Ostara - 2010

Ostara this year in the southern hemisphere was on 23 September, which was also the time of the full moon and, for those interested in astrology, coincides with the activation of the cardinal cross that began around the time of the winter solstice (google for further info or I really love Divine Harmony's take on all things astrological and how they influence us as individuals).

On a personal level, I have chosen this time to formally dedicate myself to a further year and a day study on a predominately solitary path. This is something I felt would be the case when I completed my second year and a day of study and now it seems that the timing is perfect on every level for this to begin.

So, last night I performed my dedication ritual, took my vows and am progressing the work which has been motioning slowly forward but which is now ready to build momentum as it integrates further into my life.

Some of the things that are now part of my studies are the two new blogs I set up recently. Please feel free to check them out and see if there is anything there of interest...

One Card For Kora - this is usually short posts with a few thoughts on tarot card I choose each day.
Kora's View - this is just a random photo of something I decided to photograph whenever the mood takes me

I will still be updating my original blog Curiouser and Curiouser which seems to have developed into mostly cryptic and ambiguous outpourings of some of the rabble that is chatter of my mind.

With that shameless self-promotion aside, here are some photos of my altar from last night.

 

Blessed Yule

Today marks the mid point of winter in the southern hemisphere when the daylight hours are the shortest and we enter into the longest night. In pagan mythology, the Goddess is pregnant and will tonight give birth to her son and consort, the God. Tonight brings us the rebirth of the Sun God who will grow and gain strength over the coming months. From tomorrow, the days will slowly but surely begin to get longer and all of the world will work towards the time of awakening as the earth thaws.

Sending the brightest blessings of Yule to one and all. Blessed be.

Mabon Ritual - March 2010

This is the group ritual we performed recently at a local park to celebrate Mabon this year. I tried to make it a relaxed, light and fun evening with a focus on chanting and making noise. It ended up being such a lovely celebration, raising some very special energy and I am so grateful for the opportunity to share this time with some very beautiful friends.

MABON RITUAL

by ~Kora~

Reading – What is Mabon?

As with each of the sabbats, Mabon has been known by many names throughout history and across different cultures. Some of these names include Cornucopia, the Feast of Avalon, the Festival of Dionysus, Mea'n Fo'mhair (Druidic), the Second Festival of Harvest or the Second Harvest Festival and the Wine Harvest.

However it is known, Mabon is the Autumn Equinox. This means it is the mid-point between the summer and winter solstices and the time when day and night are of equal length as the sun crosses the equator.

Mabon represents balance but it is also a time to give thanks for the bounty of the earth. In ancient times, this is the second major harvest, when the gifts from the mother are reaped and we give thanks for the abundance of our lives. In today’s modern times, we are no longer so dependent on the harvest festivals, but we still have the opportunity to give thanks for all of the blessings that enrich and fulfil our lives.

Mabon is a reminder that we reap what we sow. In Wicca, we see this as a physical reflection of the seeds we plant in the earth as the warms began to break through the winter around the time of the spring equinox six months ago, but we all also see this as a powerful metaphor for all of the things in our life. We are responsible for our own happiness and we know that it is through our own thoughts and actions that we will benefit and achieve all we set out for in our lives.

Mabon is a time to assess our performance – without blame and without regret. As the wheel begins to turn towards the colder months and our minds begin the process of introspection, we look at what has worked for us and before we turn to thoughts of what we need to think about changing. But, for us now, the focus is on the positives in our lives and that is something we should all take a moment to reflect on.

As such, we will now take a moment to go around the circle and give each of us the opportunity to give voice to something we are thankful that we have achieved or received in our lives.

[The speaker gives thanks for a blessing in their life, followed by the person to their right and so on until all within the circle have expressed an element of gratitude.]

Casting Circle

Tonight, we celebrate Mabon, the autumn equinox and one of the eight sabbats of the wheel of the year. Please, join hands as we cast circle.

