Christmas is over ... but there is still magic

There is always a big build up to Yule and Christmas, a lot of running around getting things ready, lots of stress and usually lots of money spent.  And then it seems that it is over and done in a flash and all you are left with is a few half eaten boxes of chocolates and an empty bank balance.  This time of year is depressing for most.

But I love the time between Christmas and New Year, the world seems to stand still just like the sun did at the Solstice, almost in a state of suspension ... holding its breath. It's a time out of time and very magical.   Yes I am back to work but it is quiet (for a change).  I'm able to do things at a leisurely pace at least until the world starts turning again.

The time between Christmas and New Year should be like this, we need this quiet time to recharge our batteries, to reflect, to make cunning plans (as I know Rachel has been doing) So I am grabbing this time with both hands and doing things I want to do.  I actually finished reading my book the other day, one I have been reading each night and but barely getting through a page before falling asleep (and that wasn't because the book was boring by the way)

This morning I witnessed a beautiful sun rise above my frost kissed garden and took a moment or maybe two to watch the birds feasting on the treats I'd left out for them.

On the Twelve Day of Yule - Yule Correspondences

Symbolism of Yule:

Rebirth of the Sun, The longest night of the year, The Winter Solstice, Introspection, Planning for the Future. Hope and Joy

Symbols of Yule:

Yule log, Evergreens; the three sacred plants: Holly, Mistletoe and Ivy. Santa, Sun Symbols, Reindeer, Tree Ornaments, Wassail, 

Herbs of Yule:

Bayberry, Caraway, Cinnamon, Cloves, Frankincense, Holly, Ivy, Juniper, Mistletoe, Oak, Pine.  

Foods of Yule:

Biscuits and Cookies, Fruits, Nuts, Turkey, Pheasant, Goose, Eggnog, Ginger Tea, Mulled Wine, Spiced Cider.

Colors of Yule:

Red, Green, Gold, White, Silver, Yellow, Orange.

Stones 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 the return of the sun

Spellworkings of Yule:

Peace, Harmony, Love, Increased Happiness, Wishes

On the Eleventh Day of Yule - Deities of Yule

While it may be mostly Pagans and Wiccans who celebrate the Yule holiday, nearly all cultures and faiths have some sort of winter solstice celebration or festival. Because of the theme of endless birth, life, death, and rebirth, the time of the solstice is often associated with deity and other legendary figures. No matter which path you follow, chances are good that one of your gods or goddesses has a winter solstice connection.

Ameratasu (Japan): In feudal Japan, worshippers celebrated the return of Ameratasu, the sun goddess, who slept in a cold, remote cave. When the the other gods woke her with a loud celebration, she looked out of the cave and saw an image of herself in a mirror. The other gods convinced her to emerge from her seclusion and return sunlight to the universe.

Baldur (Norse): Baldur is associated with the legend of the mistletoe. His mother, Frigga, honored Baldur and asked all of nature to promise not to harm him. Unfortunately, in her haste, Frigga overlooked the mistletoe plant, so Loki - the resident trickster - took advantage of the opportunity and fooled Baldur's blind twin, Hod, into killing him with a spear made of mistletoe. Baldur was later restored to life.

Bona Dea (Roman): This fertility goddess was worshipped in a secret temple on the Aventine hill in Rome, and only women were permitted to attend her rites. Her annual festival was held early in December.

Cailleach Bheur (Celtic): In Scotland, she is also called Beira, the Queen of Winter. She is the hag aspect of the Triple Goddess, and rules the dark days between Samhain and Beltaine.

Demeter (Greek): Through her daughter, Persephone, Demeter is linked strongly to the changing of the seasons and is often connected to the image of the Dark Mother in winter. When Persephone was abducted by Hades, Demeter's grief caused the earth to die for six months, until her daughter's return.

Dionysus (Greek): A festival called Brumalia was held every December in honor of Dionysus and his fermented grape wine. The event proved so popular that the Romans adopted it as well in their celebrations of Bacchus.

Frau Holle (Norse): Frau Holle appears in many different forms in Scandinavian mythology and legend. She is associated with both the evergreen plants of the Yule season, and with snowfall, which is said to be Frau Holle shaking out her feathery mattresses.

