Yule Altar

This year's Yule altar, photographed on the night of the Winter Solstice. I had a small white snow bird on it, made of delicate German glass, with real feathers for a tail. It had been a Christmas tree decoration that belonged to my mother until its clasp broke and then spent years languishing in a box of discarded ornaments until I found it a couple of weeks ago and decided it would be lovely on my altar. My joy was rather short-lived though, as I bumped the sideboard and knocked the little bird to the floor where it sadly shattered into hundreds of tiny slivers of silvery glass. Perhaps I'll find a new bird for next year's altar.

Seasonal Yule Ritual

This is a very sweet, simple, and quiet little ritual. As we wrap up the year passed and approach the beginning of the new year, take a moment to reflect on your humble life.

What you'll need:

incense (frankincense or frankincense resin, pine needles or pine resin, cedar chips, juniper berries, cinnamon)

a censer

a charcoal block on which to burn the incense

a large sheet of paper

a pen

a white candle

To make the incense:

2 parts frankincense

2 parts pine

1 part cedar

1 part juniper berries

a pinch of dried cinnamon or a small piece of fresh cinnamon stick

Grind all ingredients together until well blended. You can say a small incantation over them if you'd like, holding your power hand over them as you do so. Remember to always grind in a clockwise motion to infuse your incense with positive energy.

Place your censer and candle on a heat-proof surface and light them both. Begin to burn your fresh incense when your charcoal block is ready. Take the sheet of paper and draw a circle on it. Visualize this circle as a shield for all the good things you have or desire to have in your life. Write down within this circle everything that brings you joy: the material and mundane things of your everyday life, spiritual things you hold dear, nature, beloved animals, the people who make your heart sing, traveling you'd like to do, experiences that make you happy, anything and everything you'd like to draw closer to you. By writing all these lovely things within your circle you are setting up a boundary that will allow in only that which brings you happiness. This creates a shield, protecting who and what you are and sends this positive energy out to the world on a subconscious level. Outside this circle, write down everything you wish to remove from your life: bills, people you would prefer to have move on, bad habits and behaviors, and any other troublesome aspects of your life. Outside the boundary you can also write down those good things you'd like to draw to you only when you personally invite them into your life such as a visit from the in-laws or criticism from a friend.

Spend a few minutes meditating on all you have written and then give thanks for the many blessings in your life. Snuff your censer and when it has cooled, scatter the ashes on the earth.

Photo courtesy of stellaretriever on flickr.

What Am I?

When talk turns to religion and I'm asked what exactly I am, in all honesty, I haven't a clue how to answer. I can say I'm a witch, because I am. I write and cast spells, I work with oils and brews and herbal mixtures. I dabble in the metaphysical every day. I cast a circle and work within it. But my Native American ancestors also cast circles and used medicine wheels as tools of their faith and I use the circle in that manner too. I am a practicing pagan who honors and follows the rhythms of the earth as she spins through her calendar year. I live by the stars and the ever-changing moon. I also spent more than ten years of my life seriously studying Buddhism and today in my rituals and my daily life I try to continue to practice the teachings of The Four Noble Truths even though I would not consider myself a proper Buddhist. I meditate, I follow an ayurvedic diet and have dabbled in Hindu beliefs as well. Do I believe in God? Yes, but not in the way a Christian or Jew might. I used to attend a Buddhist Temple, but I haven't been inside an actual church in more years than I can count. So what exactly am I? Does my rather extensive patchwork of beliefs and practices go beyond even what an eclectic follower would term eclectic? Most likely. Some days I think my crazy spiritual smorgasbord is pretty cool and others I feel utterly schizophrenic.

This is the time of year when so many people ask what my plans are for the holidays and wish me a Merry Christmas. And I readily wish them one back as it's easier than explaining that I don't celebrate Christmas, but rather Yule. But then there are those people who like to question things a bit more deeply. When I say I'm not a Christian, they ask me if I'm Jewish, and try to wish me a Happy Hanukah, but I have to politely say that I'm not Jewish either. And that's where it gets tricky. No one wants to stand there and hear a long drawn out, ridiculous-sounding explanation of what I am, or what I'm not. Trying to tell them I'm a wildly eccentric mix of multiple belief systems only elicits even more questions and more than a few odd- and frequently uncomfortable- looks. I'm not interested in hiding what I am, nor in being clever in how I explain myself, but I do wish I had a quick and simple answer to the question of what I am. But since I have yet to figure out the answer to this question for myself, how on earth am I supposed to explain it to someone else?

