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             Yule   

                 by Author Unknown

The turning of the wheel now brings us to Yule, known also as Midwinter and the Winter Solstice. For many, this time of year finds
us baking cookies, planning festive occasions for friends and family, searching for that "perfect" tree to place in our homes,
gathering firewood for those cold nights so soon upon us. The scent of cinnamon, apples
and evergreen unite to evoke memories long forgotten. Yule is the celebration of
the return of the Sun. It is the time of the winter solstice, when the nights are at their longest. After the moment of the solstice,
the days begin to grow in strength again, and the tide in the struggle between
light and dark begins to turn.

To Wiccans and Pagans of most traditions, the Sun represents the male aspect of Deity His death and rebirth on the WinterSolstice is viewed as the death of the old solar year and the birth of the new. This eternal struggle is
symbolized in some traditions by the battle between the Oak King (God of the Waxing Year or the Divine Child) and the Holly King (God
of the Waning Year or the Dark Lord). At Yule, the Oak King vanquishes the Holly King. At Litha, or summer solstice (when the days begin to grow shorter), the Holly King is victorious over the Oak King. The names by which the God was known have varied from culture to culture; thus to the Norse and Anglo-Saxons he was
Balder, to the Celts, Bel, etc. Despite different names, his attributes generally remained the same, making him easy to
recognize. Yule symbols and themes have long been a part of our pagan past which stretches far behind us, our parents, or even great
grandparents. These traditions and others were carried over to America by the immigrants and settlers of the New World. Christmas (also known as Yule-day) is a good example of a purely Pagan festival, adopted by the Christian religion for its own purposes.

History shows us that long before the fourth century, when many Christians began to observe Christmas on the 25th of December, the
Pagans celebrated the birth of the son of the
Babylonian Queen of Heaven. Yuletide (Norse) lasts from December 20th through December 31st. It begins on "Mother Night" and ends twelve days later on "Yule Night"; hence the "Twelve Days of Christmas" tradition. The Norse word for Yule means "Wheel." In ancient Chaldee, the word Yule meant "infant" or "little child." The concept of the Old Father Time and the Baby New Year have these same pagan overtones as well. Each are views of the old being replaced by
the new, the ever recurring cycle of life.

In Rome, at the time of the winter solstice, there was a great festival called the Feast of
Saturn, or Saturnalia. This was a period of great revelry, drunkenness, and merriment. Slave and master were equal for the entirety of the festival; in fact, one slave was chosen to be the "temporary" master, wearing the royal purple and being called "The Lord of Misrule." Even today, one of the major parts of Yule is the feast which accompanies it. All celebrants, no matter what their name for the season, feel its joy and festivity. For a while, at least, we are friendly to everyone.

Some of our Yule customs actually originated in ancient Babylon. The Yule candles stem from the rites held on the eve of the Babylonian God's
festival. It was one of the distinguishing peculiarities of his worship to have lighted wax candles on the altars. The first
Christmas trees are often thought to have been firs, although this tradition was also followed by the early Egyptians, who used a palm
tree (symbol of victory). Its green presence in winter reminds us of rebirth, the continuation of life's cycle. Some early legends depict
the tree as a symbol of the new born God, Baal-berith (Lord of the Tree). His appearance or rebirth at Yule shows his victory over
death.

In early Rome, the 25th of December was observed as the birthday of the unconquered Sun, the day when the victorious God reappeared on earth in the form of a tree.

Santa Claus is another familiar immigrant. In the seventeenth century, Santa (known then as
St. Nicholas), came to America with the Dutch. Actually, the image we now have of Santa comes from the poem, "A Visit from St.
Nicholas" (The Night Before Christmas) written in 1822 by New York clergyman Dr. Clement C. Moore. Inspired by the earlier writings of
Washington Irving, where the first mention of Santa's sleigh and reindeer appear, the poem inspires us to this day with its image of
a bewhiskered jolly fat man. There may be some very distinct Pagan connections behind jolly old Santa. Nik was a name for Woden, who
rode a white horse through the sky. In early folklore, Santa also rode a white horse though the sky. Woden is very much a Holly King
figure, as is Santa Claus. Some have said he is a confusion between Saturn, who is stern and solemn, and Bacchus, who is anything but.
Thus we get the jolly fat man with rosy cheeks who brings toys to the children, but only to the good ones!

Another tradition followed at Yule is that of wassailing. The most common use of the
term "wassail" is in describing a festive drink, of which there are various recipes to be found, using ale or cider. It was also the
custom to carry the brew about the neighborhood in a wooden bowl (wassail bowl), leading a procession from door to door singing and
spreading the feeling of benevolence and good cheer. Another form of wassailing is seen in the British Isles. There, in addition to the
drink being observed among people, the locals "wassail" the trees. A hymn is usually sung to the tree wishing it good health and long life. A blessing is also bestowed upon it to be fruitful; then guns are fired or some other loud noise is made in order to drive off any woeful spirits. Toasts to the tree are then drunk from the wassail bowl. When all have finished their toasts, the remainder of the liquid is poured out on the earth around the trunk while bread or cakes from the wassail celebrations are placed upon its branches.

Some suggestions for celebrating Yule:
Decorate a tree inside or outside your home with festive baubles, stars/moons/suns or candy canes. Make sure you use lots of lights!

String popcorn and cranberries for your tree, or hang the strings in your outdoor bushes as a treat for the birds and squirrels.

Bring as much greenery (holly, mistletoe, evergreens) into your home as you can to remind yourself that life goes on even in the darkest
of times.

On solstice night, turn out all the lights in your home (make sure you have a candle ready with matches). After dwelling on the dark
for a few moments, light the candle and welcome the Light back into the world. If you wish, gather together a number of candles beforehand and light them all from the central candle (which should be gold or yellow). Then go through your house turning on every light.

Spend some time helping out someone who is less fortunate than yourself.  Volunteer at a local shelter or hospice.

Decorate a Yule log and burn it on the night of the solstice or the morning after. Be sure not to let it burn completely! Give a piece
to everyone present for their own hearths.

Hold a candlelit vigil on the night of the solstice, and welcome the next morning's dawn with singing and chanting. Follow your rite with feasting, singing, dancing and merrymaking.

Time has changed some of our traditions, and hidden others through its passage; yet they remain. To express the holiday with wild abandon, great feasts and rejoicing has always been done. It was noted in 230 a.d. "how much more faithful are the heathens to their
religion, who take special care to adopt no solemnity from the Christians." So as the Wheel turns toward Imbolg, know that this is a time of the year to be joyful and express your feelings through kind actions or the exchange of gifts. Whether it be rites of Saturnalia, Feasts, the Yule Sabbat, Hannakuh, or Christmas that you honor, each of us is following the traditions and customs.

Author unknown
                  

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Special Thanks to the Office of Spiral Quartz of From The Spring for this information. From_The_Spring@yahoogroups.com