Frigga (Norse): Frigga honored her son, Baldur, by asking all of nature not to harm him, but in her haste overlooked the mistletoe plant. Loki fooled Baldur's blind twin, Hod, into killing him with a spear made of mistletoe but Odin later restored him to life. As thanks, Frigga declared that mistletoe must be regarded as a plant of love, rather than death.

Holly King (British/Celtic): The Holly King is a figure found in British tales and folklore. He is similar to the Green Man, the archetype of the forest. In modern Pagan religion, the Holly King battles the Oak King for supremacy throughout the year. At the winter solstice, the Holly King is defeated.

Horus (Egyptian): Horus was one of the solar deities of the ancient Egyptians. He rose and set every day, and is often associated with Nut, the sky god. Horus later became connected with another sun god, Ra.

La Befana (Italian): This character from Italian folklore is similar to St. Nicholas, in that she flies around delivering candy to well-behaved children in early January. She is depicted as an old woman on a broomstick, wearing a black shawl.

Lord of Misrule (British): The custom of appointing a Lord of Misrule to preside over winter holiday festivities actually has its roots in antiquity, during the Roman week of Saturnalia.

Mithras (Roman): Mithras was celebrated as part of a mystery religion in ancient Rome. He was a god of the sun, who was born around the time of the winter solstice and then experienced a resurrection around the spring equinox.

Odin (Norse): In some legends, Odin bestowed gifts at Yuletide upon his people, riding a magical flying horse across the sky. This legend may have combined with that of St. Nicholas to create the modern Santa Claus.

Saturn (Roman): Every December, the Romans threw a week-long celebration of debauchery and fun, called Saturnalia in honor of their agricultural god, Saturn. Roles were reversed, and slaves became the masters, at least temporarily. This is where the tradition of the Lord of Misrule originated.

Spider Woman (Hopi): Soyal is the Hopi festival of the winter solstice. It honors the Spider Woman and the Hawk Maiden, and celebrates the sun's victory over winter's darkness.

source - paganwiccanabout.com

On the Tenth Day of Yule - Wassailing

Wassailing


Wassail comes form the name of an apple orchard fertility ritual, the term "wassail" came to us from the Anglo-Saxons and means to wish well, 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.

But it wasn't just apple trees that were wassailed:  villagers travelled through their fields as well as orchards, singing their wassail songs and shouting to drive out evil spirits.  This they believed would encourage a bumper apple harvest and ensure fertility for their field crops too.  

Eventually, wassailing evolved into Christmas caroling, which became popular during the Victorian era, and is still seen today in many areas.  

Here are a couple of old Wassail sound I found on the internet

Gloucestershire Wassail (multiple versions available, believed to be Saxon in origin, Middle Ages)

Wassail, wassail all over the town

Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown,

We bring a bowl made of the white maple tree,

and with the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee!

So here is to Cherry and to his right cheek,

the gods send our master a good piece of beef

and a good piece of beef that may we all see.

With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee!

And a toast to Dobbin and to his right eye

pray the gods send our master a good Christmas pie

a good Christmas pie that may we all see.

With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee!

So here's to Great Big Mary and her great big horn,

may the gods send Master a good crop of corn,

and a good crop of corn that may we all see.

With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee!

And a toast to Moll and to her left ear,

may the gods send our master a happy New Year,

And a happy New Year as e'er he did see.

With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee!

And here is to Auld Colleen and her long tail,

may the gods guard our master that he never fail,

a bowl of strong beer! I pray you draw near,

and our jolly wassail it's then you shall hear!

And here's to the maid in the lily white smock,

Who tripped to the door and slipped back the lock,

Who tripped to the door and pulled back the pin

For to let these jolly wassailers in!

Apple Tree Wassailing (Somerset, 18th Century or earlier)

Hurray, hurray, in our good town

The bread is white, and the liquor brown.

So here my old fellow I drink to thee,

and the long life of every other tree.

Well may you blow, well may you bear,

blossom and fruit both apple and pear.

So that every bough and every twig

may bend with a burden both fair and big.

May you bear us and yield us fruit such a store,

that the bags and chambers and house run o'er!