Let our voices rise as one in the Elemental Chant and our drums and instruments resound as we in the southern hemisphere call the quarters deosil from the north. Please take up your instruments as you begin to feel the energy of the chant.

The Fire, the Earth, the Air, the Water

Return, return, return, return

Aye-a, aye-a, aye-a, aye-a, aye-a

Aye-o, aye-o, aye-o, aye-o

May the Goddess, in all her aspects, be present here in this circle. We call upon the Goddess with The Goddess Chant, that you may lend your energy here in this circle tonight.

Isis, Astarte,

Diana, Hecate,

Demeter, Kali,

Inanna

Mabon Park Blessing

We take this time to send out blessing to the area around us. We are grateful to have the opportunity to share this time together in nature and we pour our positive energy into the turning of the wheel and the changes it will bring to all living things around us.

We will now raise energy through drumming and noisemaking as a form of sympathetic magic to all that lives around us.

[Everyone to take up instruments; commence drumming/noisemaking]

Cakes and Ale – Poem: Turn the Wheel to Mabon

[Cakes and ale to be distributed]

Turn the wheel; turn the wheel, to the Mabon March

Autumn breeze and maple trees still joyous as they parch

Resplendent in the richest gold with jewels of red and brown

We lament about the shortened days: ‘O, how soon the sun goes down!’

Harvest one and harvest two, in our memories are stored

Corn and grain and welcome rain, are our toil’s reward

Equal are the night and day, thus balances the divine

Turn the wheel; turn the wheel, as we enjoy the Mabon wine

Blessed be

[Sharing of cakes and ale followed by general discussion on Mabon.]

Opening circle

Please take up your instruments as we send our thanks to the quarters.

[Drumming/noisemaking to commence]

Spirits of the north, element of fire

We thank you for your presence here this night

We bid you hail and farewell

Blessed be

Spirits of the east, element of water

We thank you for your presence here this night

We bid you hail and farewell

Blessed be

Spirits of the south, element of air

We thank you for your presence here this night

We bid you hail and farewell

Blessed be

Spirits of the west, element of earth

We thank you for your presence here this night

We bid you hail and farewell

Blessed be

Hail to the Goddess in all her aspects

We thank you for your presence here this night

We bid you hail and farewell

Blessed be

[Chant to open circle]

May the circle be open

But unbroken

May the love of the Goddess

Be ever in your heart

Merry meet and merry partM

And merry meet again

Mabon Ritual

Reading – What is Mabon?

As with each of the sabbats, Mabon has been known by many names throughout history and across different cultures. Some of these names include Cornucopia, the Feast of Avalon, the Festival of Dionysus, Mea'n Fo'mhair (Druidic), the Second Festival of Harvest or the Second Harvest Festival and the Wine Harvest.

However it is known, Mabon is the Autumn Equinox. This means it is the mid-point between the summer and winter solstices and the time when day and night are of equal length as the sun crosses the equator.

Mabon represents balance but it is also a time to give thanks for the bounty of the earth. In ancient times, this is the second major harvest, when the gifts from the mother are reaped and we give thanks for the abundance of our lives. In today’s modern times, we are no longer so dependent on the harvest festivals, but we still have the opportunity to give thanks for all of the blessings that enrich and fulfil our lives.

Mabon is a reminder that we reap what we sow. In Wicca, we see this as a physical reflection of the seeds we plant in the earth as the warms began to break through the winter around the time of the spring equinox six months ago, but we all also see this as a powerful metaphor for all of the things in our life. We are responsible for our own happiness and we know that it is through our own thoughts and actions that we will benefit and achieve all we set out for in our lives.

Mabon is a time to assess our performance – without blame and without regret. As the wheel begins to turn towards the colder months and our minds begin the process of introspection, we look at what has worked for us and before we turn to thoughts of what we need to think about changing. But, for us now, the focus is on the positives in our lives and that is something we should all take a moment to reflect on.

