Yule Lore (Patreon)

Blessed Winter Solstice, witches! Here is an article that dives deeper into Yule lore! What have you done to celebrate? Comment below and remember, no pressure if you haven’t! :)

Holly King/Oak King

We celebrate the light overcoming the dark, as the two are brothers, rivals or the flip sides of the same coin. The Oak King rules from midwinter until midsummer, and the Holly King rules from midsummer until midwinter. Every year at Yule, the Oak King cuts off the Holly King's head and rules for six months until midsummer, when the Holly King kills the Oak King and the cycle begins again. You can see the vestiges of the myth in the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Janet and Stewart Farrar devote a whole chapter to these two in their book The Witches' God.

In Celtic tradition, Yule is the time when the Oak King triumphs over the Holly King. The Holly King represents the death and darkness that has ruled since the onset of Samhain. At Winter Solstice, the Oak King brings the opportunity to be reborn and begin new life. The Yule Season raises one's spirit and brings tidings of comfort and joy as the carol goes... It is a period of reflection. During Samhain, one has recognized the lessons given in past experience and now Yule brings the opportunity to be reborn with new light. The customs created at this time are what are now identified with Christmas. A Yule tree is decorated and the house is adorned with holly, ivy and candles to represent the approaching light. Father Winter, complete with a white beard and red coat trimmed with fur, visits each home bringing gifts. The Yule log, which is made of oak from the previous year is burned into the fire to symbolize the Newborn Sun/Son.

Another version of the Oak/Holly King theme is the ritual hunting and killing of a wren. The wren, little King of the Waning Year, is killed by the Robin Redbreast, King of the Waxing Year. The robin finds the wren hiding in an ivy bush (or as in some parts of Ireland - a holly bush).

Wiccan Lore

Yule, or Winter Solstice, represents the rebirth of light. During this longest night of the year, the Goddess gives birth to the Divine Child of Promise. His is the promise of summer and the return of the sun.

In early human civilization, as the days grew colder and the nights grew longer and darker, candles and fires were lit to lure back the sun. At this "time of darkness", while the Earth was sleeping, many did not survive. Winter was a time of death and stagnation. Shelter was drafty, disease was common and food was scarce. The night of the sun's "rebirth" was celebrated with much joy. From this day forward, the days would become longer. Even though the cold and darkness still prevailed, hope was renewed and the people began to look forward to the warmth of summer.

Yule was not celebrated in early Celtic traditions. It was brought to Britain by the invading Saxons who viewed Yule as the "turning time". Yule literally means "wheel" in Old Norse. Because the symbolism of the wheel was so important to this Sabbat, it became a day sacred to Goddesses of the spinning wheel. Wreaths were a popular representation of the endless cycle…the Wheel of the Year.

Evergreens were sacred to the Celts because they did not "die" thereby representing the eternal aspect of the goddess. Mistletoe represented the seed of the God, and at Midwinter, the Druids are said to have gone deep into the forest to harvest the mistletoe. They cut the mistletoe with a golden sickle and caught it in a white cloth for it was not to touch the ground in deference of its sacredness.

Yule is loosely translated to mean "Christmas". Though according to an online dictionary, the word yule is derived from the Scandinavian words "yol" and "geol" both of which mean a midwinter celebration of "pagan origin" (I love that phrase!) and also another word, "hjul" means "wheel". Now on to the phrase "pagan origin"... that is just the lazy way of saying "Our traditions come from so many different cultures and time periods, we just thought it would be easier to lump them all together in one term."

Yule is also known as the Winter Solstice. It is the time of the shortest daylight hours in the year, and of course, the longest night. The Goddess gives birth to the God at this time, representing a rebirth of light. It is the time of year when the Earth (wood) spirits are encouraged to rest, in preparation for all the hard work ahead of them to replenish the Earth with the fresh blooms of new life, the forthcoming of spring. Celebrations were held in honor of the wood spirits. Trees were brought into the homes, and decorated with bells, candles and brightly colored threads to attract the spirits. Bread, fruit and nuts were hung from the branches to provide food for the spirits. Group singing (caroling) was also a way of guiding the spirits towards the shelter of the homes and Yule logs were lit to provide warmth. This festival has been adapted since its earlier Pagan origin to be known as the more popular festival Christmas.

Yule coincides closely with the Christian Christmas celebration. This Sabbath represents the rebirth of light. Here, on the longest night of the year, the Goddess gives birth to the Sun Child and hope for new light is reborn. Some covens hold a Festival of Light to commemorate the Goddess as Mother giving birth to the Sun God. Others celebrate the victory of the Lord of Light over the Lord of Darkness as the turning point from which the days will lengthen.

The Christian tradition of a Christmas tree has its origins in the Pagan Yule celebration. Many 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. As a solar festival, Yule is celebrated by fire and the use of a Yule log. A piece of the log is saved and kept throughout the year to protect the home. That piece is used to light the next year's log.

Yule Correspondences

Other Names: Midwinter, Alban Arthuran, Saturnalia, Winter Solstice, Yuletide

Colors: Red, green, gold, white, and silver

Symbols: Evergreen trees, Yule log, Holly, Wreaths, Spinning Wheels

Ritual Meaning: Rebirth of God, Honor of the Triple Goddess, Return of the Sun and the Waxing Year.

Key Action: Meditation and Introspection

Ritual Oils: Rosemary, Myrrh, Nutmeg, Saffron, Cedar/Pine, Wintergreen and Ginger.

Stones: Rubies, bloodstones, garnets, emeralds, and diamonds.

Plants: Holly, Ivy, Evergreens, Mistletoe, Poinsettia, and Myrrh.

Activities: Decorating Yule tree, Gift giving, and Storytelling.

Taboos: Extinguishing Fires, and Traveling.

Animals: Stags, Squirrels, and the Wren/Robin.

Mythical Creatures: Phoenix, Trolls, and the Mermecolion

Deities: Newborn God, Triple Goddess, Brighid, Isis, Demeter, Gaea, Diana, The Great Mother, Mary, Amaterasu, Pallas Athena, Rhea, Apollo, Ra, Odin, Lugh, The Oak King, The Horned One, The Green Man, The Divine Child, Balder, Father Christmas, the Lord of Misrule, Jesus, Mithras, Santa Claus

Foods: Cookies and caraway cakes soaked in cider, fruits, nuts, pork dishes, and turkey.

Drinks: Eggnog, ginger tea, spiced cider, wassail, or lamb's wool (ale, sugar, nutmeg, roasted apples).

Source:

https://www.angelfire.com/wa3/angelline/yule_lore.htm