On the Ninth Day of Yule - The Yule Log

The Yule Log

In many places fires or candles were kindled to burn through the twelve days that marked the festivities. Another fire tradition was that of the Yule log, lit from the remains of last years log at sunset on the 25th of December or on The Winter Solstice. The Yule log was often of Oak, and the burned remains of it were thought to guard a home against fire and lightning. The ashes were also sprinkled on the surrounding fields to ensure good luck for the coming years harvest. The largest remaining part of the log was kept safe to kindle next years fire. Fraser in his book 'The Golden Bough' suggests that Midwinter was a major fire festival in ancient times, and it is highly probable that the Yule Log was a remnant of that tradition.


Most of us don't have real fires in our homes nowadays but you always bring in a log that you find on a woodland walk.  You can make holes so you can place candles in it and decorate it with evergreens.  If you are lucky enough to find a piece of oak and decorate it with holly that will just add to the Yuletide symbolism of the battle between the two Kings.  

The picture is my Yule Log which is part of my celebration every year.  We used it as part of our Kitchen Witch ritual last Yule.

On the Eigth Day of Yule - The Holly and Oak King

The Holly and Oak King

A common theme for Pagan's at Yule is the battle of the kings of the Holly and the Oak. The Holly King represents the waning year and The Oak King represents the waxing year.

At the Summer Solstice these great kings do battle but it is the Oak King that is defeated as the light of the day gives way to darkness as the Holly King takes his reign.  But at The Winter Solstice they do battle again and this time the Oak King will win and with his reign will come the return of the light.


The Holly and Oak King are the same king but with a twin soul.  They both rule for six months of the year, and are associated with the rites of the Solstice’s. They are both vegetation Gods/Deity’s connected to fertility and the seasons.

I have been to rituals were this great battle is re-enacted and it is amazing to see the story brought to life.

On the Seventh Day Of Yule - Mistletoe

Mistletoe - origins & trivia

The last in our Sacred trio of plants is the Mistletoe.  

The Mistletoe was held sacred by the Norse, the Celtic Druids and the North American Indians. The Druid priests would cut mistletoe from an oak tree with a golden sickle, although after reading Nimue Brown's blog yesterday I agree that the sickles probably weren't made of gold as the blade would never have been sharp enough. 

The branches had to be caught before they touched the ground. This probably stems from the fact that mistletoe never lays its roots into the ground but instead lives off the tree as a parasite.  

The branches were then divided into many sprigs and distributed to the people, who hung them over doorways as protection against thunder, lightning and other evils. The folklore continued over the centuries. It was believed that a sprig placed in a baby's cradle would protect the child from goblins. Giving a sprig to the first cow calving after New Year would protect the entire herd.

Mistletoe is a symbol for peace and joy. The idea originated in the ancient times of the Druids: whenever enemies met under the mistletoe in the forest, they had to lay down their arms and observe a truce until the next day. From this comes the custom of hanging a ball of mistletoe from the ceiling and exchanging kisses under it as a sign of friendship and goodwill.

In the 18th Century, the exchanging of kisses between a man and a woman was adopted as a promise to marry. At Christmas a young lady standing under a ball of mistletoe cannot refuse to be kissed. The kiss could mean deep romance, lasting friendship and goodwill. It was believed that if the girl remained unkissed, she cannot expect to marry the following year.

Druid priests employed mistletoe in their sacrifices to the gods while Celtic people felt it possessed miraculous healing powers. In fact, in the Celtic language mistletoe means "all-heal." It not only cured diseases, but could also render poisons harmless, make humans and animals prolific, keep one safe from witchcraft, protect the house from ghosts and even make them speak. With all of this, it was thought to bring good luck to anyone privileged to have it.  I'm not so sure about this as mistletoe is actually poisonous ... so please don't eat it. 

Norsemen offer us a beautiful symbolic myth about mistletoe. The story goes that Mistletoe was the sacred plant of Frigga, goddess of love and the mother of Balder, the god of the summer sun. Balder had a dream of death, which greatly alarmed his mother, for should he die, all life on earth would end. In an attempt to keep this from happening, Frigga went at once to air, fire, water, earth, and every animal and plant seeking a promise that no harm would come to her son. Balder now could not be hurt by anything on earth or under the earth. But Balder had one enemy, Loki, god of evil and he knew of one plant that Frigga had overlooked in her quest to keep her son safe. It grew neither on the earth nor under the earth, but on apple and oak trees. It was lowly mistletoe. So Loki made an arrow tip of the mistletoe, gave to the blind god of winter, Hoder, who shot it, striking Balder dead. The sky paled and all things in earth and heaven wept for the sun god. For three days each element tried to bring Balder back to life. Frigga, the goddess and his mother finally restored him. It is said the tears she shed for her son turned into the pearly white berries on the mistletoe plant and in her joy Frigga kissed everyone who passed beneath the tree on which it grew. The story ends with a decree that who should ever stand under the humble mistletoe, no harm should befall them, only a kiss, a token of love.

