Yule tide is my favorite Sabbat for it's one of the few in which I can include my non-Wiccan friends. When I was a solitary Wiccan it could sometimes be quite lonely especially around the sabbats so if I could involve my friends it made it a bit better for me. I have two dear friends who are very open minded about things and they have allowed me to introduce my ritual into our annual Winter Solstice gathering. Every year I make a Yule log from the stump end of the previous year's Christmas tree. The log is usually no more than a foot long and about four to five inches thick. I then take some jute twine and wrap the log a few times in a criss-cross fashion and tie the loose ends together. I then snip fresh branches from the new Christmas tree and a few small branches from the local madrone trees or piracanthra or anything bearing red berries at that time of year. I arrange them nicely and tie them together then tie them onto the log. I let it sit for a day or two so the greenery isn't too fresh. Then on Solstice day I bring the log with me along with a few sheets of parchment paper, a bottle of mead (honey wine), little bag of mulling spices and a box of See's chocolates.
We usually sit down for a visit first and put the mead to warm up in a pan on the stove. I toss the small bag of spices in. For this I fill a sealable tea bag with a 1/4 teaspoon each of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. When it's warmed up on low heat for about 10 minutes or so we fill our mugs and soon sit down to a casual dinner. Afterwards we go into the living room to sit by the fireplace. I pass out the parchment paper and my friend passes around her colored pens and we all write down our wishes that we want to come true in the coming year. We do not tell anyone what our wishes are and once we've finished writing we fold our papers and slip them under the twine wrappings on the Yule log. When everyone is finished I'll take the Yule log say a little blessing over it and then toss it into the fire. Then we pass the box of chocolates around and pass out gifts to eachother. This has been our little tradition for many years now.
A Winter Solstice Prayer
By Leeanen Sidhe
‘Tis the time of the Winter Solstice,
the blessed season of Yule Tide.
‘Tis the end of the Dead Time,
when after the longest night of the year
the sun finally rises in triumph.
And so begin the days of growing light.
‘Tis the point of conception,
when the first signs of life begin to stir
within the womb of the Earth
kept warm and safe from the cold world above,
awaiting the season of birth.
‘Tis the beginning of the cycle of life,
when the old ways must be shed
and new ways take their place,
when the seeds of growth, understanding
and change should be planted.
Blessings to the Mother Earth for all she gives.
May we learn the lessons she teaches us well.
May we never take her gifts for granted.
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