As such, we will now take a moment to go around the circle and give each of us the opportunity to give voice to something we are thankful that we have achieved or received in our lives.

[The speaker gives thanks for a blessing in their life, followed by the person to their right and so on until all within the circle have expressed an element of gratitude.]

Casting Circle

Tonight, we celebrate Mabon, the autumn equinox and one of the eight sabbats of the wheel of the year. Please, join hands as we cast circle.

Let our voices rise as one in the Elemental Chant and our drums and instruments resound as we in the southern hemisphere call the quarters deosil from the north. Please take up your instruments as you begin to feel the energy of the chant.

The Fire, the Earth, the Air, the Water

Return, return, return, return

Aye-a, aye-a, aye-a, aye-a, aye-a

Aye-o, aye-o, aye-o, aye-o

May the Goddess, in all her aspects, be present here in this circle. We call upon the Goddess with The Goddess Chant, that you may lend your energy here in this circle tonight.

Isis, Astarte,

Diana, Hecate,

Demeter, Kali,

Inanna

Mabon Park Blessing

We take this time to send out blessing to the area around us. We are grateful to have the opportunity to share this time together in nature and we pour our positive energy into the turning of the wheel and the changes it will bring to all living things around us.

We will now raise energy through drumming and noisemaking as a form of sympathetic magic to all that lives around us.

[Everyone to take up instruments; commence drumming/noisemaking]

Cakes and Ale – Poem: Turn the Wheel to Mabon

[Cakes and ale to be distributed]

Turn the wheel; turn the wheel, to the Mabon March

Autumn breeze and maple trees still joyous as they parch

Resplendent in the richest gold with jewels of red and brown

We lament about the shortened days: ‘O, how soon the sun goes down!’

Harvest one and harvest two, in our memories are stored

Corn and grain and welcome rain, are our toil’s reward

Equal are the night and day, thus balances the divine

Turn the wheel; turn the wheel, as we enjoy the Mabon wine

Blessed be

[Sharing of cakes and ale followed by general discussion on Mabon.]

Opening circle

Please take up your instruments as we send our thanks to the quarters.

[Drumming/noisemaking to commence]

Spirits of the north, element of fire
We thank you for your presence here this night
We bid you hail and farewell
Blessed be

Spirits of the east, element of water
We thank you for your presence here this night
We bid you hail and farewell
Blessed be

Spirits of the south, element of air
We thank you for your presence here this night
We bid you hail and farewell
Blessed be

Spirits of the west, element of earth
We thank you for your presence here this night
We bid you hail and farewell
Blessed be

Hail to the Goddess in all her aspects
We thank you for your presence here this night
We bid you hail and farewell
Blessed be

[Chant to open circle]

May the circle be open

But unbroken

May the love of the Goddess

Be ever in your heart

Merry meet and merry part

And merry meet again

Apple Mabon Bread

Ingredients
* 2 ½ cups grated apple
* 2 cups raisins or craisins
* 1 ½ cups boiling water
* 3 Tbs olive oil
* 1 cup honey
* 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
* 1 ½ tsp salt
* ½ tsp ground clove

* 3 cups whole wheat flour
* 1 ½ tsp baking soda
* ¾ cup chopped nuts

Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (160 for fan forced) and grease two loaf pans.
Combine the first nine ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

In another bowl, mix together the last three ingredients.

Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and combine well. Pour into prepared loaf pans and bake for 40-60 minutes. Use a cake tester to check when cooked. Remove from pans and place on a rack to cool.

Lughnasadh

When Lughnasadh rolls around on the 1st or 2nd of February in the southern hemisphere or 1st or 2nd of August in the northern hemisphere, the fields are full and fertile. Crops are abundant, and the late summer harvest is ripe for the picking. This is the time when the first grains are threshed, apples are plump in the trees, and gardens are overflowing with summer bounty, which makes Lughnasadh the first of the harvest sabbats.

