Celebrate Yule in a Pagan way

In this episode, I’ll talk about adding even more of a Pagan touch to Yule. You’ll also hear about one of my Tarot readings. I’ll talk about the uses for Parsley, and I’m going to give you a prompt, something you can do easily and in a short amount of time, to get some magic into your day.

Caution and Disclaimer

A small caution. If you’re sensitive to language, I must warn you that the occasional swear word might slip through the cracks when I edit.

I do not give medical advice
I am not promising a cure for any illness
I am not telling you to replace conventional medication. Remember
that this is about magic and not physics, chemistry or something similar.
Any and all parts that contain information about herbs and remedies is only of historical interest.
Any use of this information is entirely your own responsibility and at your own risk.
I do not guarantee the function of any of the recipes or instructions.

Show Notes

Celebrate your Yule in a more Pagan way

By whatever name you call it, Yule is a holiday for families, regardless of your religion. There are literally tons of tips and information for Christmas celebrations out there, but not as much for Pagans. If you’re just starting out celebrating as a Pagan, you might want some pointers, and if you’ve been a Pagan for ages, you might want to change things up a bit. So I created this list for all us Pagans, and Heathens, out there.

Decorate –Decorating for the holiday is a given for most of us, but as a Pagan, you might have to make your own decorations and ornaments. The reason for this being that you might not find what you want in the shops. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to have a tree, red and green things etc. This is your house, you decide what belongs there. Most Pagans tend to avoid angels, stars, and the liturgical color purple. If you want alternatives to the Christian decorations and ornaments, here are some for you:

Angels – Fairies
The Star – Sun or Sun cross
The Coca-Cola Santa – The Tomte/Nisse/House Gnome: longer more gray beard, not as fat, clothes in earth tones, not as bright and shiny.
Nativity Scene – Nisse house with a family

Create an altar for this holiday – There’s really only one thing you have to remember about this: It’s your altar, you decide what’s suitable to put on it. Put things on there that remind you of what the season is about.

Have a proper feast – One thing that’s definitely traditional in every way, is to have a proper feast. Make it something special, something you wouldn’t have otherwise. Enjoy your food, forget your diet (unless you’re on it for medical reasons of course).

Create a ritual – Make a ritual where you salute your chosen deities, the entities you work with or greet the Sun. Make it as simple or as elaborate as you wish. It could be as simple as going outside to greet the sun as it rises.

Have a bonfire – Light a big bonfire, if you have space for one. If you don’t, you can enjoy the warmth from an open fire in other ways: a fireplace, a stove, candles etc.

Tell stories – If you have children, and you choose to teach them about your tradition, you could read parts of your lore or legends to them. If you don’t teach them, there are lots of non-religious winter stories to choose from. Among other things, there are a lot of beautiful folklore stories about things around this time of year. And for those who don’t have children, you can read a good book, watch a good movie, or maybe read stories to your friends.

Dance – Dancing is fun, liberating, and it gets you moving after all that food. So make sure you include some of that.

Exchange gifts – Yes, Pagans can exchange gifts. The gift giving is older than Christmas. Just put some thought into what you give, and don’t give because you feel you have to.

Spend time with your family and friends – The most important part of this holiday, is to spend time with our families and friends. Those who don’t have family around might celebrate with friends. And really, at this time of year, friends count as family. Enjoy it! Put all differences, fears, shyness and inhibitions aside, and enjoy the holiday.

Celebrate over several days – Most Pagan traditions seem to have celebrated over several days, so why not. Why should you limit yourself to just a few?

Which holidays do you plan to celebrate this winter?

I celebrate the return of the sun at winter solstice with good food and drink, putting out porridge for the house gnome. Then Jul (we don’t call it Christ Mass here, we never have). I celebrate that with my family on the 24th, to honor the tradition of my ancestors. Then I celebrate my Midwinter Blot at Hoggunott in January. It’s a date when some scolars say that the Heathen Yule ended. It’s part of what helps me get through the cold and dark season here. The other part is creativity, of course.

I wish you a joyous, wonderful, fantastic Jul, Solstice or Christmas, whichever works for you.

Going back to speaking with horses

A woman that had previously worked as a horse communicator was wondering if she should go back to it, now that her health situation is stable again. Here’s what the cards said about it:

Look at the benefits of the transition, don’t do it because you feel forced to, but because you love it. You may need to brush up on your skills. It may bring a positive change or a new beginning in terms of your work. Success will come through perseverance and initiative.

Communicating with horses may not be a traditional profession, but it’s needed. Don’t feel bound by other people’s opinions. Pick your battles. You may be tempted to prove that you’re right, or to defend yourself when you are feeling challenged.

You may be over-investing yourself in one area of your life. Not taking enough time for personal reflection. You may be feeling temporarily isolated and alone. Do not underestimate the value of staying connected with others. You’ve shyed away from being in the limelight, get out there again.

Herb of the week: Parsley

Today’s prompt: Set up a Yule altar. Do it any way you want with items that remind you of the season. Have fun with it, make it pretty, and enjoy it

Yule vacation

On the 10th of December, I start my Yule vacation from running my business. The next you will hear from me will be after the 3rd of January. I may share some art and other things I create, or a resource I come across on facebook and Instagram, but I will not be booking appointments in that time period. I won’t post on the blog, do the podcasts, do videos, or send out newsletters. I won’t be doing readings or sending out products. So if you were thinking of having a cup of tea or a reading with me, there are only a few time slots left.

That’s it for me for today. Thanks for listening to the Witch in the Valley Podcast. The next episode will, among other things, be about your wishes for the new calendar year. If you have any questions, just reach out to me at linda@lindaursin.net Remember to rate and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.