This reading will consist of three cards in a somewhat non-traditional spread.  The cards will represent Gifts (what you can expect to receive spiritually and energy wise over the next couple of days), Gathering (the trends with family and friends over the holiday), and Reflections (inner feelings and musings with the holiday this year).

Gifts – Nativity
In the traditional tarot this card, card 13, is the Death card.  Death is connected to more than just the ending and passing of one state of being but it’s also about the rebirth and renewal on the other side of that change.  Here Nativity honors the birth aspect of death with the Biblical story of the birth of the Baby Jesus.  The Three Wise Men and a shepard are there to past their respects, Mary and Joseph look in in delight, and a cow is in the manger to give milk to Mary to feed the baby.  Everything is at peace and in a state of awe because of this new spark of life and everyone is ready to do what they can to lend a hand to make things as perfect as smooth as possible.

This is the thing about Nativity and the Gifts that this holiday shall bring.  This is a time to look forward, not look back.  With only a week left in the year you are being called to spend some time preparing yourself for a rebirth or renewal.  What things are you being nudged to bring into the world and manifest?  Maybe it isn’t that you need to create something yourself to give birth to but you may be the “wise man/woman” or “shepard” that needs to guide someone else to their destiny.  The Gifts for you this holiday are all about making changes for the better and presenting opportunities for you to find ways to pave a new future for yourself.

Gathering – Krampus
If you’re not familiar with Krampus, the Holiday Devil, be sure to check out the 21 Days of Yule post that I did about him recently.   Krampus is a character from Christmas folklore from Europe, originating from Austria, who serves as the other side of the coin to St. Nicholas.  Where St. Nick comes along to give the good boys and girls toys, Krampus comes to the bad ones, whipping them with switches and chains, and dragging the particularly bad ones away in a basket to eat for his Christmas feast.

With Krampus showing up here it’s a reminder to be on your best behavior with friends and family this year.  Don’t bring up things that you know are going to cause family arguments and do your best not to add any fuel to those fires.  Krampus, as a magickal figure, is a wonderful representation to help guide us away from the things that cause us to be bad or cause us to get into troublesome situations.  If we remember that Krapmus is waiting in the wings to make things even more difficult for us it can encourage us to keep things on the right track.  When you’re at your Christmas gatherings this weekend be sure to keep your focus on the positives, setting aside your differences, and just enjoying being with the ones you live.

Reflection – The Hermit
The ultimate card of reflection, The Hermit, comes through in this position to really emphasize what we received in the Gifts with the Nativity.  There is a new year and whole new world of opportunity on the horizon.  Santa, as the shaman and the Hermit here, sits on the hill and watches the sun setting, waiting for his time to move forward with what he needs to do.  This is a great remind about the stillness of this time of year and the fact that more than any other time Yule and Christmas are key reflection points for us. Below the Hermit are two rabbits, symbols of fertility and new life, healthy and happy, waiting to see what he’s going to do next.

This is a wonderful sign, a sign that there is so much opportunity and hope up ahead but there is a need to make sure that you have the right path chosen before you move forward.  The sack the Hermit carries is heavy and he needs to know where he’s going before he starts on his journey otherwise he may waste a great deal of energy in the process.  He is supported with his walking staff, so he has something to help carry him, but he still has to know what direction to head in.  Take time after the holidays have passed for you let yourself come to a point of stillness. Give yourself some time to meditate on what you want for your new year, what you want to find for yourself on that horizon.  And know that if you start out on the right foot with the right support you can make anything happen.

 May you have a wonderful and blessed Christmas! 

We all have a path to walk and most of the year we talk about wanting to that through understanding and learning to coexist.  This can be a tough thing to achieve but if it is your goal and thing that is most in your heart, you’re at least striving for the highest and best.  You can only do what you can to make it happen; remember you’re not the only one involved so you don’t have to be the only one to make an effort toward change.

It saddened me to see a few times on Facebook this year that some Pagans got upset at the thought of other Pagans celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah with their families.  I heard things like “Yule is your holiday, do not bow to Christians.”  I have seen Pagans get upset at the thought that another Pagan would wish someone a “Merry Christmas” rather than a “Merry Yule” or simply “Happy Holidays”.  Oh, to long for the days when your holiday greetings weren’t being picked apart and analyzed for possible derision.

Personally I think it’s a matter of kindness to wish someone a “Merry Christmas” if it is Christmas that they celebrate.  You know how (some of) you get upset that people wish you “Merry Christmas” in a presumptive way?  Consider that when you’re wishing everyone a “Merry Yule”.  Don’t create a double standard.

The holidays always remind us that the Pagan community is so full of opinions, varied views, and its own level of dogma.  If you really feel that by celebrating Christmas with your families that you’re somehow offending the Gods then you may need to rethink your Gods.  You may need to rethink this path your on.  And you may need to rethink why you are on the oath you’re on.

Being on a spiritual journey should be about making you a better person, an enlightened person, a more fulfilled person.  Using it to create dividing lines among friends and family is exactly the opposite of what it should do.  And for many of us we say that this is the very reason we came to this path and chose to be Witches and Pagans; there was this idea that Pagans were more open minded and that this was a path that was more willing to embrace differences and that made us happy after maybe growing up in more exclusive spiritual paths.  Yet we often find that we fall into similar traps but because it’s in the name of the Goddess or the Ancient Ones it’s somehow more justifiable.