What could be more natural than to translate the spirit of this old myth into a Christian way of thinking and accept the mistletoe as the emblem of that Love which conquers Death? Its medicinal properties, whether real or imaginary, make it a just emblematic of that Tree of Life, the leaves of which are for the healing of the nations thus paralleling it to the Virgin Birth of Christ.

Later, the eighteenth-century English credited mistletoe not with miraculous healing powers, but with a certain magical appeal called a kissing ball. At Christmas time a young lady standing under a ball of mistletoe, brightly trimmed with evergreens, ribbons, and ornaments, cannot refuse to be kissed. Such a kiss could mean deep romance or lasting friendship and goodwill. If the girl remained unkissed, she cannot expect not to marry the following year. Whether we believe it or not, it always makes for fun and frolic at Christmas celebrations.

Adapted from thehistoryofchristmas.com

On the Sixth Day of Yule - Ivy

Ivy is the next plant in our evergreen trio.

Ivy grows in a spiral and is often associated with reincarnation and rebirth.  So not only is it an evergreen it also symbolises the rebirth of the sun.

The Roman's associated the ivy with the God Bacchus, god of wine and revelry. Bacchus is often depicted wearing a crown of of ivy leaves, this is because it was believed that ivy could ward off the effect of alcohol.  I will have to give that a try this year but I am doubtful that it will work.  

Although not an actual tree, the Ivy was such an important plant to the Celts that they gave it a place in their Tree Calendar, where is is known as Gort.  The Druids would wrap their heads with ivy to represent clarity of thought. 

The botany of the ivy plant has clearly influenced its symbolism: amongst its various meanings, ivy represents connections and friendships, undoubtedly influenced by the plant’s natural tendency to weave and intertwine during growth. Such connections often play an important role in our celebrations of the holiday season – as we reach out to family and friends, to recall cherished memories and create new ones.

Adapted frin - Deaf Pagan Crossroads

On the Fifth Day of Yule - Holly

Pagans held evergreen plants sacred and decorated their homes with them over the Yule period.  There are three evergreen plants in particular; Holly, Mistletoe and Ivy. Each of these plants have their own meaning but together they represent the essence of Yule  – a time of rebirth and renewal, a season of promise and hope. Decorating your home with these plants will not only look fantastic, but will also serve as reminders of this Yule theme… taking us back to ancient times and ancient ways. As we await the return of the sun, the magical powers of the holly and the ivy, along with that of the mistletoe bring illumination into our own inner awareness.

Holly was the sacred plant of Saturn and was used at the Roman Saturnalia festival to honour him. Romans gave one another holly wreaths and carried them about decorating images of Saturn with it. Centuries later, in December, while other Romans continued their pagan worship, Christians celebrated the birth of Jesus . To avoid persecution, they decked their homes with Saturnalia holly. As Christian numbers increased and their customs prevailed, holly lost its pagan association and became a symbol of Christmas.

The Druids believed that holly, with its shiny leaves and red berries stayed green to keep the earth beautiful when the sacred oak lost it leaves. They wore sprigs of holly in their hair when they went into the forest to watch their priests cut the sacred mistletoe.

The plant has come to stand for peace and joy, people often settle arguments under a holly tree.  It was also believed that the holly was a symbol of good luck and a place for the god fairies to play.  Holly is believed to frighten off witches and protect the home from thunder and lightning. In West England it is said sprigs of holly around a young girl's bed on Christmas Eve are suppose to keep away mischievous little goblins. It apparently brings about sweet dreams too so another good reason to hang it around your bed!   The English also mention the "he holly and the she holly" as being the determining factor in who will rule the household in the following year, the "she holly" having smooth leaves and the "he holly" having prickly ones.  All of these references give light to "decking the halls with boughs of holly."

