Category: The Sabbats

Winter Solstice Celebrations Around The World – Beiwe Festival


Winter Comments & Graphics

Beiwe Festival

 (Sámi of Northern Fennoscandia)

 

The Saami, indigenous people of Finland, Sweden and Norway, worship Beiwe, the sun-goddess of fertility and sanity. She travels through the sky in a structure made of reindeer bones with her daughter, Beiwe-Neia, to herald back the greenery on which the reindeer feed. On the winter solstice, her worshipers sacrifice white female animals, and thread the meat onto sticks which they bend into rings and tie with bright ribbons. They also cover their doorposts with butter so Beiwe can eat it and begin her journey once again.

 
~Magickal Graphics~

Winter Solstices Around The World – Amateras

Winter Comments & Graphics
Amateras celebration, Requiem of the Dead (7th century Japan)

In late 7th century Japan, festivities were held to celebrate the reemergence of Amateras, the sun goddess of Japanese mythology, from her seclusion in a cave. The other gods make a loud celebration in order to make Amaterasu come out of her cave. She peeks out, sees her image in a mirror, and the other gods convince her to stay out of the cave; thereby restoring sunlight to the world. Requiems for the dead were held and Manzai and Shishimai were performed throughout the night, awaiting the sunrise. Aspects of this tradition survive on New Years.

  ~Magickal Graphics~

How to Decorate & Meditate on the Winter Solstice

Winter Comments & Graphics

How to Decorate & Meditate on the Winter Solstice

by Donna Oxley

On December 21st we will again be celebrating the Winter Solstice here in the Northern Hemisphere.

This is a magical time of the year and throughout the ages of mankind religions have gravitated toward this date to hold major ceremonies, celebrations and sacred observations.

Our modern age strangely sees us returning to the age-old customs of noting and paying respect to the sacred cycles of nature and the part we play in it, for we are intrinsically tied to these cycles of nature whether we like to admit it or not, influenced by the stages of the moon with its ebb and flow of energy. The sun ‘ the life giver ‘ marks the days of death and decay back into regeneration and growth. None of us that live on this planet can escape Mother Nature, the Goddess and her womb, or Father Time, the God and his creation of all life from the elements. Light and dark, all is one, all religion, all life blessed be!

RETURN OF THE SUN/SON!

Winter Solstice is the shortest day and the longest night of the year. It marks the gradual return of the sun and signifies birth when new seeds of life will spring forth. Similarly, Christianity uses this time of year to mark the birth of the son, signifying life eternal for all who partake of the light and become the body of Christ.

A good way to remember this special Solstice is, as the hours of daylight grow, so too, we can let our inner light of understanding, love and intuitions grow. Allowing both the dark and the light to resonate within us, for it is part of us and we can practice new beginnings of unity, compassion, empathy and global love.

PREPARE FOR THE WINTER SOLSTICE

Spend the Solstice in candlelight, meditation, reflection and look forward to new dawn. Enjoy the magical night of dreams by preparing incense and a deep meditation. Decorate your home with the colors of winter; white to represent the winter snow, dark green winter foliage, red winter berries and fruits, gold to represent the returning energy of the sun and silver for the delicate frost that settles all around at this cold time of year. A Winter Solstice incense blend:

Fill A heatproof bowl with about an inch of sand or salt. Metals, stone & ceramics are ideal that have feet to hold them safely above a surface, or you can buy purpose made incense burners. Incense will burn hot and produce an ash that may fall off when burning so it’s essential you do use a container on a surface that is fireproof. Prepare by crushing the ingredients together.

CITRUS SOLSTICE

1 tbsp dried Orange Peel, 1 tbsp dried Grapefruit Peel, 1 tbsp dried Lemon Peel, 1 tbsp dried Tangerine Peel, 1 tsp Orange extract, 1 tsp Lemon extract.

WINTER SOLSTICE

One part Pine Needles, One part Cinnamon, One part Apple Rind, One part Myrrh, One part Frankincense

Experiment and find a blend you like!

SEVEN REFLECTIONS WINTER SOLSTICE MEDITATION;

There is an Old Russian divination that took place on the evening of Winter Solstice where – usually a young lady – would set up two mirrors and two candles into a position that they would reflect each other. One should then peer into one of the mirrors and seek the seventh reflection, where she would catch a glimpse of her future or her one true love!

Find a comfortable place where you are least likely to be disturbed. Get your mirrors and candles ready, be sure to position them facing each other with the candles reflecting in each – use a stable, fireproof surface. Please take care that you cannot fall into the mirrors or candles as meditation can have a very hypnotic effect! Position them safely & far enough away.

You should sit facing the mirrors so that you can see into either mirror with the reflection of the other, if in a chair sit with your feet flat on the floor or sit in your usual meditation position. Sit upright but comfortable. Try not to hunch as this is not a relaxing position. Rest your hands lightly on your lap. Start the sound session.

First, concentrate yourself fully on the following breathing technique (do this about five – ten times, you don’t have to count ‘ do what feels right);

Breathe in deeply, expanding your abdomen to fill your lungs. Hold then very slowly let the breath out all the way until your lungs are empty.

Now begin to look into one of the mirrors, whichever one is up to you, search for the seventh reflection. After a while the image may change in the mirror, other faces may be seen or other images. Allow your mind to go along with the experience and always write the details in a diary immediately afterwards – this is for later reflection and things may make sense later that were not obvious at the time.

THE LAWS OF ATTRACTION MEDITATION

Before beginning the meditation, read the following reading I personally got during meditation regarding ‘THE LAWS OF ATTRACTION’ and try to understand the message contained within.

“Every negative word, deed, glance, thought, and action will come back to you. It is the indisputable law, the law of attraction. If you play with it, study this in earnest, you will find it, without doubt, to be true.

Imaging you are communicating with the physical world via a mirror. The person who stares back at you is the equivalent of every other person in the world. Frown at the person in the mirror, the person frowns back at you. Become angry at the person, see what comes back to you, look at the anger on that face and look into the eyes. How does that make you feel ‘ good? Bad? Imagine a child being confronted with that face, those eyes, that anger. Imagine if that small child was you!

Smile and you receive the same, laugh and the image laughs with you. This is how we create our world, by reflection. This is a warning so don’t discard it. Keep it with you and discover it!

But what if you are a child? You didn’t yet throw anything into the water to cause a ripple. You were born in innocence! No! You chose to be a victim for a short time. You agreed in your ancient wisdom to become the effect of a cause and those who peer into the mirror will see you. Your reflection will call to action better judgment, better discernment and a better future for all.”

NOW, get your mirror ready and find a comfortable place where you are least likely to be disturbed. You should sit in a chair facing the mirror with your feet flat on the floor. Sit upright but comfortable. Try not to hunch as this is not a relaxing position. Rest your hands lightly on your lap. Start the sound session.

First, concentrate yourself fully on the following breathing technique (do this about five – ten times, you don’t have to count ‘ do what feels right);

Breathe in deeply, expanding your abdomen to fill your lungs. Hold then very slowly let the breath out all the way until your lungs are empty. Keep your breathing deep and regular and begin to stare at your reflection in the mirror, focusing on your eyes. Imagine that every other person in the world reflects the image that stares back at you.

Notice the expression, smiles, frowns, anger, study what comes back at you through the mirror.

