Yule?~ How to celebrate the Wiccan way?

Question

Plese tell me all you can about Yule as i have only just started my journey, into learning about Wicca. I think i have found what i have been searching for my whole life! I am soooo Happy! Blessed Be)o(

Answer 1

Blessed be to you also.

This page on the sabbats (eight seasonal holy days of Wicca) will give you some information about Yule and how it fits into the "bigger picture", so to speak:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabbats

As I practice Wicca, Yule is the festival celebrating the return of longer days and the rebirth of the God from the womb of the Goddess. It involves a lot of candles, as well as spellwork geared toward the birth of new projects and new ideas.

Other links about Yule:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule#Wicca

http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usma&c=holidays&id=2079

http://www.wicca.com/celtic/akasha/yule.htm

And a Yule ritual for a solitary practitioner:

http://www.issues-mag.com/nov3/frameSetFile.php?filename=wiccayuleritual.phtml&department=lifestyle

Answer 2

I'm not sure your Wheel of the Year is lining up with ours. Ostara is the vernal equinox and is just a couple of days away. Anyway, about Yule. A lot of the Christian family-type traditions are actually born of the Yule celebrations of old. The carol "Deck the Halls" is a pagan carol. I actualy don't know much about how Wiccans celebrate it, I am a Celtic Pagan. I know a lot of our traditions are celebrated by Wiccans though. It is the return of light to the earth, the sun is born of the Goddess (no, the wordplay is not lost on us) and most of our celebrations involve the return of light. Yule was originally celebrated for twelve days (the Twelve Days of Christmas eh?). Gifts have always been a part of Yule but they weren't things like toys or video games, they were homemade niceties and needed items given to close family and friends.

Answer 3

Well I found some links some time ago talking about traditional gifts for Yule and customs from an old Pagan sort of Nordic point of view it seems. I can't find the link, but here's what I remember and use for my sister and her family that celebrate Yule.

Celebrated on Winter Solstice

Traditional gifts: Candles (to light and warm dark winter nights), board games (to while away the dark winter days) and warm clothing.

I didn't find a Santa Claus figure, but I did hear about the dreaded Yule Cat. A large mountain lion kind of thing that devoured those who did not get at least 1 article of warm clothing for Yule. More likely they froze to death is my guess.

Yule log I didn't find out much about because she already knew about it - but I understand it's an actual log that you put in the fire place that is decorated with good smelling things like bayberry, pine branches and such, and then you write down your hopes and wishes for the new year and stuff it into the log and decorations - then burn it all to cinders on Yule so the wishes reach the powers that be.

It sounds lovely. I am happy for you. Blessed be to you too.

Peace!

Answer 4

About this time I worry little of Yule. I am much taken up with hard boiled eggs, wax and dyes. Then shall come the hiding and burying beneath the trees, some to be found, others not. It is what the Wiccans call Eostar and it takes place this month and in few days. We of the Lore call it the Waking.

Answer 5

Most Wiccans celebrate the rebirth of the God, who dies at Halloween, if I'm not mistaken. There's a lot of mirthmaking and evergreen decorations. There aren't any set ways to celebrate Sabbats in the Wiccan religion; it varies by tradition, and by the coven. Some traditions, like the Alexandrian Tradition, whose public domain Book of Shadows you can get on Google, have stories about the Oak King and the Holly King. The Holly King rules during fall and winter until he gets defeated in the the spring by the Oak King, who reigns until fall again. There's also stuff about the rebirth of the sun.

Answer 6

You can make your Yule log by blessing it and writing down your wishes for the coming year. As it burns it carries your wishes on the wind.
But shouldn't you be getting ready to celebrate the spring solstice. You should make a small feast for your local fairies. And ask Ostara, Flora, and Iris for a wonderful spring.

Answer 7

not trying to discourage you in any way but Ostara is right around the corner..like days away. might you want to look into that holiday first, beings that it is the next to be celebrated?

i am sorry for not answering about yule but i have to go to work now and have to get off the computer.

blessed be and be blessed.
Yogi

Answer 8

Yes, they are correct, call upon all the fairies.