Winter Solstice
Yule Festival
The Yule Festival celebrates the rebirth of the Horned God, or the defeat of the Oak King and assumption of power by the Holly King. This is based on the narrative of the endless battle between the personification of Summer as the Oak King and of Winter as the Holly King.
Yule, also called Midwinter, is a celebration of the winter solstice, marking the longest night of the year and the return of the sun. This is the apex of the Winter season, and the overall theme of Yule is rebirth and renewal. This is a festival of the sun, so light is a critical element. Flickering candles, bonfires, twinkle lights, and the traditional lighting of the tree all represent this celebration of the returning of the light.
Being the time of rebirth, this is a great time to remove anything that holds us back and to sow the seeds for the upcoming year. Try success spells, blessings, cleansing your home and altar and banishing negativity this night.
Festival of Yuletide
altar decorations and seasonal correspondences
Celebrate the Yule festival by decorating your altar with the plants and colors of the season: green, red, white and gold. Use a selection of evergreen, ivy, poinsettias and holly, as well as mistletoe, pinecones, cedar and amaryllis.
Celebrate the season with nuts, dried fruits, roasted meats and warm drinks. Especially include apples, oranges, pomegranates, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and rosemary.
Herbs and Plants
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Cloves
- Rosemary
- Orange
- Frankincense
- Myrrh
- Pine
Metals and Stones
- Quartz
- Diamond
- Ruby
- Garnet
- Emerald
- Bloodstone
- Calcite
