Celebrate Yule with a Winter solstice ritual. You can harness the energy of rebirth and renewal, contained in this sacred feast day.

The winter solstice this year for me is different and new. I went to Iceland this past September and my experiences there have left me looking for a way to celebrate the winter solstice that feels genuine and true to a new paradigm - a fey winter solstice if you will.

Yule is one of the oldest pagan winter solstice holidays. It has been celebrated for thousands of years by various cultures, with a wide variety of rituals and traditions. This blog post will provide an

Winter Solstice marks the beginning of winter season and is one of the oldest known winter celebration. It is the longest night and the shortest day of the year. The days have been getting shorter and now we can celebrate the sun as it returns from the period of darkness.

A group of little Faeries huddled in their home deep under the roots of a giant oak tree. They were safe and snug in their tiny underg...

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On Saturday, members of the pagan community gathered in front of a bonfire in a wooded area in Shreveport to celebrate the winter holidays of the Winter Solstice and Yule.

This Encyclopedia Britannica society and culture list features 7 traditions celebrated during the winter solstice.

How do you celebrate the solstice this time of year?

Pagans Celebrate Winter Solstice at Stonehenge Now that Christmas is right around the corner, Britain is gearing up for the year’s most-awaited holiday. While Christians are getting ready to celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ, religious nones are simply awaiting the season of fun and feasting. However, another set of British are waiting for Christmas […]

The winter solstice is sacred across cultures and continents.

cross stitch, needlework, samplers, folk art, embroidery, applique, punch needle, primitive, notforgotten farm, lori brechlin, rug hooking

Discover the beauty of celebrating Yule instead of Christmas - embrace the returning light and connect with ancient traditions. Learn more here!

Modern witches can only discern the meaning of Yule by looking at our history. Because early Christians were fascinated by old pagan traditions, many of these

Some sabbats just feel "smaller" than others. Looking around online this morning Lughnasadh felt that way to me. Why are some Pagan holidays more popular than others?

In Scandinavia they don't call it Christmas (Christ-Mass), instead they still retain the old pagan name for the Yuletide celebrations which they call Jul (pronounced...

Montol Festival in Penzance has become one of the highlights of the year for the town.

Another magickal Winter Solstice (here in the Northern Hemisphere) blows in like starlight on a snowflake and I find myself immersed in so many sweet visions, feelings, and thoughts on what this ti…

First Day of Winter! thought I'd brighten your day with a few of my favorite works of art ~ {all found on Pinterest of course} this one is so 'me'…. who doesn't love a smiling and dancing opossum? ;) Winter King St. Nicholas & Friends Mother Winter shaking her feather pillow onto the town below... love the 'bowing' owl ~ have you hugged your bobcat today? Wishing you all bright & sunny days and cozy nights ~ wishing you all peace and happiness, health and true wealth!! * Blessed be * Lori

Embrace the Winter Solstice: Discover 20 Magical Symbols and Their Ancient Meanings

Winter solstice falls on the 21 December each year. It is the day with the shortest hours of daylight (in the Northern Hemisphere), and the longest amount of darkness. In the Pagan Wheel of the Year this is the celebration of Yule. A time of reflection, birthing new beginnings, and celebrating the

When one door closes, another opens. When one chapter ends, another begins. Winter Solstice (Yule) is the last celebration of the calendar year. It marks the beginning of winter's end, where days become longer and nights become shorter again. It is, quite frankly, the beginning of the end; the last chapter in winter's book. Although, here, winter seems to only have just begun. We received our first snowfall (that stuck to the ground), freezing temperatures, and school closings within the past week. It makes it hard to remember that winter is already beginning to end. Yule in our house was quite different this year. We welcomed another person into our home; my significant other. I also completed my higher education, and am currently job searching again. A member of the family is preparing to move 200+ miles away as his job relocates, and our budget seems to be getting tighter with the times. However, despite the highs and lows that came with winter, I would not change this time for the world. We had a wonderful Yule. Everyone really got into the season this year. The family put up five Yule trees! This is the family tree, decorated with homemade ornaments as well as others that celebrate highlights of our lives. This is our music themed tree, decorated with musical instruments, lights that make music, and music notes. We decorate around this tree with Santa, Mrs. Clause, reindeer, and a Santa climbing a ladder up our tree, with his elves carrying the presents he has dropped right behind him. This is our vintage/victorian themed tree. It is decorated with pearl strands, crystals, and other vintage/victorian styled ornaments. This tree sits on the ledge by our staircase. We decorate it with multi colored lights and ornaments. In front, we put two carolers, still with song. And finally, this is our snowman themed tree. All the ornaments are snow or snowman related. In front are two polar bear cubs building a snowman. It's all very "Christmas-y" I know. But when you live in a home with two Catholics, a Buddhist, and a child too young to understand anything more complex than Santa, things look a bit more like "Christmas" than Yule. Of course, I decorated my altar for the season. It is more Yule than "Christmas," and as promised, here are photos of my altar: As usual, I also have the template for my altar, with everything explained: And, of course, an infographic: Finally, as 2014 ends, and 2015 begins, I want to share my year's goals with you. This was inspired by WitchyWords.blogspot.com so creative credit to her. I did make my own, personalized for me. I think it is a wonderful idea, and I encourage others to do the same. Writing your goals down and putting them in a place you will see, helps you to achieve them! So here's to 2015, in all it's splendor and glory. Here's to hoping this chapter of life will be better than the next. Here's to achieving goals, and working hard. And here's to a blessed, witchy year!

The longest night of the year leads to some epic parties: Get the scoop on winter solstice celebrations around the world.

Many cultures around the world celebrate the winter solstice by holding festivals, holidays, and winter solstice activities.