Now allow yourself to absorb the powerful sounds and simply stare at the mirror. After a while the image may change, other faces may be seen or other images. Allow your mind to go along with the experience and write the details in a diary immediately afterwards Allow yourself to adjust when your meditation finishes and drink a fresh glass of water.

About the author: The author Donna Oxley strives to provide relevant information & insight into the many liberating benefits of meditation & self improvement. Also her website at http://www.relaxmp3.co.uk provides inexpensive Mp3 sessions relating to meditation by sound – including hypnotic binaural beats, brainwave entrainment, simple nature sounds.

 
~Magickal Graphics~

A Little Winter Solstice Lore……

Winter Comments & Graphics

 

The solstice itself may have been a special moment of the annual cycle of the year even during neolithic times. Astronomical events, which during ancient times controlled the mating of animals, sowing of crops and metering of winter reserves between harvests, show how various cultural mythologies and traditions have arisen. This is attested by physical remains in the layouts of late Neolithic and Bronze Age archaeological sites such as Stonehenge in Britain and Newgrange in Ireland. The primary axes of both of these monuments seem to have been carefully aligned on a sight-line pointing to the winter solstice sunrise (Newgrange) and the winter solstice sunset (Stonehenge). Significant in respect of Stonehenge is the fact that the Great Trilithon was erected outwards from the centre of the monument, i.e., its smooth flat face was turned towards the midwinter Sun.

The winter solstice may have been immensely important because communities were not certain of living through the winter, and had to be prepared during the previous nine months. Starvation was common in winter between January and April, also known as the famine months. In temperate climates, the midwinter festival was the last feast celebration, before deep winter began. Most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter, so it was almost the only time of year when a supply of fresh meat was available. The majority of wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking at this time. The concentration of the observances were not always on the day commencing at midnight or at dawn, but the beginning of the pre-Romanized day, which falls on the previous eve.

Since the event is seen as the reversal of the Sun’s ebbing presence in the sky, concepts of the birth or rebirth of sun gods have been common and, in cultures using winter solstitially based cyclic calendars, the year as reborn has been celebrated with regard to life-death-rebirth deities or new beginnings such as Hogmanay’s redding, a New Year cleaning tradition. In Greek mythology, the gods and goddesses met on the winter and summer solstice, and Hades is permitted to enter Mount Olympus (his domain is the underworld so he of course does not get accepted any other time). Also reversal is yet another usual theme as in Saturnalia’s slave and master reversals.

~Magickal Graphics~

Thirteen Yuletide Celebrations

Thirteen Yuletide Celebrations

by Heather Evenstar Osterman

 

How do you compete with Christianity’s biggest holiday? You don’t have to! Most traditional Christmas customs originated from pagan practices. In fact, nearly every culture in some way celebrates the Sun/Son God at this time of year. You can reclaim Yule as your family’s heritage; pass down your family’s traditional recipes. If you figure out how to avoid the rampant commercialism, let me know.

Yule (also Yuletide or Alban Arthan) is celebrated on the Winter Solstice, December 22ndthis year. It is the longest night of the year, when the Goddess gives birth to the new sun and nights begin to grow shorter again. We are reminded that even in the darkest hour, there is a ray of hope. This is a time of dreams and wonder. We honor our children and our inner child. There are so many wonderful traditions to choose from. Here are some ideas to try this Yule:

  1. String chains of popcorn and drape them around trees and bushes. Hang honey popcorn balls outside your windows and watch the wild birds feast.
  2. Create a wreath out of pine boughs, holly, and sun symbols to hang on your door.
  3. Make a special red candle to light at sunset on Yule evening and keep vigil through the night. Stay up with older children to keep the Goddess company while she labors to give birth to the new Sun. Put younger ones to bed to dream the sun into being.
  4. Gather your family on a hilltop in the area where you live and watch the sunrise on Yule morning. Sing, cheer, and have a breakfast feast in the Sun God’s honor.
  5. As a family, make new ornaments to add to the tree each year. Give extras to friends who come to visit.
  6. Make an Advent calendar, counting down the days until the Solstice. Make a chain of paper links or small packages filled with tiny treats.
  7. Bake sugar cookies shaped like suns and decorate them. Or, make a birthday cake for the sun and throw a birthday party!
  8. Instead of letting Yule cards be a chore, get the whole family in on the act! Design your own Yule cards to send to friends and family. Make it a family project to sign and address them.
  9. Decorate a Yule log — Go out and find a special log (oak is traditional) and festoon it with holly, rosemary, ribbons, or whatever suits your fancy. Attach slips of paper with your wishes on them. Use this log to start your fire. If you don’t have a fireplace in which to burn the Yule log, drill holes and put candles in it. You can save part of your Yule tree for next year’s Yule log.
  10. Donate food to a local food bank, serve dinner at a soup kitchen, or spend time at a nursing home.
  11. Reenact the battle between the Oak King (life and rebirth) and the Holly King (darkness and death). Make swords out of wrapping paper tubes and shields out of cardboard. Hint: the Oak King wins this time.
  12. Uphold the tradition of wassailing by passing around mulled cider and singing songs. You could sing traditional carols (“Joy to the World”) or new ones (the Beatle’s “Here Comes the Sun”).
  13. Kiss under the mistletoe!

Heather Osterman is the Family Services Coordinator for the Aquarian Tabernacle Church. For more information on pagan oriented activities and events for children and families please contact her at ATCchild@AOL.com or ATC at (360) 793-1945 between 9a.m. and 9p.m.

A Celtic Flavor

A Celtic Flavor

 
 
The most common way to say Merry Christmas in Irish is “Nollaig Shona Duit.”
(Nullug Shunna it). This would be used if addressing one other person.
If you were addressing more than one person you would say “Nollaig Shona
Daoibh.” (Nullug-nuh JEEV). This literally means “You have a Happy
Christmas.” A common response to this would be “Nollaig Mbaith Chugat”
(Nullug WyHU-gut), which literally means “A good Christmas to you.”

For a Happy New Year one would say “Athbhliainfaoi Mhaise Duit.”(AH-vlee-ihn fwee WAH-shuh it) for the singular;

and the plural would be: “Athbhliain faoi Mhaise Daoibh.”(AH-vlee-ihn fweeWAH-shuh HEEV).
The literal translation would be “You have a Prosperous New Year.”

Just as in English the two expressions are often combined to say Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year, “Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain faoi Mhaise
Duit.” (Nullug shunna AH-guhs AH-vlee-ihn fweeWAH-shuh it). The plural would be:

 
“Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliainfaoi Mhaise Daoibh.” (Nullug shunna AH-guhs AH-vlee-ihn fwee WAH-shuhHEEV).
For the all of the above greetings a common responseis; “Go mba hé duit” (guh may hay it) which means:
“The same to you.”

Note: To pronounce duit. “it” Hold the “t” longer than you do in English.

