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The precise moment of the 2009 solstice will be December 21, 2009 at 9:37 AM EST (Dec. 22, 00:22 UT). Yule Lore (December 21st) 
Try to imagine yourself in a very cold climate, where the winter nights are very long, indeed. Firewood and food are both becoming very scarce and you have begun to fear for your own survival. As you keep a lonely vigil through this, the Longest Night, you feel as though the Darkness has taken over the Earth and the Light will never come again. Imagine your joy at that first spark of light and your hopes that, someday soon, the snow will melt and you will be warm and well fed! This is the way our ancestors must have felt about this time of celebration. 
The celebration of the Winter Solstice, as often as not referred to as Yule, (pronounced EWE-elle) is common to almost every culture. For this reason, although the Christian Church has long since adopted it as the birth date of Jesus, it has retained more of the ancient Pagan tradition then any other holiday or festival. In early times, December 21st or 22nd (the date now recognized as Christmas, December 25th) was commemorated as the Birth of the Sun God, Mithra, and January 6 (Old Christmas) was a Dionysian festival. In Egypt, a celebration dedicated to Osiris was held at this time. 
The word Yule probably derives from the Norse "iul" or the Anglo-Saxon "hweol", both meaning "wheel". According to Webster's Dictionary, however, it originates in "geola" (Old English for "ice"), another name for the month during which it was celebrated. "Modronacht" (Mother's Night) is yet another Name for the Midwinter Festival. 
Yule is when the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half. Starting the next morning at sunrise, the sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day. Known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, much celebration was to be had as the ancestors awaited the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King, and the Giver of Life that warmed the frozen Earth and made her to bear forth from seeds protected through the fall and winter in her womb. Yule, or the Winter Solstice, is the oldest of the holidays celebrated in December. Bonfires were lit in the fields, and crops and trees were "wassailed" with toasts of spiced cider. 
Many customs have survived from Pre-Christian times that lend themselves quite nicely to our rituals today. Among them is the ever-popular Yule Log. Traditionally, the Yule Log has been of oak, ash or beech, ritually cut (often at Dawn) and ceremonially carried into the house. It was lit by the head of the family with much ado. Toasts were often drunk with wine, cider or brandy, in those early morning hours, giving the participants a good head-start on the festivities. A lesser known tradition is that of the Yule Clog. The Clog was a knobby block of wood, burnt in the kitchen hearth. Household servants were entitled to ale with their meals for as long as the Clog was kept burning. In many parts of Scandinavia, the object burnt was a fat wax candle, instead of a log. The candle was lit at Dawn and must burn until Midnight, or be considered an ill omen 
Children were escorted from house to house with gifts of clove spiked apples and oranges which were laid in baskets of evergreen boughs and wheat stalks dusted with flour. The apples and oranges represented the sun, the boughs were symbolic of immortality, the wheat stalks portrayed the harvest, and the flour was accomplishment of triumph, light, and life. Holly, mistletoe, and ivy not only decorated the outside, but also the inside of homes. It was to extend invitation to Nature Sprites to come and join the celebration. A sprig of Holly was kept near the door all year long as a constant invitation for good fortune to pay visit to the residents.
The ceremonial Yule log was the highlight of the festival. In accordance to tradition, the log must either have been harvested from the householder's land, or given as a gift... it must never have been bought. Once dragged into the house and placed in the fireplace it was decorated in seasonal greenery, doused with cider or ale, and dusted with flour before set ablaze be a piece of last years log, (held onto for just this purpose). The log would burn throughout the night, then smolder for 12 days after before being ceremonially put out. Ash is the traditional wood of the Yule log. It is the sacred world tree of the Teutons, known as Yggdrasil. An herb of the Sun, Ash brings light into the hearth at the Solstice.
The Yule Log was said to have many magickal properties Remnants of it, or its ashes, were kept in the house throughout the year for many purposes. Among these were protection from thunderstorms or lightning, protection from hail, preserving humans from chilblains and animals from various diseases. Mixed with fodder, the ashes would make the cows calve and brands were thrown into the soil to keep corn healthy. 
A different type of Yule log, and perhaps one more suitable for modern practitioners would be the type that is used as a base to hold three candles. Find a smaller branch of oak or pine, and flatten one side so it sets upright. Drill three holes in the top side to hold red, green, and white (season), green, gold, and black (the Sun God), or white, red, and black (the Great Goddess). Continue to decorate with greenery, red and gold bows, rosebuds, cloves, and dust with flour.
