holidays | The Desert Path

Winter Solstice/Yule Correspondences

December 21 (approximately)

Colors: Red, Green, White, Gold, Silver

Sacred Stones: Turquoise, Peridot, Serpentine

Herbs: All evergreens, holly, mistletoe, ivy, pine/fir cones, cinnamon

Symbols: Yule Log or Tree, evergreen wreaths, holly/mistletoe, cinnamon sticks, bells,

Deities: The Holly King, Odin. Osiris, Hathor, Ixchel, Hecate, the =orns, all winter fae

Food & Drink: Roast fowl, ham, apples, oranges, nuts, mulled cider/wine

The Winter Solstice or Yule (ewe-elle/yool) is the shortest day of the year and the time when pagans celebrate the rebirth of the Sun. The date of this event tends to vary and falls sometime between Dec 20th and Dec 23rd. It is a fire festival and a quarter Sabbat. On this longest night of the year, the now elderly Holly King makes way for the newborn sun who will soon be the Oak King. This holiday is celebrated worldwide and is known as Alban Arthan (druids), Mid Winter, and Yuletide.

Before Christianity rose to power, the Winter Solstice was associated with the birth of a Divine King. The reason for celebrating the Winter Solstice has also remained the same: rebirth and renewal, the return of hope, and that life will continue. Jesus is not the only deity said to be born at this time, he’s in the company of Pagan gods like Apollo. Mithras, and Horus. The church decided that it was easier to incorporate the pagan celebration into theirs than to change it altogether. As a result, the pagan Sun God is born on the same day as the Christian Son of God, who is by the way also called “the light of the world”. Here is an interesting tidbit….Did you know that mistletoe was banned from churches due its pagan association?

Yule is also a festival of light and candles are a traditional item. Candles were lit at midnight as a symbol of birth of the Sun God. In Ireland, oil lamps were left lit all night long. Special Yule candles were also poplar and would be lit every night throughout the Twelve Days of Christmas. As with any candle, blowing it out causes the accumulated luck that resides in the candle to blow away”. The purpose of the candle is to bless the house and family in the coming year.

Activities for Yule include, making treats and feeding our feathered friends. If you have access to the forest you can find a yule log for your home and decorate it. Help those less fortunate by donating food or gifts to a good charity. Stay up all night and celebrate the rebirth of the sun at dawn. Create a special red Yule candle to burn, buying one is okay too! Decorate your Candle with evergreens and holly. Activities, although I doubt of =ncestors spent as much or gave as many gifts as we do today.

THE HOLLY AND THE IVY

The holly and the ivy, when they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown.

The rising of the sun, and the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a blossom, as white as lily flow’r,
And in our hearts, we bear pure hope, and sing every hour.

The holly bears a berry, as red as any rose,
And in our hearts we bear a flame of life, and with hope it grows.

The holly bears a prickle, as sharp as any thorn,
And our skin bears the sun’s sharp rays, bringing life this Solstice morn

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The Desert Path: The dusty ramblings of a desert pagan. https://thedesertpath.com/

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CMB Blue

Cat’s Morning Bits for December 16, 2019

Good Morning Beautiful Souls, grab a cup of your favorite morning brew and start things off with “Today’s Inspirations”. I hope you find something here that will make you feel good or help you on your path today.

Blessings, Cat

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May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks.
-J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973)

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Spiritual Unite: Lynx Spirit Animal Meaning – Use Your Patience

The Lynx spirit animal appears in your life when there are hidden forces in your life.
Lynx spirit animal symbolizes:

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ThoughtCo: Yule Craft Projects for the Winter Solstice

There are so many great ways you can decorate your home for the Yule season. Adapt store-bought Christmas decorations, or make your own Pagan-themed home decor for the season. Here’s how you can put together a Yule log of your own, some fun and simple ornaments, some seasonally-scented potpourri and incense, and more!

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MBG: 3 Holiday Season Intentions For Getting To January In One Stress-Free Piece

Some say—well, at least a very popular song suggests—that the holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year. No matter what your holiday situation is, that’s a lot of pressure for anyone. Thanks to stressors like family dynamics, financial demands, and the uphill battle of trying to keep some semblance of our health routine intact, chances are the season will feel not so wonderful at times. And that’s especially true if you’re not used to prioritizing your own self-care.

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Daily Good: The Lost Words

“It had come to our attention that words were slipping out from the mouths and the minds of children, but it was only once the book was complete and beginning to make its way out into the world that this really hit home. In a class full of children I asked who knew what a wren was. Wren, that small brown bird, feathers small as splinters with a sharp song so loud that threads its way through hedges in parks and gardens. Not one. Not even the teacher. An absence of knowledge.” Award-winning writer and illustrator Jackie Morris shares more.{ read more }

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Elephant Journal: 10 Gems & Crystals to bring our New Year’s Intentions to Fruition.

“Manifesting is all about aligning your personal energy and frequency with what you desire.
Like attracts like. Which is why it is crucial to clear your chakras and aura of dirty energy, and keep your vibration high. You can do this with the help of crystals because their healing works on an energetic level. When you use crystals to stay balanced you become a conduit for positive high frequency energy to flow easily into your life.

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MNN: 5 fascinating facts about bobcats

1. Bobcats are sometimes nicknamed the red lynx due to their similar appearance to the Canadian lynx, but more rufus coloring.
2. Another species that bobcats are sometimes misidentified as are mountain lions. According to Urban Carnivores, “Many people are surprised to learn how small bobcats are,

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EarthSky News: Moon couples up with Regulus

Tonight, on December 16, 2019, you might see the moon and Regulus, the Royal Star, coming up above your eastern horizon before your bedtime. If not, you can always get up before daybreak on December 17 to view the waning gibbous moon and Regulus much higher up in the morning sky. Look first for the moon and that nearby bright star will be Regulus.

The Desert Path

The Dusty Ramblings of a Desert Pagan

Tag Archives: holidays

Winter Solstice/Yule Correspondences

Cat’s Morning Bits for December 16, 2019

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