Solstice Blessings!
A very merry Yule to all!
I've been counting down the days for quite some time, because of course the Winter Solstice means a slow return of daylight, at last. And while I'm not Wiccan, Nature resonates with my soul far more than any human construct, and that includes our religious constructs.
I've been counting down the days for quite some time, because of course the Winter Solstice means a slow return of daylight, at last. And while I'm not Wiccan, Nature resonates with my soul far more than any human construct, and that includes our religious constructs.
“When one defines oneself as Pagan, it means she or he follows an earth or nature religion, one that sees the divine manifest in all creation. The cycles of nature are our holy days, the earth is our temple, its plants and creatures our partners and teachers. We worship a deity that is both male and female, a mother Goddess and a father God, who together created all that is, was, or will be.We respect life, cherish the free will of sentient beings, and accept the sacredness of all creation.”-Edain McCoy-
http://blessedbe.sugarbane.com/
Image from https://www.painters-online.co.uk/gallery/album.asp?id=9568
History of Yule
"...This Sabbat represents the rebirth of light. Here, on the longest night of the year, the Goddess gives birth to the Sun God and hope for new light is reborn. Yule is a time of awakening to new goals and leaving old regrets behind.
"Yule coincides closely with the Christian Christmas celebration. Christmas was once a movable feast celebrated many different times during the year. The choice of December 25 was made by the Pope Julius I in the fourth century AD because this coincided with the pagan rituals of Winter Solstice, or Return of the Sun. The intent was to replace the pagan celebration with the Christian one.
"The Christian tradition of a Christmas tree has its origins in the Pagan Yule celebration. Pagan families would bring a live tree into the home so the wood spirits would have a place to keep warm during the cold winter months. Bells were hung in the limbs so you could tell when a spirit was present. Food and treats were hung on the branches for the spirits to eat and a five-pointed star, the pentagram, symbol of the five elements, was placed atop the tree.
"The colors of the season, red and green, also are of Pagan origin, as is the custom of exchanging gifts. A solar festival, The reindeer stag is also a reminder of the Horned God. You will find that many traditional Christmas decorations have some type of Pagan ancestry or significance that can be added to your Yule holiday...."
Image from https://www.painters-online.co.uk/gallery/album.asp?id=9568
So I wish you a Joyous, Blessed Yule, and a Merry Christmas too!
Comments
Merry christmas!
x