Yuletide Greetings My Witchy Readers!!
There are so many blogs out and about that will tell you about the Wheel of the Year, the history and the legend and lore of the Sabbats and all of that should you choose to search it out and read it, and good information it is. I have even spent time in the past covering this information myself.
But I want to keep my discussions with you fresh, unique and totally my own material, so I am going to trust if you want the history or the legend and lore you have ways and means available to you to look it up yourself.
Instead we are going to stick with what makes the Contemporary New England Witch unique and today's discussion will cover magickal concepts to put into play for the Yuletide season!
Yuletide is the ancient forerunner to what today is the Christmas season, and was originally celebrated to recognize the return of the Sun, as the Winter Solstice passes around December 20th-21st and the days start to be slightly longer, imperceptibly at first, heading into the next year of spring and then summer.
With this ancient Pagans would practice all sorts of sympathetic magick to bring the renewal of life into the homes, and thus ensure that life flourished throughout the long winters. Today, our lives are a bit more secure than ancient mankind was, so we practice sympathetic magicks more metaphorically as it pertains to our day to day and the upcoming year. Take for example the common practice of announcing a New Year's resolution. As the new Year turns, one would set down something they would put into play that would change for them their upcoming year, hopefully for the better.
Well, that is what we, as modern Pagans can do, if we choose to, at this time of darkness and cold, as we rest and contemplate the upcoming year. We plan and put into play the changes we wish to have happen in the upcoming year. Now the difference, as you know, between pagans and the rest of the world, is we do not just think about things and "pray" they will happen, we actively put ourselves into the work to make them manifest.
So, I have put together some lovely Yuletide spells for you to help bring the "Sun" back into your lives this winter and to start you on the path of positive change, at the same time setting aside the darkness, the sadness, or grief, or loss, or anger, or ___________ fill in the blank with any negative, unwanted feeling or energy you wish to put aside from the past few months or year. That which no longer serves you.
We will also utilize typical, time honored Yuletide representations which have served for, in some cases over a thousand years. To start we will create a Yule log, and we will use a white birch log piece which represents the Goddess.
So the following is creating an indoor, table top Yule log, but as more than just a simple decoration. Take a small piece of white birch log, saw the bottom off, so it lays flat. Then drill three holes in the top to put the candles, mini spell candles, also known as chime candles.
Silver and gold, and if you are ambitious you can drill 6 or 9 holes. If you did 6 or 9 red, silver and gold would be appropriate with an equal number of each color.
You can add evergreen pieces to the log as decoration, or simply lay it on a bed of evergreens, to bring in the new life, new growth of the new "thing" you are ushering into your life. Is it a new job, or perhaps a new home? Maybe you are in a phase of your life that the previous year cleaned out old, unhealthy people in your life, so this year you are bringing in new, happy, loving friendships and significant relationships? Maybe you shed an unhealthy lifestyle or illness, and this year you are focusing on health, happiness and strength?
All of these new, positive, life affirming areas, all that I mentioned above are supported and enhanced by the representation of the evergreen. So lay a thick bed, thick and plush, for your Yule Log, to lay upon. Has it occurred to you yet? In this magickal scenario, you are the Yule Log! The same as when we construct a poppet or use a significator candle in candle magick, the Yule log is your representation.
You decorate it as you wish to. You may remain simple and uncomplicated, and some may wish to be fancy and all decked out!! But we all have candles to light for we are relighting our inner "Sun" as the Sun returns to the earth. Place the Yule log somewhere in your house that is central to your home. Many times this is the kitchen or it could be the living room, where everyone watches TV, if this is a gathering place. The heart of the home.
The laying the Yule Log East to West, because the Sun rises East to West and this is a solar spell we are doing, place an incense burner or cauldron on the eastern end of the log. Burn a mixture of Frankincense and Myrrh, ground fine, into a powder. Then add some finely chopped evergreen, fresh evergreen, very finely chopped, I like spruce, or hemlock, which is not as resiny as pine. After you have ground it together into a fine powder in a mortar and pestle, then it is ready to burn on a charcoal. Please use charcoal meant to be burned indoors.
The candles placed in the log, gold signify the blessings of the God, the touch of the Sun, new beginnings, prosperity (but not necessarily monetary) but success in all of your endeavors and physical actions. So when you start something, a project, a task, any goal you strive for the luck will be very fortuitous. The Silver candles signify the blessings of the Goddess, the touch of the moon, also good fortune, but in areas of relationships, emotions, desires you have dreamed of and put your good intentions towards.
