Tag: Yule
Winter Solstice Spell
8 Rituals For The Winter Solstice 2021: How To Make Your Own Light
Take a deep breath as we enter this time of the winter solstice on December 21 in the northern hemisphere. Think of it as a sacred gateway: an ending and a new beginning. With all the noise of 2021, it is time for some much-needed quiet and inner nourishment. Mother Nature is asking us to reflect, recalibrate, and strengthen our ability to shine in the world.
The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year and the longest night. At this time, many cultures believe that the archetypal Great Mother gave birth to a sun child (the Egyptian deity Isis gave birth to sun god Horus; the Greek Leto gave birth to a shining Apollo.) This is a moment to hold the light for yourself and others. Here are eight rituals to help you do so.
1. Turn off the lights.
On the night of the solstice, unplug your phone, TV, and tablets. Instead of turning on electric lights, eat dinner by candlelight and…
Click here to read the rest of the article from mindbodygreen.com
Winter solstice 2021: Why it happens and how we celebrate the first day of winter
For the past six months, the days have grown shorter and the nights have grown longer in the Northern Hemisphere. But that’s about to reverse itself.
Winter solstice 2021, the shortest day of year and the official first day of winter, is on Tuesday, December 21. How it all works has fascinated people for thousands of years.
First we’ll look at the science and precise timing behind the solstice. Then we’ll explore some ancient traditions and celebrations around the world.
From msn.com
Printable Winter Solstice Coloring Pages
Winter Solstice Traditions: How to Celebrate This Holiday Season
For those who are spiritual but not so religious, you may choose to celebrate the December holiday season differently. The winter solstice is a wonderful way to honor your ancestors, the earth and its creatures, and the birth of a new sun during this special time of year.
So what exactly is this ancient holiday, and how do you celebrate the winter solstice? Spoonful of Comfort answers these questions and offers some new-to-you winter solstice traditions that you and your loved ones can embrace.
What Is the Winter Solstice Holiday?
Earth experiences the winter solstice when the shortest and darkest day of the year passes and a new, longer day begins. In 2021, for the Northern Hemisphere, the exact time for this change is December 21 at 10:59 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Why Is the Winter Solstice Celebrated?…
Click here to read the rest of this article
For Your Viewing Pleasure – Winter Solstice
The Winter Solstice
The Winter Solstice
The darkest day makes way for the return of light
December 21, 2015 marks the Winter Solstice, which is the official beginning of winter, and the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. But there’s a light at the end of this tunnel — literally! As the temperatures fall throughout the winter, the light grows, representing new hope during a time of darkness.
Ancient solstice festivals were the last big feasts before food became scarce during the harsh winter months. This magical day was celebrated from ancient Rome to China, and by the builders of Stonehenge to the Mayans. In fact, we all remember the Winter Solstice on December 21, 2012, which was the apparent end of the Mayan calendar, causing many to believe the end of the world is coming. Obviously, we’re still here!
Many modern holiday traditions, such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year’s, have their roots in the Winter Solstice celebrations of yesterday. Winter festivals continue today, complete with lights, feasts, dancing and singing, and spending quality time with those we love.
Astrologically, the Winter Solstice marks the moment the Sun — the ruler of the zodiac — moves from adventurous Fire sign Sagittarius to the steady Earth sign of Capricorn. This is the dark night of the year, a day when the Sun appears to stand still. It’s a time for light and laughter, but also deep reflection.
The Sun’s move into steady Capricorn urges us to take some time to look back on 2015 before we make those New Year’s resolutions. What did we do right? What do we wish we’d done differently? Don’t fight the seriousness it brings to the festive holiday season — use it to start 2016 on the right foot! Just make sure to keep some of the Goat’s ambitious energy alive when the Sun makes its next move.
Source:
Tarot.com is a Daily Insight Group Site
For Your Listening Pleasure – Summer Solstice/Litha
~Litha~Summer Solstice Song~Lisa Thiel~
There is beautiful harmony in this song.