Photo courtesy of PictureOnTheWall/Nicholas McCollum.

December Cauldron Divination

This is such a lovely ritual and perfect for this time of year as we spend time inside our homes where it's warm and cozy, contemplating family, reminiscing, giving thanks and counting down the days to Yule.

What you'll need:

a few freshly gathered dry pinecones (preferably without a lot of pitch on them)

a handful of dried bay leaves

a few sprigs of dried lavender

a pinch of cinnamon

a black votive candle

additional candles, if desired

your cauldron

Place your cauldron on a heat-proof, safe surface and if you'd like, surround yourself with a ring of lit, wintry candles. Using the black candle, light your pinecones and let them burn down to bright red embers within your cauldron. While they're burning, meditate on your life during the past year and ponder what the coming year will bring for you. Take a moment to commune with your ancestors and those loved ones who have passed. When the pinecones have reached the hot ember stage, add the bay leaves, lavender sprigs and cinnamon to create a sweet smelling swirl of smoke. You can scry using the glowing pinecones and the curls of smoke, perhaps divining what the new year will hold for you. Ask for any message that you need to hear at this time and see what your scrying manifests. Work the fire magic until the embers die out, then discard the ashes (when they've cooled) back into the earth and give thanks for all you've been blessed with.

Photo courtesy of Peta Jade on flickr.
The original version of this spell was written by Lily Gardener and published on llewellyn.com.

Yule Altar

This year's Yule altar shot on the night of the solstice this past week. There was so much more I wanted to do with it, but alas it was not to be. I'm not too sad about this though as it already gives me much to look forward to for next year's altar.

The Winter Solstice

Today is the perfect day for the solstice: cold, crisp and snowy white. And while this sabbat is meant to ring in the returning of the light, it's important to remember that with this being the longest, darkest day of the year, some time should be spent in contemplation of that darker side.

Before the lights are turned on, the candles lit, the drinks poured, the food shared and the warmth spread, take a few moments in the solitude of this cold winter's day to actually feel that quiet. I like to take some time to be alone with myself (preferably outdoors beneath the glorious moon) and take stock of my life, including all the less than lovely things in it. I give thanks for what I have and I spend some time thinking about that which I don't have and why this might be so. I let go of that which is old or dead and make tentative plans for the new year and all the possibilities that new life and light will bring to my humble world.

Feeling the darkness of this day is equally as important as being joyous in its light. Being alone with it (even for a moment) is as important as being surrounded by friends and loved ones, for without the dark there cannot be light. And without the introspection there cannot be an outward celebration.

Photo courtesy of the amazing Giles C. Watson on flickr. Thanks again, Giles!

The Winter Hag

There are countless weird Yule, Solstice and Christmas stories, but this one is without a doubt not only the most unpleasant one, but also the single most violent one I have ever heard.

In Germany it was a holiday custom to eat as many greasy pancakes as you could consume on the night of the Winter Solstice and then leave a few of them out for the Winter Hag as she made her rounds from house to house. If you foolishly forgot to leave her a few it was believed that she would become so enraged at this slight that she would hunt you down and with an enormous knife, cut open your belly and steal the pancakes right from your stomach. The reason that you had to eat those pancakes really greasy was that the grease would make your belly so slippery the Hag would be unable to cut into you. Her knife would just slip off your slimy tummy and no matter how hard she tried, she wouldn't be able to steal your pancakes away from you.

I don't know about you, but it had to be one hell of a long and frightening night for children, eh? I know if I were a child then, I'd be dreading that night all year long.

Yule Log Magick

Your Yule log can be of any wood that speaks to you magickally and each has its own properties you can utilize to manifest your wishes and desires. Here are a few of the more popular woods chosen.

