Solstice and Equinox Traditions

Observing holidays is a tradition intertwined with spirituality. The depth of humanity’s

need for holy days and the biological connection to the earth’s yearly cycles are
subjects that have not been satisfactorily researched.

Here are some astronomical events that have been used to mark holy days in many
different religions for thousands of years. Celebrating these events recognizes both
the continuity of humanity over thousands of years and how much we have
progressed from the simple agrarians who depended upon astronomical sightings for
their survival. For further reading on these topics see here.

1
2
Winter Solstice

3
The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, with the sun at its lowest and
weakest. In the Northern Hemisphere it usually occurs around December 21st.

In pagan Scandinavia the winter festival was the Yule, celebrated by burning the
hearth fires of the magically significant Yule log. In the Celtic Druid culture, the
Winter Solstice was celebrated by hanging sacred mistletoe over a doorway or in a
room to offer goodwill to visitors. Germanic tribes decorated a pine or fir tree with
candles and tokens. The Inca held midwinter ceremonies at temples that served as
astronomical observatories like Machu Pichu.

Romans celebrated this event with Saturnalia, a festival of merrymaking, and

decorating their homes and temples with holly and evergreens. Also popular was the
exchange of small gifts thought to bring luck on the recipient.

In the fourth century AD, Christian authorities in Rome attempted to eliminate the
pagan festivities by adopting December 25th as Christ’s birthday. The effort was
never completely successful, and eventually many Winter Solstice customs were
incorporated into Christmas observances.

Since so many of these traditions have persisted for thousands of years despite
extensive efforts to eliminate them, we think it best to celebrate the Winter Solstice
with these ancient customs, recognizing our links to the rest of humanity, past and
present.

Spring Equinox

Spring or Vernal Equinox, also known as Ostara, Easter, and St. Patrick’s Day,
occurs in the middle of March in the Northern Hemisphere. It marks the beginning of
Spring and the time when days and nights are of equal length.

Megalithic people on Europes Atlantic fringe calculated the date of the Spring
Equinox using circular monuments constructed of huge stones. Germanic tribes
associated it with the fertility goddess Ostara. The Mayans of Central America still
gather at the pyramid at Chichen Itza which was designed to produce a “serpent”
shadow on the Spring Equinox. The Ancient Saxons held a feast day for their version
of the fertility goddess, Eostre, on the full moon following the Vernal Equinox. Eostre
is associated with the symbols of decorated eggs and hares.

Ancient influences from the worship of the goddess Ostara or Eostre have persisted
in the form of fertility symbols of Easter eggs and the hare or rabbit. By the use of
these symbols of spring, rebirth, and fertility we reinforce our connection to
humanity’s past.

Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice, sometimes known as Midsummer, Litha, or St. John’s Day, occurs
around June 21st in the Northern Hemisphere. It is a celebration of the longest day
of the year and the beginning of Summer.

4
The first (or only) full moon in June is called the Honey Moon. Tradition holds that
this is the best time to harvest honey from the hives and was a popular time to get
married because of the events association with fertility gods and godesses. Harvests
of St. Johns Wort were used in potions and woven into garlands to decorate and
protect houses and domestic animals. Slav and Celt tribes celebrated with huge
bonfires and people would jump over the embers for luck. In Scandinavia women
and girls ceremonially bathed in rivers.

In Portugal, people say that St. John’s Eve water possesses great healing power.
Before dawn both cattle and young children bathed in rivers or dew, to ensure health
and strength. In Russia, the summer solstice celebration is called Kupalo. Kupalo
comes from the verb kupati, to bathe, and mass baths were taken on Midsummer
morning.

Celebrating the Summer Solstice with bonfires and ceremonial bathing recognizes
and strengthens our connections to nature and humanity.

Fall Equinox

In the Northern Hemisphere the Autumnal Equinox, occurs around September 23rd
or 24th. It is also known as Michaelmas, Mabon, and Harvest Home.

Traditionally, the Japanese marked the spring and fall Equinox with higan, a seven
day period in which they remember their ancestors by visiting the family grave,
cleaning the tombstone, offering flowers and food, burning incense sticks, and
praying.

The Polish Feast of Greenery involves bringing bouquets and foods for blessing by a
priest, then using them for medicine or keeping them until the following years
harvest. The Roman celebration of the Fall Equinox was dedicated to Pomona,
goddess of fruits and growing things.

A feast was celebrated with a traditional well fattened goose which had fed well on
the stubble of the fields after the harvest. Another tradition of of the Autumnal
Equinox is the use of ginger. All manner of foods seasoned with ginger are part of
the day’s menu from gingerbread to ginger beer.

In England, the last sheaf of corn harvested represented the `spirit of the field’ and
was made into a doll. Corn dolls were drenched with water representing rain or
burned to represent the death of the grain spirit. Large wickerwork figures were also
constructed to represent a vegetation spirit and burnt in mock sacrifice. Farmers and
merchants gathered at fairs. Often a large glove was suspended above the fair,
symbolizing the handshake of promises and openhandedness and generosity.

The tradition of celebrating the end of summer with a ‘burning man’ has been
enthusiastically revived in the US as a festival of performance art and creativity.
Participating in your own burning man celebration is a powerful way to connect with
humanity, past and present.

5
Celebrating the Seasons
Lore and Rituals by Selena Fox

The Solstices, Equinoxes, and mid-points between - - also known as the Cross Quarters - -
have been celebrated by a variety of Nature peoples around the world and across the ages.
Today, Wiccans and other Pagans often blend together ancient as well as contemporary
approaches to celebrating these seasonal festivals. For each of these holidays, I give a brief
overview and share some associated customs. I have had direct experience with all of these.
The Sabbat cycle I describe here reflects the climate zone in the Northern hemisphere where I
live as well as my own multi-cultural, spiritual approach with a Wiccan emphasis. Feel free
to adapt these customs to reflect your own environment and spiritual path.

Imbolc

 Also called:Candlemas, Oimelc, Brigid's Day; merged with Lupercalia/Valentines

Day
 dates:February 2, early February
 colors: white, red
 tools:candles, seeds, Brigid wheel, milk
 energy: conception, initiation, inspiration
 goddesses:Brigid, Maiden
 gods:Groundhog, other creatures emerging from hibernation; young Sun
 rituals:creative inspiration, purification, initiation, candle work, house & temple
blessings
 customs: lighting candles, seeking omens of Spring, cleaning house, welcoming
Brigid

6
 Spring Equinox

 Also called: Ostara, Vernal Equinox

 dates: around March 21 (northern hemisphere)
 related holidays: Easter
 colors: green, yellow
 tools: eggs, basket, green clothes
 energy: birthing, sprouting, greening
 goddesses: Ostara, Kore, Maiden
 gods: Hare, Green Man, Dionysus
 rituals: breakthrough, new growth, new projects, seed blessings
 customs: wearing green, egg games, new clothes, egg baskets

Beltane

 Also called: May Eve, May Day, Walspurgis Night

 dates:April 30, early May
 colors:rainbow spectrum, blue, green, pastels, all colors
 tools:Maypole & ribbons, flower crowns, fires, bowers, fields
 energy: youthful play, exhuberance, sensuality, pleasure
 goddesses:May Queen, Flora
 gods:May King, Jack in the Green
 rituals: love, romance, fertility, crop blessings, creativity endeavors
 customs: dancing Maypole, jumping fire, mating, flower baskets

7
 Summer Solstice

 Also called:Midsummer, Litha, St. John's Day

 dates:around June 21
 colors:yellow, gold, rainbow colors
 tools:bonfires, Sun wheel, Earth circles of stone energy: partnership
 goddesses:Mother Earth, Mother Nature
 gods:Father Sun/Sky, Oak King
 rituals:community, career, relationships, Nature Spirit communion, planetary
wellness
 customs: bonfires, processions, all night vigil, singing, feasting, celebrating with
others

Lammas

 Also called:Lughnassad
 dates: August 2, early August
 colors:orange, yellow, brown, green
 tools:sacred loaf of bread, harvested herbs, bonfires
 energy:fruitfulness, reaping prosperity
 goddesses: Demeter, Ceres, Corn Mother
 gods:Grain God, Lugh, John Barleycorn
 rituals:prosperity, generosity, continued success
 customs: offering of first fruits/grains, games, country fairs

8
 Fall Equinox

 Also called:Mabon, Michaelmas

 dates:around September 21
 colors:orange, red, brown, purple, blue
 tools:cornucopia, corn, harvested crops
 energy:appreciation & harvest
 goddesses:Bona Dea, Land Mother
 gods:Mabon, Sky Father
 rituals: thanksgiving, harvest, introspection
 customs: offerings to land, preparing for cold weather, bringing in harvest

Samhain

 Also called:Halloween, All Hallows Eve, All Saints & All Souls, Day of the Dead
 dates:October 31, early November
 colors:black, orange, indigo
 tools:votive candles, magic mirror, cauldron, pumpkins, divination tools
 energy:death & transformation; Wiccan new year
 goddesses:Crone, Hecate
 gods:Horned Hunter, Cernnunos, Anubis
 rituals:honoring ancestors, releasing old, foreseeing future, understanding death and
rebirth
 customs: jack o'lanterns, spirit plate, ancestor altar, divination, costumes

9
 Winter Solstice

 Also called:Yule, Jul, Saturnalia, Christmas, solar/secular New Year

 dates:around December 21 colors: red, green, white
 tools:mistletoe, evergreen wreath, lights, gifts, holly, Yule log, Yule tree
 energy:regeneration & renewal
 goddesses:Great Mother, Isis, Mary, Tonazin, Lucina, Bona Dea
 gods:Sun Child, Horus, Jesus, Mithras, Santa/Odin, Saturn, Holly King
 rituals:personal renewal, world peace, honoring family & friends
 customs: wreaths, lights, gift-giving, singing, feasting, resolutions

Celebrating Winter Solstice and The Evergreens

The Winter Solstice falls in the heart of the winter on the shortest day and the longest night of
the year. This special festival is an opportunity in our busy lives to put aside some time to
pause, to appreciate the stillness and rest that is the gift of midwinter, to reflect on the old
year that is finishing and to look forward with hope for the new year about to begin. It is a
time of coming together, of sharing, and appreciation of all we have. It is also a celebration of
our connectedness - to our family and friends, and to the Earth and her cycles. Create your
own family traditions as you explore the traditions from our ancient past.

* The eve of Winter Solstice is a special time for a dusk walk with the family - especially
good if you see the sun go down in the South West (around 3.45pm). Experience the
gathering dark, away from street lighting but make sure that as the light fades it is an easy
route to return home or to your car.

* Alternatively get the family up before dawn on Solstice morning. Make it exciting and
special, with special candles of their own to light at the breakfast table and a bowl of coloured
ribbons. Each chooses three to take with them. Go somewhere that faces the South East to
watch the Solstice sunrise, or the lightening of the sky if it is cloudy. (Sunrise is around 8am.)
Tie your ribbons onto a tree - each one a new intention for the new year: one for the Earth;
one for your family; and one for yourself.