Oh Come All Ye Faithful in Irish

Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Téarnaigh in Eineacht

Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Téarnaigh in Eineacht
“Tear knee in Ain nocht”

Téarnaigh in éineacht, téarnaimis go haerach
“Tear knee in Ain nocht, tear nah mish go hair ock”

téarnaigh, ó téarnaigh go mBeithil Thoir
“Tear knee, o tear knee, go meh hill hoar”

Chífimid an Nai ann, Rí na naingeal, losa
“chee fee midge an neh ow-n, Re nah nangle, Ee-sah”

Umhlóimid sios Dó
“Oh loy midge shes dough”

Umhlóimid sios Dó
Umhlóimid sios Dó
Is glóire Dó
“iss glor-ah dough”

Seinnidh, a Shlóite, Aingeal, suas bhur gceolta
“Shay knee, a hloyta, angle. sues were key ol ta”

Freagraidh, a chomhachta, a gceoltasan
“Frag rah, a co och ta, a key ol ta san”

Glóire gan teora, do theacht am tSlanathóra
“Glora gone chore ah, dough yhack ah-m teh slaw nah hoar ah”

Umhlóimid sios Dó
Umhlóimid sios Dó
Umhlóimid sios Dó
Is glóire Dó

 

Solstice Meditation and Visualization

Solstice Meditation and Visualization
 
Winter Solstice is an excellent time to undergo a vision quest to find your magickal name, a totem animal, a mantra, or other empowering
insights. This meditation is meant to accent that quest by opening your awareness to the power within and without all things. Begin in a
standing position. Center yourself and breathe deeply. Slowly take off your mundane clothes., likewise removing the “World” with each.
Wrap a blanket around yourself for warmth, but remain naked for the meditation. You need no trappings to discover personal power.
 
Sit and close your eyes. Let any remaining tension drain away, then begin listening to the sound of silence. Smell the aromas of oak and herb.
Feel the latent energy of everything around you and the magick you’ve placed there. Know it is your own. Listen to your breath and your heartbeat.
Sense the pulse and bb within as the same energy without. Listen closely; does it whisper a message to you? Does it whisper a name? Do you
hear the cry of an animal? Do you hear words that fill you with energy? Linger in this place between Earth and stars until you receive a message.
Then return to normal levels of awareness, and write the experience in your journal.

Correspondences for Yule

Yule Correspondences & Tidbits

 

 

Other Names:
Jul (“wheel”, Old Norse), Saturnalia(Rome ~December 17 & 18), Yuletide(Teutonic), Midwinter, Fionn’s Day, Alban Arthuan, Christmas (Christian~December 25), Xmas, Festival of Sol, Solar/Secular/Pagan New Year

Animals/Mythical beings:
yule goat (nordic), reindeer stag, squirrels, yule cat, Sacred White Buffalo, Kallikantzaroi-ugly chaos monsters(greek), trolls, phoenix, yule elf, jule gnome, squirrels, wren/robin

Gemstones:
cat’s eye, ruby, diamond, garnet, bloodstone

Incense/Oils:
bayberry, cedar, ginger, cinnamon, pine, rosemary, frankincense, myrrh, nutmeg, wintergreen, saffron

Colors:
gold, silver, red, green, white

Tools,Symbols, & Decorations:
bayberry candles, evergreens, holly, mistletoe, poinsettia,mistletoe, lights, gifts, Yule log, Yule tree. spinning wheels, wreaths, bells, mother & child images

Goddesses:
Great Mother, Befana (strega), Holda (teutonic), Isis(egyptian), Triple Goddess, Mary(christian), Tonazin(mexican), Lucina(roman), St. Lucy (swedish),Bona Dea (roman), Mother Earth, Eve(Hebrew), Ops(roman Holy Mother), the Snow Queen, Hertha (German), Frey (Norse)

Gods:
Sun Child, Saturn(rome), Cronos (Greek), Horus/Ra(egyptian), Jesus(christian-gnostic), Mithras(persian), Balder(Norse), Santa Claus/Odin(teutonic), Holly King, Sol Invicta, Janus(God of Beginnings), Marduk (Babylonian)Old Man Winter

Essence:
honor, rebirth, transformation, light out of darkness, creative inspiration, the mysteries, new life, regeneration, inner renewal, reflection/introspection

Dynamics/Meaning:
death of the Holly (winter) King; reign of the Oak (summer) King), begin the ordeal of the Green Man, death & rebirth of the Sun God; night of greatest lunar imbalance; sun�s rebirth; shortest day of year

Purpose:
honor the Triple Goddess, welcome the Sun Child

Rituals/Magicks:
personal renewal, world peace, honoring family & friends, Festival of light, meditation

Customs:
lights, gift-exchanging, singing, feasting, resolutions, new fires kindled, strengthening family & friend bonds, generosity, yule log, hanging mistletoe, apple wassailing, burning candles, Yule tree decorating; kissing under mistletoe; needfire at dawn vigil; bell ringing/sleigh-bells; father yule

Foods:
nuts, apple, pear, caraway cakes soaked with cider, pork, orange, hibiscus or ginger tea, roasted turkey, nuts, fruitcake, dried fruit, cookies, eggnog, mulled wine

Herbs:
blessed thistle, evergreen, moss, oak, sage, bay, bayberry, cedar, pine, frankincense, ginger, holly, ivy, juniper, mistletoe, myrrh, pinecones, rosemary, chamomile, cinnamon, valarion, yarrow

Element:
earth

Threshold:dawn

The Return Of The Sun God

The Horned God

In traditional and mainstream Wicca, the Horned God is viewed as the masculine side of divinity, being both equal and opposite to the Goddess. The Wiccan god himself can be represented in many forms, including as the Sun God, the Sacrificed God and the Vegetation God, although the Horned God is the most popular representation, having been worshipped by early Wiccan groups such as the New Forest coven during the 1930s. The pioneers of the various Wiccan or Witchcraft traditions, such as Gerald Gardner, Doreen Valiente and Robert Cochrane, all claimed that their religion was a continuation of the pagan religion of the Witch-Cult following historians who had purported the Witch-Cult’s existence, such as Jules Michelet and Margaret Murray.

For Wiccans, the Horned God is “the personification of the life force energy in animals and the wild” and is associated with the wilderness, virility and the hunt. Doreen Valiente writes that the Horned God also carries the souls of the dead to the underworld.

Wiccans generally, as well as some other neopagans, tend to conceive of the universe as polarized into gender opposites of male and female energies. In traditional Wicca, the Horned God and the Goddess are seen as equal and opposite in gender polarity. However, in some of the newer traditions of Wicca, and especially those influenced by feminist ideology, there is more emphasis on the Goddess, and consequently the symbolism of the Horned God is less developed than that of the Goddess,  In Wicca the cycle of the seasons is celebrated during eight sabbats called The Wheel of the Year. The seasonal cycle is imagined to follow the relationship between the Horned God and the Goddess. The Horned God is born in winter, impregnates the Goddess and then dies during the autumn and winter months and is then reborn by the Goddess at Yule. The different relationships throughout the year are sometimes distinguished by splitting the god into aspects, the Oak King and the Holly King. The relationships between the Goddess and the Horned God are mirrored by Wiccans in seasonal rituals. There is some variation between Wiccan groups as to which sabbat corresponds to which part of the cycle. Some Wiccans regard the Horned God as dying at Lammas, August 1; also known as Lughnasadh, which is the first harvest sabbat. Others may see him dying at Mabon, the autumn equinox, or the second harvest festival. Still other Wiccans conceive of the Horned God dying on October 31, which Wiccans call Samhain, the ritual of which is focused on death. He is then reborn on Winter Solstice, December 21.