It's the dog days of summer, the gardens are full of goodies, the fields are full of grain and the harvest is approaching. Take a moment to relax in the heat, be grateful for the food we have on our plates and reflect on the upcoming abundance of the fall months. At Lughnasadh, it's time to begin reaping what we have sown throughout the past few months and recognise that the bright summer days will soon come to an end.

Alternate Names
* August Eve
* Ceresalia
* Elembiuos
* Feast of Cardenas
* Feast of Lugh
* Festival of Green Corn
* First Festival of Harvest
* First Harvest
* Harvest Home
* Lammas
* Lughnasa

Pagan Mythology
The God is middle-aged now and His power is waning as His strength is being fed into the grain. Rituals at this time thank the Goddess for her bounty and the God for giving of His strength. This is a time to start seeing the fruits of plans made earlier, the time when goals are almost accomplished.

Themes / Symbols
* Baking bread
* End of summer
* First harvest fruits and vegetables
* Honouring the Parent Deities
* Honouring the Sun Gods

Traditional Foods
* Ale
* Apples
* Barley cakes
* Berries
* Berry pies
* Breads
* Elderberry
* Grains
* Lamb
* Meadowsweet tea
* Nuts
* Potatoes
* Rice
* Wild berries
* Wine

Herbs, Plants and Flowers
* Acacia flowers
* All Grains
* Aloes
* Blackberries
* Corn and Cornstalks
* Crab Apples
* Frankincense
* Ginseng
* Grapes
* Heather
* Hollyhock
* Myrtle
* Oak leaves
* Pears
* Rice
* Rye
* Sloe
* Sunflower
* Wheat

Incense
* Aloes
* Rose
* Sandalwood

Gemstones
* Aventurine
* Carnelian
* Citrine
* Peridot
* Sardonyx
* Yellow Diamond

Colours
* Brown
* Gold
* Green
* Orange
* Red
* Yellow

Litha

Litha occurs on longest day of the year, which, in the southern hemisphere is around 21 to 23 December when the sun reaches the Tropic of Capricorn and for the northern hemisphere it is when the sun reaches the Tropic of Cancer around 21 to 23 June. It is the first sabbat of the waning year.

Other names for Litha include Alban Heruin or Alban Hefin (Druidic), Feill-Sheathain, Gathering Day, Midsummer, St John's Day, Summer Solstice, Thing-Tide, Vestalia, Whit Sunday or Witsuntide.

There are many themes for this time of year, some of which are as follows:
* Abundance of light
* Balefire, especially jumping over the balefire
* Fairies
* Fertility of plants and harvest
* Fires / Bonfires
* Mistletoe
* Oak Trees
* The Sun – sun wheels, peak of the sun’s strength

The colours of Litha are the bright colours of summer, particularly blue, gold, green, orange, red, white and yellow.

Traditional foods for Litha are:
* Ale
* Corn cakes
* Garden fresh vegetables
* Honey
* Honey cakes
* Lemons
* Mead
* Oranges
* Pumpernickel bread
* Squash
* Summer fruits

Popular herbs, plants and flowers include:
* Carnation
* Chamomile
* Daisy
* Elder
* Fern
* Frankincense
* Heather
* Honeysuckle
* Ivy
* Lavender
* Lemon
* Lily
* Mint
* Mistletoe
* Mugwort
* Oak
* Rose
* Saffron
* Sage
* Sandalwood
* St. John’s Wort
* Vervain
* Wild Thyme
* Yarrow
* Ylang-ylang

Popular incenses at Litha are:
* Frankincense
* Lemon
* Myrrh
* Pine
* Rose
* Vanilla
* Wisteria

Litha-related gemstones include:
* All green gemstones, especially emerald and jade
* Diamonds
* Lapis Lazuli
* Tiger’s Eye

In Pagan mythology, Litha is seen as the time when the Oak King, who represents the waxing year, is triumphed over by the Holly King who represents the waning year. The two are actually one God, the Horned God, but the Holly King is seen as the growing youth while the Oak King is seen as the wise and mature man.
The Goddess is also celebrated at Litha by many Pagan traditions. She is seen as the woman heavy with child, who will give birth to the God at Yule. She is also seen as the bounty of coming harvests, of protection and sustenance.

