Morrighanlynne.com



YULERevolving around harvest and livestock, this was a time of honoring the sun and being thankful for the bounty that sustained the family through the cold. Our ancestors would be calculating their survival as they moved into the harshest part of winter. Celebrating Yule would have been an important milestone along the Wheel as it marked the midpoint of their journey and the promise that the sun would grow from that moment on and carry them through spring.Yule, (pronounced EWE-elle) which directly translates to mean “wheel” is when the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half. People would gather at sunset in celebration for the next dawn, where at that point the sun climb just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day. Known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, the sun's "rebirth" was celebrated with much joy. On this night, our ancestors celebrated the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King, the Giver of Life that warmed the frozen Earth. They would celebrate all night, singing songs, telling stories, and sharing their traditions with their community. From this day forward, the days would become longer until the sun reaches its peak strength at Summer Solstice. The date varies from December 20 to December 23 depending on the year in the Gregorian calendar. Yule is also known as the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere due to the seasonal differences.Bonfires were lit in the fields and crops and trees were "wassailed" with toasts of spiced cider. Children were escorted from house to house with gifts of clove spiked apples and oranges which were laid in baskets of evergreen boughs and wheat stalks dusted with flour. The apples and oranges represented the sun. The boughs were symbolic of immortality. The wheat stalks portrayed the harvest, and the flour was accomplishment of triumph, light, and life. Holly and ivy not only decorated the outside, but also the inside of homes, in hopes Nature Sprites would come and join the celebration. A sprig of Holly was kept near the door all year long as a constant invitation for good fortune to visit the residents. Mistletoe was also hung as decoration. It represented the seed of the Divine, and at Midwinter, the Druids would travel deep into the forest to harvest it.The ceremonial Yule log was the highlight of the Solstice festival. In accordance to tradition, the log must either have been harvested from the householder's land, or given as a gift... it must never have been bought. Once dragged into the house and placed in the fireplace it was decorated in seasonal greenery, doused with cider or ale, and dusted with flour before set ablaze by a piece of last year’s log, (held onto for just this purpose) to symbolize the Newborn Sun. The log would burn throughout the night, then smolder for 12 days after before being ceremonially put out. Ash is the traditional wood of the Yule log. It is the sacred world tree of the Teutons, known as Yggdrasil. An herb of the Sun, Ash brings light into the hearth at the Solstice. Yule Symbolism & CorrespondencesYule Log: Although normally attributed to the Scandinavian peoples, it might be said that the yule log actually originated with the ancient Greeks, who burned whole trees in an effort to hold off the mischievous Kallikantzaroi. However, the Celts reinvented the custom and gave it a whole new meaning. The log (a symbol of their Oak King) adorned with traditional evergreens (a representation of the Holly King) signifies the death of darkness and the warmth of the Sun during the newly born solar year. According to tradition, the log should burn continuously for twelve days and a bit of the wood should be saved to start the next year’s fire. The first day of the Yule fire varies depending upon religious belief. Pagans usually light the Yule fire on the Winter Solstice, while Christians wait until Christmas day. ? Yule Colors: The colors of red, white and green come from the Holly Tree and honoring the King.Candy Cane: Peppermint leaf and peppermint tea has long been a part of Yule celebrations for Pagans with its coolness symbolizing the Sun. The candy cane, however, was invented by an American confectioner who based its form and appearance on Christian roots. He formed it of white candy to signify the virgin birth, then shaped it in a “J” to represent Jesus. The never-ending red stripe was to have symbolize the blood shed on the cross. ? Wassailing: The original name of an apple orchard fertility ritual, the term “wassail” came to us from the Anglo-Saxons and means to hail or salute. The actual ritual was a matter of saluting the trees and sprinkling them with a mixture of eggs and apples to which wine, ale or cider was added. This consecration was believed to increase the apple yield for the coming year. ? Bells: A throwback to the ancient Pagans, festival participants original rang bells to drive away the demons that surfaced during the cold, dark time of the year. Snowflakes: According to legend, the snowflake was formed from the tears that Demeter cried after Persephone’s descent into the Underworld. The microscopic flakes have six sides, and since six is the numerological digit associated with affection, the snowflake was used by Pagans as a winter symbol of love.Candles: Because fire melted winter’s chill and was thought to encourage the sun to shine, it was always an important part of the ancient winter festivals. Candles, however, are thought to have originated with the ancient Romans who gave them to each other as Saturnalia gifts. Their brightness was thought to chase away dark winter demons and urge the Sun back into the sky. Gift Exchange: Thought to have originate in Babylonia with Zagmuk, the tradition of gift exchange gained great popularity during the Roman Saturnalia festivals. In later years, the Christians took up this custom as