Tag Archive for Winter Solstice

The Summer Solstice

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Litha, which means to stand still or stopping, is the name given to the pagan Mid summer ritual. The Summer solstice which happens around the 21st / 22nd of June depending on the position of the sun. As pagans we celebrate the summer solstice as part of the wheel of the year and their some slight differences in the symbology. Some pagans see the summer solstice as the time where the Goddess took over the earth from the horned God at the beginning of spring and she is now at the height of her power and fertility. For some Pagans the Summer Solstice marks the marriage of the God and Goddess and sees their union as the force that creates the harvest’s fruits. For me it the time when the god and goddess of the light half of the year are at their most fertile and radiate life. The God is at his peek but from this point forward he will weaken until he is final defeated and killed by the god of the dark half of the year and is reborn in mid winter. For me this time of year is about balance and enjoying the best times while you have them it is also it a big reminder that nothing will last forever. This is a time to celebrate growth and life for Pagans, who see balance in the world and are deeply aware of the ongoing shifting of the seasons it is also time to acknowledge that the sun will now begin

The Thirteen Days of Solstice

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On the first day of Solstice the Goddess sent to me, some healing to set me free. On the second day of Solstice the Goddess sent to me, Gifts from my love and some healing to set me free. etc. 1. Some healing to set me free 2. Gifts from my love 3. A helping dream 4. A branch of evergreen 5. Joyous song! 6. Greetings from my neighbours 7. Magick for the year 8. Fine conversation 9. Nine pearls of wisdom 10. Candles for the lighting 11. Deep contemplation 12. Showers of abundance 13. A grand celebration Shekhinah Mountainwater tune: “The Twelve Days of Christmas“

Tree Lore and the tree calendar

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Trees have always played a great part in the lives of human beings, and in magic’s they represent the symbol of life regeneration and rebirth and to some said to contain sacred knowledge. Trees are used, from everything from a source to creating shelters heat and tools. The wood from the trees has been also used as a sign of authority. Many kings and queens priests and priestesses would carry a staff of rowan , oak, Birch or beach. These trees were considered to be incarnations of the gods, and by carrying the staff would show others of their authority, and that their power was directed from the gods themselves. The image of trees in the pagan in a neopagan faith has always been considered to be magical and the symbol of the tree is used to connect the three rounds (roots), the underworld, (trunk of tree). The earthly realm, and (the branches) the heavens and the worlds beyond. It is even said that the phrase “ as above, so below” comes from trees, due to the fact that way trees grow their branches and roots seem to be of similar shape and size, the as above, refers to this almost identical shaping of roots and branches, whilst the so below, refers to the idea that whatever is created in the heavens manifests itself in the one of the major principles behind all kinds of magic. The trees are also appeared in folklore and mythology as places where gods have sacrificed themselves or have been

What is Wicca?

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Wicca is an earth-based Spiritual path, based on reviving the ancient pagan religions of pre-Christian Europe. Wiccan’s have a strong belief in the forms and forces of nature and that the divine source exists on all planes and is both male and female. Wiccan’s see aspects of life and nature as being sacred. Wiccan’s will attempt to attune themselves to natural rhythms of nature and cycle of life so they can communicate with the divine form. Wiccan’s will use rituals and rites, which are a mix between ancient text and modern ceremonies as well as shamanic practices to achieve this commune with the divine force. For Wiccan’s the divine form / force is divided in to two parts the two parts are considered to be equal and opposite (up-down / left-right / good bad / summer-winter etc.). These two halves created the balance in the universe and manifest as a Goddess(s) and God(s). By manifesting the power in two deities (Goddess and God), the natural balance of opposites, cause and effect are retained, e.g. Summer/winter, light/ dark, life and death etc    Although Wiccan’s may name their deities Wiccan’s believe that all goddess’s are but one goddess and all gods are but one god. The reason a Wiccan will call on a deity by name is to focus the aspect or nature of the persona that that aspect of the divine portrays. Wiccan’s believe that with the will of the divine and through magickal workings such as spells and rituals you can bend the unlimited

Christmas and Yule Customs

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Now that Christmas is fast approaching and the year has once more come full circle, most of us will soon be busy adorning the house with brightly coloured decorations, a Christmas tree and all the other paraphernalia that goes to create a festive atmosphere. Holly and mistletoe will almost certainly be included in our decorations as evergreens have been used in the winter festivities from very ancient times and definitely long before Christianity appeared on the scene. What Christians celebrate as the birthday of Christ is really something that was superimposed on to a much earlier pagan festival–that which celebrated the Winter Solstice or the time when the Sun reaches its lowest point south and is reborn at the beginning of a new cycle of seasons. In Northern Europe and Scandinavia it was noted by the early Christian scholar, Bede, that the heathens began the year on December 25th which they called Mother’s Night in honour of the great Earth Mother. Their celebrations were held in order to ensure fertility and abundance during the coming year, and these included much feasting, burning of lamps, lighting of great fires (the Yule fires) and exchanges of gifts. The Romans, too, held their great celebrations–Saturnalia– from December 17th to 25th and it was the latter date which they honoured as the birthday of the Unconquered Sun. The Saturnalia was characterised by much merry-making, sometimes going to riotous extremes, with masters and slaves temporarily exchanging roles. The use of evergreens to decorate the streets and houses was also very