* Invite everyone to gather for a Solstice celebration. All bring food to share, drums,
instruments and percussion, and a story to tell. This brings an exciting sense of a tribal
gathering as you all drum, entertain and eat together.

* Light a fire (inside or out) and pass round a basket of sticks, to represent something you
wish to let go of from the old year. Saying this out loud gives it strength as each throws their
stick in the fire.

10
* Lighting candles for the 'Return of the Sun' is an old tradition at this time, as is making
resolutions to begin the new cycle. All sit around a single candle in a large bowl of sand, with
all lights off. Each lights a candle and pushes it in the sand, and names their new intentions.

The Evergreens of Winter Solstice

Traditionally evergreens are brought into the house at the Solstice. Garden bushes can
be pruned, or sensitive guerilla pruning undertaken. Always remember to cut with
respect for the plant and the land and to leave berries for the birds.

* The Solstice Bush

Having rejected the idea of bringing a cut tree into the house for decorating, our family
has much enjoyment on Solstice morning, going out to gather greenery to make a
Solstice bush. You will need a few sturdy branches (either evergreens or bare twigs) to
give it form, anchoring them into a pot of wet soil or large jug of water and rocks. This
creates a counter balance to the weight of the twigs. Wrapped homemade sweets and
small natural decorations can be created and hung from it.

* Wreaths
There is an old tradition of making wheels of evergreens, within which you anchor your
hopes and dreams for the new cycle. It may take the form of a wreath to hang on the
door, or it may be laid horizontally with places for candles. Add sparkly beads to catch
the light and hold a wish.

Celebrating Samhain and the Elder Tree

As the season begins to change, and the year's outer growth cycle comes to an end, the
autumn reveals many new possibilities. The festival of Samhain, at the end of October, marks
the end of the old year's cycle and the beginning of the Celtic New Year. Traditionally it is a
time to honour our interconnected world, especially the unseen world of spirit; to welcome a
time of rest and renewal; and to remember those who have died.

* Samhain is a time to give thanks for the year that is now finishing. Name all the good things
as well as the challenges, and look for the hidden blessings that may be found within them.
Nurturing new directions brings hope and purpose to your winter months.

* Gather with friends and family for a Samhain celebration. Ask everyone to bring food and
drinks to share, and a special stone. Each holds their stone as they contemplate and reviews
the year that has ended. Each speaks from the heart and takes a wide overview as well as a
personal perspective. Each names a new hope or new direction that has been revealed and
embeds it in the stone, which can be decorated.

* A samhain tradition is to make a representation of the old year, using willow whips, ivy or
old man's beard as a base, and weaving in plants and natural things from the old year, such as
herbs, sprays of berries, dried grasses, the last flowers. Alternatively invite everyone to make
a Samhain head-dress using similar materials, or to pick a seasonal posy, to honour the
passing year.

11
* As the trees shed their leaves and bring their energy into their roots, ask yourself what do
you wish to let go of from the old year? Let them go with thanks and appreciation of the
lessons learnt. This makes space in your life for new things to begin. Ask yourself what will
strengthen the roots of your being, and help you to grow strong on the inside? Write about
this in your journal.

ELDER

The Elder was once known as the country medicine chest because of its many medicinal uses.
Our family would not be without Elderberry syrup, a highly effective boost to the immune
system, that will clear chesty coughs and sore throats and when taken at the first sign of a
cold can prevent it from happening altogether!

Gather bunches of ripe Elder berries and strip them into a large pan with your fingers. Add
cinnamon stick, chopped lemon, a few star anise, cloves, some slices of ginger... Be intuitive
with these! Stir it up and stand overnight.

The next day on a low heat, bring to the boil, letting the juices flow. When cool strain
through muslin or a clean cotton pillowcase, squeezing all the juices out. Then measure the
liquid. You need the same amount of clear honey to liquid.

Return to a clean pan. Heat gently and when hot but not boiling, stir in the honey. When it
has completely dissolved, pour into sterilised dark bottles. Tighten the lids while hot. Label
and date. Once opened it needs to be kept in the fridge.

The dose is a teaspoonful for adults or half a teaspoonful for children, three times a day NB:
DO NOT GIVE TO CHILDREN UNDER 3.

Growing Elder

Elder trees are easy to grow. Cut some lengths of twig and push into the ground or into a pot
of compost. They will take root in the winter months and sprout in the spring. Next winter
find somewhere to plant them out, ensuring your future supply of Elder flowers and Elder
berries!

Celebrating the Autumn Equinox and the Hazel Tree

Article for Green Parent September issue

By Glennie Kindred - www.glenniekindred.co.uk

Autumn Equinox, on the 23rd of September, is the harvest celebration of the year, and here
we pause for a moment to appreciate all the abundance that the Earth has provided. It is also
an opportunity to give thanks for your own harvest too and to look for the seeds within them.
Day and night are equal in length, and at this point of balance, look for what might have
become out of balance in your life and what you could do to help restore it?

12
* Plan a harvest party, asking everyone to bring seasonal home-cooked food and drinks to
share, and something to add to a central shrine that will reflect harvest in all its many
different ways.

* Ask everyone to bring things for a 'Basket of Abundance' - things they no longer want or
need, or an abundance of produce. This may be an ongoing flow of putting in and taking out,
or it might be part of a harvest ceremony, where each in turn lights a night-light with thanks
for their harvest, as each puts something in, and takes something out.

* Ask everyone to bring beads, seeds, shells, sticks, feathers, grasses, dried seed heads,
flowers, ribbons, threads, large-eyed-needles, scissors etc. Make a place for everyone to sit
together to weave, thread, bind and create something that reflects the abundance of your
harvest moment. It may be a necklace to wear, a head-dress, a posy to hang up, a special
harvest wand or totem. As you make it, think positively about the things you are harvesting
right now and count your blessings!

* Using your creation as an anchor, take it in turns to share with each other both your harvest
and the seeds hidden within your harvest, and how you might take these gifts forwards for
your greater good and the greater good of the Earth.

* Take the children into the woods to gather nuts and fruit. (Always remember to leave plenty
for the birds and forest creatures whose lives will depend on them, and only gather from
where there is a great abundance.) Plant native tree seeds such as acorns, hazelnuts, rowan
berries, alder cones, haws from the Hawthorn. It is a good idea to tie some netting over the
pot to stop mice from digging them up. Label the pots and leave them outside. Some will
germinate in the spring, when they can be potted up into a larger pot. Eventually they will
need permanent homes. Plant them in the ground when the leaves have fallen and root energy
begins.

HAZEL - Corylus avellana

Hazel is a very useful tree to have in the garden. The many straight stems or 'rods' growing
from its base can be cut and used to make dens, archways, bowers, screens and other creative
structures. The more you cut them, the more will grow. (Only cut the straight rods as the
other more twisty ones are nut bearing.)

Forked Hazel divining sticks have long been used to find hidden underground water. If you
want to have a go, cut a fresh forked Hazel twig, and state your intention to use it to find
water. Holding the two arms, pull them slightly apart to create tension and walk slowly. The
tip of the twig will 'twitch', as it responds to water below the ground.

Hazel nuts or 'cobs' are a rich source of protein. Roast them in a heavy pan with a little olive
oil, adding a little salt at the end. Alternatively grind them up, adding extra oil and cocoa for
your very own chocolate hazelnut spread.

CELEBRATING SUMMER SOLSTICE AND THE OAK

TREE

13
The Summer Solstice marks the longest day and shortest night of the year in the Northern
Hemisphere. From this point onwards the days will shorten and the nights will lengthen until
we reach the Winter Solstice once again. This is a transition moment, a recognition that a new
cycle is about to begin, a moment to pause, to look back and celebrate what we have actively
achieved in the last six months, and envision the harvest to come. By marking the Solstices
we acknowledge this beautiful flowing symmetry that brings balance to the natural world and
into our lives.

Traditionally people would gather together on Solstice Eve for a candle-lit procession, and
entertain each other with music, dancing and plays. They would gather around a 'bon' fire (a
'good' fire) of Oak wood and stay up all night until dawn (around 3.30 am), to watch the Sun
of the new cycle rise in the extreme North East.

Is there a way you could gather with friends and family and experience this ancient tradition?
Daybreak particularly feels very special. Being out so early in the half light, hearing the
loudness of the dawn chorus and watching the sky lighten or the Sun break free of the
horizon as the day begins, is thrilling and worth the adventure of being up so early. (or so late
if you stay up!) Ask everyone to bring food and drink to share and some firewood for the fire
and ways for the children to sleep comfortably. Make simple head-dresses from twisted and
bound grasses and wild flowers. The sticky long stalks of Cleavers (Sticky Willy) make
instant circlets that can be used as a basis for further weaving. Encourage everyone to look
for a special 'Solstice Stone' along the way, and use it as a meditation stone to contemplate
this great turning point in the year's cycle.

As the Sun rises or the sky lightens, holding your stone, each calls out 'I give thanks for......'
Everyone cheers each other on. Let your heart expand with your love for life! Share breakfast
together and go for a walk afterwards.

Alternatively gather with family and friends for a 'Bring and Share' Summer Solstice Supper.
Have an evening walk to a place that faces the North West and watch the Sun go down. Light
an outdoor fire or if indoors, light lots of candles in a bowl of sand, and sit round it to share
and celebrate what each person has done since Midwinter. Reflect on new skills and insights
gained, possible new directions and understandings that will help take you forwards. This
close-sharing around firelight is very magical and offers opportunity for deepening our
relationships with each other. Again, cheer each other on, make it celebratory! Raise glasses
in a toast to each other.

THE OAK - Quercus robur

The Oak is linked with the Summer Solstice in folklore and legend as the doorway into the
inner realms and the new dark cycle of the year that is about to begin. Set out on a quest to
find an Oak tree that you can regularly sit with. For generations people have sat beneath the
mighty Oak to gain strength and spiritual renewal. It helps the inner world to slip back into
perspective, allowing new understanding to grow and decisions to be made from a place of
balance.

Thank the tree before you leave, as this helps build personal and heartfelt connection. Our
appreciation keeps our hearts open and paves the way for that wonder of wild edge
phenomena - of having true friendship and relationship with trees.

14
CELEBRATING BELTAIN AND THE HAWTHORN
TREE
Beltain is one of the great fire festivals of our ancient past, when bonfires were lit on the hill
tops and communities gathered together to feast, party, stay up all night and welcome in the
dawn. Beltain, is a celebration of the beginning of summer and the power of the life force. At
this fertile time of the year dare to reach out for your wildest dreams. What do you wish to
grow in your life right now?

* Gather outside with friends and family on the eve of the first of May or at the nearest full
Moon to this. Ask everyone to bring food and firewood to share. Eat and tell stories together
round the fire and enjoy the sense of community this brings. Celebrate this opportunity for
everyone to be outside and experience the rich moment of transition between dusk and
nightfall.

* Make headdresses and crowns of flowers and greenery and celebrate your connection to
your wild self and the Earth. Begin with a circle of ivy that fits the head comfortably and
weave and tie the rest in with raffia. Tie ribbons from your headdress, counting your
blessings with each one.