Little Ostara Lemon Tarts

With spring in the air and time on my hands, I decided to cook something for Ostara. A recipe for little lemon tarts recently caught my eye so I decided to use this as a base for some Ostara themed treaties. Here's how it happened...

Firstly, I gathered the ingredients for the tart base:
* Cooking spray OR 1 tablespoon of oil
* 2 cups plain flour plus a little extra for kneading
* Pinch salt
* 125g butter - chopped
* 2 teaspoons castor sugar
* 1 teaspoon lemon rind - grated
* 1 egg yolk
* 3 tablespoons iced water

Next was the ingredients for the filling (yum!):
* 125g creamed cheese - softened
* 1/2 cup castor sugar
* 2 egg yolks
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
* Food colouring and items to decorate (optional)

To make the tart bases:

* Sift flour and salt into a bowl
* Rub in butter
* Add sugar, lemon rind, egg yolk and water
* Mix with a knife


* Knead gently on a lightly floured surface


* Cover in cling wrap and place in fridge for 10 minutes
* Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
* Grease two 12-cup patty tins (the recipe I was working off called for "shallow cup" patty tins but as I didn't have any of those I used normal ones and just pushed the bases a little higher up the sides)

Then on to the filling:
* In a separate bowl, add cream cheese, sugar and egg yolk
* Mix with electric mixer until smooth and thickened
* Add lemon juice and condensed milk
* Beat with electric mixer until well combined
* Separate into bowls and add food colouring as desired

Then back to the base:
* Roll out a portion of the base dough between two sheets of baking paper until approx. 3mm thick
* Cut the dough using a 7cm fluted round cookie-cutter


* Carefully place each round into a patty cup, pressing down gently into shape
* Lightly prick each round three times with a fork


* Bake for 10 minutes or until just starting to turn golden
* Remove from over and allow to cool slightly

Now put it all together:
* Spoon the filling into each of the cases
* Bake for 5 minutes or until set


* Allow to cook before removing from patty tins
* Decorate using skittles, smarties, piped icing, sprinkles etc to look like flowers and the bright colours of spring

Ostara

Ostara is one of the Wiccan sabbats celebrating the spring equinox, which is then midpoint between the winter and summer solstices. This is the time where balance is restored and the world starts to bloom into life. Spring has finally arrived! In the southern hemisphere, Ostara occurs between 21 and 23 September each year. Other names for this sabbat include:

* Alban Eiler (Druidic)
* Bacchanalia
* Eostre’s Day
* Lady Day
* Spring Equinox
* Vernal Equinox

The themes for this celebration are balance, birth, creation, new life, butterflies, eggs, fertility, light overtaking the darkness, rebirth, transformation and the God and Goddess in their youthful phases.

In pagan mythology, this is the time when Persephone returns from the underworld to be with her mother, Demeter, and all of the earth blooms in celebration and renewed care and nurture. It is a season of play and joy, as the renewal of the Earth is readily apparent. This is the time to plant, and to begin new projects, a fertile time when ideas and plans start to grow. Rituals at this time celebrate the young God and Goddess, the restoration of plants and animals after the cold of winter.

Traditional foods associated with Ostara are:

* Dairy foods
* Eggs (especially hard-boiled)
* Honey
* Honey cake
* Leafy green vegetables
* Milkshakes and milk punch
* Nuts
* Seeds (such as pumpkin and sunflower)
* Spring fruits
* Sprouts
* Waffles

All pastel colours are in favour at Ostara, particularly light blues, greens, pinks and yellows.