Adapted from
thehistoryofchristmas.com

On the Forth Day of Yule - The Yule Tree

The practice of bringing a whole tree into your home of the Yule/Christmas is a relatively modern German invention, which started in the 16th - 17th Century.  But the tradition has Pagan roots ... no pun intended :-)

Our Pagan ancestors held special meaning to any plant that remained green all year and it was custom to bring these evergreens inside and decorate their homes during the Yule season.  The evergreens were also believed to ward off evil spirits, illness and witches.

Egyptians particularly valued evergreens as a symbol of life's victory over death. They brought green date palm leaves into their homes around the time of the winter solstice.

Early Romans marked the solstice with a feast called the Saturnalia in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture. The Romans knew that the solstice meant that soon farms and orchards would be green and fruitful. To mark the occasion, they decorated their homes and temples with evergreen boughs.

In Northern Europe the mysterious Druids, the priests of the ancient Celts, also decorated their temples with evergreen boughs as a symbol of everlasting life. The fierce Vikings in Scandinavia thought that evergreens were the special plant of the sun god, Balder.

The Germanic peoples decorated their trees with fruits and and sweets.  We decorate our trees now with ornaments, tinsel and baubles ... all shiny symbols of abundance and the suns return

sources
thehistoryofchristmas.com
christmastreehistory.net

On the Third Day of Yule - Reindeer

REINDEER

If you read the blog yesterday you will know that there are parallels to be drawn between Santa and Odin, and these continue when we look into the origins of Santa's reindeer.

As we know Santa's sledge is pulled by eight flying reindeer, travelling around the world and leaving gifts for children.  Odin had an eight legged horse called Sleipnir which he rode across the sky in the Wild Hunt, carry the souls of the dead to the Underworld.  Children would leave out sugary treats for Sleipnir in exchange for small gifts from Odin.  Very similar to children today leaving a carrot for Santa's reindeer.
The reindeer could also have represented the stags that drew the Norse Goddess, Freya chariot.  She is also said to be a gift giving Goddess

And while on the subject of female energy, all of santas reindeer had to be female.  This is because it is only the female reindeer that still have their antlers during the winter.  They kept them longer than their male counterparts so they could protect their young.  

But where does the flying part come into it?   Well I think it may come from the shamanic peoples of Scandinavia.  This is the territory of the modern day reindeer, and they have discovered a secret. In these regions also grows the hallucinogenic fly agaric mushrooms which is toxic to humans, but not to the reindeer. It has been discovered that if a human drinks the urine of a reindeer who has consumed the mushroom, they can absorb the hallucinogen but not the toxin.  Who first discovered this and what they were doing drinking reindeer urine is anyone's guess though. But a shaman could drink this to embark on his journeying (where his astral body would leave and return his abode through the smoke hole in the roof)  

On the Second Day of Yule - Who is Santa?

Who is Santa

He's known as Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Sinterklaas, St Nicholas, Kris Kringle, Pere Noel, and many other names. But why so many names?  I think it's because today's Santa is an amalgamation of many different folk figures from around the world.

Today's Santa embodies characteristics of Saturn (Roman agricultural god), Cronos (Greek god, also known as Father Time), the Holly King (Celtic god of the dying year), Father Ice/Grandfather Frost (Russian winter god), Frey (Norse fertility god), the Tomte (a Norse Land Spirit known for giving gifts to children at this time of year), and Thor (Norse sky god who rides the sky in a chariot drawn by goats). Julbock or Julbukk, the Yule goat, from Sweden and Norway, had his beginnings as carrier for the god Thor. Now he carries the Yule elf when he makes his rounds to deliver presents and receive his offering of porridge.  And not to forget the female version, Befana, the gift giving Roman Goddess

But perhaps the more well known Pagan origins of our modern day Santa are drawn from the Norse God Odin.  He as said to ride an eight legged horse by the name of Sleipnir, who could leap great distances.  On Yule Odin would lead a great hunting party that would fly through the sky.  Comparisons have been drawn to this and the flight of Santa and his eight reindeer (more about them tomorrow)  During Odins night time ride children would leave out treats for Sleipnir and Odin would reward them with gifts of food and sweets.  This tradition still continues in Belgium and Germany today.

