Embracing The Past Weeks Festivities ‘One Post At A Time’! Yuletide... Time spent with friends is truly precious to me, as it is to us all, and on sharing my Yuletide story with another friend the other day, he commented that it sounded like this had become a tradition between two friends. He was right, as Amarita Vargas and I have spent the past four years making Yule Logs together, which once complete, we light and watch burn in the fire place of her beautiful home. Amarita provides the logs and I gather cones, herbs, greenery, ribbons and the like... with which to decorate our Yule Logs. Once decorated, we sit quietly with a pen and paper and write down all that we would like to release, give thanks for and welcome into our lives. Rolling the paper into a scroll, we tie it with ribbon and then place it on the Yule Log, which is then complete. We then spend time sharing our intentions before taking it in turns to place our Yule Log in the fire place, set it alight, sit back and watch it burn. The Yule Log and greenery snap, crackle and pop and the flames dance and frolic before our eyes, as we bask in a variety of temperature changes that follow as the heat rises and intensifies before calming and eventually fizzling out. You will see from the pictures that the flames, for those who see them, hold images that speak volumes - and, as has been the case each year, there is always a message in the log - mine this year containing two hearts entwined, which is magical, as this matched my intention! Thus, this years Yule Log held great meaning for me, as although prepared last year, I didnt burn it, my instinctively knowing that I was to keep it for another day. I was not sure when that day would come...and I certainly didnt know that I would be leaving it as it was for a WHOLE year, yet each time I thought I should perhaps burn it, I was diverted from doing so. As we know, if we follow our inner guidance, there are no ‘shoulds’ only rightful actions! Taking it from the windowsill, where it had procured beautifully during 2014, gathering it up to my hand, I knew it to be time for it to be burned. I added nothing, as I had already decorated it during our Yuletide evening shared at the end of 2013, just as I had already completed my scroll. The Yule Log was dry, the foliage dead and therefore, to me, represented the OLD...As for the scroll, I simply magnified its meaning many fold in order to welcome in the NEW in 2015, for which I am now ready! Creating a Yule Log is a custom with Pagan roots. Originally the Yule bonfire was meant to give renewed life and power to the sun, thus the sun was reborn with the shortest day marking the time of year when the days started becoming longer. Traditionally Yule logs are oak, with the oak tree symbolizing the Cosmic Tree of Life, although Pine is also used. Amarita and I have created our own tradition and way of honouring, not only that which is important in our lives, but also our friendship. Making Yule Logs together gives us an opportunity to mark the Winter Solstice, to give thanks to the land, nature and life itself, whilst also honouring one of the oldest Winter Celebrations known, just as we honour other traditions and beliefs with equal respect. December may be marked by Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, but for pagans it’s the time to celebrate Yule. The holiday marks the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (Sunday, Dec. 21, this year) and celebrates the rebirth of the sun and beginning of winter. It is one of the oldest winter celebrations known. The winter solstice is the longest night and shortest day of the year. The Earth’s axis tilts the furthest away from the sun at 23-and-a-half degrees, giving all locations north of the equator less than 12 hours of daylight. This moment has been marked by mankind for centuries. In ancient Rome, the weeklong feast of Saturnalia honoured the sun god Saturn. Celts believed the sun stood still for 12 days, making it necessary to light a log fire to conquer the darkness. During the Iron Age, the Celts and other ancient Europeans welcomed the winter solstice by feasting, merrymaking and sacrificing animals. Today modern pagans celebrate the holiday by lighting candles, throwing bonfires, hosting feasts and decorating their homes. For more details about Winter Solstice and Pagan Yule Celebrations see: ibtimes/winter-solstice-2014-3-things-know-about-pagan-yule-celebrations-1763756
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 21:00:17 +0000
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