December is named for the Roman goddess Decima, one of the three fates. The word Yule comes from the Germanic jol, which means midwinter, which is celebrated on the shortest day of the year. The old tradition was to have a vigil all night at a bonfire to make sure the sun did indeed rise again. This primeval custom evolved to become a storytelling evening, and while it may well to be too cold to sit outside in snow and sleet, it is important for your community to congregate around a blazing hearth fire, feasting and talking deep into the night, to truly know each other, impart wisdom, and speak to hopes and dreams. Greet the new sun with stronger connections and a shared vision for the coming solar year.
What you need:
- Candles in the following colors: red, yellow, green, blue, white, and black
- Herbs: tobacco, rosemary, lavender, cedar, sage, and rose petals
- Incense: copal, myrrh, frankincense, or any resin-based incense
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 chocolate bar per person
- Bells, rattles, drums, and other noisemakers
- A firepot, fireplace, or other safe place for an outdoor fire
- Paper for written intentions
The candle colors represent the six directions: north, south, east, west, up, and down (or sky and earth). They also represent the different peoples of the world.
Gather your friends together at dusk on the shortest day of the year and ask them to bring a colored candle (assign each of them a color), a noisemaker, and an open mind. Ask them also to write out what they want to purge from their life and bring the paper into the circle. The Solstice Fire Ceremony serves to bring positive new influences into our lives and to dispel what no longer serves for good. This “letting go” can be anything. For me, one year ago, it was cancer, and this year, it was too much clutter. For you, it could be an unhealthy relationship, a job that makes you miserable, or a cramped apartment.
No comments:
Post a Comment