The truth is, it isn’t.

The fact is that the holidays are a confusing time for many Pagans.  There is that question of “Do I still honor the holidays I was raised with,” for those of us that weren’t raised Wiccan, Pagan, etc.  Personally I think the answer is both simple and complicated, depending on your personal situation, but not nearly as complicated as we make it.

Remember, first and foremost, this is a time for family!
Before the Christian co-opting of Pagan winter traditions, the main focus of the winter solstice season was about gathering with friends and family as well as to honor the awesomeness of the Gods.  This honoring of the Gods was because there was this belief that if they didn’t honor the Gods with their rituals of lighting fires and whatnot that the Sun wouldn’t return and they would be shroud in cold and darkness forever.   Because of this families and whole villages gathered together to spend time with each since, in all honesty, there was a level of boredom to deal with.  These were people that spent a lot of time working outdoors all year and when winter came for many people that meant sitting inside with little to do.

But think back to Samhain.  One of the things that were honored at Samhain was the process of divining who would live and who would die during the winter.  Winter was a time of small means for many and when your Samhain harvests of roots and meats came in that’s all you had for the winter season and, quite often, there was the risk of there not being enough to make it through those months.  At Yuletime people would come together to celebrate and honor one another since there was a chance that in a month or two they might not all be together since some may have passed away from cold, hunger, disease, etc.

So this was a time for family and friends to gather and celebrate having made it this far.  With that they would do their acts of offering and sympathetic magick to hope for a safe rest of the season and a quick return of the Sun.  Obviously today we don’t have those same worries, at least for the majority of us.  But keep in mind that these were the reasons that people got together like they do and clearly we enjoy it and need it to some extent because in our modern world of abundance and convenience, we still do this!

Be a shining example of Paganism during the holiday.
And by that I mean show love, honor, and respect, “perfect love and perfect trust” if you will, to those around you of other faiths and persuasions.  You don’t have to use the holidays as a time to do spiritual battle with those that don’t agree or don’t understand your faith.  This is a special and sacred time for you as well as them.  Give them the space that you wish them to give you to honor spiritually as you wish while still being able to enjoy each other’s company for the holiday.  In other words, as Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Enjoy!
It’s really that simple. Just enjoy yourself.  Enjoy your friends and family.  Be thankful for what you have, even if it’s less than you’ve had in the past.  Know that you will have more again in the future.  Remember that it’s not just about what you call the holiday or what God you’re honoring but about who you have to spend it with.

So to answer that question, “Do I still celebrate the holidays I grew up with even though I’m now a Pagan”…
The answer, for me, is yes.  The answer for you may be no, but when you make that decision be sure you know really why you’re making that choice and be sure that you know what that might do to those around you.  Is it just that you’re going to forgo midnight mass or are you going to pass on all Christmas activities with your family?  Why?  Are you doing this just because you feel you need to take a stand or make a point or are there other reasons?  Be sure you know why you have chosen to say no to those things.

But for, it’s a yes.  I still see my family, attend dinners and parties with them, and give a few gifts.  My family knows of my chosen path and they don’t make me go to church or lay guilt on me for that.  And for that I am grateful since I know not everyone has that experience.  But if I were to say “I can’t attend Christmas dinner because I’m Pagan” would be more painful and cause more problems than for me to go, sit at the table, eat dinner and share in conversation with my family.  It’s about honor and respect and that goes both ways.

And with that I leave you with this classic by Dar Williams and I wish you a wonderful holiday season, whatever it is you’re going to celebrate and however you decide to do it.

This year I thought that for the blog I would share a ritual, well really part of a ritual, that I write for my coven for Yule in 2005.  We did this ritual in the dead of winter.  It was so cold and snowy that winter and I remember it just being freezing as we stood in the living room of my 1940s cottage home that lacked insulation.  But the ritual was beautiful and the Yule feast afterward was fantastic.  I have noted all the steps that we took in the ritual but haven’t outlined them all with specifics so that you can add your own personal twists to it if you like.  Everyone has their own ways of setting their sacred space (casting circle, calling the quarters/Watchtowers/Wards/etc) and I wanted to honor that here by leaving these steps open.

Raven’s Hearth Coven 2005 Yule Ritual  by Rowan Pendragon
- Grounding Meditation

- Besom Sweep

- Challenge and Anointing
(for those unfamiliar with this step, this is presenting each participant with a spiritual challenge before allowing them into the ritual space and then anointing them as they enter.  This is often something to the effect of “Do you enter this sacred space with an open mind and an open heart?”  Or it can be specific to the traditions, ritual, or event.  After the person responds in the affirmative they are anointed in whatever manner you choose with either blessed water or a ritual oil.)

- Circle Casting

- Calling the Quarters:

- Blessing the Water and Sealing the Circle
(During this portion the salt and water are blessed and combined and then the whole circle is aspurged with the holy water in order to set the circle and seal the space.)