When Early Christians co-opted the Yule holiday, they replaced the ancient Holly King with religious figures like St. Nicholas, who was said to live in Myra (Turkey) in about 300 A.D. Born an only child of a wealthy family, he was orphaned at an early age when both parents died of the plague. He grew up in a monastery and at the age of 17 became one of the youngest priests ever. Many stories are told of his generosity as he gave his wealth away in the form of gifts to those in need, especially children. Legends tell of him either dropping bags of gold down chimneys or throwing the bags through the windows where they landed in the stockings hung from the fireplace to dry. Some years later Nicholas became a bishop--hence the bishop's hat or miter, long flowing gown, white beard and red cape.

When the Reformation took place, the new Protestants no longer desired St. Nicholas as their gift-giver as he was too closely tied to the Catholic Church. Therefore, each country or region developed their own gift-giver. In France he was known as Pare Noel. In England he was Father Christmas (always depicted with sprigs of holly, ivy, or mistletoe). Germany knew him as Weihnachtsmann (Christmas man). When the communists took over in Russia and outlawed Christianity, the Russians began to call him Grandfather Frost, who wore blue instead of the traditional red. To the Dutch, he was Sinterklaas (which eventually was mispronounced in America and became Santa Claus). La Befana, a kindly witch, rides a broomstick down the chimney to deliver toys into the stockings of Italian children. These Santas were arrayed in every color of the rainbow--sometimes even in black. But they all had long white beards and carried gifts for the children.

All of these Santas, however, never stray far from his earliest beginnings as god of the waning year. As witches, we reclaim Santa's Pagan heritage.

Sources
earthwitchery.com
Paganspath.com

On First Day of Yule - The Winter Solstice

This is one of twelve blogs about the history and symbolism behind our Yule celebrations.  This first blog is about The Winter Solstice and the rebirth of the sun.

The celebration of Winter Solstice (also known as Yule) is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world.  The festival has been celebrated around the world in one form or another for over four thousand years.  Along the way traditions have been created, reinvented and renamed.   

To Pagans the Winter Solstice is one of the four fire festivals, the time when in the Northern Hemisphere, the night is at its longest and the day at its shortest. Darkness has its victory over light , but only briefly as the solstice marks the turning point and the return of the light.

Winter Solstice is primarily the celebration of the rebirth and hope, but many people associate the Winter Solstice, or winter itself with death.  It is the season in which nature is dormant, and in which many plants die off and crops are scarce. 

To our ancestors it was a crucial time, when the sun reached the point in the calendar where it apparently "stood still" in the sky ("sun stand" is the literal meaning of the word solstice) before beginning the return to longer days and shorter nights - something very significant for people whose survival centred on growing enough food and keeping warm.

Ancient people were hunters and spent most of their time outdoors. The seasons and weather played a very important part in their lives. Because of this many ancient people had a great reverence for, and even worshipped the sun.   The Winter Solstice was celebrated as the birth of the sun, the birth of light and therefore the birth of life, and ceremonies and rituals were created to try and stimulate the sun's return.

The ancient Persians lit bonfires on the day of the solstice and their rulers would send aloft birds carrying torches of dried grass to try and rouse the sun.

The Norsemen of Northern Europe saw the sun as a wheel that changed the seasons. It was from the word for this wheel, houl, that the word yule is thought to have come. At mid-winter the Norsemen lit bonfires, told stories and drank sweet ale.

The ancient Romans also held a festival to celebrate the rebirth of the year. Saturnalia ran for seven days from the 17th of December. It was a time when the ordinary rules were turned upside down. Men dressed as women and masters dressed as servants.  The festival also involved decorating houses with greenery, lighting candles, holding processions and giving presents ... sound familiar?

The Zuni of North America honour the solstice by putting up plates on the walls of their homes which are lit by the suns passing through a small window only one day a year ... the winter solstice.  This reminded me of the winter solstice sun illuminating the passageway and chamber at Newgrange in Ireland.  Once their Sun Priest declares the actual moment of the sun's rebirth the festivities start.  Starting with 12 kachina clowns performing a ritual dance along with effigies of 12 foot high birds who were seen as messengers from the Gods.

Yule is a time throughout time that honours love and new birth, as well as the collective unity of man. It also works well as a date for the birth of Sun Gods, miraculous children that bring new life and new hope into the world.  