well, but attributed it to the magi and their bringing of gifts to the Christ-child.Tinsel: The tradition of placing tinsel and foil icicles on holiday trees came from a seasonal story of unknown origins. The gist of it was that spiders weren’t allowed anywhere near the tree – not even close enough to take a peek. Upset at this discriminatory practice, they whined to the Christ-child. Once the baby allowed their admittance, they climbed into the tree and covered it with webs. He was so delighted with their creativity that he turned the webs into strands of silver.Ornaments: The Germanic peoples originally decorated their trees with fruit, candy, cookies and flowers. They symbolized the abundance to come when the Sun shed His warmth. While a lovely custom, the decorations were heavy and difficult to keep on the tree. After a few years, the area glassblowers put their heads together and came up with a solution, to create lightweight glass orbs.Christmas Trees and PlantsTrees: The tree was an important symbol to every Pagan culture. The oak in particular was venerated by the Druids. Evergreens, which in ancient Rome were thought to have special powers and were used for decoration, symbolized the promised return of life in the spring and came to symbolize eternal life for Christians. The Vikings hung fir and ash trees with war trophies for good luck.Evergreens: In Europe, Pagans did not cut down evergreen trees, bring them into their homes and decorate them. That would have been far too destructive of nature. Instead, they would cut boughs of evergreen trees, mistletoe and holly branches and bring them into their home or temple. These cuttings would be decorated and displayed as symbols of the season. They were also thought to hold great magick as they remained green through the winter months while other plants and trees turned brown and "died". ? Wreath: Long before Christianity, the circle shape was the primary Pagan symbol of life everlasting – the never-ending cycle of birth, death and rebirth. It was often used to represent the Sun as well. It is little wonder then, that the Greeks utilized this shape, covered it with greenery, and incorporated it in the décor for the Sacaea festival. When the Romans first formed the Saturnalia celebration, they took up the custom, too, but also gave wreaths as gifts to symbolize the infinity of goodwill, friendship, and joyfulness.Holly: Traditionally a symbol of rebirth due to the fact that is stays vibrant though the winter’s chill. The prickly shrub was a favorite amulet among early Europeans, and they often placed it in their homes to rid themselves of negative entities and nasty weather. It was believed that good spirits lived in the branches of holly. Traditionally a plant representing The Horned God.Ivy: Ivy was associated with the Roman god Bacchus and was not allowed by the Church as decoration until later in the middle ages, when a superstition that it could help recognize witches and protect against plague arose. Traditionally a plant representing The Goddess.Mistletoe: For the Druids the berried plant symbolized the semen of the god and was used to bring about great fertility and abundance. Hung over the doorway, it also protected the home from thunder, lightning and malicious evil. Kissing under the mistletoe: Norse legend has it that Frigg (mother of Balder) lover her son so much that she couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to him. She made a pact with the Four Elements that nothing in their realms would do him harm. Loki (God of Mayhem) was up to his regular mischievous self however. Disguised, he tricked Frigg into telling him that all things but the mistletoe swore him no harm. Thinking the mistletoe was so small it couldn’t harm him. So Loki fashioned an arrow from mistletoe and gave it to Balder’s blind brother. At Loki’s instruction, the arrow was shot and Balder fell dead. The wash of Frigg’s tears restored her son to life and she was so happy that she declared the mistletoe a plant of luck, love and promise. Since ancient times, people have been kissing under the mistletoe to receive Frigg’s blessings.Magickal Correspondences for Yule Celebrations:Deities of Yule: All Newborn Gods, Sun Gods, Mother Goddesses, and Triple Goddesses. The best known would be the Dagda, and Brighid, the daughter of the Dagda. Brighid taught the smiths the arts of fire tending and the secrets of metal work. Brighid's flame, like the flame of the new light, pierces the darkness of the spirit and mind, while the Dagda's cauldron assures that Nature will always provide for all the children. Goddesses-Isis, Demeter, Gaea, Diana, The Great Mother. Gods-Apollo, Ra, Odin, Lugh, The Oak King, The Horned One, The Green Man, The Divine ChildSymbolism of Yule: Rebirth of the Sun, The longest night of the year, The Winter Solstice, Introspect, Planning for the FutureSymbols of Yule: Yule log, or small Yule log with 3 candles, evergreen boughs or wreaths, holly, mistletoe hung in doorways, gold pillar candles, baskets of clove studded fruit, a simmering pot of wassailHerbs of Yule: Bayberry, blessed thistle, evergreen, frankincense, myrrh, holly, laurel, mistletoe, oak, pine, sage, yellow cedar Foods of Yule: Cookies and caraway cakes soaked in cider, fruits, nuts, pork dishes, turkey, eggnog, ginger tea, spiced cider, wassail, or lamb's wool (ale, sugar, nutmeg, roasted apples)Incense of Yule: Pine, cedar, bayberry, cinnamon Colors of Yule: Red, green, gold, white, silver, yellow, orangeStones of Yule: Rubies, bloodstones, garnets, emeralds, diamonds Activities of Yule: Caroling, wassailing the trees, burning the Yule log, decorating the Yule tree, exchanging of presents, kissing under the mistletoe, honoring Kriss Kringle the Germanic Pagan God of YuleSpellworkings of Yule: Peace, harmony, love, introspection and increased happiness ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download