- Deity Invocation
Goddess
Great Mother Goddess,
As you prepare to give birth to the Sun God,
We call to you!

In the depths of winter when all seem lost in slumber,
We call to you!

With trust that from your holy womb of night
The Sun God will return once again,
We call to you!

Mother Goddess, your children call you forth!
We seek your guidance in our rites
And your blessings on our work.
Hail and Welcome!

God
Great God of the Sun,
You shine dimly now and your children long for your return.
We have watched your time grow short
And now we await your rebirth.

From the Mother’s dark womb and wintery earth
We know you shall return as you have many times before.
God of the Sun,
We call to you!

We hail your rebirth and call you back to us!
Bless us with your return!
Hail and Welcome!

- Sabbat Observance

(Light the Sun candle and walk around the circle deosil raising it higher and higher until it is overhead, then continue to walk lowering it until it is waist height while saying:)

The God was born and grew in strength.
He joined with the Goddess and provided the harvest
And granted His children a sacrifice so that we may live.

(extinguish candle)

It is mid-winter, the shortest day of the year, and we know that the sun is gone from us.
We all die like the Sun God.
And like him we shall be reborn again and again.

(light the Sun candle)

Let us call back the Sun and rejoice in His rebirth.

(Everyone take candle from the basket that is passed and takes a moment to change the candle with blessings for the return of Sun and the returning light and warmth to the earth.)

(Starting in the east each people, moving deosil, comes and lights their candle from the flame of the Sun candle and places it on a spot around the Sun candle.  Ideally each person should place their candle in front of their position in the circle so they know which candle is theirs to light from for the next portion of the ritual.)

Chant – Infinite Sun

We are one with the infinite sun
Forever and ever and ever

(After all candles are lit and the energy is sufficient, the chant stops but the energy raised is now redirected towards the cauldron in front of the altar.)

As we have called for the rebirth of our God and the Sun,
We too shall each be reborn in at least on aspect we have chosen tonight.

On your parchments you have each placed something that you wish to return to the Goddess to be taken within Her cauldron, a symbol of the Mother’s womb, and ask that She make way for new growth in your life.

You need not tell anyone what you are giving back to Her, for She knows what is in your heart.

Light your parchment from the candle you placed on the Sun Wheel and toss it into the cauldron, adding a few pinches of the releasing herbs on the altar to the flames.

Know that as the parchment burns in the cauldron with the herbs placed upon it,

The smoke that rises carries your wishes to the Gods and the Spirits of the Universe to do what is most correct for you.

Chant – Cauldron Chant

Cauldron of Changes
Blossom of bone
Arch of Infinity
Hole in the stone.

(Once everyone has tossed their parchment into the cauldron and have taken their places back in circle, everyone joins hands and continues to chant until all the flames in the cauldron have died down and the energy has been properly raised.  Everyone, while hands raised, reaches up to the sky and releases the energy by letting go with their palms facing up…seeing the energy being set free to the Universe.)

- Cakes and Ale
(cakes and ale are blessed.  A libation made to the bowl for the Gods)

“We have come together today and given our blessings to Sun God as He beings His return.  As we wait in darkest, on this the longest night of the year, we know that the Mother will keep us warm in Her embrace and that the God will awaken the earth with His light once more.”

(cakes and ale are then passed to those in circle with the blessing “May you never hunger.  May you never thirst.”)

- Farewell to the Gods:

Goddess
Great Mother Goddess,
We thank you for being with us this night
And we thank you for aiding in our rites and
Hearing our prayers.
As you return to your realms
We ask you keep us close and safe through this mid-winter.
Stay if you will but go if you must.
Hail and Farewell!

God:   
God of the Sun
We have begun to sing you back home
And we await the arrival of the light once more.
As you make your journey
Know that your children always trust in your return.
Carry with your our blessings of love and peace.
Stay if you will but go if you must.
Hail and Farewell!

- Releasing the Quarters

- Release the Circle

The Sun is about to be reborn and the light of life is returning to the earth.  Even in the dark and grey that surrounds us on this sacred night, we know that the Goddess shall endure to bring the God back to us once again.  And we soon shall be spending long nights out in the warm summer breeze once again.

But what of that birth that the Goddess gives now?  Why does it seem as though her tale of bringing the God back is often overshadowed this time of year?  Often we are so focused on the God’s journey during Yule that we can forget the Goddess is responsible for creating the path for that journey.

There is a song, more of a story, that talks of this event but more so it is telling the tale of song. Specifically it speaks mythically to the first song, the time that people learned to sing in strength and power to help the Goddess return the light.

This story is entitled “The First Song”.  It can be found on the MotherTongue winter solstice album “This Winter’s Night”, an album that is my favorite for this time of year and one that I highly recommend.  You can find this and other works by MotherTongue on their website.

May you sing back the light with all your might and find the slumbering Goddess blesses you.

THE FIRST SONG

A tale of how Yule got its name
© 1994, Andras Corban Arthen

 

This is the story of the very first song; it is a true story, as all stories are, if you believe in them. This story begins a long, long time ago, when the Earth and Sun gave birth to the first beings-the very first plants, and animals, and people. It was springtime, and the Sun shone warm and bright from his high perch above, and Earth, proud mother that she was, held and fed her newborns and relished them with tenderness and love. It was a time of joy, it was a time of great delight.

