The Winter Solstice marks the time for Yule, and for some pagans, it's time to welcome the new and toss out the old. With the returning light energy of the sun, life will be reborn.
This ritual is designed for a solitary practitioner (both masculine and feminine) and can easily be adapted for group ritual.
Supplies you will need: (All supplies can easily be found at Divine Spaces, www.divine-spaces.com)
CANDLES:
- 2 green seasonally-scented candles (pine, cedar, winter forrest, ect…)(size can vary based on the amount of time you want to put into the ritual)
- 1 black taper candle
- 2 white taper candles
- 5 Candle Holders
INCENSE & CHARCOAL:
- Resin/Granular Incense (Frankincense & Myrrh)
- 1 Charcoal disk
- Incense Censor or dish with sand
HERBS:
- Bay leaves
- Cinnamon cut
- Whole cloves
- White Pine Bark
- Herb dish or bowl
OIL:
-Magnetic Oil (or another drawing or money oil like Bayberry, Basil, or Cinnamon)
POUCH:
-A green bag
OPTIONAL:
- Additional candles (white or seasonally appropriate)
- Sea salt to cast circle
- An offering of Food or Special Item.
(You can dress up your ritual wear with holly, garlands, berries, use of colors, ect… feel what’s right to you, and appropriate to the Sabbath)
BEGIN RITUAL:
This ritual should be performed on the night of the Winter Solstice. This is a time to be free with your spirit and go with what feels right in your heart flame. Keep in mind the purpose of Yule and how you can represent or celebrate that into your altar and ritual wear! Decorate your altar with a Yule log, seasonal symbolic items, and candles -- Remember, Yule is a celebration of light so even white holiday lights would make a good addition to any altar, and can make great as a visual reference to your casted circle.
Take the 2 green seasonal candles, focus on each one individually and charge them with your energy and intent. Applying to both candles, inscribe a dollar sign on one side and your astrological sign on the other side. Take the oil and anoint both candles, dressing them from the top to center-then again from bottom to center, still focusing on your intent and visualizing on drawing in a steady stream prosperity and success for the coming year.
Now take the black and white candles and on the black candle inscribe a crescent moon and on the white candles inscribe a full sun, with rays. Again, charge these candles with the oil, but focused on the returning of light and life, new beginnings, and positive change.
Now set the candles aside for a moment and light the charcoal and place in censor. Gather your granule Frankincense & Myrhh to have ready but don't place incense on the coal just yet.
If you normally cast a circle, do so now based on your own spiritual tradition of circle casting.
Once you have cast your circle get in a sitting position that is comfortable for you, lotus on the floor is idea, but in a chair or on your knees will do just find.
Light the green candles while focusing on your intent for the coming year. Place the candles in a candle holder with enough space in between them to place your dish or bowl.
Now take the herbs, one at a time, and begin to charge them with your intent. Once you feel it is charged with your intent, breathe on the herbs, binding it with your own personal energy.
After each herb is charged with your intent, place herbs into the dish between the two lit green candles. Do this for each herb individually, focusing and charging them one by one.
Now that you have all the herbs together in the bowl, begin stirring the hers around with your fingers in a clock ward circle while focusing on your intent and the binding of the herbs energy with yours. Focus the energy coming from the bowl and blending with the light energy of the candles and creating a bowl of light and energy. (DON’T JUST FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT, FULLY BELIEVE THAT IT IS ALREADY YOURS, VISUALIZE LIVING IT, DOING IT, BEING IT) When you’re done and all the herbs are fully charged, pour them into the bag and tie it closed.
When ready say:
I call upon the Great Divine; by the powers of the earth, the sky, the sun, and the sea.
I draw forth to me the powerful vibrations of prosperity.
Chant the words above until you have raised your energy vibrations and feel it stream from your heart flame into the green bag, filling it with lights of white, silver, and gold. Hold it to your hear and seal it with the light of your heart flame and intent. Put the bag back into the bowl between the two candles, keeping the energy flow to it until the candles burn down completely.
Now set up the 3 candles in a row with the black candle in the middle and the white candles on both sides of the black candle. Light it and take a few moments to remember our ancestors. Give gratitude for the years harvest, and blessings to everything that has moved on in death, bringing us life in the new year.
Remember that our ancestors knew that even being surrounded with the darkness of winter's night, soon the light would bring life and vitality with its return.
Declare out loud with full emotion and intention: On this Night of the Winter Solstice I cast out in praise & welcome back the Sun, the ultimate giver of light, and I choose to be enlightened in the coming year.
Now Light the first white candle on the left, and say:
Tonight is the night of the Winter Solstice with a balance between the dark and light.
The year’s wheel continues to turn and will soon bring back the light, warmth, and love to us.
With the spark of this flame may it represent the cycle of light that is before the time of darkness, holding with it all our past joys and happiness.
Light the second candle, and say:
Today is the Winter Solstice, the day that our Winter Goddess will gift the world with her son. Together we unite and celebrate the rebirth of our Sun God, and the return of light to the Earth with the festival of the winter solstice. As the Wheel of the Year has turned once more, I give honor to the eternal cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth. Now focus on this newly light candle, for it represents the rebirth and the coming of the light and with it will bring back in magnitudes all our joys and happiness.
Light the remaining (optional candles) on the altar at this time and turn on all your holiday lights.
Now return to your altar and place your left hand down on the Yule log and the right hand into the air palm up.
Say:
Today I honor and give gratitude to The God of the Forest,
The King of Nature, and The Mighty Divine who rules the Season.
I give thanks to the Goddess whose womb will give blessings of new life to the earth,
This night I declare in your names, and celebrate in your honor, sending my prayers to you upon the air.
Place a pinch of resin incense on the charcoal at this time, and if you would like to make an offering do so now. (Offerings can range from special items – food) As the smoke of the incense ascends, meditate on the changes you want in the coming new year.
Think about the season and the cycles that are constantly in motion around us, as life is never motionless and never over. Even though we are surrounded by the death of winter, new life patiently awaits and grows in energy beneath the soil. As the problems we encounter, you should also know will leave sprouting new opportunities for you.
Think about what new seeds of manifestation you will sow, and visualize the reaping of the harvest while you accomplish your dreams, goals, and desires. What changes will you make within to allow the flow of attraction and being receptive to the harvest from the seeds you sowed? When you are done with your visualizations, write down everything that you are grateful for in this passing year, and write down what it is you want in the coming year.
Keep this journal with you, and write in it daily through the coming year. When you feel like you are off the path, reflect to today’s entries and remember the feelings, thoughts, and energy that you had on this night, and re-spark the light of enlightenment to regain your guidance and continue your life in great bliss following the cycle of the God and Goddess.
Close the ritual with words of gratitude to the entities in which you called upon for assistant. If you cast a circle you may close it now. Blow out the black candle and let the white candles burn down. Let both green candles burn down completely while the bag rest between them. Once burned down, try and keep your bag on you at all times, re-charging it as needed, and remember that we hold the power to our own happiness, and the light of our Sun God will help to illuminate your path.
Burn your Yule log along with a some of the Yule log's ash from previous years. If this is your first Yule then do not stress about the ash. Make sure to keep some of the ash from your Yule log to use in your Yule ritual during next years birth of the sun.
May Yule bring with it to you the season of joy & prosperity now and always!
By: Brooks Brown
Divine Spaces
www.divine-spaces.com
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