* Have a basket of sticks ready and ask everyone to take two sticks; one to represent
something they wish to fire up and make fertile and the other something to let go of to help
this to happen. Take it in turns to put them in the fire with ceremony. Saying out loud what
they are strengthens your intention and resolve and anchors them in your heart.

* Pass round a basket of ribbons and each take three. Tie your three ribbons on a tree with
three wishes: one for the Earth, one for yourself and one for your family or community.

HAWTHORN

The Hawthorn or May tree is associated with Beltain, with fertility and with faerie and nature
spirits, and even when growing in towns they still retain the spirit of the wild places.
Hawthorns are long lived and some may be over 400 years old. Groups of old Hawthorn
trees, especially if they grew in threes, were considered to be potent places where time and
reality could shift and were treated with great respect. Lone Hawthorns were used to mark
and protect the site of a spring or underground water and other places of significance.

* It is a safe herbal remedy for children and the elderly alike, and will relieve tension and
anxiety and bring a relaxing sleep.

* Another name for the Hawthorn is the 'Bread and Cheese Tree'. This refers to the young
leaves and leaf buds which can be eaten straight from the tree or added to salads, helping to
lower cholesterol. Chop the young leaves up finely and add honey and a dash of vinegar (and
garlic to taste). Good with potatoes.

* The blossom can be drunk as a tonic tea, which also has a beneficial effect on the heart and
circulation. Flower buds and petals can be sprinkled over salads at the last minute or used to
decorate puddings, cakes and drinks. Use the petals straight away as they deteriorate quickly.
Don't wash them, but shake out any insects first.

15
* Fill a jar with Hawthorn buds and cover with clear honey. Poke it well to release any air
bubbles and let it stand for a week. Delicious on bread or over ice-cream or porridge.

* Pieces of Hawthorn are given as a protective charm, a talisman or a token of friendship and
Love. It is a beautiful wood and sands up to a lovely tactile smooth finish.

CELEBRATING IMBOLC AND THE SILVER BIRCH

Green Parent Magazine - Winter 2015

By Glennie Kindred - www.glenniekindred.co.uk

Imbolc is a celebration of the Earth's re-awakening as the Sun's warmth and light begins to
return. Here at Imbolc we ask ourselves what new potential lies in the new growth cycle to
come? What do we wish to set in motion and begin? Here we consciously fire up our
intentions for change, especially those that propel us forwards and transform us from the
inside. This is a great opportunity to change old habits and patterns and work towards
changing our relationship with the natural world; to see our selves as part of nature and the
great web of life, not separated from it. Ask yourself how you will help initiate this
understanding both in yourself and in your children? Seek new thinking patterns and new
lifestyles that will create a more sustainable and integrated future for our children and for the
Earth.

* Meet other families for an Imbolc walk and look for signs of new life stirring in nature.
Gather fresh windblown twigs, Birch bark, feathers and seed heads along the way and after
your walk, sit together to make an Imbolc doll or Earth Spirit. Push a large bead on a twig to
make the head or use curled Birch bark stuffed with wool. Pipe cleaners can be used to make
arms and wrapped with wool. Keep them simple. As you wrap wool around your Imbolc
spirit, weave in all the new things you wish to set in motion this year. Afterwards have a 'Go-
Round' and share these with each other.

* Gather together around a fire, indoor or out and share homemade food. If you can't have a
fire then fill a bowl with soil or sand and have a bowl of candles. Light one candle at the
centre with a blessing for Imbolc. Each lights a candle in turn and says what they are
appreciating in their lives right now.

* Spend some time visioning the future you would like to live in. Visualise your own
community and how it could improve with community projects and care for nature. Vision
the very best, the most wonderful, and the most heartwarming. Share your visions with each
other. Anything is possible. As we vision these things they begin to have life. What will you
do to support your vision?

SILVER BIRCH

The Birch is the first tree of the Celtic Tree Ogham. It is a great pioneer tree and is associated
with boldness to begin and a new start. The Birch has the ability to change and transform a
landscape by being the first tree to colonise new ground. This brings association with vitality

16
and the will to survive. Known as a nurse tree, it sheds it twigs, branches and leaves readily,
creating a fertile soil for other trees to grow in. Sit with this beautiful energy to find a sense
of clarity and restored direction.

* Pick a bunch of Birch twigs. (Say thank you to the tree!) and place in a vase of water. The
buds will swell and the catkins spill out, bringing a sense of spring on its way!

* Birch bark can be peeled from fallen Birch trees. It is easy to cut into shapes with scissors
and drawn or written on with felt tips. What do you wish to make manifest and celebrate this
coming year? Choose 3 things - one for yourself, one for your community or family and one
for the Earth and decorate your Birch shapes with words or pictures for each. A hole can be
made with an awl or large nail and they can be threaded and hung in the window or from
your Birch twigs.

Samhain
Samhain is the end and the beginning of the Celtic New Year, a powerful and exciting time if
you value the deep transitional alchemy of this part of the cycle. Samhain is an affirmation of
rebirth in the midst of death and darkness,the end and death of the old year, bringing
opportunity for renewal and new beginnings.

In the past Samhain (pronounced Sow-ein),was acknowledged, like Beltain, as a particularly

potent time when the veil between the seen world of matter and the unseen world of spirit
becomes thin. Traditionally it has always been seen as a time to explore the inner mysteries, a
time for divination, omens, portents, for communication with the ancestors and the spirit
realms. It is a time of reflection, resting, drifting, dreaming and connecting to the wisdom
within ourselves.

Darkness was important to the Celts. To them it was as important as the light. Darkness and
death had power which they did not fear. Here at Samhain, as the Earth is plunged into its
darkest time of the year, they blessed the seeds whose germination in the dark would once
again bring life, when the Sun returned. Ceremonies were held at the burial mounds, tumuli
and long barrows. Womb and tomb were closely linked in the Celtic mind, and this explains
why so many tombs of this period and earlier, had tunnel entrances leading to a dark inner
chamber. Not only were they places where the important dead were buried, but they are also
important centres of Earth energy which were, and can still be, used to enhance inner
journeying. They communicated with their ancestors, believing deceased family members
could visit their loved ones at this time of the year. Places were laid at the table during the
feast so that the dead could be with their families and friends. Both the word ghost and the
word guest have their roots in the German 'geist', originally a spirit of the dead invited to the
Samhain feast.

Samhain became the Christian All Souls Night, All Hallows Eve (Halloween) of 31st October
and All Souls Day of 1st November. Fear and superstitions replaced the potent power
inherent in this celebration. It was thought that others could also slip through the gap in
space-time: the faerie, the sidhe, hobgoblins, elves and other mischief makers. This is the root
of Halloween's 'mischief night'. Only those in disguise could venture out. The emissaries of
the devil were also feared along with evil ghosts and many 'horrors of hell' which were let
loose on this night which all good Christian folk were led to fear.

17
Samhain is one of the four great Fire Festivals of our Celtic past. Bonfires called 'samhnagan'
were lit on the hilltops - the tumuli and burial mounds of the communities past. All the other
fires in the community were put out and were then rekindled from the samhnagan. The
Church brought the people away from the burial mounds, but Samhain customs continued to
thrive. Each village or household lit their own bonfires. (Note the proximity to our bonfire
night). In Wales, omens were read from white stones which were thrown into the ashes of the
fire and then interpreted the next morning by the marks found there. Halloween apple games
grew out of the Celtic belief in the apple as a holy fruit, sacred and magical, a means to
immortality, death and rebirth. In Celtic myth, the apples of the goddess, (sometimes called
Hels apples, after the Underworld goddess Hellenes) signified a sacred marriage and a
journey to the land of death and rebirth. Later, Hels apples became the poisoned apples of
Christian folklore which the 'wicked witch' used to kill her victims. Cutting the apple
transversely reveals the hidden five pointed star in the core, the magic pentacle, sign of the
dark mysteries of the goddess and protection. Apples continue to be used at Samhain for
games and divination.

Here the Grain Mother becomes the Crone, the wise woman, the death aspect of her trinity,
until she is reborn as her virgin aspect with the rebirth of the Sun at the Winter Solstice. The
Sun king is sacrificed back into the land having swelled the seeds which now lie in the dark
of the Earth until the Sun's return. He too becomes a death god and shaman, able to travel the
inner realms. These myths reflect the understanding of the year's cycle. Death and darkness
were seen as a period of rest and regeneration before rebirth.

Hell was previously a Norse Queen of the Underworld, Hellenes, and 'Hel' a uterine shrine, a
sacred cave of rebirth deep within the Earth. The dark regenerative power of the goddess was
honoured throughout the Celtic and ancient world. Rhea-Kronia (the female counterpart to
Cronos) devoured time itself, returning to the dark elemental formless chaos before time. Kali
or Kali Ma, the Dark Mother of the Hindu Triple Goddess, devoured her own children.
Rhiannon, also known as the Mother of Time, also devoured her own children and rode her
horse through the regions of the dark. Morgan le Fey, Morgan the Fate, Morrigan, the Queen
of Phantoms, a death goddess, reappeared in the Arthurian legends as Morgan. Cerridwen
who kept the Cauldron of Rebirth and Regeneration, was known as the Grandmother of
Memory and the Keeper of the ancestral gateway. Cailleach, the Black Mother, made the
world. Scotland was once Caledonia, the land given by Cailleach or Cale. 'Scotland' came
from Scotia, a Roman goddess known as the Dark Aphrodite, and known to the Celts as Satha
or Scythia. To the Scandinavians, she was known as Skadi, personified as an old woman, hag
or Veiled One. Mana and Mara were ancient Roman Goddesses whose ancestral spirits were
called Manes, and ruled the Underworld. Maia was the Greek grandmother of Magic, mother
of Hermes, the enlightened one, who conducted the souls of the dead to the Underworld.
Hecate was one of the oldest Goddesses in her crone aspect, found in ancient Greece. She
ruled Heaven, Earth, and the Underworld; she ruled magic, omens and prophecy and she was
also known as Persephone, ruler of the Underworld of ancient myth. Other goddesses of the
Underworld include Minerva, Athene, Sophia and Medusa. The word 'crone' may have come
from Rhea Cronia, Old Mother Time, but may also be linked to 'corone', the carrion crow
which was sacred to the death goddesses. Black was the colour she assumed before her re-
emergence as her white virgin aspect at the Winter Solstice. Samhain can be seen as a
psychic return to the dark womb, a time for regeneration and rest.

Samhain is named after an Aryan lord of death, Samana or Samavurt who, along with other
pre-Christian male gods, was given the title the Grim Reaper, the Leveller, the Dark Lord,

18
Leader of Ancestral Ghosts, the Judge of the Dead. Sata, the Great Serpent, was an
underground aspect of the Sun found in ancient Egypt, the root of Satan, the Angel of
Darkness. Pluto, Hades, Aidoneus, Saman, Sammael, Cronus, Saturn, Hermes, Samanik,
were some of the old gods associated with death and the Underworld which the Church
personified as the devil. The Underworld and darkness became a place to fear and the Celtic
understanding of its regenerative aspect became lost. The Church created hell out of the
Celtic Otherworld, and every sadistic cruel fantasy man could invent, was assigned to it.

