Yule

Yule

December 21

Winter Solstice

(June 20-22 in the Southern Hemisphere)

Solstice

Again did the earth shift

Again did the nights grow short

And the days long

And the people

of the Earth were glad

and celebrated

each in their own ways

                                                                    ~ Diane Lee Moomey

Yule is the season of the God's rebirth; it is the Winter Solstice and the longest night.

The God dies, and is reborn at Yule, which is the depth of dark...Yule (which comes from the Norse Iul meaning 'wheel') marks the death and rebirth of the Sun-God...This is her [the Goddess] moment for giving birth to the Child of Promise, the Son-Lover who will refertilize her and bring back light and warmth to her kingdom. (Eight Sabbats for Witches, by Janet & Stewart Farrar ©1988)

Yule is still used as an alternative for Christmas, but it was originally the Saxon name for the winter solstice festival. This Sabbat ritual focuses on the themes of the returning of light, and giving presents. (Witchcraft Today ~ Encyclopedia of Wiccan & NeoPagan Traditions, by James R. Lewis ©2001)

Yule is The Longest Night When the Goddess Gives Birth to the Light and the Sun Returns (Witch Crafting, by Phyllis Curott ©2001)

It is the Winter Solstice, also known as Yule or Yuletide, the longest night of the year. In some Traditions, this night begins the new year; for all, this is the holy night of rebirth, when the Wheel begins to turn once more towards the light....Yule is a time of awakening, of welcoming the new and the possible, when the Sun is born again of the virgin Goddess. Evergreens, cut from the forest and brought into the home, are an ancient Celtic symbol that life continues, even in darkest winter; mistletoe is a Druid symbol of fertility, lovers, and then seed of the God. Holly and ivy invoke protection and good fortune; reindeer symbolize the Horned God, and the colors red, green, silver and gold represent fire, earth, the Moon and the Sun, respectively....Write a list of all the things you wish to see "birthed" in the coming year, and tuck the list into a special box or container....Leave the box undisturbed until next Yule, then open it and read your list. (Simple Wicca, by Michele Morgan ©2000)

• The Wheel of the Year

• The Witches' Sabbats

• The Winter Solstice

• Yule

• Yule Lore

• Yule ~ Midwinter Night's Eve

~*~

Please email me if you have more information or links...thanks.