Other important dates for the Horned God include Imbolc when, according to Valiente, he leads a wild hunt. In Gardnerian Wicca, the Dryghten prayer is recited at the end of every ritual meeting contains the lines referring to the Horned God:

“

In the name of the Lady of the Moon, and the Horned Lord of Death and Resurrection

 ”

According to Sabina Magliocco, Gerald Gardner says (in 1959’s The Meaning of Witchcraft) that The Horned God is an Under-god, a mediator between an unknowable supreme deity and the people. (In Wiccan liturgy in the Book of Shadows, this conception of an unknowable supreme deity is referred to as “Dryghtyn.” It is not a personal god, but rather an impersonal divinity similar to the Tao of Taoism.)

Whilst the Horned God is the most common depiction of masculine divinity in Wicca, he is not the only representation. Other examples include the Green Man and the Sun God.In traditional Wicca, however, these other representations of the Wiccan god are subsumed or amalgamated into the Horned God, as aspects or expressions of him. Sometimes this is shown by adding horns or antlers to the iconography. The Green Man, for example, may be shown with branches resembling antlers; and the Sun God may be depicted with a crown or halo of solar rays, that may resemble horns. These other conceptions of the Wiccan god should not be regarded as displacing the Horned God, but rather as elaborating on various facets of his nature. Doreen Valiente has called the Horned God “the eldest of gods” in both The Witches Creed and also in her Invocation To The Horned God.

Wiccans believe that The Horned God, as Lord of Death, is their “comforter and consoler” after death and before reincarnation; and that he rules the Underworld or Summerland where the souls of the dead reside as they await rebirth. Some, such as Joanne Pearson, believes that this is based on the Mesopotamian myth of Innana’s descent into the underworld, though this has not been confirmed.

Twas the Night Before Yule

Yule Comments & Graphics

Twas the Night Before Yule

 

Posted byPatrick McCleary

 

This is a delightful poem by Richard De Angelis, that I found again after hearing it years ago in ritual. Hope you all like it as much as I did.

‘Twas the night before Yule, when all ‘cross the heath,
not a being was stirring; Pagan, faerie, or beast.
Wassail was left out & the alter adorned,
to rejoice that the Sun King would soon be reborn.

The children lay sleeping by the warmth of the hearth,
their dreams filled with visions of belov’d Mother Earth.
M’lady & I beneath blankets piled deep,
had just settled down to our own Solstice sleep.

Then a noise in the night that would leave us no peace,
Awakened us both to the honking of geese.
Eager to see such a boisterous flock,
When we raced to the window, our mouths dropped in shock!

On the west wind flew a gaggle of geese white & gray,
With Frau Holda behind them in her giftladen dray.
The figure on her broomstick in the north sky made it clear,
La Befana was approaching to bestow Yuletide cheer.

From the south came a comet more bright than the moon,
And we knew that Lucia would be with us soon.
As these spirits sailed earthward o’er hilltops & trees,
Frau Holda serenaded her feathery steeds:

“Fly Isolde! Fly Tristan! Fly Odin & Freya!
Fly Morgaine! Fly Merlin! Fly Uranus & Gaea!
“May the God & the Goddess inside you soar,
From the clouds in the heavens to yon cottage door.”

As soft & silent as snowflakes they fell:
Their arrival announced by a faint chiming bell.
They landed like angels, their bodies aglow.
Their feet left no marks in the new fallen snow.

Before we could ponder what next lay in store,
There came a slow creaking from our threshold door.
We crept from our bedroom & were spellbound to see
…There in our parlor stood the Yule Trinity!

Lucia, the Maiden, with her head wreathed in flame,
Shown with the radiance for which she was named.
The Lightbringer’ s eyes held the joy of a child,
And she spoke with a voice that was gentle, yet wild:

“May the warmth of this household ne’er fade away.”
Then she lit our Yule log which still burns to this day.
Frau Holda in her down cloak stood regal & tall;
The Matron of Solstice, the Mother of all.

Under her gaze we felt safe & secure.
Her voice was commanding, yet almost demure:
“May the love of this family enrich young & old.”
And from the folds of her cloak showered coins of pure gold.

Le Befana wore a kerchief on her silvery hair;
The veil of the Crone who has secrets to share.
In her eyes gleamed a wisdom only gained by spent youth.
Her voice was a whisper but her words rung with truth:

“May health, glad tidings, and peace fill these rooms.”
And she banished misfortune with a sweep of her broom.
They then left a gift by each sleeping child’s head,
Took a drink of our wassail, and away they sped.

While we watched them fly off through the night sky we laughed,
At the wondrous magick we had found in the Craft
As they departed, the spirits decreed
Merry Yule To You All & May All Blessed Be! 

 Pagan Dad  

~Magickal Graphics~ 

We Three Crones

We Three Crones

by Heartsong

Tune: “We Three Kings“

 

We three crones of magic-past are,
Bearing gifts, we traverse afar,
Fields & fountain, moor & mountain,
Following each our star.

Chorus:

Oh, star of wonder, star of might,
Star of radiant beauty bright,
Inward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us with thy magick light.

Gold I bring, the Earth’s hidden gleam,
Guards our Mem’ry, draws forth our dream;
Weary-curing, strong enduring,
Holding time’s circling stream.

Chorus

Frankincense I carry with me.
Incense aids the spirit to see;
Analyzing, wize, up-rising,
Sense of the Earth, flow free!

Chorus

Myrrh is mine, it’s bitter perfume
Lifts new life, a magical broom;
Praying, flying, purifying,
Away with old lingering gloom.

Chorus

Glorious gifts of magic (wimmin) we praise,
Maiden, Mother, Ancient of Days;
Strength, and sense, and energy; whence
Return to our sacred ways.

Chorus

The Pagan Roots Of Christmas

The Pagan Roots Of Christmas

The early Christians quite consciously chose the pagan sun holiday for the celebration of their Son-god’s birth.
Christmas falls during the Roman Saturnalia and at the birth of the Mithraic sun god. According to
“A Witches Bible Compleat”, by Janet and Stewart Farrar, the Archbishop of Constantinople wrote that
church fathers fixed the Nativity during the pagan holidays because “while the heathen were busied with
their profane rites, the Christian might perform their holy ones without disturbance.”
Other Christians accused those who kept Christmas at the solstice of performing sun worship. Armenians,
who celebrate Christmas on January 6, elsewhere Epiphany, called Roman Christians idolaters, according to Funk
and Wagnall’s Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend. Similarly, under the Puritans in 1644,
the English Parliament expressly forbade observing Christmas. Augustine admitted that putting Christmas at
the winter solstice was a conscious identification of the Son with the sun but defended the symbolism.

The Christmas most Americans know as children mixes a celebration of the birth of Christ with traditions

from the Roman Saturnalia, the Northern European Yule, and the Celtic Solstice.
 
GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast

Christmas Time Is Pagan!

Miscellaneous Christmas Comments 

Christmas Time Is Pagan!

Author Unknown 

Tune: “Gloria in Excelsis Deo (Angels We Have Heard On High)” 

 

 Christmas time is here again,
Decorations everywhere.
Christmas carols ringing out,
Gentle pagans, we don’t care.

Chorus:

Glorious!
Christmas time is pagan!
Glorious!
Christmas time is pagan!

Modern folks all celebrate
What they learned in Sunday School.
In December, they don’t know
They are celebrating Yule!

Chorus

Let them have their Christmas trees,
Decked in red and green and blue.
We rejoice at every one!
Christmas trees are pagan, too.

Chorus

Bowls of bubbly Christmas cheer,
Fill your cup and quench your thirst.
They think the tradition’s theirs.
Wassail bowls were pagan, first.

