The Solar Sabbats: Yule
Who doesn't like Yule? It's the one sabbat I go all-out for—decorating, cooking, and crafting.
Because Yule is the longest night of the year, it was originally about rebirth and renewal. We use the time to discuss and set goals for the next year—both internal and external. Whether the goal is to eat better, spend more time with friends, meditate more often, or something more complex, Yule is a perfect time to consider what I've learned over the past year and apply it to what I want the next year to be.
Of course, we decorate with julboks and evergreens—though since I'm highly allergic, we have an artificial tree—and we feast before entering the long, dark cold between Yule and Imbolc. We have a huge meal that includes a yule log cake and egg nog as well as a second turkey. A hint for anyone on a budget (and aren't we all right now?), when turkeys go on sale after Thanksgiving, buy up a couple and stick them in your freezer. They'd ultra-cheap, make a great Yule meal, and they provide food for days afterward.
As our seasonal temperatures change, I've discovered that we can grow winter lettuce, arugula, cilantro, and parsley, so tending it has become a new Yule tradition over the past couple years. It's so nice to be able to go out in February to harvest fresh greens!
One of our favorite Yule traditions is the annual spell bag, what the Llewellyn Sabbat Essentials book for Yule calls it a "dream pillow." Each of us writes down specific goals for the next year. We then fold it up and add it to a hand-sewn bag that combines appropriate colors, herbs, and crystal chips to enact those goals. The night of Yule, we bundle up and have a fire on our patio, where we burn last year's dream pillows and consecrate this year's. Those bags then go under the tops of our mattresses, so we sleep on them every night.
And, of course, we exchange gifts with each other and our loved ones. Other Yule activities you might want to include:
Cleaning/cleansing your home
Creating a gingerbread man poppet
Collecting icicles for winter-charged water
Doing sabbat tarot or rune readings
Burning resins (frankincense and myrrh are Yule-correlated)
Making seasonal tea with intent (cinnamon and peppermint are both Yule-correlated)
What other activities do you enjoy for Yule?