Should you choose to add red candles, this is a color that will bring life and vitality, energy and fire to your life, but in a positive way. It can spark the physical, bring strength and courage and fortitude to the spirit. It is a nice color to add to the gold and the silver because it ties the two higher, loftier aspects to the grounded physical nature.
You may also ring the Yule log around with candles making a lovely centerpiece, so you can use larger candles which complement the smaller candles in the Yule log itself.
Now take an essential oil such as Myrrh, which will banish that which is stuck on you from the last year, anoint yourself by smearing a small mark of oil on your forehead where your third eye is. Then anoint the candles with the Myrrh oil. Light the Frankincese Myrrh incense powder sitting in the east of the log and allow it to smoke. then dress each candle, by holding it in the incense smoke for a few moments, (the candles are unlit at this time) and then place them in their holes.
You may finish decorating the Yule log at this time. Then when you are ready to light it, when the time feels right to you, either on the night of Yule, which is the evening before Yule (the 21st) or anytime during the Yuletide season) light the candles and say a prayer or blessing. Allow the candles to burn out without snuffing them out.
The focus of this Yule log spell is not just to have a pretty table top decoration, but to spend time, reflecting on last year. Then think about this upcoming year. Where there things you wish you could undo from last year? Good news! This new year is truly a clean slate!! Ahh, you say . . . but what about what I did? Or what I didn't do? Or what I said? or what I didn't say? etc. etc. You get my point.
Well. That remains to be seen. We do not live in this world isolated and alone, nor should we. We all make mistakes. We all deserve a second chance. Yes, even you! Sometimes, it is not even another, sometimes you simply need to give yourself another chance, to change and be the person who you want to be, or who you say you are. Then, do it.
If it involves making amends, then do those also. If a person is worthy of having in your life then you will choose that they should be. You just may have to be braver than you ever have been before. This spell will also bring bravery and courage to your soul. It is there, this will help wake up those qualities.
Another Spell for the Yule tide season is a life enhancing spell for home and hearth.
What I mean by that is a candle spell, where you take a wreath, either in a round circle, and lay if flat, or even if you take a round platter or dish and lay evergreen pieces and tiny scraps on the plate and then set red candles on the plate.
Place pomegranates, small bright orange small tangerines or baby oranges, and small bright red apples around the candles. These fruits are always popular and in season this holiday time. They have always been held as special, extravagant treats of abundance and luxury, thus bringing in sympathetic magick of the new years bringing the recipients all that they will need and then some. No pain of loss, or want for those who have plenty at the end of the year.
So set up this platter of fruits and red candles. Inscribe on the candles words such as "LOVE", "HAPPINESS", "JOY", "LAUGHTER", "BLESSINGS" whatever words mean something to you, stay away from words like want, or take away or any verbs, just specific words, primarily nouns.
Anoint these candles with different oils. Choose a light, happy oil such as an apple blossom, cherry, jasmine, or even a ylang, ylang if you have it. If not one of those then I would choose a citrus such as neroli, or a sweet orange and that will bring in a light, happy loving feeling which will affect your mood, your attitude and the energy around the candles and the house.
Placing bowls of lemons and citrus fruits around the house keeps the home cleansed of negative, low level energies and helps keep depression and sadness that seem to come hand in hand with holiday seasons at bay.
Do not discount holiday lighting as a magickal method all of it's own. Blue holiday lights have an incredible power in how they affect you, when you walk in the door, and you see a room or tree done up entirely in blue lights!! They will reduce your stress and help calm you down and suddenly you feel more relaxed and happy to be home from a long day at work!
For the Yule log, the Yule wreath even your Yule tree, a spell, is not a spell without an Incantation, and for this occasion I wrote a special one that you can use for this Yule tide:
Rub your hands together then with your palms facing the Yule item you have created, sending your energy out, say this incantation which will seal your magickal goal and start the manifestation:
Yuletide seasons
Bring to us/me
The Blessings of
the greenery
Life affirming
ever lasting
love and happiness
never fasting
Bring abundance
Bring us/me peace, bring us/me light,
protecting us/me
into this night.
allow the candles to burn, every now and then put a pinch more of the Yule incense on the charcoal and it will burn and scent the area with a vibrational energy raising smoke, making the entire household feel more sacred and light.
Also while reciting the incantation, visualize the end result, what you are bringing into your life for the upcoming year. The light, the love, the happiness, the joy, all that you are bringing in and desire to have in your life for the upcoming year.
Also you can walk through each room with the burning incense, and incense each room with the fragrant smoke, raising the vibrations in each room.
Keep checking, your Contemporary New England Witch will have more Yule Tide discussions coming up in the new few days and weeks leading up to Yule!!
Live, Laugh and Always Love! Ms. Faith
© 2010-2017 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.
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