Yule means "wheel" in reference to "the wheel of the year," and is also called the Winter Solstice,or Alban Arthurian by the Celts.It marks the longest night of the year and the point when the days slowly begin to lengthen.
In Wiccian theology it marks the rebirth of the sun and the first promise that light and warmth will return to the world.It is therefore Sacred to all infant Sun/Son Gods
The Gods that maybe Honored at this time are:Horus,Apollo,Bel,Baldur,Shamash, Horned God (as Winter King).
In many Dianic Circles,however,the Birth of Lucina or other Sun Goddess' is celebrated instead.
The Goddess' that may be honored at this time are:Arinna,Amaterasu,Bast.
As the Sun is reborn,our time of quiet reflection and meditation,the rest following the harvest,draws to a close.New ideas,dreams,hopes,and projects are born,and our thoughts and energies turn to the new season ahead.
The newborn Sun is the Great Mother's gift to the world,and this is reflected in our gifts to friends and family.Giving a statement of faith in the abundance to come and in the love that survives the long winter.
It is not hard to see the Wiccian element in Santa Claus,but in many European countries a Goddess figuare brings presents to us.
the Goddess Giftgiver is called the following names:La Befana,Strina,Frau Holda,Berchta,Lucia.
Symbols for Yule:sun god/goddess,yule tree log,reed,wolf, also Evergreens,holly,ivy,mistletoe are plants considered special on Yule.The decorated tree is a symbol of life which is also the symbol of the universe.The Celts called sacred trees "Bele-Trees" or "Billy-Glas," sacred to Bel,in Greece the fir was sacred to the Moon Goddess Artemis.
MULLED WINE FOR YULE:
Chamomile;wintergreen;cardamon;nutmeg; and a pinch of pine needles.
THINGS TO DO ON YULE:
1: Decorate your temple in gold,white,green,and red.Put up Sun symbols,or Winter King symbols such as stag horns,pine cones, and evergreen boughs.
2: Hang mistletoe over your door---with berries,if you want fertility (the white berries represent the God's semen)--- and kiss beneath it.Or hang a "Green Branch" over the door to symbolize hospitality,as the old wayside inns used to do.
3: Decorate an oak Yule Log (ideally a large root) with ribons,fir,yew,ivy,birch and holly;light it using an unburned piece of last years Yule log, to symbolize the blazing of the reborn sun. Spread the ashes in your garden for fertility and save a small unburnt piece to start next years fire.
4: You might enact a mystery play about the birth of the Sun. Begin your ritual in darkness and end it in a blaze of light.
5: As an alternative,draw lots for 2 coveners to represent the Holly King and the Oak King,and reenact the "changing of the guard" as the Oak King comes to power.
6: Burn a pair of bayberry candles anointed with "magnetic oil" (soak a lodestone in oil,new moon is full) and craved with the Feoh (cattle) rune for prosperity.
7: Share your hopes and desires for the coming year with others in the circle then Sing Pagan/Wiccan carols.
8: Go wassailing: take a bowl of cider to your fruit trees and dip the tips of the branches in,place a piece of soaked cake in the limbs,and pour a libation on the roots to encourage abundance.
9: Have a gift exchange of magickal goodies crafted by each covener.This is a way to control gift-giving so that it doesnt get out of hand: put all the covener's names in a cauldron and each draw one to make,or buy a gift for. No one is expected to have gifts for all 8 or 11 or whatever members.(In practice,coveners who are especially close will exchange other gifts privately later---but nobody is obligated to gift everybody.)Official exchange gifts are opened in front of the whole coven,by the way,so that everyone can admire them and share the pleasure.Then unveiled special gifts from individuals to the whole coven or from the coven to the Earth.
10: Since the Yule Tree is an ancient Pagan/Wiccan symbol for the Goddess,the World,and Everlasting Life,why not decorate it as part of your Yule Ritual? Have your storyteller explain about the Tree of Life, the Sacred Groves,Yggdrasil,etc.Than play music and cover the tree with homemade ornaments. After the holidays replant the tree outside (if still alive) or recycling program; or place it reverently in the woods with a supply of seeds and grains for the wildings,so it can continue to shelter life.
11: Perform a "Mumming Play" with traditional characters like the Hobby Horse,the Fool,King George,and the Black Kinght, just to celebrate success over adversity.This will take some research into British folklore.
12: Enjoy a visit from Santa/Mother Berchta.Each Yule She rides her scraggy giant goat,Gnasher Skeggi,all over the world and brings toys or cat litter (for bad children). She's a no-nonsense crone with a sharp tongue---and a kind heart beneath the prickles. She wears long woolen skirts and about 17 shawls and Her hair is as wild as Skeggi.Invite Her In. Get the coven Bard to tell stories of her.
13: Have a Pagan/Wiccan sleigh ride then Celebrate with an old-fashioned feast of plum pudding and mulled wine.
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