Use this time for rest and renewal. Slip beyond the rational and the logical and go beyond the
seen world, listen to your intuition and learn to value this as part of your whole self. Use this
time for learning, for collecting, sorting and memorising information, so that when the time
for action comes, you will have assimilated new knowledge which can be used when needed.
Fear is one of our greatest teachers. Turn and look at what you fear and where the roots of
this may lie. By being open to your intuition, new insights and realisations may be revealed.
use this time of rest to seek out the old patterns of thought or behaviour which are not serving
you well. Once revealed you can choose to think and live in a different way. Review and
assimilate what you have learned in the active phase of the year's cycle. Out of difficult
situations comes power, hope, rebirth, inner strength, wisdom and maturity. Nurture new
visions, dreams, ideas and direction, so that they may incubate in the dark winter months
ready to be named and birthed at the Winter Solstice.

The Alchemy

The Nigredo and Putrefaction alchemical processes bring the same teaching as Samhain. The
substance in the flask is broken down to its base components, becoming black decaying
matter. Nigredo is the ending of one cycle, out of which new possibilities are revealed. It
involves a descent into the darkness to find our Lead, which is also our Gold, the alchemists
prime substance, base matter, the very essence of life. It is an opportunity to go deep inside
ourselves to explore our Lead. What weighs you down and stops you moving forward? What
dampens your fire? What blocks your joy? These things will eventually manifest as illness if
not transformed. Once we have identified these things we can begin to transform them into
our Gold.

I let go of all the 'should haves' and failures, my worries and insecurities, and all the hurts
and fears I have been hanging on to that have limited and bound me. They fall away from me
like leaves from my tree. They become my compost as they rot and decay. This is the
alchemical experience of Putrefaction. It is the composting of all the matter in the flask,
which comes from the release, the breaking down of all the separated parts and the letting go
of stored negativity.

By letting go of the old I empty myself so that I can rest uncluttered, unhindered by baggage
from the past. I lie back and enjoy the peace and the darkness, as I dream new dreams and
see potential in new possibilities. My alchemist flask is now full of well rotted composts,
ready to receive the new seeds that will take me into the next cycle.

Imbolc Customs & Lore

19
Other Festival Names:

Candlemas, Oimlec, Brigid's Day, Groundhog's Day; merged with Lupercalia/Valentines Day

Festival Dates:

January 31, February 1, February 2, February 6, February 7.

Multicultural Parallels:

Ground Hog's Day (USA); Aztec New Year; Chinese New Year; Roman Lupercalia;
Valentine's Day (USA); Armenian Candlemas.

Flames: Sacred Fire

 torchlit processions circling fields to purify & invigorate for the coming growing
season (old Pagan)
 lighting & blessing of candles (11th century, Christian)
 sacred fire of Brigid (Celtic Pagan)
 torchlit procession to honor Juno Februata/Regina (Pagan Rome; Christianized, 7th
century)

Brigid: Celtic Goddess

Triple Aspects:


o Goddess of Inspiration - poets, poetry, creativity, prophecy, arts
o Goddess of Smithcraft - blacksmiths, goldsmiths, household crafts
o Goddess of Healing - healers, medicine, spiritual healing, fertility (crops, land,
cattle)

Symbols:


o Fire - flames, candle crown, hearth
o Water - cauldron, springs, wells
o Grain - Brigid wheels, corn/oat sheaf Goddess effigy, Brigid's Bed
o Creatures - white cow with red ears, wolf, snake, swan and vulture
o Talismans - Shining Mirror to Otherworld, Spinning Wheel and Holy Grail

Name variations:

Brighid; Bride (Scotland), Brid, Brigit, Bridget, Briganta (England), Brigan, Brigindo
(Gaul), Berecyntia, Brigandu (France)
Name means Bright One, High One, Bright Arrow, Power.
Christianized forms: St. Brigit (Irish), St. Ffraid (Welsh), St. Bridget (Swedish), Queen
of Heaven, Prophetess of Christ, Mary.

Pictish Pagan Roots

20
Bruide, the Pictish royal throne name, is said to derived from the Pagan Goddess Brigid. The
Bruide name was given to each Pagan Pictish king who was viewed as the male manifestation
of the spirit of the Goddess. The most sacred place of the Picts was Abernethy in Fife. It was
dedicated to Brigid, in Pagan times, and to St. Brigid, in Christian times. Columban monks
tended a Celtic abbey there and hereditary abbots were of the Earl of Fife branch of the Clan
MacDuff, which survived to the present day as Clan Wemyss (Weems).

Irish Transitions and Traditions

When Ireland was Christianized, veneration of the Pagan Goddess Brigid was transformed
into that of St. Brigit, said to be the human daughter of a Druid. St. Brigit became a saint after
her "death" and was supposedly converted and baptized by St. Patrick. Pagan lore was
incorporated into the Christian traditions and legends associated with Her as a saint. For
example, as St. Brigit, She had the power to appoint bishops and they had to be goldsmiths.
She was associated with miracles and fertility. Into the 18th century a women's only shrine
was kept to her in Kildare (meaning Church of the Oak) in Ireland. There, nineteen nuns
tended Her continually burning sacred flame. An ancient song was sung to Her: "Brigid,
excellent woman, sudden flame, may the bright fiery sun take us to the lasting kingdom."
Brigid/St. Brigit was said to be the inventor of whistling and of keening.

Customs

 Blessing rushes/straw and making Brigid wheels

 Putting out food and drink for Brigid on Her eve (such as buttered bread, milk, grains,
seeds)
 Chair by hearth decorated by women; young woman carries in first flowers & greens,
candle.
 Opening the door and welcoming Her into the home. "Bride! Come in, they bed is
made! Preserve the House for the Triple Goddess!" Scottish Gaelic Invocation: "May
Brigit give blessing to the house that is here; Brigit, the fair and tender,Her hue like
the cotton-grass, Rich-tressed maiden of ringlets of gold."
 Brigid's Bed (Scotland): Putting grain effigy and a phallic wand in a basket next to the
hearth/candles at night and chanting three times: "Brigid is Come! Brigid is
Welcome!"

Purification

 removing Yuletide greens from home & burning them (Celtic)

 cleaning up fields and home (old Roman, Februa "to cleanse" month)
 Mary purification festival (Christian, Western church)
 burning old Brigid's wheels and making new ones (some parts of Ireland)
 placing Brigid's wheel above/on door to bless home (Celtic, Wiccan)

Signs of Spring: Ground Hog's Day

 seeds as a symbols of new life to come

 first greens and flowers as offerings
 weather - bright or grey
 hibernating animals - groundhog, bear, badger

21
 If Candlemas day be sunny and bright, Winter again will show its might.
If Candlemas day be cloudy and grey, Winter soon will pass away. (Fox version)
If Candlemas day be fair and bright, Winter will have another flight.
If Candlemas day be shower and rain, Winter is gone and will not come again.
(Traditional)

Spiritual Awakening: Spirit Within

 initiations - self, group (Dianic & Faery Wiccan); Christchild in temple (Christian,
Eastern church)
 dedication - shrines, temples (contemporary Pagan)
 self blessing and spiritual dedication
 inner journey for Divine inspiration
 affirming the artist/innovator within; energizing creative work.

Spring Equinox Rituals

Signs of Spring - take a Nature walk with your attention focused on changes in the land,
climate, creatures, plants. Reflect on yourself renewing as other parts of Nature your
encounter are doing this.

Spring Cleaning - in & around home. Sweeping, scrubbing, smudging, burning, re-
organizing, more.

Airing out the Home - opening windows and letting new air flow through and circulate.

Spring Home Blessings - consecrate with Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Spirit; bless threshold.

Home Altar Renewal - take off all objects, clean altar and area around it, assess what to
keep & what to change, re-set, add Spring decorations.

Spring Decorations - place Spring symbols such as wreath and/or budding branches on or
near front door, place symbolic and/or actual flowers, other symbols around home.

Egg Traditions - coloring, exchanges, hunts, games, decorations, foods, divinations

New Growth Choices Egg Rolling Divination - decorate a hardboiled egg with symbols of
possible actions to bring about new growth; with intention, roll the egg to discover which to
work with first.

Spring Tonic - infuse herbs in hot water to create a tea, drink it with intention of
rejuvenation; use newly sprouted greens when available.

New Garb - purchase and/or create something new to wear - clothing, hat, shoes, necklace,
or other item; wearing it as symbolic of new life spring forth.

Seeds Blessings - selecting seeds to be planted, blessing seeds, starting seeds.

22
Garden Blessings - clearing away debris, burying egg or other charm for abundance,
envisioning abundant growth of plants in the garden.

Spring Meditations - working with one or more Spring images: Ostara, Green
Gods/Goddesses, Flora, Maia, Demeter & Kore, Dionysus, Jack-in-Green, Balance of Day &
Night, Flowers, Eggs, Baskets, Maypole, Greening/budding branches, Butterflies, Sunshine,
others.

Festival Rites - Spring Equinox, Earth Day, Beltane; bonfires, greeting dawn, dance,
processions, song.

Spring Chants by Selena Fox

Welcome Spring Chant

We Honor the Fertile Earth. We Honor the Warming Breezes.

We Honor the Waxing Light. We Honor the Nurturing Rains.

Welcome Spring, New Life to Bring, to Land, to Us, to All.

Welcome Spring, Rebirth we Sing, Within and 'Round Us All.

New Life Chant

New Life Spring Forth, New Life Spring Forth, New Life Spring Forth, Rise in Me!

Earth & Sky Chant

Mother Earth Renew Us, Father Sky Refresh Us!

Spring Equinox Chant

Time of Equal Nights & Equal Days.

Time to Welcome Spring in Sacred Ways.

Ostara Meditation

23
by Selena Fox

Introduction

Ostara is the Goddess of Spring and the Dawn, whose worship goes back to ancient Pagan
Teutonic/Saxon cultures. Contemporary Pagans of many paths honor Her at Spring Equinox
time. Also known as Eostre, the Christian festival of Easter was named for Her, and the
Easter Bunny, baskets, and colored eggs that are part of Springtime and Easter celebrations in
America, Europe, and other parts of the world are rooted in Her lore and symbology.

Over the years, I have created and guided Ostara meditations as part of our Welcome Spring
Festival at Circle Sanctuary at Spring Equinox time. This form of my Ostara meditation
which I present here can be done as part of a group ritual or as a personal meditation. It can
be a ritual itself or included as part of a longer ritual. In guiding this meditation for others as
part of a group setting, pause between paragraphs and include longer pauses indicated by ......
In guiding this meditation for yourself, you may find recording it on a tape first and then
playing it can deepen your experience.

Meditation

Find a comfortable, safe, and quiet place to be for this meditation. Close your eyes. Relax and
center yourself by taking deep slow breaths. Now journey inward.