 

The Moon waxed and waned time and again in the night sky, and the children of the Earth grew well and strong through summertime. They played and danced, and Earth and Sun watched over them.

 

Then autumn came, and the Earth began to sleep much longer every day. She grew tired and pale, she could no longer feed her children, and had no strength to grow new life. High above, the Sun grew distant, and took longer to return each morn. The nights grew longer, and cold winds blew where none had blown before.

 

And then, one day, Earth went to sleep and never did wake up. She wrapped herself in a blanket of snow, and rested her tired head on pillows of dried leaves, and she did not wake up, Her children could do nothing to rouse her from her slumber. They prodded her, they called to her, but she would not awaken. In the sky, the Sun was nowhere to be seen, and the children of the Earth felt fear, and also felt despair. This was the longest night that they had ever known.

 

“What shall become of us?”, they pondered. “Earth Mother sleeps, and Father Sun is oh so far away that we can barely see him in the sky. He is much too far to hear our call. What shall we do?”

 

So they brought their questions and their fears to the Moon, the sister of the Sun, for they knew not where else to turn. She closed her eyes, and took a slow, deep breath, and looked within herself, and awoke thoughts that had never been awakened until then.

 

She opened her soft eyes, then said, “When hope is lost, the best way to get it back is with a song. Climb you the tallest trees, the biggest hills, the highest mountains, and yule a song to reach the Sun”. (Now, yule is a word from one of the most ancient tongues. It is related to words like yell or yodel, and it means to call out in a song).

 

But the first beings had never heard a song, so once again they sought the Moon’s advice. “How shall we yule?”, they asked. “How shall we sing a song?”

 

“Take the best of what you have”, she said, “the best of what you are. Take what you love, take what you cherish most. Take your joys, your dreams, your fondest hopes, and weave them all together in a sound.”

 

And so they did. The climbed atop the tallest trees, the mountains and the hills. They stood on all the places that would bring them closest to the Sun. They shut their eyes, and thought and felt the best of thoughts and feelings, and dreamt the finest dreams. And, as they did, their voices rang and made a bridge of song across the sky, to reach the distant Sun.

 

He heard, and turned, and smiled, and wrapped himself in all his light and warmth, and sped to where the yuling voices called. As he drew near, the sleeping Earth did stir, and dreamed a dream of spring. The wheel of life made its first round, and hope and joy prevailed. And ever since, that time of year has been called Yule, in honor of the song.

But the first song did not end. It had such power, such eldritch allure, that the first beings kept singing it throughout. And then the second beings bom of the Earth took up the song, as did the third. And so it ever since has gone, through seasons and through years, until this very day.

 

At times the song is very soft, and scarcely can be heard above the din and clatter of our lives. But when Yule comes, it rises and it swells in memory of that night when the Sun heard, and light and life were spared.

 

And so do we, upon this longest night, gather with those we love and who love us, and stand upon the body of slumbering Earth, and light the log with last year’s coal, and lift our voices soaring to the Sun, and join the song that first was sung so very long ago.

 

We sing our thanks to those who went before, and sing our fondest wish to those who come behind. We bask in the returning light of reawakened hope, and welcome Yule.

Eat Healthy
Well, let’s be honest. This is pretty close to the last thing that happens for the larger part of us during the holiday season.  Even the most healthy of veggie dishes is covered in some manner of sauce, often involving cheese and milk, and none of the desserts that we tend to have after these fatty, starchy meals are healthy either (you’re not kidding anyone with fruit tarts).  Obviously you should enjoy the holiday meals and treats that only come this time each year, but it’s also important to remember that this isn’t meant to be a free for all for the entire month of December.  When you’re not attending a specific event, eat healthy, even more so than you might normally do.  This helps to add a little more balance to what you’re doing to do your body by eating a little more poorly during the holidays.

• Have a cup of green tea twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.  Green tea is a natural antioxidant and can help with keeping things a little more balanced during this heavy eating season.
• Before heading out to a dinner or party for the holidays have a salad at home.  A big salad!  Since the chances are you wont be eating a great deal of vegetables this helps with the healthier eating but it also means you wont be going on an empty stomach which gives you a much higher risk of overeating.
• If you are a meat eater, try and keep your meat intake at home down during December.  Especially if you know that you’ll be attending dinners and parties where meat will be the main dish.  Eating a good deal of meat can make you tired and sluggish because it weighs down your digestive system and your personal energy.
• If you typically keep desserts and sweets in the house, try and cut out buying them on your own during the holidays.  Most of us tend ti either over do it on the cakes and cookies during the holidays at parties and gatherings but many of us also end up taking home a doggie bag or plate of leftover treats.  The more you have on hand the more you’re going to eat!
• And when it comes to taking home leftovers after a holiday dinner, be mindful of what you’re bringing home.  Will you eat it?  When bringing home a plate from holiday gathering be sure that it is food you will eat and will enjoy, otherwise let someone else take it!  Also, don’t bring home more than one meal’s worth of leftovers.  This is both practical and helpful to your body.  Leftovers usually aren’t worth much after two days and, again, if you have more than you would eat in a sitting that means overeating.

