandora, and any of the spinning Goddesses. The Gods are sun Gods, and include Apollo, Ra, Odin, and Helios as well as the Oak and Holly Kings.
Yule is a time for celebration of life. It is a moment we take to gather with friends and family to catch up on each other’s accomplishments and to reminisce about shared pasts. It is a time of love and joy when all should be merry. The darkness is passing and light returning.
Yule is the time for renewal, for sharing, and for hope. It is a time for nurturing. Look around at your friends and family; if someone is alone, invite them for a celebration or just spend some time with them. If you’ve experienced difficulties in your own life, know that this is a time to begin again and that things will get better one day. This is a time for recognizing darkness in the past with the purpose of burying those things as we look toward the light of the future. Nurturing is not just something given to another, but it is also a gift we can give to ourselves.
Magick associated with Yule: celebration, childbirth, daring, divination, generosity, harmony, health of a child, joy, merriment, reincarnation, love, overcoming fear, physical endeavor, peace, sustenance, turning point, and wonder.
Altar decorations: candles, chalice or cup, cinnamon sticks, evergreen boughs and/or tree, gifts, hearth fire symbol, holly, lights, mistletoe, nuts, pine cones, poinsettias, robins and cardinals, sparkling crystals, sun symbol, wreath, Yule log.
Colors: black, gold, green, orange, red, silver, and white.
Foods: brandy, bread pudding, caraway rolls, cider, dried fruit, eggnog, fruitcake, gingerbread, mincemeat pie, mulled wine, nuts, roasted meats, rum, and wassail .
Herbs / Incense / Oils : apple, bay, bayberry, blessed thistle, cedar, cinnamon, evergreen, ginger, holly, juniper, laurel, mistletoe, myrrh, oak, pine, poinsettia, rosemary, saffron, sage, valerian, and wintergreen
Stones : bloodstone, cat’s eye, diamond, emerald, garnet, ruby.
© 2000 Mother