Blessed be dear ones.
Let’s Have Some Fun – Northern Hemisphere Yule/Winter Solstice
Winter Solstice Ritual Potpourri
Recipe by Gerina Dunwich
20 drops musk oil
25 drops pine oil
1 cup oak moss
2 cups dried mistletoe
1 cup dried poinsettia flowers
1 cup dried bayberries
1/2 cup dried rosemary
1/2 cup dried holly leaves and berries
3 crushed pinecones
Mix the musk and pine oils with the oak moss, and then add the remaining ingredients. Stir the potpourri well and store in a tightly covered ceramic or glass container.
(The above recipe for “Yule Ritual Potpourri” is quoted directly from Gerina Dunwich’s book “The Wicca Spellbook: A Witch’s Collection of Wiccan Spells, Potions and Recipes”, page 162, A Citadel Press Book, Carol Publishing Group, 1994/1995)
Let’s Have Some Fun – Southern Hemisphere Litha/Summer Solstice
Magickal Activity for December 21, The Summer Solstice
Floating Candles
Midsummer is a celebration of light and life, symbolized by the flame of a candle and the movement of water. A large glass bowl filled with an assortment of floating candles makes a wonderful point of focus for ritual. Choose bright yellow sunflowers, white lilies, and red tulip-shaped candles. Have each person participating in the ritual inscribe his or her desire, with a pin, on a candle. Have each person come forward, place his or her candle in the bowl and light it as he makes his wish. Following the ritual, the bowl is placed outdoors, and the candles are left to burn out.
The Sun Wheel
One of the most popular symbols of Midsummer is the Sun Wheel, the turning of which suggests the turning, or progression, of the seasons. The Wheel is decorated with flowers, fresh herbs, and brightly colored ribbons.
The simplest method for making a Sun Wheel is to buy an already-prepared natural-branch wreath from an arts and crafts store. Affix small branches of rowan to form the spokes of the wheel (four spokes to represent the elements and cross-quarter days or eight to symbolize the eight Wiccan Sabbats). Use floral wire to attach fresh flowers and herbs to the wreath. Embellish with brightly colored ribbons. The wheel can be used as the focal point for your Midsummer rites or hung on the front door of your home for decoration.
For Your Listening PLeasure
December 2021 Pagan Calendar Information
From TheGyspyThread.org
1st Neptune Retrograde ends
4th New Moon (12:44 AM, MST)
5th Krampusnacht
13th/14th Geminids Meteor Shower
17th Roman Holiday of Saturnalia
18th Full Cold Moon (9:37 PM, MST)
19th Venus Retrograde begins
21st Yule
21st Winter Solstice
21st Zodiac Period of Sagittarius ends
22nd Zodiac Period of Capricorn begins
23rd Celtic Tree Month of Elder ends
24th Celtic Tree Month of Birch begins
29th Full Cold Moon (8:30 PM, MST)
References to 2021 Calendar Events
The Sacred Tree Calendar of the Celtic People
Walpurgisnacht – The Night of the Witches
Lupercalia – The Deliciously Lustful Origin of Valentine’s Day
Rites & Rituals – Pagan Ceremonies, Rituals, and Full Moon Celebrations
Beltane Sunset to Sunset. April 30th – May 1st
Beltane honours Life. It represents the peak of Spring and the beginning of Summer. Earth energies are at their strongest and most active. All of life is bursting with potent fertility and at this point in the Wheel of the Year, the potential becomes conception. On May Eve the sexuality of life and the earth is at its peak. Abundant fertility, on all levels, is the central theme. The Maiden goddess has reached her fullness. She is the manifestation of growth and renewal, Flora, the Goddess of Spring, the May Queen, the May Bride. The Young Oak King, as Jack-In-The-Green, as the Green Man, falls in love with her and wins her hand. The union is consummated and the May Queen becomes pregnant. Together the May Queen and the May King are symbols of the Sacred Marriage (or Heiros Gamos), the union of Earth and Sky, and this union has merrily been re-enacted by humans throughout the centuries. For this is the night of the Greenwood Marriage. It is about sexuality and sensuality, passion, vitality and joy. And about conception. A brilliant moment in the Wheel of the Year to bring ideas, hopes and dreams into action. And have some fun…..
