Yule
This is the longest night, and we sit through all of it. At the end of it the sun comes back. That is the whole of Yule, and it has been enough for every people who ever lived in the north.
What it is
At the solstice the sun stands still, rising at its furthest point south for three days before it begins, imperceptibly, to return. Our ancestors built Newgrange and Stonehenge to catch that moment. For witches it is the birth of the God, the Child of Promise, from the Goddess who is now Mother. It is also the night the Oak King, lord of the waxing year, defeats the Holly King and begins his half of the reign. It is the oldest festival we keep, and almost every custom of Christmas was ours first: the evergreen in the house, the lights against the dark, the feast, the gifts, the log on the fire.
How we keep it at the Hearth
- The vigil. We gather at dusk on the longest night and stay up until the sun rises. There are stories, songs, too much food, a lot of tea, and a long quiet hour before dawn that nobody ever regrets.
- The Yule log. A piece of last year's log lights this year's. The ash is kept for protection and scattered on the garden.
- Greeting the sun. We go outside, cold and tired, and sing it up. It has not failed us yet.
- Wassailing. We toast the apple trees with cider and hang toast in the branches for the birds, who are the spirits of the orchard in disguise.
- The quiet. The dark of the year is for rest. We try very hard not to fill it.
Correspondences
| Colours | Red, green, gold, white |
|---|---|
| Foods | Roast meats, nuts, dried fruit, spiced cake, wassail, mulled wine |
| Herbs and plants | Holly, ivy, mistletoe, pine, fir, bay, cinnamon, frankincense |
| Symbols | The evergreen, the log, the wreath, the sun wheel, candles, the star |
| Deities honoured | The Sun Child, the Mother, the Oak King and Holly King, Frigg, Odin, Saturn, the Cailleach |
Small things to do
- Turn off every electric light for one hour on the longest night and sit with a single candle.
- Bring a living green branch into the house and thank it.
- Get up for the solstice sunrise, wherever you are. Even through a window.
- Make something by hand for someone you love.
- Write down what you are carrying into the new light, and what you are leaving in the dark.
A Yule blessing
The wheel has turned to the dark of the year, and here in the dark we have kept the fire. Sun, we have waited for you. Child of Promise, you are born. Light, come back, come back, come back.
Next on the wheel: Imbolc