Wassailing is another happy survival of an old tradition. "Wassail" comes from the Anglo-Saxon "Waes Hael", which has been translated to "Be Well," "Be Whole" or "Be Healthy." The proper response to this toast is "Drink Hael", making it a shared blessing, a mutual well-wishing. Traditionally, carolers went from door to door, singing and bearing their "Wassail Cups", to be rewarded with the drink and fruited breads or other sweets. 
Even with the Yule Log and the Wassail Bowl, no Yule celebration would be complete without a decorated tree. This custom is thought to originate in the Roman custom of decorating homes with laurel and evergreen trees at the Kalends of January (the Roman Winter Solstice celebration). It is interesting to note that, as with many other traditions adopted by the Church, the decorated evergreen (now called a "Christmas Tree") was originally condemned by Rome. An early Christian writer, Tertullian, spoke of the practice as follows: 
"Let them" (the Pagans) "kindle lamps, they who have no light; let them fix upon their doorposts laurels which shall afterward be burnt, they for whom fire is so close at hand; meet for them are testimonies of darkness and auguries of punishment. But, thou" (the Christians) "art a light of the world and a tree that is ever green. If thou hast renounced temples, make not a temple of thine own house." 
Even as late as the sixth century, Bishop Martin of Braga forbade the "adorning of houses with green trees." So obviously, the Christian adoption of the evergreen tree as a holiday symbol was another case of "If you can't beat'em, join'em!" In Winter, when all is brown and dead, the evergreens symbolize immortality. They are reminders of the survival of life in the plant world, a means of contact with the Spirit of Growth and Fertility, which has been threatened by the absence of Light. Especially good for this purpose are plants like Holly and Mistletoe, which actually bear fruit in Winter. (Mistletoe, the Golden Bough, the All-Healer, is traditional both at Winter and Summer Solstice.) 
Music is a very important part of this joyous festival. Many of the "Christmas" carols are just as suited to Yule, with virtually no change. (It's a good guess that some of them were ours to start with!) "Joy to the World" and "Deck the Halls" are quite appropriate as is and you can have a lot of fun creating your own words for some of the others. In some cases, existing old lyrics prove that we are simply "reborrowing" what was "borrowed" from us, such as: 
THE YULE DAYS traditional (to the tune of "The Twelve Days of Christmas")
The King sent his Lady on the first Yule day
A papingo-aye. (i.e., parrot or peacock)
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the second Yule day
Two partridges and a papingo-aye
etc. -------- circa 1870 Third day - Three plovers
Fourth day - A goose that was grey
Fifth day - Three starlings
Sixth day - Three gold spinks
Seventh day - A bull that was brown
Eighth day - Three ducks a-merry laying
Ninth day - Three swans a-merry swimming
Tenth day - an Arabian baboon
Eleventh day - Three hinds a-merry dancing
Twelfth day - Two maids a-merry dancing
and Thirteenth day - Three stalks of corn Each followed by "Who learns my carol, etc." 
Note the thirteen rather than twelve days and the variation of numbers in the verses. This was probably an instructional song , a riddle. We have discovered other references to thirteen days of Yule, as opposed to twelve days of Christmas. It was customary to burn the Yule Log for thirteen nights to promote Fertility. (There is, by the way, a version of "Twelve Days" with the standard lyrics, except that it begins "On the last day of Yule, my beloved sent to me", and ends with "Thirteen Queens a-courting"! 
It was thus that our Ancestors greeted the Yule festival. Although spring would not truly arrive for many weeks, they were assured of its arrival. They celebrated, daring to feast upon some of the remaining stored provisions, being certain that soon the Earth would begin to turn green and bear fruit. The traditional feast also contains carryovers from our Pagan ancestors. For example, the roasted pig with an apple in it’s mouth began with the Teutonic custom of sacrificing a pig to Frey at the Winter Solstice, to ensure fertility in the coming year. 
So it is that the Log, the Tree, the Carol and the Feast are all parts of the Yule celebration with roots in The Old Ways!
Deities of Yule are all Newborn Gods, Sun Gods, Mother Goddesses, and Triple Goddesses. The best known would be the Dagda, and Brighid, the daughter of the Dagda. Brighid taught the smiths the arts of fire tending and the secrets of metal work. Brighid's flame, like the flame of the new light, pierces the darkness of the spirit and mind, while the Dagda's cauldron assures that Nature will always provide for all the children. 