Traditions of Beltane
Beltane is a Fire Festival. The word ‘Beltane’ originates from the Celtic God ‘Bel’, meaning ‘the bright one’ and the Gaelic word ‘teine’ meaning fire. Together they make ‘Bright Fire’, or ‘Goodly Fire’ and traditionally bonfires were lit to honour the Sun and encourage the support of Bel and the Sun’s light to nurture the emerging future harvest and protect the community. Bel had to be won over through human effort. Traditionally all fires in the community were put out and a special fire was kindled for Beltane. “This was the Tein-eigen, the need fire. People jumped the fire to purify, cleanse and to bring fertility. Couples jumped the fire together to pledge themselves to each other. Cattle and other animals were driven through the smoke as a protection from disease and to bring fertility. At the end of the evening, the villagers would take some of the Teineigen to start their fires anew.” (From Sacred Celebrations by Glennie Kindred) Green Man – Beltane
To read more interesting things about Northern Hemisphere Beltane click here
Category Samhain/Deep Autumn
WE ARE THE ANCESTORS: MAY WE BE INTERESTING FOOD
May 9, 2020 · by Glenys D. Livingstone · in Samhain/Deep Autumn · Leave a comment Our present lives are formed by all who came before us. We are in-formed by them, whether conscious or not. In PaGaian Samhain ceremony as it has been done traditionally, participants are invited to remember the ancestors in this way: Let us remember our ancestors, those who have gone before, whose lives have been harvested, […]THREADS OF GOLD IN THE COMPOST
April 20, 2020 · by Glenys D. Livingstone · in Samhain/Deep Autumn · 2 Comments There are threads of gold in the compost, if one has the vision for it. And we may take the golden thread, exclaim the strongest natural fibre known – our creative selves, our imaginations – for the building of a new world made sacred, of our conceiving: yet beyond our knowings, across the vast Darkness between […] For more interesting article about Southern Hemisphere Samhain click hereYule Winter Solstice/Litha Summer Solstice
Toady is the longest night of the year. A time of celebration. Deities that are used Father Winter, Kris Kringle, St, Nick to name a few. Herbs ginger, sage, cinnamon. Crystals are emerald, ruby
At the Winter Solstice we reach the depth of darkness with the longest night of the year. So come join us in our celebration. Its time for all of us to come together.
Blessings,
Raven Spirit Walker
Image by Bruno /Germany from Pixabay
Some Thoughts for Litha
Happy and Blessed be as You Celebrate Litha/Summer Solstice Sisters and Brothers in the Southern Hemisphere
A very short explanation of the Holly or Oak Kings Ruling as the Goddess Consort’
For More Information on the Oak King
Scroll Down For More Information on the Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere
I hope these links help you learn more about the different topics.
The Oak has will be born at Sunrise on the Summer Solstice after…
Here the young Oak King fights the tired out Holly King to rule from the Litha until Yule until…
The Holly King is reborn. Now the Oak King is an old man but still fights the Holly king.
The Holly King wins and grows to maturity from the Yule until Litha when the cycle of the battle between the young and older Kings battles repeat themselves for the honor to rule as the Goddesses Consort. The Oak Kings is also in some traditions is known as The Green Man or The Horn God or the God of the Hunt.
I Need Help Finding a Specific Pictures
I have the Goddess with an infant or toddler. What I cannot find is a picture of the Goddess with an infant or toddler. I have this, I think, a cool idea for a post and need both of these kinds of pictures in order to do it.
Thank you so much for your help. It will be much appreciated.
S. H. Count Down to Litha – Printable Coloring Pages
Witches Of The Craft® 
You must be logged in to post a comment.