Gods rest ye marry pagan folk, its yule time once again! Hello witchlings, and happy Yule! In my previous blog post on Yule I gave a quick breakdown of the symbols, traditions, colors, and herbs that witches can look to when developing their own schedule for Yule. However, Yule is a 12 day festival and each day has its own array of meanings that a witch or pagan may choose to take advantage of in their own celebration. The festival begins on the 20th of December and ends on the 31st.
History
The origins of Yule can be traced back to the pagan traditions of the Winter Solstice, with one of its strongest influences being the Germanic Festival of Jol. Jol derives its name from the god Jolnir (Odin). Jolnir was a god of many domains including war, death, wisdom, poetry, and healing. The festival of Jol was a time for his veneration and as such it carried the metaphysical properties of his associations. During the festival people would burn a log that they decorated with greens such as holly, pine cones, and fruits to symbolize the return of life to the land and the end to the dark days. As the Germanic people became Christianized, Jol evolved into Jul, which is where pagans get the name Yule.
The ancient festival of the winter solstice was not only celebrated by the Germanic peoples. Another important tradition was the Roman festival of Saturnalia. Saturnalia is the source for many traditions of Christmas as well as the evolution of additional Yule practices. The ancient Romans decorated their homes with lights and evergreens to symbolize the coming of light and the survival of life in the death of winter. The festival lasted six years and consisted of gift giving, celebration, games, and drinking. Romans also engaged in door-to-door singing that is believed to be the origin of Christmas-Caroling.
While the celts are mostly known for recognizing the four fire festivals, they did recognize the importance of the winter solstice. While both Germanic and Roman pagans recognized the mistletoe, the hanging of mistletoe at doorways began with the celts, however, it may not have been for the purpose of love as perpetuated today. Mistletoe was believed to be an herb of protection and luck for the Ancient celts, and hanging it their doorway was meant to attract a prosperous spring time and protect their family from the spirits of death. Druids celebrated the festival of Alban Arthan. While this festival’s name is derived from the 19th century, the traditions are believed to span millennia prior to the Common Era. Alban Arthan was a time of gathering, feasting, and generosity.
The 12 Days of Yule Today
Today many pagans recognize Yule, as a 12 night Festival. You can begin your celebration the 20th and end it on the 31st or begin it on the 21st and end it on the 1st of January. This blog post focuses on the 12 nights beginning on the 20th and ending on the 31st. Each night has its own connotations that a practitioner may take advantage of.
The first night is December 20, Mother’s night. I liken its energy to that of goddesses such as Cerridwen who represent both the caring and maternal nature of the divine feminine as well as the vengeful and strong aspects of the dark feminine. During this time a practitioner may choose to take advantage of either or both energies to strengthen their practice performing baneful, shadow, or hearth rituals.
The second night of Yule is the winter solstice (December 21). This is the day of the longest night and marks the turning point for the return of the sun. For practitioners and pagans who recognize solar deities, this is a time to leave offerings. As the time of returning light, the solstice marks a time for clarity and abundance making it a great time for meditation, attraction rituals, money spells, and divination.
The third night of Yule is associated with the mistletoe and Mani. Mistletoes are symbols of protection, luck, vitality, love, and fertility. For the ancient celts mistletoe could be used to attract abundance and protect the home. For the Romans, kissing under the mistletoe could promote fertility for a young couple. In Norse mythology the mistletoe is considered a symbol of love. As the night of the mistletoe, December 22 is a great time to cleanse and recast protections in your home. Mani is the god of the Moon and is associated with the virtue of courage. This makes it a time to face fears and overcome challenges.
The fourth night of Yule is associated with the tale of the Deer Mother. The tale of the Deer Mother is where Christians get the concept of reindeers. The deer mother was an antlered deer that flew over the skies to bring back the light. In some tales, she carries a star of guidance between her antlers that could guide lost travelers home. In honor of the Deer Mother, pagans may share stories including her own, nurture and care for those around them, go on a nature walk, or leave offerings to her and other nature spirits.
The fifth night of Yule is the night of community. While December 25th is associated with feast, family, and gift giving, this was not the same for the Ancient peoples. For example, those who partook in Saturnalia would give gifts on the sixth day (December 23). In this calendar, the fifth night of yule represents the celebration of and with others. Take advantage of this night to spend time with those you love the most, and to exchange gifts. As a night of family it is associated with fertility and connection.
The sixth night of Yule is often associated with the goddess Eir, who was a goddess of medicine and healing. During this night practitioner may engage in any type of healing. They may choose to spend time learning about herbalism and stocking their in-home apothecary, or they may dedicate time towards inner healing through prompts and shadow work.
The seventh night of Yule is the night of the ancestors (This is sometimes considered the fifth day of Yule in order for the 25th to be the day of community for Christmas-adjacent traditions). On this night practitioners may take time to honor their dead or work with their ancestors through divination or offerings. For those of us without spiritual ancestors take this night as a time to learn about the traditions of your blood: the cultural tidings of your ethnic heritage.
The eighth night of Yule is associated with the power of winter. Different traditions have different timelines with the eighth day being associated with sacred fires, evergreens, Skadi and Ullr, and Singing. In this timeline singing is reserved for the last day, so we will draw from the first three. If you find that snow has fallen on the eighth day (December 27) you should absolutely take advantage of snowtime activities to honor the deities. If not you can spend the day lighting a sacred fire to warm your home from the cold of winter or replacing the evergreens in your home for protection.
In most iterations of Yule, December 28 is associated with a specific deity of traditions such as the Calliech, Odin, or Frigg. Make this the night that you connect with your gods whomever they may be, and make a special thanks to those who you do not work with but are venerated during this time.
The tenth night of Yule is associated with the Spirit of the Home. For those of us with haunted houses, the tenth night of Yule serves as a wonderful time to interact and communicate with those whom you live with. For others this may be a good time to perform a home awakening ritual. Give your home a name and awaken the metaphysical energies within its wall.
The eleventh night of Yule is sometimes considered the day of the Valkyries or in other iterations is the day of hygge or comfort. In hygge we spend this day creating a comfortable home, whether that means cleaning it for the New Year or rolling out on a blow up mattress for a movie night with our loved ones. As the day of the Valkyries, this is a day to honor the passage between worlds, the journey of life and death, and venerate the angelic goddesses. Leave offerings, make wishes and resolutions, or perform some divination.
The twelfth night of Yule is the day of Wassailing. It is from the pre-historic tradition of wassailing that we get our modern conception of making noise on New Years. It is the act of gathering together to sing, dance, and joyously scream about the ending of Yule and the beginning of the time of light.
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