Imagine that you are in a hilly countryside. It is just before dawn at the beginning of
Springtime. The land is nearing the end of its Wintertime slumber.
You face the East and watch the Sun as it begins to rise. Rays of light shimmer onto the land
and into the sky. Experience the beautiful colors of light that is the Dawn.
Now, as the glowing disc of the Sun becomes visible above the hills, you see the Goddess
Ostara appear on the land in the distance in the East. She is beginning to move toward you.
As She moves, the land awakens with new life.
You see Her coming toward you in the form of a Beautiful Maiden. You see Her radiant face
and flowing gown. She is carrying a golden basket filled with colored eggs. Beside Her is Her
companion, a frisky magical Rabbit. As They come closer to you, you see that with each step
that They take, the land around them bursts into new life and grows green. New grasses
sprout from the ground. Herbs flourish. Trees grow new leaves.
You call out a welcome to Them and to the Spring they bring. As you meet face to face, you
see that the Goddess Ostara and the Rabbit are both smiling a welcome to you. Ostara then
holds Her golden basket toward you and invites you to chose one of the eggs in it as a gift of
Spring. You notice that each egg has a different color. You see the beautiful array of choices.
You feel more drawn to one of the eggs than the others and choose it. Now you hold the egg
that you have selected in both of your hands.
You first focus on its color and reflect on what that color means to you. ..... Then Ostara
invites you to ask this Sacred Egg to give you a message about personal growth. You ask this
and then are quiet as you pay attention to whatever words, symbols, sensations, impressions,
and/or other forms of message emerge......
Ostara now invites you to take this Sacred Egg and its power of new growth into yourself.
You hold it to your heart and as you do this, you absorb it into your being. You experience
the renewal of Springtime. You radiate vitality. Be immersed in this experience.......
Continuing to experience vitality within you, you prepare to end this meditative journey. You
reflect once more on the color and message of the Sacred Egg...... You bid Ostara and Her

24
Rabbit companion farewell for now, knowing that they continue to live within your
consciousness to guide you in your Springtime growth...... When you feel ready, take several
deep, slow breaths to aid you in returning to waking consciousness..... Then slowly rise,
stretch, and orient to the here and now, as you carry with you the memory of your
experiences on the journey you have just completed.
Take a few moments now and note down your experiences, including guidance your received
for personal growth...... Now, let the vitality of Spring renewal continue to be with you as you
go about your daily life.

Beltane Lore & Rites

by Selena Fox

Also known as May Eve, May Day, and Walpurgis

Night, happens at the beginning of May. It celebrates the height of Spring and the flowering
of life. The Goddess manifests as the May Queen and Flora. The God emerges as the May
King and Jack in the Green. The danced Maypole represents Their unity, with the pole itself
being the God and the ribbons that encompass it, the Goddess. Colors are the Rainbow
spectrum. Beltane is a festival of flowers, fertility, sensuality, and delight.

Celebrating Beltane Resources

 Beltane Ritual: Bringing in the May (podcast)
 Beltane Flower Customs & Rituals
 Celebrating Beltane: Old & New Ways (podcast)
 Inner Journey Ritual for Beltane (podcast)
 Beltane Faery Folk Magic Rite (podcast)
 Green Man! (podcast)
 Beltane Chants
 Circle Sanctuary Beltane Sights & Sounds (2 minute YouTube video)

Beltane Customs
Prepare a May basket by filling it with flowers and goodwill and then give it to someone in
need of healing and caring, such as a shut-in or elderly friend. Form a wreath of freshly
picked flowers, wear it in your hair, and feel yourself radiating joy and beauty. Dress in

25
bright colors. Dance the Maypole and feel yourself balancing the Divine Female and Male
within. On May Eve, bless your garden in the old way by making love with your lover in it.
Make a wish as you jump a bonfire or candle flame for good luck. Welcome in the May at
dawn with singing and dancing.

Going A-Maying & Bringing in the May -- Merry-making and Nature communion. *
Midpoint between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. * In Pagan Rome, Floralia, from
April 27-May 3 was the festival of the Flower Goddess Flora and the flowering of
Springtime. On May 1, offerings were made to Bona Dea (as Mother Earth), the Lares
(household guardian spirits), and Maia (Goddess of Increase) from whom May gets its name.
* Roman Catholic traditions of crowning statues of Mary with flowers on May 1 have Roman
Pagan roots. * Marks the second half of the Celtic Year; one of the four Celtic Fire Festivals.
Complement to Samhain, it is a time of divination and communion with Fairy Folk/Nature
Spirits. * Pastoral tradition of turning sheep, cows, other livestock out to pasture. * In Pagan
Scandinavia, mock battles between Winter and Summer were enacted at this time. * Building
on older tradition of this time being a holiday for the masses, in the twentieth century, May
Day has been a workers' holiday in many places. * Some say that Mother's Day, in the USA,
Mexico, and elsewhere has Pagan roots.

Maypole
Forms include pole, tree, bush, cross; communal or household; permanent or annual. * In
Germany, Fir tree was cut on May Eve by young unmarried men, branches removed,
decorated, put up in village square, & guarded all night until dance occurred on May Day. *
In England, permanent Maypoles were erected on village greens * In some villages, there
also were smaller Maypoles in the yards of households. * Maypole ribbondances, with two
circles interweaving; around decorated bush/tree, clockwise circle dances.

Flowers & Greenwood

Gathering and exchange of Flowers and Greens on May Eve, pre-dawn May Day, Beltane. *
Decorating homes, barns, and other buildings with Green budding branches, including
Hawthorn. * Making and wearing of garland wreaths of Flowers and/or Greens. * May
Baskets were given or placed secretly on doorsteps to friends, shut-ins, lovers, others. * May
Bowl was punch (wine or non-alcoholic) made of Sweet Woodruff blossoms.

26
 Beltane Fires
Traditionally, sacred woods kindled by spark from flint or by friction -- in Irish Gaelic, the
Beltane Fire has been called teine eigin (fire from rubbing sticks). * Jump over the Beltane
Fire, move through it, or dance clockwise around it. * Livestock was driven through it or
between two fires for purification and fertility blessings. * In ancient times Druid priests
kindled it at sacred places; later times, Christian priests kindled it in fields near the church
after peforming a Christian church service. * Rowan twigs were carried around the fire three
times, then hung over hearths to bless homes. * In the past, Beltane community fire
purification customs included symbolic sacrifice of effigy knobs on the Beltane Cake (of
barley) to the fire, or, in medieval times, mock sacrifice of Beltane Carline (Hag) who
received blackened piece of Beltane Cake; Maypoles in Spain were each topped with a male
effigy which was later burned. Contemporary Pagans burn sacred wood and dried herbs as
offerings in their Beltane fires.

May Waters
Rolling in May Eve dew or washing face in pre-dawn May Day dew for health, luck, beauty.
* Getting head and hair wet in Beltane rain to bless the head. * Blessing springs, ponds, other
sacred waters with flowers, garlands, ribbons, other offerings. * Collecting sacred waters and
scrying in sacred springs, wells, ponds, other waters.

Sacred Union & Fertility

Union with the Land focus, often with actual mating outside on the Land to bless fields,
herds, home. * May Queen (May Bride) as personification of the Earth Goddess and
Goddesses of Fertility. * May King (May Groom) as personification of Vegetation God,
Jack-in-Green -- often covered in green leaves. * At Circle Sanctuary, in addition to May
Queen & May King, is May Spirit Couple, an already bonded pair. * Symbolic Union of
Goddess and God in election/selection, crowning, processional, Maypole dance, feast. *
Morris Dancers and pageants (with Hag & Jack-in-Green) to awaken the fertility in the Land.

Summer Solstice

27
Lore and Rituals by Selena Fox

Summer Solstice, sometimes known as Midsummer, Litha, or St. John's Day, occurs in the
middle of June. It is a celebration of the longest day of the year and the beginning of
Summer. It has been a grand tribal gathering time since ancient times. The Goddess manifests
as Mother Earth and the God as the Sun King. Colors are Yellow, Green, and Blue. It is a
festival of community sharing and planetary service.

Celebrate Solstice time with other Pagans -- take part in the Pagan Spirit Gathering or some
other Pagan festival happening during June. Keep a Sacred Fire burning throughout the
gathering. Stay up all night on Solstice Eve and welcome the rising Sun at dawn. Make a
pledge to Mother Earth of something that you will do to improve the environment and then
begin carrying it out. Have a magical gift exchange with friends. Burn your Yule wreath in a
Summer Solstice bonfire. Exchange songs, chants, and stories with others in person or
through the mail. Do ecstatic dancing to drums around a blazing bonfire.

Resources for Summer Solstice Celebrations

 Sun Magic, Sun Circles (Podcast)
 Spirit Bag Crafting
 Sacred Work with Mugwort
 Solstice Fires of the Pagan Spirit Gathering

Spirit Bag Crafting

by Selena Fox

originally in Fall 2011, pp. 31-32

28
 Every year, at our Welcome Summer Festival, in early June at
Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve, we craft a special kind of herbal amulet known as Spirit
Bags, for members of the Pagan Spirit Gathering Community.

We make enough so that each participant in the Pagan Spirit Gathering can receive one upon
arrival and use it as part of personal and group spiritual activities throughout the week. We
also make some extras, which later are given to others as tokens of healing and well being.

Each Spirit Bag consists of a small fabric pouch made from a square of all-cotton cloth and
containing a blend of dried herbs and a small sacred stone. The cloth, once filled at its center
is tied with a piece of yarn, which in turn is tied to a circlet fashioned from a longer piece of
yarn.

Each year, we select fabric, yarn ties, and a type of sacred stone to match the theme for that
year’s Summer Solstice festival. For 2011, our theme is Solstice Magic, and we have Tiger’s
Eye, representing healing, protection, wisdom, awareness, prosperity, and well being.

The fabric and the yarn may be a solid color or patterned. For 2011, the fabric is lavender
with a pattern of white celestial six rayed sun stars with arches representing motion, and the
yarn is white to match the Solstice Stars. Our fabric squares are of uniform size and usually
are between four and five inches square, depending on fabric width.

Every year, we select and combine dried sacred herbs grown in fields, forests, and gardens of
our land, Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve in southwestern Wisconsin. We ritually harvest
these magical herbs, dry, blend them, and then place a bit of them, along with a stone in each
Spirit Bag we create.

The blend of herbs each year has Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) as its main
ingredient. Mugwort is a versatile ritual herb used to enhance intuition and bless dreaming as
well as to cleanse, heal, nurture, protect, and consecrate. It also is an herb associated with
Summer Solstice celebrations.

Other herbs that usually are part of the blend include dried leaves of Mint, Yarrow, Bee
Balm, Sage, Thyme, and Lemon Balm.

29
Participants wear their Spirit Bags around their necks during the Pagan Spirit
Gathering. Some continue to wear them after the Gathering. Others place them on their
altars or hang them in their dwellings as home blessing charms.

Ingredients

* Focus: decide on the purpose of the Spirit Bags you will be creating and qualities.

As with the creation of other sacred objects, it is important to keep spiritual intentions in
mind at each part of Spirit Bag crafting as well as during completion and throughout use.