The Persians had their Sun God Mithra, who was born, fully grown from a rock on 25th December.  From the Egyptian pantheon we see Isis giving birth to the Sun God Horus on the Winter solstice.  And of course the most well known Sun God of modern day is Jesus Christ, born to the Virgin Mary on 25th December.  The date of Jesus's birth is a much debated topic as it is believed to have been changed to fit with the pre-existing Solstice traditions but that topic is a whole other blog :-)  

Take time out this Winter Solstice from the hustle and bustle of planning your festivities and celebrate the truly important things in life: your family, your children, your home and looking forward to a wonderful year to come.

Tomorrow's blog - Who is Santa?

Sources:

Kitchen Witch Blog

Celebrating Midwinter - Waverly Fitzgerald

Image from Stonehenge tours website

Travelling Musings

Living in a town and working full time means that I don't get to spend as much time as I would like out in nature and walking the land.  But I do get to drive through the countryside quite often 

During my journeys I watch the seasons turn, I see the first buds on the trees as spring starts to stir from it's winters slumber and fields full of lambs, playing and skipping.  I watch as the trees become full of leaves and abundance at full summer.  I enjoy driving past fields full of pink poppies and watch as the farmers start to harvest their crops (getting stuck behind trackers isn't so pleasant though) 

But my favourite time of year has to be autumn.  Watching as the leaves on the trees turn into glorious colours.  This symbolises the year going out in a final blaze of glory, like the finale at a firework display when the best and most colourful of fireworks are left til last.  Autumn for me is Winter's Spring.  

But what struck me as I was driving to a meeting this week is that the trees look most beautiful when they are waning in energy.  

They don't fight the ageing process or the cycle of their lives; they surrender to it and they are stunning.   So even in death there is beauty to be found if we only just surrender

Magic happens ... even in Zumba class

I have quite a stressful job so when the weekend comes around I need something to help me let go of all that tension.  My Saturday morning ritual usually consists of a really energetic zumba class to blow away the cobwebs

Personally speaking dance and movement are the best ways to raise energy, they can also be a form of meditation.  There aren't many thoughts that sneak into my head in zumba class that's for sure!!

This week has been particularly stressful at work ... I won't bore you with the details but I was feeling all sorts of emotional.  So whilst in Zumba class today, when the energy was at its highest, I just let go of it all.  I watched as all the pent up feelings just floated out of the nearest door or window and it was like a weight lifted from my shoulders.   I asked for all the negativity I'd released from myself to be dispersed and recycled by the universe :-)

Then for the rest of the class I set the intention to be filled with joy and laughter, and I wasn't disappointed as it turned out to be one of the best classes with some great tracks.  We were dancing like gangstas one minute, playing air guitar to a rock song the next, followed by smoking hot salsa tracks ... all therapy for me

So you don't have to make time for magic, you can do it anywhere ... even in a zumba class :-)

Rituals ... What are they?

While putting the finishing touches to the Kitchen Witch Elen ritual ready for next weekend I got to thinking about rituals in general.  What are they, why do we do them and what are the rules?

So I looked up the definition of a ritual and found this

A religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order.

Most pagan rituals will follow a set order, cast a circle, cleanse and smudge the circle, call the quarters and deity etc but they are anything but solemn.   While we are serious about reverence for deity we also believe there should be a bit of mirth and merriment in the mix too.   Our Kitchen Witch ceremonies are fairly relaxed and as we are a training coven we are always happy for people to ask questions about what we are doing. 

Pagan rituals should be joyous occasions; times of laughter and celebration of the turning of the seasons and the cycles of the moon.   We often make mistakes during our rituals but we are quite prepared to laugh at ourselves when we do.  We believe the Goddess likes to laugh along with us too.    I've been to rituals where the group have put on a bit of a skit to re-enact the myths of the season, I've even been witness to the fight of the Holly King and Oak King played out with rubber chickens.  So you can definitely have fun while still touching on the deeper mysteries.

As I am a Kitchen Witch I  don’t follow some of the strict Wiccan rules that some covens do but when I am attending someone else’s ritual I follow their rules and ask what will be expected of me during the ritual beforehand.   Quite often there is a dress code or a potluck feast and it is only respectful to the group to join in.  Something I personally like to do is bring an offering of some herbs or flowers for the altar.

