Entry 004 Yule Traditions

It's that time of year again as the Wheel turns once more. We welcome the rebirth of the Sun God as we gather warm around our fires, snuggled up in blankets to stave off the chill of winter. The Earth is asleep and the Yule Logs are being lit. Trees are being decorated and prayers for snow are being sent on silent wings up into the starry night.

Everyone has a certain tradition that they --or their family-- does to celebrate the Yuletide season every year.

Last year, my Coven accidentally ended up purchasing a pink tree (since we couldn't afford a real one at the time). We thought it was white, but it ended up being baby pink. We did a Yule Tree Blessing while we decorated it, of course it had myriad colors of candy canes, what kind of tree would it be without them?! We also baked small dough men to decorate the tree with, each one blessed. One for each member of the Coven. Since last year a very dear friend of the family passed away, Trung, who had twice been to speak with the Dalai Lama in private audience, he followed the Buddhist Faith with great reverence. In his honor, we did a Buddhist Food Blessing over our Dumb Supper --both in his honor-- and the pink tree was also dedicated to him since he was also a proud member of the Gay Pride Community.

This year, we have much more to celebrate and be happy about. New friends, new additions to the family, new relationships, etc...

So this year we went out and got a real pine (we'll plant it in the yard later on.) We'll be decorating it with garlands, possibly popcorn strings, ornaments, lights, and little dangling skeletons --just to be different! We always celebrate every Yule together as a family, with Coven and friends alike. We hold sabbat and then break fast for Yule Feast that has been cooking all day long. We laugh and chat, goof off and have a good time well into the night. This year we may do Karaoke, I'm writing down some Pagan-oriented Yule songs, perhaps I'll get a group together brave enough (or filled with enough egg nog) to sing achapella. xD We also have a Yule Gift Exchange. We have homemade incense, bath and body products also homemade, jewelry and other hand-crafted gifts to give to eachother.

So what are some of your traditions? How do you celebrate Yule? Christmas? St. Nicholas Day? I invite all of you, be you Pagan or Christian, Catholic or Jewish, Muslim or Buddhist, to share what your traditions are for this time of year!

Come, Yule! We Welcome You!

Yule 2010

Yule has never been a very happy time for me, not since the early 90s when I still knew what it was to have a sense of family and belonging. Ever since my family split apart and chose their stands, I always felt lost and out of place.

This year as I was sitting in the car on the way to Marietta for a Gift Sale party a friend hosted, it began to snow. Not exactly common place in Georgia. As it snowed, a song came on the radio, "Happy Christmas (The War Is Over)" by John Lennon. I began to think about Yules-past and all the trials and tribulations the Goddess has sent my way over the years. The things I had to do in order to work my way up to this point. I took a good look around at what I have done, all that I have accomplished...and the friends I have made.

I realized that I have never been happier in all my years. I found both friends and family with my Coven, and I couldn't help but smile as my Godson experienced his first snow. Or smile in deep appreciation of a mother's love for her son when my Godson looked up at Santa Clause for the first time, pat his hand thrice, and smiled at him. My friend could not hold the tears from her eyes as she watched her son smile at Santa. I found friends in the Pagan Community and they reminded me of that during the Gift Sale when my friend opened her home up to me and members of my Coven representing our business (jewelry, bath & body products.)

So this morning as I was settling down to bed, I stared out the sliding glass doors to the small lake behind our house, and the scene the Goddess presented to my eyes of a half-frozen shoreline with waved water beyond that, I thought of a poem. It's the first I've written in a long time, and I decided to share it with everyone who reads these blogs.



Yuletide Cheer 2010


'Tis the season to be jolly,
As we praise the Oak and Holly,
Fires burning in the candles,
Stockings hanging from our mantles.

Yule log in the fireplace blazing,
Memories of the Yules-past phasing,
In and out of memory go,
As we're making some hot cocoa.

Sacred Tree standing tall and bright,
Help us make the season right.
White for heritage, red for blood,
Tied to the tree with sleeping buds.

Outside the house the Covens sing,
Praises to Oak and Holly King!
Fresh white powder litters the ground,
While sacred circle gathers 'round.

Hailing the Watch Towers of the yore,
Just as we did Yule sabbats before,
Welcoming all Yultide spirits within,
The circle is cast--we can begin!

Dancing and singing the fire 'round,
Drummers drumming to the sound,
Footprints in the fallen snow,
Winged images on the ground below.

Chanting praises we jump and shout,
Throwing all negativity out!
We dance and sing until the 'morn,
As we witness the Sun God is reborn.

Walking through the portal North,
Mistletoe hanging from the door,
We gather 'round the table East,
To sit and celebrate a bountiful feast.

Settling 'round the fire South,
We snuggle warm to think about,
All the reasons to forgive,
And all the gifts that we would give.

Finally migrating off to West,
We trudge wearily off to rest.
Hoping with the coming morn'
We get to witness the Sun God reborn.

Never forget not to fear,
The changes that come with each new year,
And all the love that we begot,
While Yultide cheer our hearts besot.

Blessed Yule! --2010

Written by Jonathon Lowe
a.k.a: Sacred Little Flame.
http://www.facebook.com/jonathonslowe
MysticPhoenixTears@hotmail.com