* Fabric: select a natural fabric of a color and pattern suited to the focus. An all (100%)
cotton fabric works well. Cut the fabric into five-inch squares. Have one for each person
who will be receiving one.

* Yarn: select a soft yet durable yarn of a color that matches or complements the fabric. Cut
a six-inch tie and an eighteen-inch piece to serve as the necklace for each Spirit Bag.

* Herbs: select dried herbs with spiritual properties that suit the focus of the Spirit
Bags. Place them in a large, non-metal container, such as an enamelware canning pot, plastic
cauldron, or large wooden salad bowl. Name the spiritual qualities of each herb that you
wish to activate as you place herbs in the container and begin the blending process. Then
thoroughly mix the herbs, removing twigs and any prickly parts as you do. There should be
enough herbal mixture to fill but not stuff each bag.

* Stone: select a type of sacred stone that suits the purpose of the Spirit Bags. Stones should
be small and of similar size and shape. A good source are tumbled stone chips that are
typically sold in strands at craft stores and rock shops.

Crafting

30
 Assemble the items for Spirit Bag making. Have enough
tabletop space available for the Spirit Bags crafting process.

Do a spiritual centering and attunement. Connect with the sacred according to your own path
and ask blessings on the crafting process. Connect with the spirits of the herbs and the stone,
and ask for their support. Call to mind the focus of the Spirit Bags.

Place fabric squares, with the outer side down on a table. In making multiple Spirit Bags, it
is best to have enough tables so that every piece of fabric can be laid out. Next to each
square, place a single yarn tie.

Now place a single stone in the center of each fabric square. Call the spiritual properties of
the stones in mind as well as the focus of the Spirit Bags as you place each stone.

Once all the stones are placed, take a large pinch of the herb blend, about the size of a
strawberry or large grape and set it atop the stone in the center of each square of
fabric. There should be enough of the herb blend to fill but not overly stuff each Spirit Bag
so that it can be securely tied when its four corners are brought together. Call to mind the
focus of the Spirit Bags as you set the herbs in place.

The next step is to craft each Spirit Bag. Pull each of the four corners of a fabric square up so
that they touch each other. Compress the herbs and stone together in the fabric to form a
small ball-like pouch. Tie the yarn piece firmly in a knot to secure the pouch.

Once the Spirit Bags have been tied with the shorter lengths of yarn, take each longer length
of yarn and tie its two ends together to form a circlet. Place a circlet by each Spirit
Bag. Now, placing the knotted end of a circlet next to the knot of the shorter yarn tie of a
Spirit Bag, take the two ends of the shorter yarn tie and tie them twice to affix the circlet to
the Spirit Bag.

The circlet with the Spirit Bag attached can now be worn around the neck. Or, to wear later,
hang it on a hook or wrap the circlet of yarn around the ends of the Spirit Bag so that it can be
unwrapped later.

31
Once the Spirit Bags have been assembled, energize each one and all together with blessings
connected with the focus of the Spirit Bags. This can be done through chanting, prayers,
and/or visualization. Once energized, Spirit Bags should be handled with care as with other
sacred items.

Spiritual Uses

Spirit Bags can be used in a variety of ways. The most

common way to work with a Spirit Bag is to wear it around your neck. It also can be hung or
placed in your home or vehicle, or carried in a briefcase or purse. It can be placed in a
bedroom under a pillow or above or beside the bed as a dream charm.

Spirit Bags not only can be crafted for use by one’s self, but can be crafted for others and
given as gifts, such as to a newborn as part of a baby blessing rite, to a couple at their
wedding or handfasting, or to a friend moving into a new home.

A Spirit Bag can be crafted as an offering and can be left at a shrine, temple, circle, or other
sacred site. Crafted for healing a loved one, it can be placed on or near the one in need, or
worn by the one in need.

When not wearing or using a Spirit Bag, keep it in an honored place, such as on an altar or in
a box with sacred jewelry. Care for it as you would other sacred objects.

Should a time come to dispose of a Spirit Bag, express thanks to the sacred forces that were
part of its crafting, do a prayer of release, and then return it to Nature in some way. Bury it at
a sacred site or by a favorite tree. Or, cast it into a sacred fire. Or, cut the tie and cast the
herbs to the wind or into flowing water.

A wonderful way to store and display Spirit Bags crafted for various purposes over time is to
affix them to a grapevine hoop, hung on a door, wall or other place in the home.

32
Spirit Bag crafting and spiritual work can deepen one’s connection with the sacred
dimensions of plants, stones, and life, and can serve as a reminder of the greater Circle of
Nature of which we are all part.

Lammas
Lore and Rituals by Selena Fox

Lammas, or Lughnassad, occurs in late July and early

August. It is marks the middle of Summer and the beginning of the harvest. It is the first of
three harvest festivals and is usually associated with ripening grain. It heralds the coming of
Autumn. The Goddess manifests as Demeter, Ceres, Corn Mother, and other agricultural
Goddesses. The God manifests as Lugh, John Barleycorn, and vegetation Gods. Colors are
Golden Yellow, Orange, Green, and Light Brown. It is a festival of plenty and prosperity.

Have a magical picnic and break bread with friends. Do a meditation in which you visualize
yourself completing a project you have already begun. Make a corn dolly charm out of the
first grain you harvest or acquire. Bake a sacred loaf bread and give a portion of it to Mother
Earth with a prayer of appreciation. Make prayers for a good harvest season. Do prosperity
magic. Harvest herbs in a sacred way for use in charms and rituals. Kindle a Lammas fire
with sacred wood and dried herbs. If you live in or near a farming region, attend a public
harvest festival, such as a corn or apple festival.

CHANT
Lammas Round

Now is the time when the Harvest starts again,

So Sing & Dance until Night ends,

Praising the Powers on Whom we Depend.

Ritual Chant from 1970s by Selena Fox & Jim Alan

33
PODCASTS
Celebrating Lughnassad: hour long workshop on creating personal & community celebrations
& rituals.

http://circlepodcasts.org/episode-21-celebrating-lughnassad/

Plant Spirits Lughnassad Rite: guided hour long meditative ceremony

http://circlepodcasts.org/episode-71-plant-spirits-lughnassad-rite/

Full Moon Lughnassad Prosperity Ritual: hour long facilitated ritual

http://circlepodcasts.org/episode-22-full-moon-lughnassad-prosperity-ritual/

Harvest Thanksgiving at Fall Equinox

by Selena Fox

Fall Equinox, which marks the beginning of Autumn, is traditionally a time of harvest and
thanksgiving. I guide a thanksgiving for life blessings as part of the Circle Sanctuary
Community's Fall Equinox ritual.

We each bring a seasonal offering to the ritual. This offering may be a vegetable, fruit, nuts,
grain, or herbs and usually is harvested from a home garden or obtained at a market.

A transcript of the Harvest Thanksgiving meditation and chants that I created and guide
follows. This meditation can be done as a ritual itself or incorporated into a longer ritual. It
also can be adapted for use as a personal Fall Equinox rite.

Leader: "As we hold our harvest offering in our hands, let us give thanks for the harvest of
blessings in our lives over the past year."

All face North. Leader: "As we face the North, we connect with the powers of the Element
Earth and call to mind blessings of the Physical realm in our lives in the past year. Reflect on
blessings you have received pertaining to your physical health your home finances and
material possessions." Pause for a short meditation. Leader: "For Blessings of Earth, We Give
Thanks!"

All: "We Give Thanks!"

All face East. Leader: "As we face the East, we connect with the powers of the Element Air
and call to mind blessings of the Mental realm in our lives in the past year. Reflect on
blessings you have received pertaining to learnings classes and studies books and articles you
have read and other ways you have grown in knowledge and wisdom." Pause for a short
meditation. Leader: "For Blessings of Air, We Give Thanks!"

34
All: "We Give Thanks!"

All face South. Leader: "As we face the South, we connect with the powers of the Element
Fire and call to mind blessings of the Behavioral realm in our lives in the past year. Reflect
on blessings you have received pertaining to your work and hobbies accomplishments travels
and creations." Pause for a short meditation. Leader: "For Blessings of Fire, We Give
Thanks!"

All: "We Give Thanks!"

All face West. Leader: "As we face the West, we connect with the powers of the Element
Water and call to mind blessings of the Emotional realm in our lives in the past year. Reflect
on blessings you have received pertaining to your relational life . friendships emotional
healing and support and ways you have grown socially and emotionally." Pause for a short
meditation. Leader: "For Blessings of Water, We Give Thanks!"

All: "We Give Thanks!"

All face Center. Leader: "As we face the Center, we connect with the powers of Spirit, that
which connects us with each other, with the Sacred Directions and Elements, and with the
Divine in many forms and that is the Unity of All That Is. Let us call to mind blessings of the
spiritual realm in our lives in the past year. Reflect on sacred connections with Divine forms
on spiritual guidance and insights on experiences with spiritual Community on visits to
sacred sites on transformative dreams and visions and on other forms of spiritual growth."
Pause for a short meditation. Leader: "For Blessings of Spirit, We Give Thanks!"

All: "We Give Thanks!"

Leader: "As we softly and repeatedly chant our thanksgivings to the Divine Ones, let us call
out sacred names of the Goddesses, Gods, and other Divine forms that have blessed us in the
past year." All chant: "Divine Ones, Thanks" and call out one or more sacred names over the
chant. When all have finished speaking sacred names, the leader peaks the chant. All fall
silent for a few moments.

Leader: "Now, as we sing the Harvest thanksgiving chant, let us bring forth our harvest
offerings and place them as symbols of our appreciation in the cornucopia on the altar."

All chant:

We give Thanks for the Harvest;

We give Thanks for Abundance;
We give Thanks for the Blessings
in our Lives through the Year.

After all have placed their offerings on the altar, the leader peaks the chant, concluding the
Harvest Thanksgiving.

Fall Equinox
35
Lore and Rituals by Selena Fox

Fall Equinox, also known as Mabon, occurs in the

middle of September. It is the main harvest festival of the Wiccan calendar and marks the
beginning of Autumn. The Goddess manifests in Her Bountiful Mother aspects. The God
emerges as the Corn King and Harvest Lord. Colors are Orange, Dark Red, Yellow, Indigo,
and Brown. It is the festival of thanksgiving.

Select the best of each vegetable, herb, fruit, nut, and other food you have harvested or
purchased and give it back to Mother Earth with prayers of thanksgiving. Hang dried ears of
corn around your home in appreciation of the harvest season. Do meditations and chanting as
you store away food for the Winter. Do a thanksgiving circle, offering thanks as you face
each direction -- for home, finances, and physical health (North); for gifts of knowledge
(East); for accomplishments in career and hobbies (South); for relationships (West); and for
spiritual insights and messages (Center).

Harvest Thanksgiving at Fall Equinox

by Selena Fox

Fall Equinox, which marks the beginning of Autumn, is traditionally a time of harvest and
thanksgiving. I guide a thanksgiving for life blessings as part of the Circle Sanctuary
Community's Fall Equinox ritual.