While most Pagan rituals are relaxed there is one golden rule and that is attending a ritual is not like attending a party ... it’s not fashionable to arrive late.  In fact arriving after the circle is cast disrupts the flow of energy and focus for everyone in the circle.  If you’re running late let the organisers know and they may be able to delay the start of the ritual by a few minutes.  If you arrive after the ritual has started be considerate and hang back until the end.

When I first started out on my path as a witch there were no open rituals anywhere, now there are quite a few popping up and it is really lovely to see.   So as well as holding our Kitchen Witch rituals next year I hope to get along to some others and make some new friends along the way.

Stop and smell the tulips

I've spent most of the afternoon out in the garden.  I've cleared away a lot of spring flowers that have finished blooming and I've planted some shrubs.

As I was working I was suddenly aware of silence.  Before all the birds were singing, there was the odd car driving by and the chatter of people in neighbouring gardens.  But there was silence. 

It was like nature was holding its breath or at least having a siesta.  A red kite glided soundless across the sky.   And I enjoyed the moment, relishing the opportunity to be held in this pause ... to just be. 

Then a dog barked and the world came back to life, but I'm left with the reminder that sometimes you need to stop and smell the roses ... well tulips today as my roses aren't in bloom yet ;-)

Feel the fear and do it anyway

I'm usually quite a shy person,  letting fear of what people think of me hold me back.  Always thinking I could never do that ... not me. 

But since finding my path as a Witch I have really come out of my shell.  I write rituals, workshops and even speak in public ... willingly.    Something I would never have done before.  Of course Rachel, my partner in crime does have a hand in that, usually giving me a good 'ole shove to push me outside my comfort zone ;-)

This weekend saw me taking it a step further as I attended a Shamanic workshop with the awesome Rich Lister.   We spent the morning journeying with spirit animals, learning Apache smudging rituals, sitting on reindeer skins and eating cake.

Then Rich dropped the bombshell that we would be finishing the workshop by doing an Airwolf ritual.  I thought he was talking about a TV show ... but no.  What he wanted us to do was break an arrow with our throats!  Yeah, right was my immediate thought.   But he was deadly serious *eek*

We started taking it in turns to break our arrows, moving around in the circle, we were all beating our drums to build up the energy and atmosphere.   As it became close to my turn I was fighting the urge to run away. But I thought I would only regret it if I didn't try, right? So I buried my fear and I went for it.  After two attempts I DID IT!!!  I'm really proud of my new warrior self and feel ready to take on anything.  Thank you to Rich for giving me this gift :-)

I highly recommend Rich's workshops and drum birthing days for info can be found on his website www.theherosoul.com

Messages from nature

It's been such a long time since I wrote anything in my blog, but then I've never been big on journalling anything.

I was out in my garden yesterday, just pottering around as you do when I noticed this tiny, yellow flower growing in the grass.  
I certainly hadn't planted it there and didn't really know what it was other than it was really quite striking for such a tiny flower.

I felt I had to look up what it was and what was it's meaning and the flower turned out to be celandine.  It's quite a common plant in the UK and seems to be a daytime plant as its petals do not open much before 9am and tend to close again after 5pm.  They also close when it is about to rain.  

What a clever little plant.  Here is some more information I found out about it.

Flowering months:  February to April

Habitat:  Hillsides, moist fields, shady areas under trees, damp hedgerows, open woodland, bare ground meadows, ditches and banks, sometime forming dense clumps or patches.

Folk Names:  Small Celandine, Figwort, Smallwort, Pilewort, brighteye, butter and cheese.

Effects: Natural power, war, rage, destruction, force, action

Planet:  Sun

Element: Fire

Associated Deities:  Bast, Eostre, Kwan Yin, Sunna, Artemis, Belinos, Diana, Hecate

Magic: Psychic Abilities, protection

What was this little flowers message to me? The sun it out and its your time to shine :-)

"There is a flower, the lesser celandine,
That shrinks like many more from cold and rain,
And the first moment that the sun may shine,
Bright as the sun himself, 'tis out again!"

Extract from The Small Celandine by William Wordsworth (Publishd 1888)

Sources - TheWhiteGoddess.co.uk