Drink Water
This time of year tends to be filled with soda, coffee, and alcohol in our cups.  This is all fine in moderation but we still need good old clear and healthful water.  Our bodies need the water, not just any old liquid.  When we’re not getting our water we can become dehydrated which causes fatigue. Soda, coffee, and other caffeinated beverages are not truly hydrating and the added caffeine only tires us out more, especially when it’s in excess.  Alcohol is a sedative and when put on top of coffee it tires us out even more.

• Be sure to drink the usual 6 to 8 glasses of water a day.  If you’re going to be out of the house, traveling to a gathering or visiting friends and family, take along a travel bottle filled with water.  Find whatever way you can to get that hydration in.
• Be mindful of how much coffee and other caffeinated drinks you have in a day.  Also be sure to cut yourself off from having them too late in the day.  Unless you plan on driving late in the evening or know that you need to be awake, try and cut your caffeine off by around noon or 1pm each day.  Excessive caffeine only makes you more tired and has the opposite effect that most people are after.
• Alcohol should always be consumed in moderation but remember that it is a sedative and will make you tried, even if you don’t drink in excess.  Alcohol can also make you dehydrated so be sure that if you’re drinking alcohol to take breaks in between to drink water so as to help with some of those feelings of fatigue that come with drinking.

Get Some Exercise
This time of year more than any, for more reasons than one, exercise is extremely important.  Not only does it help with keeping us from gaining the extra weight that comes with all this eating and drinking but it helps to relieve stress that can only add to our feelings of exhaustion.  All you need is to find a half hour during the day to do something physical to help aid in getting a good night’s sleep during this time of year (and really any time of year).

• If you have a gaming console with motion capabilities, purchase yourself an exercise game or one of the many dance or sports games that are on the market.  Playing one of these for a half hour will not only go by super fast but it will be fun and wont feel like exercise.
• Remember to do something you enjoy so that you’ll want to keep up with doing something each day.
• This doesn’t have to be a hardcore work out!  Grab your iPod and head to the local high school track after hours or early in the morning if weather permits and take a 30 minute stroll.  If this isn’t possible, head for the mall but leave your credit cards inside!  Better yet, go early in the morning before the stores are open.  Those groups of senior citizens that go mall walking before shopping hours really are on to something!

Get Rest
Sometimes during the holidays it feels like there just isn’t enough time in the day to get the rest we know we need.  And for us Pagans who are honoring muli-faith and multi-family events, it can be even more tiring because we have both our own rituals and events to attend and then those of our friends and family.  At night we may find that we’re just too wound up to sleep and that naturally builds over days into being in a zombie-like state of existence.  A night of 8 hours of sleep starts to dwindle down to 4 hours and soon we can’t remember if we went to sleep or passed out the night before. Take steps to make sure you’re still getting the sleep you need, which for the average adult is between 6 and 8 hours a night.

• Try setting your alarm for 15 minutes before you would normally get up.  When your alarm goes off you don’t need to jolt right out of bed.  Give yourself those 15 minutes to gently come into awareness for the day.  Make sure that you are fully awake before your feet hit the floor.  When you’re not, you only start your day off tired and it’s hard to truly overcome that feeling.
• Consider changing your alarm to something less, well, alarming.  Purchase a Zen Timer alarm clock or look for a clock that had different nature sounds that can act as alarms.  Many of us now use our iPhones or other smartphones as alarms and many offer different tones for using the alarm that are removed from the loud electronic buzzing that we grew up with.  Being gently woken from your sleep state helps to keep you from feeling suddenly tired all over again once you’re awake.
• For the last hour before you plan to go to bed shut down the computer, turn off your phone, and turn off the television.  Spend that hour reading, meditating, or doing something else that has you still, quite, and less stimulated.  Electronic stimulation before bed makes it hard to fall asleep for many people and only has our minds reeling with all the things we’ve dealt with during the day.  By taking the time to either meditate or read a book purely for enjoyment we have the chance to step outside of our routine and all that we’ve had going on for the day so we can truly relax and unwind.

While all of these tips are naturally good healthy living ideas, they are especially important for this time of year.  With the stress we are often under with the holidays we quickly become run down and our immune systems weaken making January flus and colds common occurrences.  But it’s also important for us magickal folks to keep in mind because a state of fatigue means that we’re going to be dealing with low energy, something that may be a concern if you do energy work for yourself or others regularly (especially professionally) or if you plan to work magick and ritual for the Sabbat.

Be sure to have a happy, healthy Yuletide season so that your new year starts out with a bang!

This year give the gifts of…

Listening
Sometimes the most important gift that someone can receive is an ear to bend and a shoulder to lean on.  Be mindful of those in your life right now that could use your undivided attention for an afternoon or evening.  Offer to take your loved one out for a nice dinner and let them open up and share what is really on their minds.   Listen without judgement and let them say what is on their minds.  Often it’s not so much what you say that makes the difference but what you don’t say.  When you say nothing and let them vent and get things off their chest, it allows them to see their own situation with a clear head and they will often find the answers and healing that they need on their own.  They will always remember that you were the one that allowed that happen just by being there.