Chorus

Every door and window bears
Wreaths of holly, wreaths of pine.
Circles represent the Sun.
Every wreath is yours and mine.

Chorus

Christmas lights on Christmas trees,
Candle flames burn higher and higher,
Let us cheer along, my friends,
As they light their Yuletide fire.

Chorus

There’s a possibility
That this song is yours and mine
‘Cause the tune was known to all
Back in A.D. one-two-nine.

Chorus

     

Magickal Graphics

Gift at Yule Ritual Work

Gift at Yule

by Lady MoonWolfe
revised 2004

Close your eyes and relax
Breathe deeply.
Let your breathing become slow, deep, easy. Relax and continue breathing deeply and gently, breathe in and exhale and as we exhale we enter the time of the greatest darkness.
It is the time of the longest night, the dark of the cold universe between the stars and planets, the dark of the sea, and the dark of the womb.

Wrap this darkness gently about you like a comfortable blanket. Float gently now in its depths.
As you open your eyes you see a path in front of you, laid in cobble stones, topped with silver glitter.
It is dark, and though it is dark, you realize that which surrounds you is not the empty, but like the womb, full of life. Fill the energy of the dark.
As you look at the outline of the forest of trees, you notice that the path is lined with oaks, firs and pines. Each one decorated with mistletoe, wreaths, and candy canes.

It is dark in front of you, and as you begin your journey down the path, taking your first step upon the cobble stones you can feel the chill wind blowing. You can feel the ground hard and cold beneath your feet. Continuing walking one step in front of the other, one by one until you have reached the end of the path and are standing within a mighty forest
You look up and see the stars, but there is no Moon. Patiently you wait. You hear a sound behind you, and turn to look over your shoulder

You now realize that you are standing upon the edge of a clearing; as its center burns a fire, and an old man is seated before it. He is wearing tattered animal skins, and has long ragged hair which blows about in the wind. On the far side of the clearing you see the mouth of a cave, and standing before it is the mighty figure of the Horned God.

You turn back around and look through the trees, looking towards the eastern horizon, for tonight is the longest night. The dark time before the Sun is reborn at the Winter Solstice, and you wait patiently for the first rays of the newborn Sun. You noticed that the fire has changed into a single Oak tree, standing tall, and decorated with all the trimmings. As you step forward you feel the increase in the love and warmth around you and within you, and notice that the energy within gives birth to the smallest spark imaginable, the spark of life.
See that spark now as it glows, watch that spark now, and watch it grows. Glowing brighter and brighter, it grows into a flame. As you look at the flame, its light fills you with warmth and love

As you feel increased love and warmth within you, the intensity of the flame slowly diminishes and as it does, in its place, slowly is the outline of a present. This gift becomes more solid, until you can see its form clearly and see that it is wrapped in a glistening filament of light. This gift has your name on it, inscribed in the glistening material. Look at your present, what color is your name written in? What shape is it? How big is it? What color is it’s wrappings?
Experience it fully. Accept it. Accept your gift with joy. Feel the heart warm with the love with which this gift is given to you.

And now, from your heart, send out gratitude for this gift; send out thanks for this gift to the Goddess, to our Great Mother, to the Universe. To the Goddess who is the Universe, both the dark and the light. Send out your thanks for this gift. Now if you wish, find a place to keep this gift, a place to put this gift, so you can keep it with you during our ritual now and if you wish take it with you when you leave the circle.

As you stand you can fill the soft, wet touch of the first fallen snow across your cheeks. Winter grips the land as a cold wind blows through the forest. You walk away from the clearing, and as you leave the forest, you turn and see that it is no more than a shadow behind you. Before you, is a world which you know well, it is the world in which we live, and now it is time to return.
The Other world is real, and you may return at any time. Life will not fail, the Sun will return again, remembering your gift given to you. You continue to walk, bringing your special gift with you, be fully present in our circle, Move your body , open your eyes, and come back to this place and time..

MoonWolfe is 52 years young. I am a registered Healer of the Art of Reiki. I am currently working on saving the dolphins in captivity. I drum to heal Mother Earth.

Ritual to become Santa’s Deputy

Ritual to become Santa’s Deputy

By Nessa CrescentMoon, Hps, OWM

Each year, almost since the birth of our first child, we’ve read aloud L. Frank Baum’s The Life and Adventures of Santa Clause. Near the end of the book, Santa deputized a handful of his friends, ones who believed in his calling that work in his place. This gave me great inspiration one year to create a ritual in which we would ‘officially’ become Deputies of Santa You too can read this wonderful book online at http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/520
It is in full text from ProjectGutenbug.org

Gather needed Items:
1 red candle for Santa
1 white candle for each parent present
Cookies and milk (enough for parents)
Directions:
Place items on altar
Light red candle and say”

“I the Parent
Do joyfully swear
To select and choose
With the greatest of care
Gifts of Love
Gifts to please
I am forthwith
One of Santa’s Deputies.”

Light white candle
Imbue milk and cookies with your newly deputized energy

Eat, drink and be merry

The Yule Log

The Yule Log

by Lila

The tradition of the Yule logs dates back millennia. The origin of the word Yule seems to originate from the Anglo Saxon word for sun and light. People used to burn a yule log on the Winter Solstice in December. The Winter Solstice is the day of the year with the shortest amount of daylight. Yule is celebrated by fire, which provides a dual role of warmth and keeping evil spirits away. Many people thought that evil spirits were more likely to wander the earth on the longest night of the year. All night bonfires and hearth fires kept evil at bay and provided gathering places for folks to share feasts and stories.

Winter Solstice marks the sun’s victory over darkness; the days would now grow longer. The cinders from the burnt log were thought to protect homes from lightning and the evil powers of the devil. The ashes were also sprinkled on the surrounding fields to ensure good luck for the coming year’s harvest. The largest remaining part of the log was kept safe to kindle next year’s fire.

The Yule log has waned in popularity with the advent of electric heaters and wood stoves. With no access to a hearth, fireplace or fire pit, modern folks are losing a sacred tradition. Today, we may still partake of the Yule Log tradition by creating a smaller version as a table ornament, embellished with greenery and candles, or the popular Yule log cake. As we eat a slice, we can imagine taking in the protective properties of the log.

Many enjoy the practice of lighting the Yule Log. If you choose to burn one, select a log and 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.

Whether you are burning a log or creating a centrepiece, different woods may be used to produce different effects:
Aspen: invokes understanding of the grand design
Birch: signifies new beginnings
Holly: inspires visions and reveals past lives
Oak: brings healing, strength, and wisdom, symbol of the Oak king, the New year
Pine: signifies prosperity and growth
Willow: invokes the Goddess to achieve desires
Decorate your log with the any of the following items:
bright green needles of fir represents the birth of the new year
dark green needles of yew represent death of the waning year
vines of ivy or birch branches represent the Goddess
sprigs of holly with red berries represent the Holly king of the dying year
As you light the Yule log chant the following:

As the yule log is kindled
so is the new year begun
as it has been down through the ages
an unending cycle of birth, death, and rebirth
every ending is a new beginning
May the Yule log burn
May all good enter here
May there be wheat for bread
and vats full of wine
(or may we never hunger may we never thirst)

When the log has almost completely burned, collect a small piece of the Yule log (dip in a bucket of water to ensure it is completely out) wrap carefully and keep somewhere in the home for safety and protection.

collect some of the cold ashes and store in a glass bottle. The ash can be used for spells of protection and amulets. The remainder of the Yule ash can be scattered over fields or gardens to ensure fertility in the spring.

