YULE

Colors
Red, Green, White, Gold

Other Names
Midwinter, Sun Return, Alban Arthan, Pagan New Year, Satunalia, Winter Solstice, Finn's Day, Yuletide, Festival of Sol, Great Day of the Cauldron, Festival of Growth.


Symbols
Evergreen Trees, Yule Log, Holly, Eight-Spoked Wheel, Wreaths, Spinning Wheels.

Deities
Newborn God, Triple Goddess

Activities
Decorating Yule Tree, Gifts in Memory of Deceased, Storytelling.

Taboos
Extinguishing Fire, Travel.

Animals
Stags, Squirrels, Wren/Robin

Stones
Bloodstone, Ruby, Garnet

Plants
Holly, Mistletoe, Evergreens, Poinsettia, Bougainvillaea, Tropical Flowers, Bay, Pine, Ginger, Valerian, Myyrh.

Meaning
Rebirth of God, Honor of the Triple Goddess, Return of Sun and Waxing Year, New Year (Non-Celtic).

Attunement Teas
(Individually or Blended)
Cinnamon, Mullein, Willow Bark, Yarrow.

Ritual Oils
Rosemary, Myrrh, Nutmeg, Saffron, Cedar/Pine, Wintergreen, Ginger.

Goddesses
All Spinning Goddesses, Albina (Tuscan), Angerona (Roman), Anna Perenna (Roman), Befana (Italian), Brigitte (Voodun), Changing Woman (Apache), Eve (Hebraic), Fortuna (Roman), Frey (Norse), Gaia (Greek), Hannah (Sumerian), Heket (Egyptian), Kefa (Egyptian), Lilith (Hebraic), Lucina (Italian), Ma'at (Egyptian), Metzli (Aztec), Nox (Roman), NuKua (Chinese), Pandora (Greek), Pax (Roman), Shekinah (Hebraic-Gnostic), Spinning Woman (Native American), Thea (Greek), Tiamat (Babylonian), Virgin Mary (Christian-Gnostic), Yachimato-Hime (Japanese), Zvezda (Slavic).

Gods
All Re-Born Sun Gods, Aker (Egyptian), Apollo (Greco-Roman), Attis (Egyptian-Phoenician), Balder (Norse), Braggi (Norse), Cronos (Greek), Father Sun (Native American), Helios (Greek), Hyperion (Greek), Janus (Roman), Jesus (Christian-Gnostic), Lugh (Irish), Maui (Polynesian), Mitra (Aryan), Mithras (Persian), Ngau (Maori), Nurelli (Aboriginal), Oak/Holly King (Anglo-Celtic), Odin (Norse), Ra (Egyptian), Saturn (Roman), Sol (Roman), Ukko (Finnish-Yugoritic), Yachimata-Hiko (Japanese).

Lore
One traditional Yuletide practice is the creation of a Yule tree. This can be a living, potted tree which can later be planted in the ground, or a cut one. The Choice is yours.

Appropriate Wiccan decorations are fun to make, from strings of dried rosebuds and cinnamon sticks (or popcorn and cranberries) for garlands, to bags of fragrant spices which are hung from boughs. Quartz crystals can be wrapped with shiny wire and suspended from sturdy branches to resemble icicles. Apples, oranges, and lemons hanging from boughs are strikingly beautiful, natural decorations, and were customary in ancient times.

Many enjoy the custom of lighting the Yule log. This is a graphic representation of the rebirth of the God within the sacred fire of the Mother Goddess. If you choose to burn one, select a proper log (traditionally of Oak or Pine). Carved or chalk a figure of the Sun (such as a rayed disk) or the God (a horned circle or a figure of a man) upon it, with a white-handled knife, and set it alight in the fireplace at dusk on Yule. As the log burns, visiualize the Sun shining within it and think of the coming warmer days.

Food
As for food, Nuts, Fruit such as Apples and Pears, Cakes of Carraways soaked in Cider, and (for non-vegetarians) pork are traditional fare. Wassail, Lambswool, Hibiscus or Ginger Tea are fine drinks for the Simple Feast or Yule meals.