Ash: brings prosperity, protection and health

Birch: signifies new beginnings and death of the old

Holly: inspires psychic visions and knowledge of your past lives

Oak: burn oak for healing, wisdom and strength

Pine: brings prosperity and growth

Willow: burn willow to invoke the Goddess and have your desires granted

Keep in mind that the longer your log burns the greater the magickal power you will raise and the more luck you will have in the new year. Traditionally, the log would be burned from Christmas Eve on December 24 to Epiphany on January 6. If you have a fireplace, and to ensure your log will burn for a good long time, choose the fattest log you can find and don't forget to dowse it with cider or ale which will also aid in prolonging the fire. It was believed that if the log fire died out too soon, bad luck would befall those in the household. And as long as the Yule log burns, members of your household and guests should refrain from working (this was part of the sabbat's popularity in former times as slaves and servants were given all the days off that the log continued to burn). This is a time to celebrate and party, not to worry about work!

Write down on small slips of paper all your faults, mistakes and bad choices from the past year and burn them in the fire to purge them from your life and start the new year clean and unburdened.

And lastly, this ancient rhyme may be chanted as you light your Yule fire:

May the log burn,

May the wheel turn,

May evil spurn,

May the Sun return.

Photo courtesy of images by lou on flickr.
Ancient chant of unknown origin courtesy of earthwitchery.com.

Yule Lore

The solstice this year occurs at 12:47 PM EST on December 21.

The celebration of Yule has always revolved around fire and light, this being the longest night of the year. From this day on, the sun once again gains in strength with each passing day. On the night of the solstice, villagers would celebrate the rebirth of the Oak King and the coming light with enormous bonfires built in their fields and they wassailed the crops and trees of those fields with spiced cider and other drinks. Wassailing comes from Middle English by way of old Norse and traditionally meant to toast one's health or luck with drink but the word wassail has since most frequently been used to refer to the actual drink of mulled cider, wine or beer that has had sugar, cinnamon, apples and other fruits added to it and served as a Christmas punch. The term wassailing can also be used to refer to revelry in general, which is fitting for the celebration of this sabbat.

Children would be escorted from house to house with apples and oranges spiked with fresh cloves and these would be placed in baskets lined with evergreen boughs and wheat stalks dusted with flour. The oranges and apples were symbolic of the sun, the evergreens eternal life, the wheat represented the abundance of the harvest and the flour the triumph of light and life. Holly, mistletoe and ivy were used to decorate inside the house as an invitation to the Nature Sprites, in the hopes that they would join in the night's celebrations. A sprig of holly was frequently kept by the front door year round to ensure good fortune for those who dwelled within.

The highlight of the night's celebration was the lighting of the Yule log, which must either have been harvested from the owner's land or given as a gift. Traditionally, a Yule log must never be bought. It was then placed within the fireplace, decorated with evergreen boughs, sprinkled with cider or beer, dusted with flour and then set ablaze where it would be left to burn throughout the night and then worked so as to remain smoldering for twelve days before being put out. A small piece from the fire was kept and used the following year to start the next year's Yule fire. Various woods are believed to be the traditional one for a Yule log fire, from ash to oak to willow, but my personal preference is for birch.

However you choose to celebrate this sabbat, do it with great joy and energy! Feel the delight in your heart as you welcome back the sun as it warms our planet and brings new life in the wonderful new year to come. Peace!

Photo courtesy of mukumbura on flickr.

Full Cold Moon

Today is the Full Cold Moon, so named by the Native American tribes of the northern and northeastern lands for the biting cold that begins this month. Another Indian name for this moon is the Long Nights Moon (which is also its neo-pagan name as well). Some other names for today's moon are the Christmas Moon, the Bitter Moon, Snow Moon, Oak Moon and rather inexplicably given this time of year, the Peach Moon.

Given that today's moon is in Gemini, which is the sign of communication, take a moment to tell those around you how much you love and value them. Have a tender talk with someone you care about. Listen and learn and feel the peace, light and love of this Yule season. And in case this season wasn't special enough, keep in mind that on December 31 we will be blessed with a rare Blue Moon whose powers will be felt intensely by all.