Pauline Campanelli; Wheel of the Year

Lila is an initiate in The Sacred Three Goddess school. She lives on a mountain in beautiful British Columbia with her husband, four cats, two ferrets and other varied critters of nature. She spends her time communing with the Faerie folk and long walks by the river.

A Warm Yule and Winter

A Warm Yule and Winter

 

by Barbara Hedgewitch

As we approach the shortest days of the year, our house is a snug haven from the cold rain and winds of autumn. The horses’ coats are thick and full in preparation for the cold days ahead. We watch the steady retreat of the Sun. Each day, it sets just a bit earlier and farther south over the distant hill.

We spend time preparing gifts for our loved ones: homemade soap in a variety of scents and colors brightly wrapped in baskets; felt “melted” snowmen from a pattern at the craft store. We bake and decorate holiday cookies and get messy making gingerbread houses out of graham crackers and lots of frosting. I gather fir boughs and wire them to a frame, then attach a bright plaid bow. Soon a sweetly scented wreath hangs cheerily on the front door.

My husband makes his annual trek up our tall ladder, standing precariously as he strings holiday lights all along the roofline. One year, he fell off the roof as he strung lights. Fortunately for him, a potted rosebush broke his fall. It wasn’t quite so fortunate for the rosebush or its pot. This year, I remember to send a little extra protective energy his way as he heads up with hands full of lights.

He takes the children down to the bottom of our property where the former owners planted a grove of evergreen trees. They choose a fine Douglas fir for our Yule tree and triumphantly drag it up the hill to the house. As they huff and puff from the strain, the curious horses follow them.

Inside the house, I’ve prepared a place for this lovely tree, and we spend the evening stringing lights and placing ornaments on it. The scent fills the house. We discuss every ornament, for they all have meaning and memories. Some are from my childhood, and some belonged to my grandparents. Each year, the children are given one new ornament each for their own collections. We have many stars on our tree!

Finally, the Sun halts its southward journey. It seems to stand still for a day or two. On the longest night, our family holds vigil and awaits the rebirth of the Sun. The Holly King arrives and leaves gifts under the tree and in our stockings. My husband and son reenact the Oak King/Holly King duel, with the Oak King triumphing at this turn of the Wheel. We bid good-bye to the ancient Holly King, ruler of the darkening days, and celebrate the birth of the Oak King who rules the brightening days.

A few days later, we’re able to mark the slight northward passage of the setting sun behind the hill. The growing days give us hope as we enter into the coldest and stormiest time of the year. We eagerly await Imbolc and our local BrighidFest, which marks the beginning of the end of winter.

I take my spinning wheel to the BrighidFest and demonstrate how to spin wool. I have a steady stream of people, men and women, eager to try their hand at spinning. Most of them get the knack of it enough to take home a length of lumpy yarn that they spun themselves. Truly a bit of real magick!

Imbolc is traditionally the time of year to make candles. This is something I’ve never done. I think it’s time for the children and I to try our hand at this new skill. I ponder the endless possibilities: the colors, the shapes and the scents. We have a huge collection of old crayons that can be used for color, and some glitter, and I can “frost” the candles by whipping some warmish paraffin with the hand mixer. Oh my, what fun we’re going to have!

I hope you have a warm and cozy winter, filled with much love and learning.

Rekindling the Fires: How We Gather and Celebrate for Yule

Rekindling the Fires: How We Gather and Celebrate for Yule

 

by Catherine Harper

I am a person much concerned with the rituals of hearth and home, and in general I am more likely to mark the turnings of the year in my kitchen or garden, or alone in the woods, than I am in larger gatherings. But even this preference aside, Yule seems to me a holiday that focuses around these intimate spaces. In the face of the darkest time of the year, who we share our table with is especially important. If sunlight brightens the whole community, away from the sun one can pick those who are each of our chosen families by candlelight. Winter, to me, breeds a love of small spaces.

Reaching for this sense of family and continuity is a challenge for the many of us who are first-generation pagans. I know that I want to be able to reach back to my own memories of being a child and find something there that I can bring forward to give to the children in my life. But this can be almost an archaeological challenge, finding amid so much past the right pieces, bringing them to the surface, cleaning them and restoring them to some kind of meaning.

I have a vague fondness still for stockings, but no context from which to hang them, and the woman who knitted the stockings I once loved is dead and gone. That memory I can love and yet watch recede into the distance.

I remember the candles on a tree in the yard of one of my dearest childhood friends that, starting with the youngest child, we would each light in turn on the eve of the winter solstice, singing carols into the night.

I love and remember the smell of a fresh fir tree brought inside, but equally I remember being seven and in tears faced with that same tree two weeks later that had died and dried and lost its needles. And mixed in with my childhood memories of yearning for lights and magic are my adult wishes for fewer malls, a different sort of family and a clear line of demarcation drawn between what I do and what is so nationally celebrated as Christmas.

Out of these conflicting needs has come our own synthesis. I don’t pretend that the answers that our dialog with the past has produced extend to anything beyond our own threshold. We don’t bring in a tree, though that ritual is as pagan as it comes. We do exchange presents and stay up all night and party and play and keep a light going through all the long hours of darkness. At midnight, everyone gathers in front of the fire and feeds it with tokens of things they are glad to have seen the last of, accompanied by explanations and applause. (A ritual that started more or less by accident but has grown and continued until it has developed such momentum I suspect I will never see the end of it.) We make candles. We eat soup, bread and little sandwiches, and trays of cakes, cookies and fruit tarts.

In the last several years, these gatherings have begun to set fruit. When they started, we were college students and young adults, mostly. Now, we are overrun by children, competing among each other to dip candles thicker than their own wrists, gorging on sweets, playing tournament mancala, helping grind flour, swimming laps in the hot tub and staying up far past their accustomed bedtimes.

My senses of past and present are becoming satisfied. Bit by bit, out of the flotsam from our childhoods, from the chance occurrences that recurred and became tradition, from literature, from history, from the stories we have imagined for ourselves, we are building something solid, something that returns and carries us along with it, something that we will pass on.

(To people who will doubtless prune it into a shape they find pleasing. There is no point in being too attached to any particular notions for the future….)

Meanwhile, for me Yule will smell like fir and beeswax and taste like cinnamon. In this land of evergreens, it is natural to bring in a little greenery when so much else has died away. In a time of darkness, of course we make a fuss over light and warmth. And when there is so little in season for the table but we need the extra nourishment to stave away the cold, our celebratory food is rich with saved eggs and butter, and spiced to overcome the monotony of the winter stores. And in 15 years, or 20, if the gods be kind, a nephew, or niece, or godson (or child?) will call me from another city where they have gone to work or to school and say “That cake, you remember? You used to make it on longest night? Do you still have the recipe?”

Gingerbread

This is simply the best gingerbread in the world. The recipe is not original with me, but it has changed more than a bit in my keeping and may in yours as well.

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 3/4 very hot water
  • 1 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour your baking pan. (I use a 9-inch round pan, but a pair of loaf pans also works well.)