Laughter
Much like the gift of listening, the gift of laughter can be something that will mean the most to someone who is dealing with a difficult time in their lives around the holidays.  Is there someone that you know who’s been dealing with illness, a break up, the loss of a job, or some other tragedy that has them a little down this holiday season?  Then it’s time for the best medicine of them all, a good laugh!  There are many ways to accomplish this; you can arrange a night together with you friend where you can watch ridiculous movies from the 80s together and laugh at bad acting and even worse story lines.  If your friend likes stand up comedy get tickets to see a comedian they enjoy or just go to a local open mic comedy night.  One year I had a friend who had dealt with some horrible financial issues and a few deaths in his family and he was completely out of sorts for Yule.  I went and bought a $2 Christmas stocking and stuffed it with ridiculous things from the Dollar Store and a few random gag gifts.  Watching him open the things inside and seeing him laugh for the first time in months was one of the best gifts I received that year!

Solitude
Sometimes what someone really needs is to just be left alone.  This is just as valid and necessary in the healing process as is listening and laughter.  Be mindful of those around you who are dealing with difficult times who are at the stage of needing to be left in solitude to deal with their situation.  If someone tells you they really don’t want to be cheered up right now, it isn’t always a passive aggressive way to get attention.  Some people really do just want to be left alone for a bit.  Send a nice card and let your friend know you’re there for them when they’re ready and in the meantime respect their space with love and respect.

Favors
Offering to do a favor for someone can be a wonderful way of letting them know that you’re there when they need you and that you’re open to helping them at their most needy time.  Perhaps you know a friend will be moving soon; you could offer to help them without them having to ask. Maybe you have an elderly neighbor who normally pays someone to come and shovel their driveway after a snowstorm.  Offer to do it for free.  You can also get fun with this and create little favor coupon books as a physical gift to give to a friend or family member with things like “Good for one trip to get your groceries” or “Good for one bath for your dog”.  Think of things that you know would be a nice break for the person you’re making it for and for fun things that they might just enjoy like “Good for one Mai Tai at sunset on the beach.”

Letter of Appreciation
It might sound a little silly, but a letter from the hearth expressing your love and appreciation for someone can mean the world to them.  We spend so much time today trying to reduce our thoughts down to 140 characters so we can send it in a tweet or a text message that we never really say what we want to say to someone.  The most we might ever do is send and email nowadays and that isn’t the same as taking the time to sit down with pen and paper and hand write a letter to someone who means so much to you.  This could be your spouse who you see every day or a friend that lives on the other side of the world.  It doesn’t matter who often you speak each day or how many times you might see each other in a week.  There are certain things that we sometimes can’t get out just right face to face and taking the time to write a letter, picking the right words and putting our energy into what we’re saying, can end up really getting the true thoughts and feelings we have across in a way that the person will be able to relive and reabsorb whenever they are down and need a reminder that they are loved and appreciated.

So this year, as you’re struggling to think of what to give as a gift to the most difficult to shop for people in your life, remember what the Yule season is truly about.  It’s about spending time with your family and loved ones.  While today we do this more out of tradition and enjoyment and not out of the worry that we may not all be together again like our ancestors may have thought, it is still the true reason for the holiday.  It’s not really all about gifts and gadgets.  Take the time to give from the heart, giving something that can make a world of difference in someone’s personal life.

At this time of the year we’re celebrating and honoring the return of the Sun (and the Son in the form of the God). While there are several cards in the tarot that are appropriate for this time of year, there is none more-so than The Sun card.  In the Rider Waite Smith version of the card we see a baby, often said to represent the Child of Hope and Light, riding a white horse carrying a red flag with a bright and glorious sun in the background.  The stone wall with the sunflowers that he is seated in front of traditionally represents the blocks and hurdles that we have had to climb over and reach beyond in order to get to our spot in the sunlight.  How wonderful as an affirmation of the Winter Solstice!

When we place The Sun card on our altars and make it part of the focal points of our Yule rituals, it can help us to find a focus for the energy that we are calling back.  During the winter, especially if you live someone that really lives out that cold, winter weather, it can be hard to imagine the sun at all.  When you don’t see the sun too often and you don’t feel its warmth or see its light it can be hard to feel that energy to call it back.  This card can help with that a bit.

Here are a few other Sun cards from other decks…

Pick out The Sun card from your favorite deck of tarot.  If you don’t have a deck print out one of the images above or find a Sun card from a deck that you find appealing and print that out for your altar.  Place your card in the center of your altar along with a candle of a fire/sun color (yellow, gold, orange, or red).  Take a few moments to look at your card and really put yourself into the scene in the card.  Feel the rays of the sun shining down on you, warming your skin.  Breathe deep and smell the scent of warm grass and dirt on a summer day after the rains have come and gone and the sun is drying things again.  Feel the power of the sun and the life it creates and supports.  Then bring yourself back to this cold and dreary winter season and know that you will once again feel that sun on your skin again soon as now is the time that it is reborn to the earth.

Light you candle and chant the following:
Return O Sun
Return O Lord.
Bring back the light
And light restored!

