So next to Halloween, and 4th of July, Yule is a favorite time of year for me.
Yule is celebrated on the Winter Solstice, circa December 21, and is an observance of the turning of the solar year from waning to waxing. This is the most important Sabbat. In the Teutonic traditions, the word Yule coming from the old Norse jul, meaning "wheel".
Some Mythology teaches that the Sun is the newborn son of the Goddess, others that the Sun is the wintertime Crone who has turned her Virgin form again. The Christmas practice of venerating lighted trees and burning the Yule log--both symbolic of the divine gift of fire to humanity-- all come from the European Pagan customs.
It is also customary on this Sabbat to greet the rising Sun on the day it starts to grow once again and to reenact the battle between the Deities who represent both the dark and light halves of the year. At this time the Deities of Light will emerge victorious. This is not a mockery of Christianities Holy Day. The Winter Solstice is an ancient Pagan festival that early Christian leaders adopted as the symbolic date of Jesus' birth.
Winter Solstice Incense:
Pine Needles myrrh
Cinnamon dried apple leaf or wood
Frankincense
Blend all ingredients. You want to make enough to use during your ritual and to share with others. Put some in a small bottle with a cork and tie a ribbon around its neck to give as a gift. To charge it, place in your magic space before using it in ritual.