Blessed Be.

Yule Stones

And while I'm on the subject of stones... here are a few stones that are perfect for empowering your spells and magick throughout the coming weeks leading up to Yule.

Ruby. The ruby is a powerful stone that will bring protection against all negativity and disease to the one who holds it. Wear it during ritual to increase the energy you raise in circle. Alternately, place it on the altar with a bright red candle to lend you physical strength and energy.

Garnet. Another protective stone, garnet strengthens the aura and shields the wearer from negative energies. Held or placed on your altar, you can use this stone to draw extra energy to yourself during ritual. Garnet regulates the heart and blood.

Green Tourmaline. This stone draws success and money to the one who possesses it. Wear it in spellwork or ritual to enhance your creativity.

Jade. This ancient powerful stone can be worn or carried to receive wisdom through your third eye chakra, as well as to aid in healing the body from physical ills. Place it on your altar to be used in defensive magick work, or to increase your mental energy during ritual wear it while burning purple candles.

Jet. Another protective stone, jet also strengthens psychic awareness, making it an ideal stone to wear while in circle. Place it on your altar with white candles during protective rituals. Jet is one of the most powerful and prized of all the magickal stones. For centuries it was believed that if worn regularly it would absorb some of the wearer's soul. If you wear jet, be sure to protect it carefully.

Photo of raw green tourmaline courtesy of schwigorphoto on flickr.

Trees 101: The Fir

Fir trees are known as the "birth tree" and are used in protection spells for mothers and children. A few needles may be burned during childbirth to ensure a safe birth for both mother and baby. It is the fourth of the nine sacred woods of the sabbat fire, representing friendship. The fir symbolizes the Great Mother Goddess due to its seeming immortality (as it doesn't "die" in the winter months as do other trees and plants). Native to only the northern hemisphere, the fir is traditionally used as decoration during the winter as it is symbolic of life and thus represents abundance in the coming year. For this reason it has been used since early times at Beltane and Yule. Sensitive to the elements, fir cones respond to the sun and rain by opening and closing with each.

Native Americans used many parts of the fir tree as medicine, and even today the fir can be used to treat cuts, burns, coughs and colds and even constipation due to its laxative effects.

The fir is associated with Mars and Saturn and while its energy is essentially masculine, it is associated with both the God and the Goddess. The fir tree vibrates to the element of air and as well as being used for protection and medicinal purposes, can also be used for attracting prosperity, in divination work and to promote personal change.

Trees 101: The Oak

The second tree of the nine sacred woods of the sabbat fire is the oak. The sacred oak is the symbol of strength, of the God at his most virile. The ancient Greeks knew the oak as the "Mother Tree" and believed that man was created from the branches of the oak, a creation myth that I find much lovelier than woman being born from Adam's rib. In fact, many ancient cultures around the globe have myths that have their earliest peoples being born from oak trees. Some believe that acorns were the very first food found by man.

Everyone knows that oak is one of the hardest and sturdiest woods available and thus frequently use it for furniture and home building, but medicinally it can be used to treat sore throats, fevers and skin rashes, uses that are not as well known. Carrying an acorn brings luck to the bearer and acorns can be used in divination as well. Burning oak leaves in your home will help to clear away negative energy and the wood can be used in ritual or on an altar to represent the God. Yule is when the Oak King vanquishes the Holly King and so oak is always the traditional wood for the Yule log. Be sure to save a small piece of it to light the Yule log the next year as tradition requires! Many believe this sacred tree of the God is a doorway to other realms and if you have ever really looked in awe at an enormous oak tree, it isn't too difficult to believe. It is also believed that the roots of an oak tree extend into the earth as far as the visible tree is tall above the ground, increasing its strength.

The oak tree is masculine and vibrates to the elements of both air and fire and is ruled by the planet Jupiter as well as the sun. Oaks are one of the nine sacred woods for a sabbat fire in which it represents the God. Traditionally, oak is burned at Litha as this is the time of the year when oak reaches the peak of its power and strength.