Symbolism of Yule:
Rebirth of the Sun, The longest night of the year, The Winter Solstice, Introspect, Planning for the Future.
Symbols of Yule:
Yule log, or small Yule log with 3 candles, evergreen boughs or wreaths, holly, mistletoe hung in doorways, gold pillar candles, baskets of clove studded fruit, a simmering pot of wassail, poinsettias, christmas cactus.
Herbs of Yule:
Bayberry, blessed thistle, evergreen, frankincense holly, laurel, mistletoe, oak, pine, sage, yellow cedar.
Foods of Yule:
Cookies and caraway cakes soaked in cider, fruits, nuts, pork dishes, turkey, eggnog, ginger tea, spiced cider, wassail, or lamb's wool (ale, sugar, nutmeg, roasted apples).
Incense of Yule:
Pine, cedar, bayberry, cinnamon.
Colors of Yule:
Red, green, gold, white, silver, yellow, orange.
Stones of Yule:
Rubies, bloodstones, garnets, emeralds, diamonds.
Activities of Yule:
Caroling, wassailing the trees, burning the Yule log, decorating the Yule tree, exchanging of presents, kissing under the mistletoe, honoring Kriss Kringle the Germanic Pagan God of Yule
Spellworkings of Yule:
Peace, harmony, love, and increased happiness.
Deities of Yule:
Goddesses-Brighid, Isis, Demeter, Gaea, Diana, The Great Mother. Gods-Apollo, Ra, Odin, Lugh, The Oak King, The Horned One, The Green Man, The Divine Child, Mabon
Wishing all the merriest of seasons……….
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| I will be back later to do a post, but M_Ellmer wants me to let everyone know that she is alive and fine. She called me today under 16 inches of new fallen snow. She has no phone or power...so she really needs some hugs and prayers. Be sure to stop by her site and let her know you care and miss her. Hugs to All, Lady | | |
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And now it begins the real celebrating, the hustle, and bustle. With great joy and trepidation, we begin to focus on the biggest event of the year. However, that big event is not always the same for all of us. 
For many it is Christmas (Christian), the joyful celebration of the Birth of the Lord, Jesus Christ, dating back to 352AD, celebrated December 25th. 
For some is it Saint Nicholas Day (Christian) Saint Nicholas, the true Santa Claus and where the origins of Santa Claus really begin, a Saint that dedicated his life to assisting the needy, sick and suffering, dating back to 325AD, celebrated December 6th. 
Perhaps your family celebrates the Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexican), this is the celebration that honors the Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ. This unique Mexican Christmas festival was started by Spanish settlers in Mexico centuries ago. Children lead processions of family and friends as they travel through different neighborhoods, recreating the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. Participants dress in biblical costumes; carry candles, sing litanies and travel house to house requesting shelter, celebrated December 12th. 
You may celebrate St. Lucia Day (Swedish). St Lucia was a young Christian girl who was martyred, killed for her faith, in 304AD. The most common story told about St Lucia is that she would secretly bring food to the persecuted Christians in Rome, who lived in hiding in the catacombs under the city, celebrated December 13th. 
I have many friends that celebrate Hanukkah (Jewish), also known as the Festival of Lights, commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BC , begins at sundown on December 11 (ends December 19). 
Boxing Day (Australian, Canadian, English, and Irish) has nothing to do with pugilistic competition. Nor is it a day for people to return unwanted Christmas presents. While the exact origins of the holiday are obscure, it is likely that Boxing Day began in England during the Middle Ages. Some historians say the holiday developed because servants were required to work on Christmas Day, but took the following day off. As servants prepared to leave to visit their families, their employers would present them with gift boxes, celebrated December 26th. 
A new holiday is Kwanzaa (African American) is a unique African American celebration with focus on the traditional African values of family, community responsibility, commerce, and self-improvement. Kwanzaa is neither political nor religious, origins dates back to 1966, celebrated December 26th to January 1st. 
Omisoka (Japanese) is one of the most important holidays in Japan. Omisoka celebrates the final day of the old new, welcoming the morning light of the New Year. Japan takes on unique significance as a time of solemn prayer and personal purification. The ritual beginning of the New Year, dating back thousands of years, is signified with the ringing of temple bells 108 times as old sins are officially destroyed. Thousands of people flock to temples and shrines, and many enjoy dining on special noodles and sake, celebrated December 31st. 