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the molasses. (It is very efficient if you pour the hot water in the same measuring cup you just poured the molasses out of — it will dissolve the molasses residue and save you time.) Add spices. Alternately, add a bit of the hot water and a bit of the flour until both are thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, and then quickly whisk in the baking powder and soda. Now quickly, before you lose any rise from your leavening, pour the batter into your pan and pop it in the oven. Cook for about half an hour, or until the middle is firm.

Moldable Shortbread

When I was young, I found a variant on this recipe and used it to make cookies in the shapes of fruit, stippling little balls of orange-colored dough to give them the texture of citrus peel, piercing them with a clove to make a blossom end, painting a blush on the surface of peaches and so forth, rather in the manner of marzipan. But the dough can be made into almost any form, as long as it is mostly flat. You can think of it as an edible, cookable play-dough. Don’t be timid with the food color — bright colors make it much more fun.

  • 1 part sugar
  • 2 parts butter
  • Flavoring to taste
  • 5 parts flour
  • Food coloring

Cream together the butter and sugar, add flavoring if desired and then blend in flour. (If your one part is equal to half a cup, you can use &fraq12; to 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or a bit less almond extract, a bit more Grand Marnier, a teaspoon of citrus zest, a couple of tablespoons of minced candied ginger or whatever suits your fancy.)

Divide the dough into sections and add a different color of food coloring to each one, mixing it in first with a fork and then with your fingers. Form each color into a ball, wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.

When it is chilled, form it into whatever shapes you — or your children — like. Bake at 325 for 20 to 30 minutes. If the dough becomes hot and sticky while it is being worked, just stick the cookies into the refrigerator to chill before you bake them. As long as they are cold when they hit the oven, the texture will be fine.

The Real Meaning of Yule

The Real Meaning of Yule

The Real Meaning of the Holidays
or A Peaceful Solstice From the Good God Thor!

by Rel Davis

A Reading:

Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock,
“Now they are all on their knees,”
An elder said as we sat in a flock
By the embers in hearthside ease.

We pictured the meek mild creatures where
They dwelt in their strawy pen,
Nor did it occur to one of us there
To doubt they were kneeling then.

So fair a fancy few would weave
In these years!  Yet, I feel,
If someone said on Christmas Eve,
“Come; see the oxen kneel

“In the lonely barton by yonder coomb
Our childhood used to know,”
I should go with him in the gloom,
Hoping it might be so.

(“The Oxen” by Thomas Hardy)

The real meaning of Christmas.  What is it?

I keep hearing that we have lost sight of the real meaning.  Too much Santa
Claus.  Too much emphasis on gift-giving.  Too much feasting and making merry
and mistletoe and … not enough talk about the baby Jesus!

I’d like to offer a slightly unorthodox version of the real meaning of these
holidays.  But first we’ve got to do some straightening out about some facts.

First, Jesus was not born on December 25.  Couldn’t have been. There were no
“shepherds watching their flocks by night” in or near Bethlehem in December.
Sheep were taken on a constant journey all year long, spending certain seasons
in certain parts of Israel.  In December, the sheep would have been across the
Jordan river (having been taken over the “Valley of the Shadow of Death,” a
real river crossing described by a shepherd psalmist named David), miles from
Bethlehem.

Shepherds would have been in Bethlehem only in the spring.

In fact, the church celebrated Jesus’ birthday in the spring for hundreds of
years, until it saw that the masses had their biggest festival on December 25
and moved his birthday to mid-winter.  This wintry season has nothing
whatsoever to do with Jesus the Nazarene.

Second, a mid-winter’s festival on or about December 25 is an ancient event
predating Christianity (and Judaism) by thousands of years.  The festival
traditionally featured gift-giving, evergreens, lots of food, circular wreaths,
fires, and (in the north) a flaming yule log plus holly and mistletoe.  Sound
familiar?

The evergreens, holly and mistletoe symbolized life in the midst of winter.
The fires, log and wreaths symbolized the reborn sun at the winter solstice.
The food and gifts were in honor of the bounty to return with spring.

Virtually nothing in the modern-day celebration of Christmas has anything
whatsoever to do with Christianity.

Third, Santa Claus is not Saint Nicholas.  Santa Claus pre-dates Nicholas by
thousands of years and was a traditional element of the ancient mid-winter’s
festival.  Santa Claus today might be traveling under a bit of an alias, yet he
actually has much more right to this holiday season than does the baby Jesus.

Face it, there is something comforting about Santa Claus.  He’s a friendly old
fellow.  Does only good things.  Lives far away in the northlands.  Laughs a
lot.  Likes children.

And, as I say, he fits in better at Christmastime than all that stuff about the
Christ-child.

Evidence indicates that the Christ-thing is just window-dressing added on to an
ancient festival to make it more palatable to the Church, and that the whole
rigmarole about magi and shepherds and mangers is part of a charade that the
mass of people put up with in order to be able to celebrate Yule as they have
for thousands of years.

I submit that to be true.  And that the way we celebrate Yule today is quite
fittingly similar to the way our nordic ancestors celebrated it long before
Christianity arrived on the scene.

Yule, of course, is the time of the winter solstice.  The word is derived from
two ancient words:  one meaning “to turn” and thus similar to the Latin word
“solstice” (describing the sun’s standing still before it turns).  And the
other meaning “feast” and describing the eating that traditionally went on at
the solstice season.  (The ancients apparently liked puns as well as we do!
They combined the two words into one season:  “jul geol” (pronounced “yule
yule”) would mean “feasting at the solstice.”)

This season traditionally was celebrated by our nordic ancestors like this:  A
large log would be burned in the home, a symbol of the sun’s warmth.  Candles
would be lit throughout the house, symbolizing the sun’s light.  A fir tree
(usually undecorated) would be placed in the house because the evergreen was a
promise of coming spring.  Mistletoe, another plant that was green in winter
(and which lived on the sacred oak), also would be brought into the home.  It
was believed that enemies meeting beneath a mistletoe-bearing oak tree would
become friends at least for the day, and that couples kissing beneath the
mistletoe would be married within the coming year.  Kissing beneath the
mistletoe was a way of announcing your engagement.

Gifts would be given to friends and family.  Singing and dancing, usually in
circles — witchcraft style — would be featured at Yule.  The word “carol”
derives from a Greek word meaning “to chorus with flutes” (compare
“choreography”) and referred to the popular circle dances of pre-Christian
Europe.

Drama would be used, and often gifts would be brought by a symbolic figure.  In
Russia, children to this day receive gifts from “babushka” or grandmother, a
winter figure, or by Father Winter. Father Christmas was the name used in
England for awhile.  Before the Christians, he was called Father Winter in
England as well. The Germans called him Knecht Ruprecht — Knight Robert.
Originally, he was someone quite different!

Gradually the gift-giver in Christianized Europe took on other forms.  In
Italy, the gift-giver is called the Christ-child. German children once called
this the Krist-kindel, which became eventually our alternate name for Santa
Claus: Kris Kringle.

Food, of course, was important at Yule.  Fruit, candied or preserved, would be
served.  (The fruitcake, and plum pudding, are modern equivalents.)  A major
meal would be served on the day of winter solstice –with a roast pig or goose
(the turkey, of course, is an American species).

If this all sounds familiar it’s because our culture hasn’t really changed the
holiday much over the years.  They’ve added new names and tried to put new
meanings onto things, but really haven’t changed things a lot.

The central figure of our holidays is a person called Santa Claus. Not Jesus.
Not Mary.  And certainly not Joseph.

