With great anticipation,
Wiccans and Pagans eagerly await the rebirth of the sun at the Sabbath of Yule.
This talk is a supplement to my course,
A Wiccan Winter Solstice,
Offering some additional thoughts and ideas for your enjoyment of this magical time.
We light candles at the Sabbath of Yule to bring warmth and light into our homes as well as to welcome the sun's return.
What was once a time of uncertainty for our ancestors is now a festive celebration spanning twelve days.
We rest.
We feast.
We gather with loved ones.
We hold a festival of light.
As is the case in many religions,
Candles are symbolic and meaningful to Wiccans.
This is especially true at the Sabbath of Yule.
To our ancestors who endured grueling winters,
Candles in the home filled them with hope that light and warmth would once again return to earth.
So creating a special candle for the winter solstice is a very fitting way of celebrating this sacred time,
And adding runes to a Yule candle can be especially meaningful.
Runes were discovered by the Norse god Odin,
Who is heavily associated with the winter solstice,
And is accordingly referred to as the Yule Father.
Briefly,
Runes are a set of symbols,
Each with its own name,
Meaning,
And message,
And they are rooted in Norse and Germanic traditions.
There are different variations of runes,
But for this crafting,
I'll be referencing the original language of the runes,
The Elder Futhark,
And making an inscription from it.
If you're not familiar with runes and their individual meanings,
You might wish to spend some time looking for characters that have special meaning to you and your celebration of Yule.
For now,
I have chosen three runes that spell the word sun.
Sowilo,
Uruz,
And Gebu.
Their meanings are light and energy,
Endurance and strength,
And gifts.
Sowilo looks like the Greek sigma.
Uruz resembles the lowercase letter n,
And Gebu is often depicted as an x.
For this crafting,
You will need one pillar candle.
White,
Gold,
Red,
And green are colors associated with Yule,
But any color you like is fine.
An oil of your choice for dressing the candle.
Examples are olive oil or grapeseed oil.
Since we are celebrating the return of the sun,
I've chosen sunflower oil.
A dried herb with magical properties of your choice.
I typically use rosemary and sage for cleansing and protection.
Another option would be mugwort,
Which is an herb associated with Odin.
Pick whatever is meaningful to you.
A toothpick or something similar for etching the candle.
A candlestick holder.
To begin,
Hold the herbs in your hands and charge them with your intentions.
You might choose to do so by saying something like this.
On this shortest day and longest night,
I call to the sun to return with might.
Warmth and light upon my home bestow.
As above,
So below.
So mote it be.
Next,
Use the toothpick to inscribe the candle with the runes you selected.
Or simply write something in your native language.
Perhaps just letters or even symbols of your own creation.
Now dress the candle with oil.
Using your index finger,
Trace several drops of the oil from the top of the candle,
Working your way to its base.
Doing so in this direction is an invoking gesture.
Once your candle is dressed,
Roll it back and forth over the dried herbs until it is coated to your liking.
Your Yule candle can now be lit whenever you want.
To make your Yule candle even more festive,
You might choose to surround it with pine cones or evergreen sprigs.
The possibilities are as endless as your imagination.
If you work with herbs and plants in your magical practice,
Yule is a great time to consider adding these winter favorites to your workings.
Nutmeg,
For good luck and prosperity.
Mugwort,
For strength,
Psychic abilities,
And protection.
Clove,
For love and repelling negativity.
Rosemary,
For protection,
Purification,
And remembrance.
Those who are more familiar with Christmas often associate the sounds of sleigh bells with this season.
Wiccans and pagans find bells to be meaningful during Yule as well.
Instead of being mere instruments that herald the arrival of Santa,
Witch bells are used for sound cleansing and driving away negative energies.
They are also commonplace in purifying a space,
Protection workings,
And common rituals,
Especially at the time of the winter solstice.
This is similar to the practice of using singing bowls to normalize vibrations and promote balance.
Singing bowls,
Especially when used in meditation,
Are often selected according to a particular musical key and chakra correspondence.
For sound cleansing in a magical practice,
Pretty much any bell or note can be used.
In selecting a bell or bells,
It is more important than anything that the sound is appealing to you and that it makes you happy and feel peaceful.
From there,
It's a good practice to cleanse the bell itself by allowing it to bathe in moonlight for an hour or longer.
If you wish,
You may also cleanse your bell with smoke from a smudge stick.
I do recommend cleansing any bell before its first use,
Especially if you are not its original owner.
A common practice is to tie one or more bells to a piece of yarn or a ribbon and hang it on either a door or in an area of the home where extra protection is desired.
This is meant to call in protective spirits while banishing negativity.
Bells can also be worn as amulets.
Of course,
Having a bell with a handle and ringing it yourself is an option.
Ringing a bell,
Whether it's done manually or not,
Is said to be a warning to negative entities that they should go elsewhere.
Yule is a wonderful time to bless your home with a sound cleansing.
Ring any bell or bells of your choice in each room and before each window and door.
You can perform the same cleansing with your crystals,
Altar,
And magical tools.
It's also important to remember to cleanse yourself.
You can do so by sitting in stillness for a few minutes and ring a bell several times as you bring your awareness to grounding and peacefulness.
This can be done anywhere and at any time,
But it is especially meaningful to do on solstice night,
Perhaps while sitting near your yule candle.
Wasol is a winter drink that's commonly associated with yule.
In my personal practice,
I have discovered that chai,
While not necessarily a mainstream or traditional solstice drink,
Contains similar energetic properties that are in line with yule,
Especially when combined with a spell.
For this working,
You will need the following.
Loose black tea,
About one to two teaspoons.
Grated ginger,
Cinnamon,
Cardamom,
Fennel seeds,
Black pepper,
Clove,
Orange zest,
Coriander seeds,
Star anise.
For the spices,
About a quarter teaspoon of each is a general guideline,
But do adjust them to your liking.
You will also need two cups water,
One-half cup milk or non-dairy creamer,
Or more to taste.
Sugar or honey,
If desired,
To taste.
A few notes on the ingredients.
Chai spices and herbs are aligned with protection,
Prosperity,
And deflecting negative vibrations,
Making it an energetic powerhouse.
Ginger is for success and power.
Cinnamon is for spirituality.
Cardamom is for love.
Fennel and coriander are for protection and healing.
Black pepper and clove are for banishing negativity.
And orange is symbolic of the sun.
Even non-practitioners of witchcraft will feel as if they're stirring a cauldron each time they brew a cup of this magic.
Heat the water in a saucepan over medium heat.
Crush the spices and mix together using a mortar and pestle.
Add the spices to the water.
Once the water comes to a boil,
Add the loose tea and continue boiling until it reaches your desired strength.
Add sweetener and or milk,
If desired,
And stir.
Then strain the tea into a cup.
You might choose to enchant your tea by stirring it clockwise with a spoon while saying something such as this.
Herbs of warming.
Orange for light.
A cup of blessings this solstice night.
Elements for with spirit combined.
Nourishing energy of the divine.
Fill with protection and prosperity.
This is my will,
So mote it be.
The first lesson I learned from Yule is that no matter what the conditions are like outside,
We can survive it,
As long as there's a fire to keep us alive.
Now more than ever,
That fire is love.
May the winter solstice bring you that fire of love,
And may you share it with those who are most in need.
The crow flies from me to thee,
To send the message.
Blessed be.
