Yule, the Longest Night & Returning of the Light

Yule, the Winter Solstice & a Twelve Day Festival

Dec 17, 2024

Welcome to this edition of Liminal Walker Musings!

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I love honoring the traditions and customs of the eight Celtic/Pagan Sabbats. My prior posts can be found in the Wheel of the Year tab of my stack. Today, welcome to Yule. Love to you all!

The Wheel

And the Wheel of the Year turns once more, and we along with it. An eternal song that spirals between dark and light, birth and death. Shifting seasons as ongoing cycles reminding us of our intrinsic relationship with the wild. These Sabbats serve as markers along our journey, inviting us to honor and celebrate them. At this juncture, we find ourselves at the winter solstice. The darkest night of the year and the returning of the light.

Yule is a pilgrimage that spans over a period of twelve days. Each day with its own focus, building upon the one before. Unfolding as it has through the ages, woven with myth, tradition, and ancestry. A sacred journey that reflects our deep interconnectedness with the Earth, our bodies, life itself and the mystical forces that bind us all. (Below I have information about the 12 Days of Yule Retreat, I am offering.)

Yule

The Winter Solstice is a pivotal point where the growing darkness gives way to the light. From our vantage place the sun seems to come to a complete stop in the sky. A ceasing of its southward movement where it pauses, then begins its northward movement once again, as the cycle continues. “Solstice” is a word that comes from the Latin sol, meaning "sun" and sisto, meaning “to stop.” It’s a threshold time, not of equal balance, but of transition. A shift that opens the way for the growing light.

Yule traditions have deep roots in Celtic ancestry, long before the rise of Christianity. Their customs and celebrations focused over a period of time, rarely for one day. Many of our modern Christmas celebrations, such as kissing under the mistletoe, are derived from these old fertility rituals. Yule is the celebration of the sun’s rebirth within this resilience of darkness. Recognizing the importance of this waxing light as it prepares the soil for the future sowing. Darkness in itself, is not evil or bad, nor to be feared; rather, it’s an essential counterpart to light. Without the dark, there would be no illumination.

Darkness is the fertile soil in which seeds break open, sending roots deep into the earth to nourish the sprouts that eventually reach toward the sky. Just as a seed needs the protection of the earth to grow, the embryo develops and matures in the darkness of the mother's womb. Transformation, too, requires retreat: the caterpillar must enter the cocoon to emerge as a butterfly. Sleep is a necessary pause at night to replenish our being. In winter, animals rest and hibernate in their dens, caves, and lairs, conserving energy until the light returns.

Celebrations around Yule were all about honoring the fertility of the land, as well as the gods and goddesses who protected it. A festival of food and drink, song and dance, and rituals that honored the cycles of life that would prepare everyone for the upcoming planting season.

YULE LOG

Today, when we hear about the Yule Log, we might think of a cake decorated to resemble a log. However, the traditional Celtic version of it entailed chopping down an entire tree, trimming it and then bringing it into the home. Over the 12 days of Yule, log by log, would be fed into the hearth, fueling the flames that warmed the household and cooked the food. A small part of the tree would be saved to start the fire for the following year. The trimmings from the tree used to decorate and bring a festive atmosphere to the home.

EVERGREENS

To the Celts, evergreen plants symbolized eternal life. As the cycles of the seasons flowed, these plants remained ever-green, even in the coldest, darkest days of winter. Boughs from evergreen trees, as well as holly and mistletoe, were highly revered during the Yuletide season. Used for decorations and rituals, and later returned to the earth as fertilizer. Mistletoe, in particular, held special significance because it was rare and difficult to find. Considered sacred, it was used in fertility blessings and as an aphrodisiac, invoking the energies of love and revitalization.

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

In the southern hemisphere it’s Litha the Summer Solstice. Yes, both exist on the same day! In the south, it’s the longest day of the year and the returning of the dark. A time to recognize and honor the essential nature of our sun that nourishes the plants for the upcoming harvest. May all of you in the southern hemisphere bask in the luminosity of this season. May it bring clarity and renewal. May the Sun’s energy foster growth both within and without helping to produce a bountiful harvest in all aspects of your lives.

