Tree is up for 2015

Well it's taken me a long time to get into the Yuletide spirit this year for a variety of reasons but after much mithering from the family I've got the tree up. I have to admit I did enjoy decorating it, I put some festive music on and enjoyed seeing the baubles and trinkets once more and all their associated memories. Maybe there is a little Yuletide spirit inside me hiding in a quiet corner somewhere.

Emerald Rose - Santa Claus is Pagan, Too

The Christians and the Pagans

Yule Magic Gift

Well been trying to do a bit of catching up with my blog land friends and on visiting the delightful Magaly, of Pagan Culture I found out that Sally of  The Village Witch was hosting a Yule time blog party today. It's far to late for me to join officially but I've really enjoyed reading through the post of the people attending and hearing what magical gifts they'd give out. I've read about gifts of Hope, Inspiration, Time and just Stopping to enjoy the moment of Yule. I've enjoyed drinks of Margaritas, Hot Chocolate and calming Chamomile tea and had such a wonderful time at every stop.

It got me thinking what I could give as a gift. I thought of Memories, that which links us to our pasts and from that of course comes family both those we share now and those spirits that live within us. We all have gifts from those ancestors of ours. I have so many to count, the joy of poems and music from my mum, the gift of practicality from my dad, cooking skills from one of my grandmothers and stubbornness from the other one. My grandfathers gave me the give of calm, a love of nature and acceptance. What gifts did my more distant ancestors leave me?, for all those who's gone before took their share in making me, now I have to learn to put those gifts to good use.

With so much to choose from what could I share out and the answer was so simple, it's Laughter, Joy and Great Big Smile at this time of year and that's what I wish you all, where ever you find it. It was given to me by my mum who was a person who never grew up, she loved Christmas and her spirit was contagious. In my loft I must have a ton of old Christmas Ornaments from dancing trees to singing fish as well as all the traditional ones. She'd invite as many as she could to our feast and just love to see all have a good time. It's not been the same for me since she passed away but her spirit remains and the memories she gave me make me smile still now and I think they always will. She love all her trimmings just like a kid in a candy shop but she knew that the most important part of this year was those we shared it with.

In the end as well as the joy of the sun returning and a new beginning it was also a time of year for getting together with those we cared about, remembering the good times of the year departing and feasting together in warmth and laughter, with plenty of mead and happy hearts as we looked forward to the new. The jolly figure of old Santa has a long history but he's now mostly known in his soft drink colours, he smiles to bring joy and gifts to all, I hope he brings you all laughter and much merriment.

Plans may go awry but the spirit of Yule survives

'The best laid schemes of Mice and Men oft go awry' 

by Robert Burns

 
Not exactly a Yule tide quote but an apt description of the run up to my Yule. I had so many plans as always but both life, weather and my health meant they didn't actually work out as I hoped. I was disappointed as this week started and felt so behind, I did managed to celebrate the first night of Yule, mothers night, on the Mon the 20th. On the Winter Solstice, I did the rather stupid trick of pouring boiling water on my foot so after that and visiting the hospital the last of my plans which were to go around the cemeteries to take my flowers, do some last bits of shopping, write up the first of what I hoped would be a season of Yule tide posts disintegrated and missing the lunar eclipse, I decided enough was enough, so I gave up trying to catch up.

Guess what? since then I've the calmest and most peaceful Yule I've experienced in a long time. The flowers for my loved ones are on display in the house instead of the churchyard but as I think those we love are never that far from us I'm sure they see and enjoy them with me here. I did think about doing some of my planned Yule Tide posts in a block posting but then decided the moment had past for this year, but some of my friends in blogland have already written some lovely seasonal posts, I'd like to point you in the direction of two of my favourites, Cattra's Magickal World and Wandering a Wise Woman Path. There are some more lovely posts on the blogs in my list on the right hand side. I was most disappointed to have missed the lunar eclipse but there are some lovely photos of it on the Internet.

As for me, well Yule is a season of 12 days not just one day and I am now happy to spend them in quite peaceful thought and contentment. I cooked a Yule tide lunch with turkey on Wednesday so I could share it with my dad before he went away. Since then I've enjoyed the lovely peace and quite with my new pup Reggie, late in the day maybe but I've decorated my little tree, not with the fancy dec's I couldn't get out the loft but with lace and ribbons from my craft box and I love it. I've walked in my snowy garden, mother nature has made so beautiful for the season, taken some photos and fed my feathered friends and my mind and heart has been thinking of what this season really means to me and reaffirm my beliefs and ethics, that's as it should be because true change and hope has to come from within yourself. My dad will be back in time for the last day of Yule on the 31st of Dec and we will exchange our gifts from kith and kin then.

What has this season taught me so far? Well no matter what plans we make sometimes the nornir have their own ideas to make us slow down and appreciate and think about what is important to us and what we already have. One of the biggest things for me is at long last I've reconciled my thoughts about Christmas. When I decided to follow my own beliefs and feelings as an animist pagan following the northern religion I tried to reject Christmas as no longer being part of my life in the way it had been, but for the last few years, while happy in my beliefs I always got the feeling I also lost something dear to my heart. For the first time this year I've realised I don't have to sacrifice one for the other. Yule is where my spiritual soul resides but Christmas is where my memories and traditions come from and a connection to what my ancestors celebrated for at least the last few hundred years. This is season of warmth, love, peace, joy and hope for a new year ahead, that should connect us all, no matter our individual beliefs and faith is.

Annie Lennox - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

I just love this video, Annie Lennox gives her unique and formidable artistic touch to this tradional christmas carol 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen', The video magical combines Christianity, Paganism, Folklore, Medival and Victorian imagery in a fantastic mix. I love the costume and hat Annie wears as she wanders with her musical group through the snow holding her staff. The feel of the video even has a touch of darkness in places, but then isn't that in line with Yule itself? we come out of the dark half of the year at this time and start to enter the light again with the winter solstice. I have read some comments from people who dislike this video from a Christian point of view but I think they miss the point, for christians yes this is a great festival of birth but also for pagans this time of year is also the start of renewal and hope, for atheists as for the rest of us Christmas / Yule is also a time of family and friends. Festivals have been held at this time of year for thousands of years and long before christianity. Whether you belive in the one god or many or none, I hope the feeling of hope and love this time of year can bring, is bright in your heart.


This song is on Annie Lennox's new christmas cd - A Christmas Cornucopia