Epiphany (Christian) goes by other names in various church traditions. In Hispanic and Latin culture, as well as some places in Europe, it is known as Three Kings’ Day (Span: el Dia de los Tres Reyes, la Fiesta de Reyes, or el Dia de los Reyes Magos; Dutch: Driekoningendag). Because of differences in church calendars, mainly between the Eastern Orthodox and the western Catholic and Protestant traditions, both Christmas and Epiphany have been observed at different times in the past, January 6th. 
Winter Solstice or Yule, Nearly every ancient culture held a merriment to mark the shortest day of the year and the celebration of the Rebirth of the Sun. Celebrated annually on the Winter Solstice, generally falling on December 20th or December 21st, it is known as Yule, and serves as the origin for many Christmas traditions. Winter Solstice marks a point of dramatic natural change on earth. Winter Solstice marks the longest night and the shortest day of the year. From this point on, the Sun rises earlier and earlier, each time adding a little more of His light and warmth to the cold and silent days of winter. Winter Solstice is a time of balance and change; it is a good time of year to reconnect yourself to the Wheel of the Year and the beauty of nature. This particular holiday is another on that dates back thousands of years. So this holiday season whether you are celebrating the Son or the Son, whatever holiday holds true meaning to your heart, may you be blessed with the joy and love known has the universal holiday spirit.
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Tonight on Thanksgiving Eve, I find myself swept up in emotions of blessings that have been bestowed upon me in my lifetime. Two of those blessings that I am so very grateful for is my Mother and my Father. I am thankful that they filled our home and hearts with understanding and unconditional love. Yes, I am truly indebted. 
Tonight however, and for most of this week, my heart and mind have been mourning the 20 year anniversary of my father’s death. He was taken too soon, at only 64, and without any warning. The loss of my Dad left a huge void in my heart and the hearts of all that knew him. It was November 22, 1989, the day before Thanksgiving. So yes the 22nd came and went. My family in Fort Wayne Indiana visited his grave, taking with them some wine to share among themselves, and of course my Dad’s favorite Crown Royal to pour over his grave. I know this sounds strange and yes I am truly sorry to have missed this event. I have been advised that pictures were taken and are being sent to me. I was also informed I was there in spirit; I have always been the crazy one in the family. You see however, today is the day before Thanksgiving and so it always seems that this day lingers in a unwelcomed glow. A glow that not only radiates fond memories, but also smolders in the agony of the loss of one so dear. Not just a Dad, but a best friend. 
So this week instead of visiting my Dad’s grave I took a trip to East Longmeadow, MA. I know you are wondering what could take me from the wake with my family. How could a journey to East Longmeadow, MA help to fill that void? Others wondered, and because I have been sick again lately, questioned my choice and judgment. I myself was not sure what compelled me to trade that trip for a visit to my Dad’s grave, but once in East Longmeadow, MA all my doubts were erased. I could not explain it to others, although I am going to try. You see my Dad wore two hats for employment while I was growing up, the Fort Wayne Police Department, which he spent 21 years and retired. He also worked as an Electrician, of course Union, IBEW. We had six kids, many mouths to feed and two jobs is what he needed. My Mom was a domestic Goddess and her job was not easy, raising us six kids. 
One of my current jobs is Executive Director of the Green Mechanical Council. We promote high performance energy efficient mechanical systems in a building, both residential and commercial. Yes, GO GREEEN! We do this through our educational programs that we offer union and non-union contractors, technicians, etc. We have some wonderful educational programs. In Longmeadow, MA is a manufacturing company for hands-on educational trainers, Hampden Engineering Corporation. I am proud to say they have become GreenMech’s new partner and Charter Member. They have designed educational trainers to match our new educational programs, such as the Green Awareness Certification Program and the Energy Audit Certification Program. I was given a tour of Hampden Engineering Corporation, and they make many trainers for Electricians as well. Standing in front of those trainers, I know my Dad would have loved the opportunity to view them. Perhaps he had even been trained on similar models, when going through his apprenticeship program so many years ago. 