We each bring a seasonal offering to the ritual. This offering may be a vegetable, fruit, nuts,
grain, or herbs and usually is harvested from a home garden or obtained at a market.

A transcript of the Harvest Thanksgiving meditation and chants that I created and guide
follows. This meditation can be done as a ritual itself or incorporated into a longer ritual. It
also can be adapted for use as a personal Fall Equinox rite.

Leader: "As we hold our harvest offering in our hands, let us give thanks for the harvest of
blessings in our lives over the past year."

All face North. Leader: "As we face the North, we connect with the powers of the Element
Earth and call to mind blessings of the Physical realm in our lives in the past year. Reflect on
blessings you have received pertaining to your physical health your home finances and
material possessions." Pause for a short meditation. Leader: "For Blessings of Earth, We Give
Thanks!"

36
All: "We Give Thanks!"

All face East. Leader: "As we face the East, we connect with the powers of the Element Air
and call to mind blessings of the Mental realm in our lives in the past year. Reflect on
blessings you have received pertaining to learnings classes and studies books and articles you
have read and other ways you have grown in knowledge and wisdom." Pause for a short
meditation. Leader: "For Blessings of Air, We Give Thanks!"

All: "We Give Thanks!"

All face South. Leader: "As we face the South, we connect with the powers of the Element
Fire and call to mind blessings of the Behavioral realm in our lives in the past year. Reflect
on blessings you have received pertaining to your work and hobbies accomplishments travels
and creations." Pause for a short meditation. Leader: "For Blessings of Fire, We Give
Thanks!"

All: "We Give Thanks!"

All face West. Leader: "As we face the West, we connect with the powers of the Element
Water and call to mind blessings of the Emotional realm in our lives in the past year. Reflect
on blessings you have received pertaining to your relational life . friendships emotional
healing and support and ways you have grown socially and emotionally." Pause for a short
meditation. Leader: "For Blessings of Water, We Give Thanks!"

All: "We Give Thanks!"

All face Center. Leader: "As we face the Center, we connect with the powers of Spirit, that
which connects us with each other, with the Sacred Directions and Elements, and with the
Divine in many forms and that is the Unity of All That Is. Let us call to mind blessings of the
spiritual realm in our lives in the past year. Reflect on sacred connections with Divine forms
on spiritual guidance and insights on experiences with spiritual Community on visits to
sacred sites on transformative dreams and visions and on other forms of spiritual growth."
Pause for a short meditation. Leader: "For Blessings of Spirit, We Give Thanks!"

All: "We Give Thanks!"

Leader: "As we softly and repeatedly chant our thanksgivings to the Divine Ones, let us call
out sacred names of the Goddesses, Gods, and other Divine forms that have blessed us in the
past year." All chant: "Divine Ones, Thanks" and call out one or more sacred names over the
chant. When all have finished speaking sacred names, the leader peaks the chant. All fall
silent for a few moments.

Leader: "Now, as we sing the Harvest thanksgiving chant, let us bring forth our harvest
offerings and place them as symbols of our appreciation in the cornucopia on the altar."

All chant:

We give Thanks for the Harvest;

We give Thanks for Abundance;

37
We give Thanks for the Blessings
in our Lives through the Year.

After all have placed their offerings on the altar, the leader peaks the chant, concluding the
Harvest Thanksgiving.

Samhain Lore and Rituals

Article by Selena Fox

Samhain, popularly known as Halloween, occurs in late October and early November. For
most Wiccan practitioners, this is the New Year, and a time for letting go of the old and
looking ahead to the new. It marks the end of the harvest season. Since ancient times, Pagans
have paid their respects to departed loved ones, ancestors, and guides in the Spirit World at
Samhain. The Goddess manifests as the Crone and the God as the Horned Hunter and Lord of
Death. Sacred colors are Black and Orange. It is the festival of endings and transformation.

Set up an altar in your home to honor departed loved ones and ancestors, or, if you already
have such an altar, place offerings and light a candle there. As done in ancient times, set a
place at your table for your spirit friends and relatives, and serve them some of the food and
drink you share at your Samhain feast. Throw a Come as You Were Party and have everyone
dress up as they were in another life. Set lighted carved pumpkins around your home to bless
it. Magically make a resolution to break out of a negative habit pattern and begin a healthier
way of being. Do divination on the year ahead.

38
 Articles:

As America Celebrates Halloween, I Celebrate Samhain: beliefnet.com article by Selena Fox

Celebrating Samhain: article by Selena Fox
Traditions and Rituals for the Pagan New Year - Huffington Post article
How Modern Pagans are Reclaiming the Halloween Witch Costume as an Act of Power -
Huffington Post article
The History Behind Samhain - ThoughtCo article by Patti Wigington
Friends honor Wiccan with Halloween Burial - Wisconsin State Journal article

Rituals (transcript):

Honoring the Dead Samhain Rite

Rituals (podcast):

Circle Craft Samhain Ritual

Other World Samhain Rite
Samhain Ritual
Samhain New Moon Rituals
Honoring the Dead Samhain Ritual

Workshops (podcast):

Celebrating Samhain & Halloween

Ancestor Magic
Samhain Divinations of the Future

Talks (video):

Celebrating Samhain & Halloween: Selena at Open Circle UU

39
Samhain Chants by Selena Fox

Samhain Chant
Samhain, Samhain, Summer's End, Summer's End
Samhain, Samhain, Veil is Thin, Veil is Thin.
Samhain, Samhain, Spirit Friends, Spirit Friends

Samhain Night Chant

Samhain Fire, Samhain Night,
Samhain Magic, Spirits Light!

Spirit Invocation Chant

Spirit in Light, Spirit in Sound,
Spirit Within, Spirit Around!

Ancestors Invocation Chant

Ancestors, We Call to You!
Ancestors, We Remember You!
Ancestors, We Honor You!

Offerings for the Dead Chant

Beloved Dead, Come, Get Fed!

Samhain Circle Casting Chant

Circle of Light, Circle of Sound,
Circle of Samhain, Circle Around!

Music:

All Souls Night with Loreena McKennitt

Samhain Eve by Damh The Bard with Lyrics
Samhain Song by Lisa Thiel
Souling Song, Samhain Version by Kristen Lawrence
Samhain Night by Jenna Green

Yuletide Blessing
by Selena Fox

As we celebrate this holidays time with lights, songs, gifts, evergreens, and other folkways of
our ancestors of many lands, Let us remember the ancient and sacred spirit of Winter Solstice
- that of renewal, peace, and interconnectedness.

40
As the days grow longer again and we embrace Winter and the new Calendar year, Let us
kindle within ourselves a deeper awareness of the Divine Circle of Nature of which we are all
part.

Let us celebrate our relationships with our families, friends, communities, cultures, all of
Nature, and the Divine as Unity and as Multiplicity.

May we be filled with Joy, Love, and Harmony, and this Spirit of Yuletide shine within and
around us throughout the year, as the Wheel of the Seasons continues to turn.

Blessed Be!

Good Yule! Merry Solstice! Io, Saturnalia! Happy Holidays!

Sacred Plants of Winter Solstice

by Selena Fox

Evergreens

 symbolizing:Continuity of Life, Protection, Prosperity

 types:Pine, Fir, Cedar, Juniper, other evergreens
 forms:boughs, wreaths, garlands, trees
 divinities: Green Goddesses & Gods; Hertha; Cybele, Attis, Dionysius (Pine);
Woodland Spirits traditions: Roman, Celtic, Teutonic, Christian

Holly

 symbolizing:Old Solar Year; Waning Sun; Protection; Good Luck

 forms:boughs over portals, wreaths
 divinities:Holly King; Old Nick; Saturn; Bacchus; Wood Spirits; Holly Boys
 traditions: Roman, Celtic, English, Christian

Oak

41
  symbolizing:New Solar Year; Waxing Sun; Endurance, Strength, Triumph,
Protection, Good Luck
 forms:Yule log, acorns, wood for sacred fires
 divinities:Oak King; Oak Spirit; Sky Gods including Thor, Jupiter, Zeus
 traditions: Teutonic, Celtic, Christian

Mistletoe

 symbolizing:Peace, Prosperity, Healing, Wellness, Fertility, Rest, Protection

 forms:boughs, amulet sprigs above doorways, kissing balls
 divinities:Oak Spirit; Frigga and Balder
 traditions: Celtic, Teutonic

Ivy

 symbolizing:Fidelity, Protection, Healing, Marriage, Victory, Honor, Good Luck

 forms:crowns, wreaths, garlands
 divinities:Dionysius; Bacchus; Great Goddess; Ivy Girls
 traditions: Greek, Roman, English, Christian

Frankincense

 symbolizing:Sun, Purification, Consecration, Protection, Spiritual Illumination

 forms:incense, oils
 divinities:Sun Gods, Ra at Dawn, Bel
 traditions: Babalyonian, Assyrian, Egyptian, Jewish, Greek, Roman, Christian

Myrrh

 symbolizing:Healing, Death and Afterlife, Purification, Inner Peace

 forms:incense, oils
 divinities:Isis, Ra at Midday
 traditions: Egyptian, Jewish, Christian

Wheat

 symbolizing:Sustenance, Abundance, Fertility, Good Luck

 forms:grain, straw figures and symbols, cookies, cakes, breads
 divinities:Earth Goddesses; Saturn & Ops; Goat Spirit; Fairy Folk
 traditions: Roman, Celtic, Scots, Teutonic, Sweedish, Christian

42
Celtic Tree Calendar's Sacred Trees of Winter Solstice

 Yew: Last Day of Solar Year; Death.

 Silver Fir: Winter Solstice Day; Birth.
 Birch: Month following Winter Solstice; Beginnings.

Yule Songs

Merry Solstice [traditional English, adapted]

We wish you a Merry Solstice, We wish you a Merry Solstice,
We wish you a Merry Solstice, and a Happy New Year!
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin,
We wish you a Merry Solstice, and a Happy New Year!

Deck the Halls [traditional Welsh Yuletide carol]

Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa-la-la-la-la, Fa-la-la-la.
'Tis the season to be jolly, Fa-la-la-la-la, Fa-la-la-la.
Don we now our gay apparel, Fa-la-la, Fa-la-la, Fa-la-la.
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol, Fa-la-la-la-la, Fa-la-la-la.

See the blazing Yule before us, Fa-la-la-la-la, Fa-la-la-la.

Strike the harp and join the chorus, Fa-la-la-la-la, Fa-la-la-la.
Follow me in merry measure, Fa-la-la, Fa-la-la, Fa-la-la.
While I tell of Yuletide treasure, Fa-la-la-la-la, Fa-la-la-la.

Fast away the old year passes, Fa-la-la-la-la, Fa-la-la-la.

Hail the new, ye lads and lasses, Fa-la-la-la-la, Fa-la-la-la.

43
Sing we joyous all together, Fa-la-la, Fa-la-la, Fa-la-la.
Heedless of the wind and weather, Fa-la-la-la-la, Fa-la-la-la.