THE MOON

Solstice occurs at 1:21 am PST on Dec 21st.

The moon at this solstice time is waning and in the sign Virgo. The last Quarter happening on Dec. 22nd in Libra. Both signs pointing to balance. Being in relationship at that place between two polarities.

December 20th, The 12 days of Yule begins
December 21st, Winter Solstice.
December 24th Christmas Eve
December 25th Christmas Day
December 31st, Last day of Yule and New Years Eve

RHIANNON

Rhiannon is the Celtic Queen that presides over Yule. Both a lunar and fertility goddess, she knows the movements of life, death, and rebirth. As ruler of the night, she’s the granter of prophetic dreams, effortlessly moving between the worlds.

Like many Celtic goddesses, Rhiannon also represents sovereignty and the land. Through marriage, she legitimizes the ruler's right to rule. Pwyll, Lord of Dyfed, first laid eyes on Rhiannon as she rode a white mare, galloping like the wind through the verdant hills. Instantly smitten with her, as she with him, they married. Soon Rhiannon gave birth to their son, Pryderi. However, misfortune fell upon them when on Beltane Eve, Pryderi was stolen while the nursemaids were asleep. Fearing retribution, the nursemaids smeared blood on Rhiannon, accusing her of infanticide. As penance, she was made to live as a horse, carrying anyone who needed a ride to and from the castle.

One day a man named Teyrnon and a young boy came to the castle. He told the court that a few years prior one of his mares was taken on the eve of Beltane and a newborn baby was left in its place. Over time Teyrnon deduced that the child was Pryderi, thus their journey to reveal his true identity. Rhiannon overjoyed to have her son back, was also immediately exonerated and retook her place as Queen.

Rhiannon teaches us the importance of being with our pain, while at the same time, not letting it consume us. She who alchemized her heartache into wisdom shows us that even in our darkest moments, there is hope. That small light that empowers us to face hardship and grief, trusting that as the wheel turns, life renews.

Rhiannon rides beneath the moon,
her mares' hooves a rhythmic tune.
Silver light shining upon her face,
she glides easily upon the wings of grace.

Shifting between the veils of time,
her morphic dance is quite sublime.
For in your dreams messages unfold,
prophetic images that must be told.

Queen of murky and shapeless shadows,
she guides us in facing our trials and sorrows.
As queen of lustrous and radiant light,
her flame of assurance and hope burns bright.

Celebrating Yule

There are many ways to honor Yule, here are but a few:

Walk in nature, especially if you can be around evergreen trees and snow.
Create an altar for Yule. Use greenery and pinecones.
Write an intention for yourself, our world or the New Year on a bay leaf. Then burn the leaf in a fire-safe bowl.
Honor the Darkness and the Dark Mother.
Reflect on the past year, the growth and the challenges.
Say prayers at sunrise and sunset.
Light a fire, feel its warmth.
Bake bread, cookies, biscuits. An alchemy of ingredients made with love.
Create a yule log for the fire or bake one.
Make a wreath, hang it doors and portals of the in-between spaces.
Plant winter bulbs for springtime. Daffodils, Tulips & Narcissus
Work with divination using Tarot or Oracle cards. (see suggested questions below)

Also, you are invited to join me in the 12 Days of Yule Retreat. This is a FREE offering, in gratitude for you, my subscribers, taking place from December 20th through December 31st. Each day a devotion, tarot reading, poetry and an opportunity to contemplate, reflect and write. For more info go HERE.

BLESSING:

Blessed be this time of Yule,
Where the Earth rests, yet new life stirs beneath the frost.
May we honor this time of darkness and the returning of the light.
Knowing that both reflect our internal seasons, as well as the outer ones.
May the longest night hold us in its gentle embrace,
And may the coming days bring renewal, love and hope.

Blessed Yule to you and all.
Blessed Be!

Questions for you…

What is being illuminated for me at this solstice time?
What am I ready to let go of and leave behind?
What intention(s) needs to be set?
How can I embrace the light and dark within and without?
What wisdom do my ancestors or spirit guides have for me?

Would love to know your thoughts and feelings. Let’s have a conversation…

For more information about the liminal and my offerings:

Please go to: my website

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