Southern Hemisphere Date: June 20-23

Northern Hemisphere Date: December (20-23)

Winter solstice or Yule is the shortest day, and also the longest night of the year. It marks the return of the Sun’s warmth and light, and the promise once again of a productive Earth. Pagans celebrate these aspects with candles, fire, greenery and feasting. At this time, Yule logs are burned.

 

Why do we celebrate Yule?

Yule is the celebration of the winter solstice. “Solstice” comes from the Latin words “sol,” for sun, and “sistere,” or to stop. It is the time when the day is at its shortest, and marks the point at which days begin lengthening. This was an important holiday because it marked the return of warm, sunny weather, when crops and animals would begin flourishing again. Winter is an introspective period, which allows us to internalize and meditate on our actions, on our past and on our future.

The festivals of Yule (from the Old Norse: Júl) are celebrated every winter solstice. The winter solstice falls between the 20th and 23rd of December. Because it is a natural phenomenon, the date varies a little from year to year.

In the northern hemisphere, Yule is celebrated around December 21, and in the southern hemisphere, around June 21. 

The pagan festival of Yule has its origins in pre-Christian Scandinavia. It was mainly a family feast dedicated to fertility and reunion of the family. During this festival, dead family members are remembered. This party is organized in splendor and magnificence around the graves of the deceased relatives. It is also a period to show love and hospitality to strangers too.

 

“We put lights on our entrances and porches and on the roofs of our garages to scare away the darkness. We celebrate THE RENAISSANCE OF LIGHT on the longest night of the year. The winter solstice is a time to gather, for love, peace, goodwill and, more importantly, for FORGIVENESS. In this austere and cold season, we use branches and foliage to symbolize life; bright colors, images of rich harvests and mountains of gifts to ward off hardship or fear of it “

——–   Cerridwen Iris Shea

Yule in Australia

The Yule log must traditionally be the root of a hardwood tree, and in Australia mallee roots are ideal for this purpose, as are Tasmanian oaks and all types of Eucalyptus. The Yule log is burned down until nothing but a small piece remains, which is saved and kept to be used as a lighter for the following year’s Yule fire. A Yule tree is placed within the traditional  home, with a pentagram (five pointed star) at the top, symbolizing the five elements. Presents are exchanged and many Witches stay up all night to welcome the sun. This is symbolic of the Goddess giving birth to the God and then resting after her ordeal.

Key Points:

  • This is an excellent time to focus on planning for the year
  • This is a time for intense celebration and devotion to Lucifer or Satan.
  • The night of the 22nd is significant and spend in dedication to Lucifer or Satan.
  • Indulgence, decorating the home, family celebrations and get-togethers.

Comments Questions on Yule

Do Luciferians and occultists celebrate this season?

Hell YES we do. The Yule holidays for Occultists are times of indulgence and taking pleasure in the physical and material aspects of life. Actually, Xmas trees and wreaths are Pagan in origin (as discussed below), so there is no reason not to celebrate this holiday with our families with gift giving, baking, and decorating.

How is Yule different from Christmas?
Yule can work the same way: yule can refer to both Christmas and the broader Christmas season, which can also be called yuletide. That same tide, “season, period,” is at play here. So, you can call “Christmas” yule and “Christmastime” yuletide, but you wouldn’t call “Christmas Day” itself yuletide.
Did Christianity copy the pagan holiday?
When the Christian church sought to convert Pagans, they meshed Yule and Christmas. The Pagan holiday to celebrate the return of the sun, was changed into  the Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

Original pre-christian meaning of Xmas  symbols:

  • Evergreen trees are a sign of life and growth. Even when other trees shed their leaves, evergreens stay green year-round. Today, many people decorate them as Christmas trees.
  • Bells- bells were rung to drive out evil spirits and ensure happiness and prosperity.
  • Candles are a representation of the sun. People lit them as a way to symbolize the light of the spring sun returning to the earth.
  • Holly was given as a gift during the ancient Roman holiday of Saturnalia. This plant also represents the Holly King, the winter aspect of the Horned God.
  • The Yule log is an oak log that symbolizes the summer aspect of the Horned God. The log would be decorated, offered ale, and lit with the last year’s log. This represents the Oak King triumphing over the Holly King.

What is the origin of the Christmas tree then?

“The Christmas tree, now so common among us, was equally common in Pagan Rome and Pagan Egypt. In Egypt that tree was the palm-tree; in Rome it was the fir; the palm-tree denoting the Pagan Messiah, as Baal-Tamar, the fir referring to him as Baal-Berith.”1

“The Christmas-tree, as has been stated, was generally at Rome a different tree, even the fir; but the very same idea as was implied in the palm-tree was implied in the Christmas-fir; for that covertly symbolised the new-born God as Baal-Berith, “Lord of the Covenant,” and thus shadowed forth the perpetuity and everlasting nature of his power, not that after having fallen before his enemies, he had risen triumphant over them all.” 2

This is also a custom inherited from the Celtic people who were known for burning a tree trunk on the night of solstice, to celebrate the rebirth of the sun and to attract prosperity. When the Celts adopted this custom, around 1100 BC, they collected a log after solstice and kept it. A few days before the festival, they decorated it with pineapples, holly, ivy and other evergreen plants. These adorned trees are placed in the home, so that all the members of the family could touch it and leave treats and gifts.  The log was lit on the night of the solstice (it was usually the mother who sets the fire) then it is allowed to burn slowly. After everything had been burnt, the ashes were taken and kept as a sacred substance which could be used to cure diseases.  Some charred remnants were kept and used to light the fire of the following year’s log.

Why is Yule 12 days?
The Yule log was a whole tree meant to be burned for 12 days in the hearth. The Celts believed the sun stood still during the winter solstice. They thought by keeping the Yule log burning for these 12 days encouraged the sun to move, making the days longer.

Sources

  1. “The Two Babylons” by Alexander Hislop 1858
  2. Encyclopedia Biblica: A Critical Dictionary of the Literary Political and Religious History the Archeology Geography and Natural History, © 1899 of the Bible
  3. https://blackmagicwitch.com/how-to-celebrate-yuletide-as-a-witch/
  4. https://www .taste of home. com/ collection/ how -to-make-a-yule-log/view-all/
  5. https://www.thoughtco.com/make-a-yule-log-2563006
  6. http://www.circulodebrujas.com/sabats/yule/
  7. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule
  8. https://blog.  hellofresh  .co.uk/christmas-baking/
  9. http://www.souland  spiritmagazine. com/the-magic-of -yule-with-white-witch-patricia-weston/
  10. https://www.elbloga lternativo. com/2010/12/18/yule- solsticio-de -invierno-la-noche-mas-larga-del-ano/

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