Traditional Ostara herbs, plants and flowers are:

* All spring flowers
* Crocus
* Daffodil
* Ginger
* Gorse
* Honeysuckle
* Iris
* Irish Moss
* Jasmine
* Jonquils
* Narcissus
* Olive
* Peony
* Rose
* Strawberry
* Violet
* Woodruff

Incense popular at Ostara include:

* Any type of floral fragrances
* Jasmine
* Rose
* Sage
* Strawberry
* Violet

Gemstones associated with the time of Ostara include:

* Amethyst
* Aquamarine
* Moonstone
* Red Jasper
* Rose Quartz

Priapic Wand

My Imbolc craft this year is a Priapic wand, which is named after Priapus, the Roman God of fertility and procreation. This wand symbolises the lord of the forest / Pan / the green man and shaking it and pointing at plants and trees is said to wake them up from their winter's sleep so that they can witness the union of the bride and lord of the forest. It is used as a magical means to assist in the fertilisation of the plants and all that grows in nature so that when spring time comes the world with be bright with blooming flowers and growth.

You will need:

• a stick to use as the main part of the wand
• an acorn or pine cone
• yellow, green and gold ribbons
• glue gun and craft glue

To make the wand:

Attach the flat end of the acorn or pine cone to the end of the wand using glue and by tying ribbon around the base of the acorn or pine cone and then again around the wand. Tie ribbons to the other end of the wand and attach bells to the end of the ribbons. It may help to make ridges in the wand wherever you will be attaching ribbons. Here is a picture of my completed wand:

Imbolc

The 31st of July is Imbolc in the southern hemisphere. It is the time when we start to notice the changes that began at mid-winter: the days are starting to get longer, the weather is warmer and all that lives is starting to sing with the promise that spring will soon be upon us.

The word Imbolc means 'in milk' in reference to the lactation of ewes that commences around this time. This sabbat has been known by many names, including Anagantios, Candelaria, Candlemas, Disting-tid, Feast Day of St. Blaize, Feast of Brigid, Feast of the Virgin, Festival of Light, Festival of Milk, Imbolg, Oimealg (Druidic) and St. Bridget’s Day.

Some of the themes and symbols associated with Imbolc are Besoms, Brides, Brighid's Crosses, Candle Wheels, Candles, Dispensing of the old and making way for the new, Fertility, First signs of returning life, Growth, Ploughs, Priapic Wands (acorn-tipped), Purity, Renewal, Re-Union of the Goddess and the God and White Flowers.

The colours of Imbolc are all around us - brown, green, pink, red, silver, white and yellow.

We are well before the first harvest but the changes in the available food is still significant at Imbolc. Some of the foods associated with this time of year are dairy products, garlic, herbal teas, honey, lamb, milk, muffins, onions, peppers, poppyseed cakes, pork, poultry, pumpkin seeds, raisins, scones and breads, spiced wines and sunflower seeds.

There are a wide range of flowers, herbs and incense that are appropriate for Imbolc, such as angelica, basil, bay, benzoine, blackberry, celandine, cinnamon, clover, coltsfoot, dill, evergreen, heather, iris, laurel, myrrh, rosemary, tansy, vanilla, violets, willow and wisteria.

Celebrations at Imbolc are often focused on Brigid (also spelt Bridget, Brigit, Brighid or Bride) who is honoured as the Goddess of poetry, healing and smithcraft, although many sources also refer to her as the Goddess of fire (the forge and the hearth), childbirth, peace and unity, song, physicians, divination and prophecy, light (knowledge), inspiration, creativity and fertility. In Christianity she is revered as a Saint.

Whether you celebrate Imbolc or not, this is a wonderful time to clear away the dust of the confines of winter and clear out your house, your mind and your spirit. It is a time of initiations and beginnings so reflection and celebration of this sabbat aligns with these aspirations beautifully.

