I apologize for being gone for so long.  This last month has been rather busy, although that is hardly an excuse.  I officially turned in my DP on Dec. 1st, and nope, haven't heard back yet.  After the reading, re-reading, re-re-reading process, I decided I needed a break for a bit.  I have since found myself daydreaming about my next step (if I pass), which will hopefully be the Initiates Path.  To that end, and just because I was going to do it anyway, I started working on learning ancient Greek.  This will be a very interesting process and one I am very much looking forward to. I am using a teach-yourself book, but have also found a great way to hear what it should sound like.

Yule Ritual was a lot of fun, with about 15 in attendance.  Our final offering to the God Saturn was a rousing game of Zoom, Schwarts, Pafigliano.  I have yet to play that game and not have it be a great deal of fun, as well as a great energy raiser. I truly believe that Saturn was pleased. The omens were Woad for the acceptance of the offering; Air Dragon for what the Gods ask of us; and Bear for what they offer in return.

Woad is symbolic of freedom, bardistry, and warriorhood.  I took this to mean that the sacrifices were accepted.

The Air Dragon is the symbol of inspiration, insight, and vitality.  This was a bit hard to interpret for me, because it felt more like something that was being offered, not asking an action from the group.  I think that the Kindreds were asking for clear headedness as well as insight.

Ah, the bear, he has a deep connection to winter in my mind (might come from all the times as a school child that we talked about hibernation as soon as the air got nippy).  He represents primal power, sovereignty, and intuition married with instinct.  This is a very powerful card to receive as an offering from the Kindreds, and is also a card I have very rarely drawn in my private practice.  I took this to mean the ability to not only survive, but to thrive during this cold time of the year, and that the instincts and intuition to do this would be provided.

I am extremely glad to have the light returning, and that soon we will come to my all time favorite holiday of Imbolc. I am still trying to figure out how best to celebrate this one as a grove though. I hope that the returning of the light will bless us all.

Yule is the darkest night of the year, when it seems the light will never return.  The Sun drops to the lowest point on the horizon and stays there for three days, but then the miraculous happens.  The Sun slowly starts to rise higher in the sky.  It is almost imperceptible at first, and the biting cold of winter can sometimes blind us from the fact that the light is returning.  

I once heard someone describe Yule as being half way out of the dark.  I struggle without the warmth of the sun and the gentle kisses of its light on my skin.  I crave and need that light, so for me Yule is one of the most joyous celebrations.  This would be doubly true for the people for whom there was no such thing as the electric light. There is an ancient German custom of singing the sun up during the longest night.  The Yule Log was lit, and the Yule hog, which has become the Christmas Ham, was served. Actually, many Pagan traditions have since become Christmas traditions.

"Two popular observances belonging to Christmas are more especially derived from the worship of our pagan ancestors—the hanging up of the mistletoe and the burning of the Yule log,” wrote Robert Chamber in his Book of Days (c. 1901).

The evergreens used for Christmas have Germanic as well as Roman influences.  Saturnalia was a holiday at the time of the Solstice in which evergreen boughs were brought into the Roman home. The celebration would include masquerades in the streets, big festive meals, the visiting of friends, and the exchange of good-luck gifts called Strenae or lucky fruits. Masters and slaves would temporarily exchanging roles, which could be seen as a precursor to boxing day. The use of evergreens to decorate the streets and houses was also very noticeable during this great winter festival.

On the darkest night of the year, the winter solstice, we will gather in order to celebrate the rebirth of the Sun, as seen from societies of old.  The rebirth of the great giver and sustainer of all earthly life, and the turning of the wheel of the year again. To paraphrase one of my favorite writers on the subject, if we did not celebrate the solstice, then the Sun would not rise again, and all we would have is a mere ball of flaming gas that would illuminate the world.