Sorry for the lack of posts lately. The election came and went and we all know how that went. Since I’m sure you’re already freaking out about that, let’s not talk about it. Instead, let’s talk about 5 ways to celebrate Yule if you’re solitary pagan (I’m Wiccan so this will be tailored to that, but can be re-tooled for your path!).
5 Ways to Celebrate Yule if You’re Solitary
Let me be the first to say that my journey as a Wiccan has not been easy. I’m not all love and light all the time. Following the Wiccan rede is HARD. Celebrating, doing rituals and spells, and generally finding others to commune with as a pagan is difficult as hell.
Decorate Your Home With Natural Elements.
Appropriate natural elements for Yule/Winter Solstice include holly, mistletoe, oak, evergreen, and pine. You can make twig pentacles/pentagrams and DIY wreaths, hang mistletoe, and ivy, or get a pine tree and decorate it. Many Christmas traditions stemmed from pagan ones so you’ll sense a lot of similarities here.
Do A Yule Ritual.
These rituals can be as simple as meditating by candlelight, welcoming the dawn and thanking Odin/Cernunnos/your patron deity for another day. You can do a ritual that’s specific to what you want to accomplish during Yule and the new year, sing pagan songs, light yule logs or have a bonfire (if possible).
Yule Gifting + Feasting.
Much like Christianity, Yule is a time for spending with family and friends, enjoying a good meal, and exchanging gifts. You can also take this time to donate to charities important to you. Many pagan religions (though, not all) are nature based so you may consider donating to an environmental organization, cleaning up your community, or helping lobby for important issues concerning the planet.
Spell Yule Ornaments for Loved Ones.
Even if you’re the only pagan/Wiccan you know, you can still spell a few ornaments for friends and family for the season. Your Christian friends will never know you’ve spelled an ornament for them, but you can feel happy knowing you’ve wished them well in this season and gift them something unique that you personally made. Of course, you can get or make something specific if you have any pagan friends, if you prefer to.
Find A Local Yule or Winter Solstice Event.
Much like the other main sabbats, you may find a few local events celebrating winter solstice and/or yule in your area. A quick google search for “yule events [your nearest metro city]” will usually turn up a few results. If not, try searching for “winter solstice events” or simply “December 2016 pagan events [your nearest metro city]” and see what comes up.
If you live in a big city, it will be a LOT easier to find local events, but if you live in a smaller suburb, try a few different searches and see what results you get. At worst, tap into online communities and see if you can’t meet up with someone on skype or discord to discuss Yule, exchange traditions, or do a snail mail yule exchange with. It’s a great way to feel a little less alone in your path.
Wishing you a very merry Yule!
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Thanks a lot! 💙
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no problem 🙂
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Thank you for this fascinating post. I had heard bits and pieces about some of these origins but never such a wide coverage of so many cultures. Thank you! May I share your post?
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of course 🙂
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