Tag Archives: Sabbat correspondences

Winter Solstice/Yule Correspondences

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Winter Solstice/Yule Correspondences

December 22, 2019

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 son(sun) who will soon be the Oak King. This holiday is celebrated worldwide and is known as Mean Geimhridh, Mid Winter and Yuletide.

The theme of the Winter Solstice is one of rebirth and renewal. It brings the return of hope and the knowledge that life will continue with the rising of the new sun after the long dark. Those of Christian faith celebrate the birth of Jesus around this time as well, but scholars now say that he was more likely to have been born around Easter. However, Jesus was not the only deity said to have been born at this time, he’s in the company of Pagan gods like Apollo. Mithras, and Horus. After the coming of Christianity, our ancestors continued to celebrate the Winter Solstice and eventually, the church decided that it was easier to incorporate the pagan celebration into theirs rather 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 called “the light of the world”. Here is an interesting little tidbit…Did you know that mistletoe was banned from churches due to its pagan/druid association?

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



 Yule Correspondences


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, =innamon 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


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.


Staying 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.
















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


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Mabon Lore & Correspondences

			
						

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Autumn Equinox / Mabon / Harvest Home: On or around September 21st. MAY-bon, MAY-bun, MAY-bone, MAH-boon or MAH-bawn, – Lesser Sabbat


This year Mabon is on Monday, September 23


Other Names:  Second Harvest Festival, Witches’ Thanksgiving, Harvest Home (Anglo-Celtic), Feast of Avalon, Wine Harvest, Festival of Dionysus, Cornucopia, Equinozio di Autunno (Strega), Chung Chiu (China), Night of the Hunter, Alban Elfed “The Light of the Water”(Caledonii/ Druidic-celebrates Lord of the Mysteries), Winter Finding (Teutonic, from Equinox ’til Winter Night or Nordic New Year, Oct 15th.)


Mabon is the second harvest festival and like the Vernal Equinox night and day are once again equal. It is the Pagan day of Thanksgiving and is a time to honor the changing season and to give thanks for the bounty and abundance in our lives. It celebrates the wine/grape harvest and when our ancestors began the final preparations for the coming winter. The essence and energy is mellow and filled with gratitude and feelings of security. Mabon also honors aging deities and the spirit world. Considered a time of balance, it is when we stop and relax and enjoy the fruits of our personal harvests, whether they be from toiling in our gardens, working at our jobs, raising our families, or just coping with the hustle-bustle of everyday life. May your Mabon be memorable, and your hearts and spirits are filled to overflowing!


MABON CORRESPONDENCES


Symbols and Decorations: Fall leaves, apples, gourds, vines, flowers, acorns grapes, berries, Indian corn, and grains.


Colors: Wine/Maroon/Scarlet/Red, Rust, Brown, Autumn Orange, Dark Green and Gold


Goddesses: Modron (Welsh), Bona Dea, Land Mother, Aging & Harvest Deities: the Triple Goddess-Mother aspect, Persephone, Demeter/Ceres, Morgan (Welsh- Cornish), Snake Woman (aboriginal), Epona (Celtic-Gaulish), Pamona (roman), the Muses (greek)


Gods: Mabon ap Modron (Welsh), Sky Father, The Green Man, Wine Gods, Aging Gods, John Barley Corn, the Wicker-Man, the Corn Man, Thoth (Egyptian), Hermes, Hotei (Japanese), Thor, Dionysus (Roman), Bacchus (Greek) & all wine Deities


Herbs/Flowers/Plants: Marigold, Milkweed, Fern, Benzoin, Honeysuckle, Passionflower, Rose Sage, Solomon’s Seal, Thistle (A Druid’s Herbal) Acorn and Oak leaves, Aster,  Cedar, Ferns, Grains, Hazel, Honeysuckle, Hops, Ivy, Marigold, Milkweed, Chrysanthemums, Myrrh, Pine, Tobacco,  and vegetables.


Incense & Oils of Mabon: Pine, sweetgrass, apple blossom, benzoin, myrrh, frankincense, jasmine, sage, wood aloes, black pepper, patchouli, cinnamon, clove, oakmoss, sage and sweetgrass.


Trees: Maple, Magnolia, Locust, Hickory, Hackberry, Aspen. (Whispers from the Woods)


Sacred Stones: Green Aventurine, Dendritic Agate, Chrysoprase for goal setting and planning /Sunstone, Moonstone for balance. (Hibiscus Moon)  Sapphire, Lapis Lazuli, Yellow Agates, Carnelian, Yellow Topaz, & Amethyst.


Symbols: Wine, gourds, pine cones, acorns, grains, grapes, Indian corn, apples, pomegranates and all red fruits, vines such as ivy, dried seeds, and horns of plenty, wheat stalks and gourds.


Foods of Mabon: Breads, nuts, apples, pomegranates, cornbread, wheat products, grains, berries, grapes, acorns, seeds, dried fruits, corn, beans, squash, roots (ie onions, carrots, potatoes, etc), hops, sassafras, roast goose or mutton, wine, ale, & cider.


Activities: Making wine, gathering dried herbs, plants, seeds, and seed pods, walking in the woods, scattering offerings in harvested fields, offering libations to trees, adorning burial sites with leaves, acorns, and pine cones to honor those who have passed over.


Spellwork and Rituals: Protection, security, and self-confidence. Also those of harmony and balance. Celtic Festival of the Vine, prosperity rituals, introspection, rituals which enact the elderly aspects of both Goddess & God, past life recall.


Animals/Mythical Beings: Dogs, wolves, stag, blackbird, owl, eagle, birds of prey, salmon & goat, Gnomes, Sphinx, Minotaur, Cyclops, Andamans, and Gulons.


Autumn blessings to you and yours! ~Cat




Sources include: Flower and Tree Magic by Richard Webster / A Druids Herbal by Ellen Evert Hopman / Grimoire For The Green Witch by Ann Moura / Whispers From The Woods by Sandra Kynes and various internet resources.




I invite you to check out my websites!


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


Sacred Spirals (the place where all paths meet)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/SacredSpirals/