Honouring and Celebrating Yule

 

Yule, or the winter solstice, is one of the oldest of Pagan winter festivals in the world, which marks the longest night and the shortest day of the year. Celebrated between 20 to 23 December, it is the celebration of light and rebirth that honours the return of the sun after the dark nights of winter. This year, the winter solstice is celebrated on 21 December in the northern hemisphere. It gives us a chance to not only celebrate the coming of the longer days, but also reflect on the year that has passed and to make any plans for the new year that lies ahead.

  Although witches and Pagans are getting ready to celebrate the Sabbat of Yule, there are many that can’t do so openly. In the witchcraft community, these people are often known to be ‘in the broom closet’: for whatever reason, they do not feel able to tell the people around them about their spiritual practices and beliefs. This makes celebrating the Sabbats like Yule much harder, as witches find themselves limited to rituals and activities that are subtle in nature, and which do not expose beliefs in witchcraft or Paganism. If you find yourself in this situation, fear not. There are still so many things you can do to celebrate Yule and express your spiritual beliefs. In many ways, Yule is the easiest Sabbat to celebrate from the broom closet. Many of the activities associated with Christmas today are Pagan in origin, meaning that they can be practised safely under the guise of celebrating a traditional Christmas. I was in the broom closet for 10 years myself when I first became a witch. I know the challenges it can create, and how hard it is to have to hide such an important part of yourself from the people around you. So, based on my own experiences and practices, here are my favourite ways to subtly celebrate Yule if you can’t practice your craft openly.   Light candles Yule is about the coming of the longer, lighter days ahead. Lighting candles or hanging up fairy lights in your home can be a perfect, subtle way to celebrate the winter solstice and honour the re-emergence of the sun and the triumph of light over darkness.   Decorate a Yule tree The Druids decorated evergreen trees at Yule as they represented renewal, hope for the sun’s return, and the Tree of Life. At this time of year, most people put up and decorate a Christmas tree, so having a tree in your home during this period of the year will not seem strange. Only you need to know that it’s your Yule tree! Decorate it with natural items and those associated with wintertime, like pine cones, acorns attached to red string, snowflakes, robins, golden baubles, and lights to represent the sun, as well as dried orange slices and small bells to call Yuletide spirits.   Make a wreath and a Yule log Like a Yule tree, making a wreath or Yule log are ancient ways in which to bring evergreens into your home during the Yuletide season. The great thing is that they have become a central part of today’s Christmas celebrations, but because they are Pagan in origin, they are both things you can make in order to celebrate the solstice while still safely practising your craft from the broom closet. Yule wreaths can be hung on your front door to symbolise nature’s resilience in the coldest months, as well as the eternal cycle of life as we move from the dark half of the year to the light half. Making a Yule log is an early Germanic tradition, in which Pagans would bring a full tree into their house. It would then either be burnt from the bottom in its entirety, or would be cut into sections and burnt over the 12 days of Yule. Today, you can use a dried log of a size of your choice to make a Yule log, which is brought inside and decorated with evergreens and items like berries, pine cones, cinnamon sticks and dried orange slices. Holes are drilled into the log to hold candles, which are burnt to honour the return of the sun. On the night of Yule (21 December), the Yule log is burnt to bring light to the shortest day of the year.   Hang mistletoe and holly in your home Hanging mistletoe and holly in your home at Yule is another subtle way to bring evergreens inside to celebrate the coming of the sun. Mistletoe symbolises feminine energies and the goddess, while the holly represents the masculine and the Holly King, who rules over the darkest part of the year. Mistletoe is not just for kissing under, but also wards off evil, and brings peace and good luck for the new year ahead. Holly – also a good luck charm – is believed to ensure the regrowth of plants outside when springtime arrives.   Time for rest and reflection On the shortest day of the year, it’s time to look deep within ourselves to find stillness and peace. We can follow the lead of animals that hibernate during the winter: this is a time to rest, recharge our energy, and find stillness as we wait for the longer days to come. Yule is also associated with reflection, so one low-key way of celebrating the solstice is to start a journal in order to reflect on the year that has been and the lessons you’ve learnt. Shadow work is an appropriate practice for this time of year, where you explore your inner darkness and work with your unconscious mind to reflect on the parts of yourself that you repress. This can be done through journalling and using shadow work prompts, such as: ● What is the overall theme of 2024? ● What’s my biggest fear? Why? ● What can I do to heal myself during this time of rest? ● What can I not accept about myself? ● What do I need to release?   Bells Bells are associated with Yule and Christmas, so hanging them around your home or on your Yule tree is a subtle way of celebrating the solstice under the radar. In Pagan times, bells were rung to drive away demons that surfaced during the darkest part of the year, so ringing them in your house helps to drive away any negative energy, replacing it with positive energy.   Pine cone ritual To the Celts, pine cones were a symbol of awakening and regeneration: perfect for the coming of the lighter days. This simple ritual is good for setting intentions for the new year ahead. Take some small pieces of paper and write on them your wishes for the coming year, then roll them up and tightly push them in between the scales of a pine cone. When you have finished, hang the pine cone on your Yule tree or keep it somewhere safe, ready to be burnt on New Year’s Eve.   Go on a nature walk Spending time in nature is a perfect way to celebrate Yule. Go for a walk on a nature trail or in your local wood to connect with the energy of nature during wintertime and appreciate its stillness. Make walking a form of meditation as you immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and smells of your surroundings. You can collect some natural items on the way, like pine cones to use in the pine cone ritual above, or holly and mistletoes to decorate your home with.   Yuletide food The Sabbat of Yule – just like Christmas – is associated with good food, and is a time to enjoy cooking meals to share with loved ones. Traditional Yuletide foods include dried fruits, nuts, spiced cider, wassail, mulled wine, fruit puddings, root vegetables, roasted meats and vegetables. As you cook your food, add each of the ingredients to your recipe with intention. Adding love to everything you prepare makes the food you share with your loved ones even richer.   For another article on midwinter check out this link - Crystallise Your Solstice: Bring Intention to Your Crystal Collection