Let your candle burn down through the night of Yule to help guide the Sun and the God back through the cold and dark earth.

Keep in mind this is very much a mini-lesson in affirmations.  But these are the basics that can help get you started with working with them right now.

How it works…
Affirmations are statements that, through the generation of vibrations either vocally or from thought, help to reprogram us on some of the deepest levels of consciousness.  Affirmations are somewhat like mini-meditations.  You take a few minutes to simply focus on a single thought and express it repeatedly in a way that will help to create some change within yourself.  You can work with affirmations in several different ways, such as casually reciting them to yourself as you go about your morning routines or by sitting down in a formal meditative setting and creating a mini-ritual out of the process.  Either way, as long as your focus and intent is there, affirmations can become a simple way to begin a process of inner change.

When working with affirmations, especially if you are going to create any of your own personal ones, there is one key ingredient to a successful affirmation.  They should be written from a place of positive existing manifestation.  In order words only use positive verbiage and write them as though the thing you desire has already manifested.  These means not using words like “want”, “desire”,  or “wish” and instead using “I am” statements.  For example:

“I wish to be at peace with those around me.”
This idea is better expressed as an affirmation by saying…
“I am at peace with those around me.”

Remember that these statements are helping to reprogram your energy and your subconscious mind.  By using the statement “I wish” you’ll also be creating more desires or wishing for something.  By saying “I am” you are creating a state of power, being, and manifestation.  In general “I” statements that are written in a present state are how you should frame your affirmations.  Examples include:

“I am”
“I have”
“I give”
“I forgive”

In times of stress…
Particularly when we find ourselves in a state of stress the vibratory healing that affirmations can bring can become a great resource for peace.  Here are some examples of stress relieving affirmations for Yuletide.

I am open to embracing limits on my time rather than fighting them.
I give myself permission to say no.
I love myself and my ability to give love to others.
I know everything is working out this holiday for my highest and best.
Everything I am doing is done with love and honor.

To remind yourself of Yule…
When you’re starting to feel a disconnect to the theme of Yule and the spiritual side of the holiday, try working with affirmations like these:

I am open to the return of the light to the earth.
I am full of the joy of the God’s return.
I embrace the energy of rebirth with all I do this season.
I accept all opportunities for growth and change.

Creating your own affirmations for the holiday are as simple as defining what it is that you wish to change or reprogram and then stating it in a positive way with a position of being present and manifest.  As you come across situations during the holiday that have you stressed or feeling disconnected from your spiritual practice, create affirmations as you need to.  Repeat them to yourself daily in sets of 3, 6, or 9 and us them as you need them during the day.  This will help you to soon find that the thing that has you stressed is no longer and issue and soon you may find you no longer need your affirmations at all.

Today I’m going to share some rituals and magickal work that you can do with your log.  Let’s start with making a log for your altar.

Blessing Your Yule Log
Regardless of how you plan to work with your log, the first step should be blessing the wood itself for its use as a sacred object.  To do this all you’ll need is a chalice of some sort of sacred libation.  This can be wine, cider, holy water, mead, or any liquid that you would use as an offering in ritual to the Gods. Bless and consecrate this libation as you normally would for ritual to make it sacred for ritual use.  Then gently sprinkle some over the whole log.  As you do you can use words of blessing such as:

With this sacred wine (mead, cider, water, etc) I bless you and make you sacred.
May all energies or spirits that reside within this wood that would do me harm
Be released and banished.
May this wood be fit to reside in my magickal space as a tool of honoring the God
and the returning light.
So Mote It Be!

Now you’re ready to begin preparing your log for use!

Making A Yule Log For Your Altar
Pick Your Log
Begin by picking out a log of wood anywhere from 1 – 1 1/2 feet in length.  Consider the average size of your altar or an altar surface that you may end up using.  You want your log to be a center piece and a focal point but you still want to have space for your other altar tools and altar work.  I personally feel that if you’re using a log year in and year out that it’s best to work with something that is traditional to the season rather than magickally specific since your magickal and energetic needs will change year to year.  However, this is just my personal feeling and you should do what you feel is right for you.

Fashion Your Log For Use
First, create a flat surface on one side of the log.  Naturally, with the log being round, it will roll around easily when placed on a table, especially if the table is bumped.  There are several ways you can do this depending on your craftiness.  You can use a saw to cut down one side to make it flat or you can create small feet to raise the log up and hold it level. This can be done with 2 or 3 flat, level, even blocks of wood nailed into the log to hold it steady and even.  Depending on your particular log you use you’ll need to make the decision on what will be the best way to keep it steady, but this is a very important practical safety step so be sure to give it consideration when getting started.

The second important safety related step to consider is how you will be using candles on your log.  Will they be placed on the surface of the log or will you want to place them inside the log, essentially using the log as a holder? If you want to simply place the candles on the log, you will need to sand down three flat spots large enough for your candles to be securely placed with wax, adhesive, or small candle holders.  I recommend taking a woodworking knife and stripping away the bark in the areas you wish to use and then sanding the wood underneath until flat, even, and smooth.  If you wish to place the candles inside the log, you will need an appropriate drill bit to create holes in the log that will accommodate the candle sizes you wish to use.  Keep safety in mind while doing this and pick the option that will be best for your log.