Let’s look at Santa Claus a minute.  Nicholas was a bishop in the city of Myra
in Asia Minor.  The historical reality is just that. He was supposed to have
been imprisoned by the Emperor Diocletian and later released by Constantine.
And he died about the year 350. Around the turn of the first millennium, his
remains were dug up by Italian merchants and taken to the city of Bari in Italy.

Nicholas hated to see women unmarried, so he went around giving money to
unmarried women so they could have a dowry and get married.

That’s it.  The myths, of course, are numerous.  He is a patron saint of
mariners, of unmarried women, and of children.  He was supposed to have given
gifts by throwing money in the windows of homes (always of unmarried women, of
course).  The church recognizes his feastday as December 6.

At some point, his name was transferred to the gift-giver of Yule. Dutch
children brought their favorite Yuletide character, “Sinter Klaus,” to New
Holland (later New York) and English children picked up the name.  And the
church pretended that “Santa Claus” was the Dutch pronunciation of “Saint
Nicholas.”  Not only is that not true, but no Asia Minor bishop would have been
caught dead wearing furs and red clothes and driving a sled pulled by reindeer.

Santa Claus, I’m afraid, is not Saint Nicholas.  Santa Claus is someone
altogether different.  The common people of medieval times probably thought it
a great joke on the church to call their gift- giver “Saint Nick”!  Nick was
the usual name for the consort of the Goddess in pagan Europe (compare our
expression “Old Nick” for the devil.)  Nick was one of the names given to the
most popular of the pagan gods.

Before the Aesir — the stern warlike gods of the Norse led by one-eyed Odin —
were worshipped by the peoples of northern Europe, another race of gods were
revered, the Vanir.  Later myths place the two races of gods side by side in
the nordic pantheon, though sometimes they seem to be opposed to one another.

The reality is that the Vanir are the original gods worshipped in northern
Europe and the Aesir are the usurpers, the gods worshipped by the warlike
hordes which overran Europe not long after the advent of Jesus.

The Vanir were gentle farming deities, led by Erda, earth, also called The
Goddess.  When the warrior classes conquered the aboriginal farmers, Erda was
destroyed, but some of the Vanir, like Niord and Freya, survived.  In the place
of a seasonal honoring of earth and sky and weather, was placed a stern,
vengeful set of gods who lived in Valhalla (the Hall of Death) and honored war
and killing and dying.

One other of the Vanir refused to die.  The rulers might honor stern Odin (or
Woden, for Wednesday is his), but the common people preferred the kind god
Thor, Thunder.  The rulers later transferred the day and the honor of Odin to
Peter — who is worshipped by the church each Wednesday!  And the people
transformed Thor into Santa Claus.

Who was Thor?  Thor was originally the son of Erda and was associated with the
sun and with fire.  As such, he is the same as the druidic “Be al,” and the
Phoenician “Baal” and the Roman Apollo or Mithras.  And as such he shares their
birthdate — for the sun is reborn each year at the winter solstice.

Thor was worshipped in every home:  his altar was nothing but the chimney
itself!  When a person translocated he or she would take the entire fireplace,
or at least a brick from the fireplace, so that Thor would have a place to
live.  The first European structure in Iceland was a chimney transferred intact
from Norway as an altar to Thor.

Thor was dressed always in red — the color of fire — with fur boots and hat.
He visited homes by coming down the chimney, of course.  He drove a chariot
pulled by two goats (called Cracker and Gnasher).  He lived in the Northlands,
in a castle surrounded by icebergs.  He was elderly, always jovial and
laughing, and of heavy build.  He could be expected to visit between December
21 and 25 and would bring gifts when he came.

Our modern Santa, of course, lives at the North Pole, drives a sled pulled by
reindeer and … that’s really about all the difference I can think of.  Two of
Santa’s reindeer, fittingly, are called Donner and Blitzen, and it’s only right
that Thor’s sled should be pulled by thunder and lightening!

Santa Claus is the god Thor.  The Dutch name Sinter Klaus was the children’s
title for Thor as the Yuletide gift-giver.  It means simply “Klaus of the
cinders.”  However much rulers try to substitute the stern Yahwehs and Odins
for the gentler goddess and her children, the people will refuse and will
continue to worship as they feel best.

The church has known this for all time, of course.  Much of the history of
Christendom has involved an attempt by the Church to abolish Christmas.
Christmas was completely banned over and over again throughout the Medieval
period, only to be reborn again by popular demand.  The Puritans in England
tried to abolish Christmas and faced rioting which virtually destroyed some
cities!

Every year I hear people attacking Christmas as being too “commercialized,”
that is, too much Santa and not enough Jesus. That, of course, is hogwash.
Christmas is commercial because we happen to live in a commercial, capitalistic
society.  As long as we choose this form of society, don’t knock our most
popular folk holiday as reflecting that form of society.

My feeling, of course, is that there is too much Jesus and not enough Thor —
or Santa, if you will.  Some years ago I formed the National “Keep Christ Out
of X-mas” Committee.   I might be the most active member but I think it’s
necessary that we remember our true roots as human beings.  I’d like us not to
forget the old ways, not to lose touch with our ancient verities, not to fall
from the path of the Goddess.

The solstice, the time of the turning of the sun in its path down toward
darkness, is a time of looking back and of looking forward. It’s a time of
analyzing one’s life and making changes, if necessary.

The solstice is a time of being thankful for life itself.  That is the meaning
of the fires and the evergreens.  Life is precious and we need a time of year
to express that preciousness.  For had the sun not turned each year, there
would be no spring and no life at all.  Yuletide is a time of joy and
happiness, a time of honoring the fact of life itself.

And the Yule is a time for reaching out to others.  To bring people in to our
homes, to give gifts to children and grownups, to provide aid to those in need.
This again, is an extension of the joy of life itself.  And is a reflection of
the concept in ancient goddess-worship that all humankind are of one family.
Of one flesh.  Of one kind.

There is much meaning in the festival of the Yule.

The northern people at this season wish “God Jul” or a “Merry Solstice.”  The
word “merry” did not originally mean “joyful,” but meant: “peaceful.”  In the
carol,”God rest ye merry, gentlemen,” the wish is that they remain peaceful and
contented.

That should be our wish this solstice season:  may you be peaceful and
contented in the year to come.  May you be grateful for continued life and have
good health the year through.  May the goodness and kindness personified in the
image of the good god Thor be yours, not just at Yule, but all the year around.

God Jul!  And Blessed Be!

Pagan symbols for Yule Tree

 Pagan symbols for Yule Tree

Besides Holly berries and leaves, apples, winter birds, fairies,
lights, snowflakes, candles, stags, suns, moons, gingerbreadmen,
mistletoe, acorns, bayberry and cranberry garlands, wreaths, Father
Winters, Santas, and many more? Even the Christ child in the Nativity
set has a Pagan equivalent, although most neo-Pagans I know refuse to
decorate with anything reminding them of a Christian Nativity.

Quite literally, this holiday more than most was lifted from the old
Pagan European holiday, and there is very little that isn’t
appropriate to both Christian and neo-Pagan celebrations of it.

Mirrored Glass Globes to Amaterasu? Balls etched with Holly leaves,
candles, wreaths and birds abound in the stores. If you start now, you
can have clove covered pomanders ready for the trea to ass a nice
spicy smell. Have fun, and take another look at the decorations in the
stores.