It was then that something else caught my eye. A panel with the electrical wires braided in place, just like my Dad use to do. Yes it is more time consuming. Not many electricians today take that much pride in craftsmanship such as that. When completed the panel truly looks like a piece of art, all the colors of the wires intertwined, however it is a bitch to repair and replace that wire. Then before I knew it one more connection, the owner of Hampden Engineering Corporation is a diehard Notre Dame Fan. My Dad loved Notre Dame, yes to him it was God’s Country. One of the final projects my Dad had the true honor of completing, the project that meant the most to him. The project that he so cherished, (I know this because I had to take pictures of the whole process). Notre Dame called Havel Bros, the company my Dad spent the last 30 years of his life working for, and personally requested my Dad to do the work, which was the Control Panels for Notre Dame University. He wired them at Havel Brothers and they were shipped to Notre Dame. My Dad supervised the installation of those panels throughout the University buildings. Growing up, especially after I could drive myself, I would wander out to Havel Brothers and watch him assemble his works of art. We would chat, drink sodas and eat candy, cookies, lunch. Just hang out, and share. I am very proud of my Dad and very thankful that I was blessed with such a wonderful role model and hero. 
So yes this week, I was compelled to travel, even though I was not at my best, and perhaps could have made my illness worse. Something was calling me to East Longmeadow, MA. Perhaps it was the Chairman of the Board of GreenMech wanting me to go, or the owner of Hampden Engineering with his gracious hospitality. Perhaps it was my Dad. Perhaps he was whispering in my ear “I am proud of you Jo, I am proud of the job you are doing and the way you are trying to give back to an industry that I dedicated 43 years of my life.” I don’t know, but I do know this. I picked the perfect place to spend this week. Standing in that manufacturing plant I felt a closeness to my Dad I had not felt in years. May you all find blessings this wonderful Thanksgiving Season! 
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| Today I stopped by my local Wal-mart to pick up some office supplies, now this is exactly 4 days after Halloween, 22 days before Thanksgiving’s Day and a colossal 51 days before Christmas. Passing through the store I overheard a couple of clerks having a panic attack on where they were going to put everything, and when I mean everything I am referring to all the holiday gift items, decorations, candles, etc. I start to look around and I feel like I am going through a time warp. Everywhere I look there are red and green decorations. Christmas trees, ornaments, garland, little Christmas villages and all the Christmas candies to fill the stockings. It seems that every year, Christmas keeps getting earlier and earlier. Perhaps I need to recheck my calendar, but I think it still lands on December 25 of every year, right? Every year we hear about the over commercialization of the holidays, especially Christmas. We place the blame on the stores. Each year they put out the decorations and gifts earlier, Right? I tried to keep up with the pace of the pack, not yet crazed with the frantic holiday shopping sensation. As the twinkle of the lights and tinsel memorized them with subliminal messages, “Buy me, buy me.” There was a crowd huddled around the small snow village, as if they had never seen such a thing before.
Well, tonight I took my dog for a walk/run, as I do every night. Surprise, surprise! As I ran around my neighborhood guess what I spied. Christmas lights hanging from houses, illuminated reindeer and Santas, Christmas decorations lighting up my neighborhood homes one by one. These were the same homes covered in scarecrows, pumpkins, witches, ghosts and goblins last night. Maybe what's actually driving the race car of a holiday season faster and faster down the track of time are the consumers. Let's face it, if people aren't buying it, stores won't be selling it. Its simple economics folks.
Now, I love holidays as much as the next girl. Dressing up, decorating the house, buying presents for my family and friends, and of course, the little baby Jesus. In fact I have been told that my home looks like Santa’s home at the North Pole during the Christmas Holiday. But I like to take my holidays one by one. It seems we go from bats and goblins to Santas and snowmen all in the course of less than a week. You see folks for me the holiday seasons are oh so very special, holding for me many fond memories from my childhood and the childhood of my son. It always seemed to me that fall was the time of years to slow down, the leaves fall leisurely from the trees, squirrels and other wildlife prepare for winter’s cold. When that first cool breeze of fall begins to blow, it makes me stop, think and relax. For me this is the time to take a break from my crazy life, to reflect on things before the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season.
The last thing I want to see is the fall season turn into a launching pad for Christmas. I want to sit on my porch and breathe in the fresh air of morning, open the windows and not run the air conditioner for a few months. I want to be thankful for what I have before rushing into the Christmas melee. Speaking of thankful, where exactly did Thanksgiving go this year? Because in my entire Wal-mart shopping I didn’t find Thanksgiving decorations, oh wait here they are one small table, and 50% percent off. I do enjoy a good turkey. 
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