Reclaiming Christmas with Pagan Ideas

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Christmas is a weird time for pagans we all know that the date of birth of Jesus was sometime in the early spring and that Christmas day was moved to coincide with the winter solstice. The problem is Christmas is a big festival and many pagans where not born in to pagan families so still have a strong connection to Christmas day and what make it even harder is Christmas and Yule have the same symbolisation. So what does a good pagan do? Do you celebrate Christmas or are you militant and refuse to have anything to do with that “Christian Festival”! As a child Christmas was easy the 25th December went woke up present on bed, woke parent at silly o’clock, visit Nan and granddad then other Nan and granddad would arrive around 12 give more presents, table would be in living room ready for lunch, during lunch a row would break out and the rest of the day was spent in silence and evening we played games. When I moved out at 16 and started my own life I could express my pagan path I refused to attend Christmas functions with family and friends or insured that I would work on Christmas day it was always easy to find someone to swap a shift. Christmas lost it appeal as a fun time it was a commercial event spend spend that all it was. It was in my mid 20’s when I was chatting with a friend who mentioned that her 5-year son had

Solstice-eclipse overlap marks rare chance for ‘transformation’

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Yulie and the Origin of Yule

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Yule is named for the little-known Celtic goddess Yulie, who is in charge of gifts, alcohol, fertility, and cold nights. As a Celtic goddess, of course her worshippers were peaceful Wiccans, accepting of everyone including homosexuals. Also, since the Celts created the religion that was utilized the world over, she corresponds to the Roman Yulinius, the Greek Yulinex, and the Norse Yulo, as well as the Native American Yu. The origin of the holiday Yule dates back to prehistoric times. Yulie and the other gods and goddesses would visit the earth once per year in their spacecraft on the Winter Solstice, and a large log would be set ablaze to guide the spacecraft to the villages. This is the origin of the traditional Yule log. Often the pumpkins left over from Samhain would be dried enough by this time to be used as kindling for the Yule log. The villagers would stand around the Yule log chanting “An it harm none, do what you will,” until the spacecraft arrived. The spacecraft had spiny landing gear with small round globes on them, and the plant mistletoe, representing the landing gear, would be hung up as a symbol of the wishes of the faithful that Yulie would visit them with gifts. Often trees would be knocked down by the landing of the space ship. It was considered very beneficial to take one of these trees, decorate it and place it around your home to demonstrate your love of Yulie (obviously, as these were a very environmentally-conscious people,

Yule

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Yule is the Old English term for the winter Solstice, which fall anywhere between the 19th and 23rd December. This is a major pagan festival for those in the northern hemisphere who follow the old religions (pre Christianity). The Old English word Geola (pronounce Yula) means yoke of the year, the balance point across the lowest ebb of sunlight. Now the longest night and the shortest day. The sun is at it lowest point in the sky at midday, lower than at any other time of the year, it also rises and sets at the most southerly points of the year. Yule is a festival of hope and renewal, the time when the Sun Child is reborn and we see a return of all life through the love of the gods. The Sun has been in decline since the summer solstice, but now begins to regain its strength. Now marks the end to the long winter nights, although it won’t be noticeable for a while yet! It is this regaining of strength after weakness that made the Romans call this festival Sol Invictus, “The Undefeated Sun”. Traditionally this is the time of year that homes are decorated with symbols of eternal life; such as evergreens such as Holly, Ivy, Rosemary, Bay, Laurel, Mistletoe and of course the ancient Pagan symbol, a decorated Spruce tree. So important was the festival to the old English that their name for December was Ærra G?ola (going before Yule) and for January Æftera G?ola. In the Northern tradition of Paganism

Bring a Torch

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Bring a torch, O brothers and sisters Bring a torch, light Yule fires bright We gather this night to wait for the dawning come Quickly; I see the first rays of light Ah, Ah, How radiant the Mother AH, ah, How brightly shines the Sun Sing in praise of our gracious Lady sing in Praise of her glorious Son The Wheel has turned tis time for the new year Dance gaily; we shall welcome the Sun Ah, Ah, How radiant the Mother AH, ah, How brightly shines the Sun Tune:  “Bring a Torch, Jeannette Isabella” Related articles The Yule Song (cybercauldron.co.uk) Reblog: A Letter to the Crone (amaranthine3.wordpress.com)