Whatever you chose to do this Imbolc, my wish for you is that you are taking action to fulfil your dreams. Imbolc blessings to all.

Pentacle Yule Craft Wreath

Talk about leaving things until the last minute - our Yule projects are due today and guess when I started mine. Yep, you guessed it - today! I had a bit of an idea about what I wanted to make and was fortunate to have all of the bits and pieces lying around the house, so busy was I this afternoon, let me tell you.

I had some left over cane from a previous project but could have used thin sticks of vines or a craft ring or various other materials. I soaked the cane in some luke warm water in the bath for about half an hour to soften it so it wouldn't break as I worked with it. I made a circle about the size that I wanted the wreath and then started winding sticks of cane around the circle. It was nice reflecting on the symbolism of the circle as I was doing this, thinking about the turning of the wheel of the year and about the continuity of life.


As I wound more and more pieces of cane around, making sure they were of varying tensions so they would make an interesting pattern and would better accommodate the items that would be added later, the circle seemed to resemble more of a sun. Yule is a sun festival as it is the time when the sun God is reborn. At Yule, we acknowledge the increasing power of the sun and we welcome the warmth and growth that will soon follow.


When I was happy with the size and shape of the outer circle, I cut five pieces of cane that were roughly the length of the diameter of the circle and arranged them into a pentagram by pushing their ends into the wreath. This addition allows for the inclusion of air, earth, fire, water and spirit and thereby expands on the concept of all elements being brought together within the circle.


The red and gold on the ribbon that I started decorating with are wonderful colours of Yule as they represent new life and the fire from the sun.


If I'd had suitable real foliage then I would've added it as well but I had to make do with some fake but lovely light gold flowers...


...and some plastic holly.


As a bit of a finishing touch, I added a bell to the centre...


...and some silver tinsel to represent the chill of winter which will soon melt as the weather warms. Here's the final product:

Turn The Wheel To Yule

Turn the wheel; turn the wheel, as we welcome Yule
The Holly King’s reign, today shall wane, as the Oak King begins his rule
At the solstice of the winter time we enact the winter rite
The shortest day, Callooh! Callay! Also brings the longest night

New year, new cheer, the sun’s return, the festival of Sol,
Adorn the tree in red and gold and reflect upon the soul
Light the log and let it burn for twelve midwinter days
Turn the wheel; turn the wheel, to see out this harshest phase.

The Oak King and the Holly King and All Things Yule

In Celtic mythology, the Oak King and the Holly King are twins, but only in so much as they are two parts of the same thing. Each solstice, the Oak King and the Holly King fight for dominance.

The Oak King is victorious in the battle that takes place at Yule, therefore it is he who rules the waxing year from Yule to Litha. The Oak King represents light, growth and expansion.

The Holly King defeats his brother in the confrontation at Litha, therefore he rules the waning year from Litha to Yule. The Holly King represents darkness, decay and destruction.

In Pagan mythology, this sabbat is when the Goddess gives birth to the God, in his aspect as the sun. He will begin to grow in power as the days become longer from this point on, but he is a newborn now and has little power to warm us.

Tomorrow is the 21st of June and therefore Yule in the southern hemisphere. This is when the sun reaches the Tropic of Cancer so is the shortest day and longest night of the year. Yule is symbolic of the (re-)birth of the sun (or "son" in the Christian symbolism in the northern hemisphere Yule time).

The days and nights will remain cold once Yule has come and gone but the strength of the Sun is increasing so hope and potential are prevalent themes. It is a time to give thanks for surviving to the darkest point of the year in the knowledge that the world and therefore all of life and creation will brighten and become easier from this point on. The giving of gifts is an expression of this thanks and good will.

Other names for Yule include Alban Arthan (Druidic), Festival of Growth, Festival of Sol, Finn's Day, Great Day of the Cauldron, Midwinter, Pagan New Year, Sun Return, the Winter Rite, Winter Solstice or Yuletide.