If you decide to go with the candles in the log option you may want to consider permanently placing candle holder in the holes rather than putting the candles directly into the log.  I would also recommend using taper candles, not votives, for this.  Votive candles inside the log will have a much higher chance of creating a fire than using tapers.

Be sure to give a little test run before cutting, sanding, or drilling anything by having a friend help hold the candles in the places you plan to put them.  Mark your candle locations and go from there.  Make space for one candle in the center of the top of the log and then place another on either side of the center marking with at least a 3 to 4 inch space between, again for safety (the heat from an adjacent candle could easily melt another and cause a problem).  If you’re log is big enough to give wider space between them, give this a try.

From here you can decorate your log with whatever items you wish.  Some like to glue pine cones, mistletoe, pine boughs, and other greenery around the spaces where the candles will be places.  Others like to place these decorations around the bottom of the log.  Again, keep safety in mind and remember that any fresh plants or greens used will eventually die or possibly rot.  So be careful not to permanently affix anything to your log that you may need to remove.  Items places around the candle bases have a chance of having hot wax and even sparks from candle flames landing on them.  If you’re going to be attentive to your log at all times when it is lit you will be able to watch for these things, but others that are used in a decorative manner as well and left semi-unattended may be best decorated at the base.  Get creative!  Add magickal items like gris-gris bags for prosperity or herbal charms for fertility around the base or sides.  Tie holiday ribbon to create some knot and chord spells and weave them into your log.

When you’re done with the log itself, you’ll need to get three candles to place inside.  Traditionally the colors used for the Yule Log are red, green, and white, though some people will use just the green and red candles.  Bless and charge the candles then dress them as you see fit and place in their spaces on the log.

Making A Log To Burn
If your log is going to be burned in a fire you’re next steps will be simple.  Once your log has been blessed you’ll want to add any decorations to it that you feel will be helpful in its burning.  This is where you can add magickal items like pieces of parchment with petitions to it or herbs and greens.  Remember to only use natural items that are safe for burning.

Using Your Log
If you’re going to be putting your log into the fire this is often done as its own magickal act to mark the beginning of the season or as a way to start the Yuletide festivities.  When you’re working with an altar top log there are mini-rituals that you can do with it as part of the awakening of the light.  Below is a ritual I have written for using an altar top Yule log.

Rowan’s Yule Log Ritual
You’ll Need:
1 Yule Log (decorated, blessed, and consecrated)
1 white candle (the returning light)
1 red candle (spark of life, the Goddess)
1 green candle (rebirth, the reborn God)
Yule oil or Candle dressing oil
Yule incense

Anoint your candles with Yule oil, charging and blessing them.
Place the candles in or on the Yule Log in the following order:  Red on the left, Green in the center, White on the right.

Light your Yule incense and waft it around the Yule Log and say:
By the powers of earth, air, fire, and water
I consecrate and bless this sacred Yule Log
To be fit for use within this circle
As a symbol of hope and light.

Looking at the unlit Yule Log, reflect on this time of year.  Recite the following words or something similar:
With the dying of the light we are faced with the longest night of the year.
The Holly King who has ruled during the dying half of the year gives way to the Oak King who grants us his gifts of growth, light, and expansion.
Let the Yule Log, a symbol of his reign and return, burn bright and usher back the Sun God.

The Goddess is the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone.
She is the one who creates all life and the one who we all return to at the end.
And she is the one who carries us back through the cycle once more.

Light the red candle and say:
Within the dark cauldron of the creation that is the womb of the Goddess,
the spark of life is ignited.

Light the green candle and say:
Life begins to flow back to the earth.
The Goddess gives birth to the Child God, the God of Life, the God of Promise.

Light the white candle and say:
With his return he brings the sun,
He brings the light of renewal.
And with this light we know the Green Man and the promise of spring is coming to us again.

Take a moment to look at the log, lit and shining brightly.  Feel the power of the fire, its warmth and light.  Reflect on the meaning of the log and it’s fire.  Say:

As the light shines from the fire
We rejoice in the return of the God!
We rejoice in the return of the Light!

Hail the Child of Light!
Hail the God of the Sun!

Chant these last two lines to raise energy to send energy toward the God to call him back to the earth.  If you have the room you can do this while drumming and dancing around the altar.

Allow the candles to burn for either 12 minutes, 12 hours, or 12 days; for the purpose of planning your ritual it’s best to decide ahead of time how you plan to burn the candles.  When you put them out, be sure to snuff them with a candle snuffer and relight them with the same purpose and intention as you did for this ritual, though you don’t need to go through the whole ritual again. Be sure to keep an eye on your candles and your Yule Log so that you don’t accidentally light the log itself on fire with the candle flames.

When your candles burn down and you’re finished with them, removed the stubs, clean up the log, and wrap it up and store it safely until next year.

If you have a fireplace and you plan to burn the log you can easily modify this ritual to accommodate that process.  Be sure that when the log is almost done burning that you save a piece of the log for the next year.  You can then collect the ashes and scatter them around your yard, garden, and outside the perimeter of your home while asking for protection and prosperity for the coming year.