The days are dark and crisp; chilling your very bones. Your steps creak as they compress the snow on the frozen ground. Your ears and fingers feel winter’s frosty bite.
Yet, beneath the snow you sense it… magick. A magick with deep roots, going back millennia. A magick so warm and bright that it stirs your very soul. Even on the longest night… It keeps you warm and hopeful. You sense the return of the sun, even when the earth seems cold and lifeless.
The magick you feel is the winter solstice, Yule, and this is the first of three posts about this magickal sabbat. In this post, we will speak to the origins and the practices that have come before us. In the Second post we will discuss modern celebration ideas, making this beautiful season even more personal and magickal. In the third post we will glance towards the returning sun, and plant seeds for the beauty we will harvest in the coming year.
The word Yule traces its lineage back to Old Norse (Jól) and Old English (Geohol). While ancient, its traditions have stood the test of time. They are practiced across the world, by various cultures, because they connect with us on a primal level.
Celebrated on the Winter Solstice – usually December 20 or 21. However, the date can vary, because astrological events don’t obey the calendars of man. This liminal transition point marks the shortest day and longest night.
At this time of year, there were no more crops to harvest. For ancient people, winter was a time of rationing, of careful survival. Yet, on this night, and the eleven nights that followed, they feasted, shared their bounty, and made merry, celebrating their abundance.
On Yule, candles and massive bonfires were lit, illuminating the winter sky. Homes were adorned with symbols of life; holly, mistletoe, and evergreens. Despite limited resources, time was joyfully expended on rituals, confident in the sun’s return and its future blessings.
In ancient times, the Yule log so massive it was nearly a tree. It would be, in ideal situations, kept burning in the hearth until Imbolc. Whatever wood remained would be kindling for next year’s Yule fire. The ashes of the Yule log were said to be good luck.
Just as gifts were given to each other, offerings were also made to the gods and ancestors. Various feasts were held to honour the gods, encouraging divine favour to be bestowed on the family. The sun’s rebirth was celebrated by all.
However, even in ancient times, the Winter Solstice was celebrated around the world. From the Romans to the ancient indigenous people of America, the solstice was a time of celebration. Despite the diversity of their cultures, common threads ran through all of their solstice traditions.
The Romans celebrated Saturnalia, in honour of Saturn, the god of agriculture. Like their northern neighbours, they would feast, make merry, give gifts and decorate with greenery. They would forgive debts at this time and would even allow their slaves to be their masters during the days of celebration.
In North America, some ancient indigenous peoples celebrated Soyal. During the celebration, they lit fires, danced and prayed for the return of the sun. In South America the Incas did the same, but at the Summer Solstice, since that was their shortest day.
In ancient Persia and China, the Solstice was also celebrated. Special foods were prepared for feasts with family and friends. They all eagerly awaited the sun’s rebirth and the return of longer days.
These celebrations are so fundamental to the human experience, that after hundreds of years of fighting pagan beliefs, the Christian church appropriated the traditions as their own. However, the traditions whisper of their magickal pagan origins. After 2,000 years of trying to convince people that we are celebrating the birth of “the Son”, our traditions belie that we are actually celebrating the birth of “the Sun”.
What traditions do you celebrate at this time of year? Do you feel conflicted about saying Christmas, even in a secular way, as so many witches do? Do you connect with the ancient Yule traditions, or do they feel like they now belong to Christians?
I would love for you to share your thoughts in the comments, so that we can help light the path for each other at this dark time of year.
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