Winter Solstice Celebrations for Families and Households

by Selena Fox

Focus of Celebration:consider first your purpose(s)

for the celebration, such as:

 Strengthen family bonding with each other

 Expand upon existing patterns of family celebrations
 Attune family to Nature's cycles
 Attune family to its membership in the community of all life on planet Earth
 Connect with ancestors
 Celebrate ethnic/cultural heritage(s)
 Educate about ancient and contemporary folkways
 Extend the celebration of Christmas, be an alternative, or expand upon it
 Deepen understanding about spiritual renewal and love
 Have fun

Timing of Celebration: pick a time that fits form of celebration and family patterns, such as:

On Solstice:

 at moment of Solstice (check astrological/astronomical calendar)

 at twilight
 in evening before going to sleep
 at sunrise
 at noon or midday

Near Solstice:

44
  night before Solstice
 weekend before Solstice

Length of Celebration:structure with age and attention range of family members in mind

 Very Short: under five minutes

 Short: five to twenty minutes
 Medium: twenty minutes to ninety minutes
 Long: ninety minutes to three hours
 Very Long: more than three hours, such as a twenty-four hour period

Settings of Celebration: pick a suitable location; some options include:

Indoors in Family Home:

 at kitchen or dining table

 by fireplace
 by holiday tree
 in living room or family room

Outdoors:

 back or front yard of family home

 deck
 nearby park
 Nature preserve/wilderness area

Components of Celebration: select one or more that fits focus, timing, length, and setting

Yule Wreath

 purchase a wreath or make a wreath from evergreens collected by family members.

 have family members gather around the wreath and consider it as a symbol of cycles
of Nature; mention Yule and Jul, names for Winter Solstice time (and Christmas)
mean wheel.
 have family members each share something they appreciate about Winter
 put the wreath in a visible location, such as on the front door, on an inside wall, or in
the center of the dining table.
 On or after New Year's Day, wreath can be returned to Nature, or kept until Summer
Solstice and then burned in a bonfire.

Solstice Feast

 Prepare favorite family foods and beverages.

 Before beginning the dining experience, do a family prayer of thanksgiving.
 End the feast with a cake or pie with a sun image on it.
 Birthday candles can be put on this solar dessert. Each family member can light a
candle and make a wish for the holiday season or the upcoming calendar year. Once
all candles are lit, the family as a whole can blow them out to send wishes on their
way. Then call out "Happy Solstice" or "Good Yule" in unison.

45
Candlelight Circle

 Can be done as part of a feast or separately.

 Family gathers in a circle around a card table or dining table. There is an unlit new red
taper candle in a candleholder for each family member, plus a larger new red taper or
pillar candle in a candleholder to represent the family as a whole and the Solstice Sun.
Candles are arranged evenly around the central larger candle.
 Parent(s) begin the circle by sharing some background about Winter Solstice, such as
how it has been celebrated across time and cultures, and how its celebration is
reflected in contemporary secular and religious Christmas customs. Then parent(s)
describe the focus for this candlelight circle, such as to attune the family members to
each other, to the ways of ancestors, and/or to Nature.
 Lights are extinguished. Family stands or sits in darkness for a few moments and
contemplates the reduction of daylight at this time of year, the importance of the Sun
to life on the planet, and the symbology of light as indicators of renewal.
 Then, parent(s) light the central candle with a blessing of renewal for the family and
the planet and guide a short meditation on light and renewal.
 Next, parent(s) invite each member to light her/his personal candle and give a
thanksgiving for something in past or present or a blessing for the year to come.
 When all the candles are lit, the family joins hands and chants or sings. The song,
"We wish you a Merry Christmas" can be adapted to "We wish you a Merry Solstice"
and sung to end the circle.
 Candles can be left burning if in a safe, attended location, throughout the rest of the
Solstice celebration, if there are other component parts.
 Candles can be extinguished by everyone doing it simultaneously after one of the
family members states that the light of renewal remains in our hearts.

Yule Log

 An oak log, plus a fireplace or bonfire area is needed for this form of celebration. The
oak log should be very dry so that it will blaze well. It can be decorated with burnable
red ribbons of natural fiber and dried holly leaves. In the fireplace or bonfire area,
dried kindling should be set to facilitate the burning of the log.
 Begin by having parent(s) or some other family member describe the tradition of the
Yule log. The tale of the Oak King and Holly King from Celtic mythology can be
shared as a story, or can be summarized with a statement that the Oak represents the
waxing solar year, Winter Solstice to Summer Solstice, and the Holly represents the
waning solar year, Summer Solstice to Winter Solstice.
 Lights are extinguished as much as possible. The family is quiet together in the
darkness. Family members quietly contemplate the change in the solar year. Each in
her/his own way contemplates the past calendar year, the challenges as well as the
good times.
 Then the Yule Log fire is lit. As it begins to burn, each family member throws in one
or more dried holly sprigs and says farewell to the old calendar year. Farewells can
take the form of thanksgiving and appreciation and/or a banishment of old habits or
personal pains.
 Once the Yule Log itself starts blazing, then the facilitator invites family members to
contemplate the year ahead and the power of possibilities. Each member then throws
in an oak twig or acorn into the fire to represent the year ahead, and calls out a
resolution and/or a hope.

46
  When this process is done, the family sings a song together. The traditional carol,
"Deck the Halls," is good because it mentions the Solstice, the change in the solar
year, and the Yule log.
 Let the Yule Log burn down to a few chunks of charred wood and ashes. Following
an ancient tradition, save remnants of the fire and use them to start the Yule Log fire
the following year.

Bell Ringing

 This can take a simple form of the family ringing bells together at the moment of
Solstice, or it can be a circle ceremony in and of itself. It also can be incorporated into
other components of the celebration such as the Candlelight Circle or Yule Log
Ceremony -- in these cases, bells can be rung after each blessing/sharing is stated.
 Each family member chooses a bell to ring. Bells can be of varying sizes and types,
but should blend well with each other when rung together. Brass bells and/or jingle
bells are commonly available and have long time associations with the season.
 For a bell ringing Solstice Circle, the family gathers together in a circle. Each has a
bell in hand to ring. Parent(s) or some other family member serves as facilitator(s).
She/he begins by saying a few words about the Solstice being the start of the new
solar year and how the calendar year used today in many places around the world was
structured on the solar year. The facilitator then describes how bells have been rung in
connection with many types of celebrations. Bells have been rung at this time of year
to ring out the old year and to ring in the new year. Then the facilitator invites the
family to celebrate the Solstice with bells.
 If the family is used to honoring the directions as part of spiritual practice (Wiccan,
Native American, Buddhist, Hermetic, etc.), the family begins by facing each of the
compass points (North, East, South, West) and ringing the bells in unison, honoring
connections with each sacred direction. Then the family rings bells in the three
directions connected with the center: upward, the place of the cosmos; downward, the
place of the planet; and center; Divine unity.
 In place of or in addition to individual direction honoring, the family rings all their
bells together to celebrate their connection with each other as a family; then they ring
them in unison again to celebrate their connection with the cycles of Nature; and then
they ring them a third time in unison to celebrate their connection with life on planet
Earth and all of Nature.
 Then from the oldest to the youngest, each family member speaks a vision or wish for
the planet for the coming year. After each one speaks, all ring bells together to affirm
that vision/wish. After all have shared, the ceremony ends as the family calls out
"Happy Solstice" or "Good Yule" three times and rings bells.

Yule Tree

 Decorate an evergreen tree as a Yule tree. The tree can be a living tree growing in the
yard of the home or in a container indoors to be planted outside in Spring. Or, the tree
can be a harvested one purchased or cut yourself from a tree farm.
 The Yule Tree can be decorated prior to or on Solstice for the entire holiday season. If
decorated prior to Solstice, on Solstice day, family members can each add an
ornament. Members may want to speak a blessing on the Solstice celebration as they
add their ornaments. Ornaments can be of any type, but those that represent the Sun,
such as sun figures or shinny red or golden balls, are very appropriate because of their

47
 symbolism. A star, sunburst, or light at the top of the tree is another traditional
Solstice symbol.
 Electric lights on the tree can also play into the Solstice celebration. They can be first
turned on during the Solstice celebration. Or, if the family custom is to have a lit
holiday tree for much of December, the lights can be turned off during a celebration
as the family focuses on the year passing and the longest nights of the year and then
turned on to represent renewal and the new Solar year.
 After the holiday season is over, the Yule tree can be burned in a bonfire, chopped up
and used as mulch, or placed in the wilds as additional habitat for wild creatures. A
branch can be saved and stored away until next year and then burned with the Yule
Log to represent the continuity of Nature's cycles.

Winter Nature Communion

 Grains and seeds, and the feeding of creatures have been associated with Yuletide
holidays for hundred of years in Europe. To continue this tradition, gather some
sunflower seeds in a large basket or bowl. Go outside next to the home or to a place
frequented by wild birds and other wild creatures.
 The family gathers around a bird feeder, a tree stump, a rock ledge, or other spot
where the seeds are to be placed. Someone in the family serves as facilitator and
guides the family in a Nature attunement meditation. First, the family silently focuses
on the experience of being outdoors in the Winter at this Solstice time. Next, the
family silently focuses on being part of the fabric of life of Nature. Then the family
silently focuses on expressing appreciation for the beauty of Nature and the
relationships with other lifeforms. Each family member then takes a handful of seeds
and focuses on the seeds as symbols of life and as messengers of goodwill toward
other parts of Nature.
 Now, each family member in turn places the seeds in the feeder or on the stump,
ledge, or other spot, and speaks an appreciation of Nature. After all the offerings have
been made, the family joins hands and says together several times, "We are part of the
Family of Nature!" The ceremony ends as the family in unison calls out "Happy
Solstice!" or "Good Yule!"

Solstice Stories

 The family can share Solstice related stories with each other. Parents, grandparents,
and/or other older relatives can share how they celebrated Yuletide (Solstice,
Christmas, New Year's) when they were young. Parents and other relatives also can
speak about their ethnic roots and share whatever they know of Yuletide folk customs
of their ancestors.
 If little or nothing is known within the living extended family itself about ancestral
folk ways, prior to Solstice, one or more family members can do some research into
customs connected with ancestral nationalities, ethnicities, spiritualities, and other
cultural forms. Some places to check for information include bookstores and libraries,
gifts shops with ethnic themes, cultural societies, folklore centers, museums, and
multicultural centers at universities.
 In addition to stories about folk customs connected with Yuletide, myths and legends
connected with Winter, the Sun, and/or Renewal can be told.
 To facilitate passing this family heritage on to future generations, the family may wish
to tape record or videotape the story sharing.

48
Gift Giving

 Across many cultures for at least several thousand years, gifts have been exchanged
among family and friends at Solstice time. Even if the family already has a tradition
of exchanging gifts at Christmas or Epiphany, some gifts can be exchanged on
Solstice as well. Having gift giving occur over a period of time extends the holiday
celebration and is a time honored tradition, as commemorated in the song "Twelve
Days of Christmas."
 The Solstice gift exchange can take a variety of forms. When all family holiday gifts
are displayed under the Yule tree for several days, each family member can select one
gift with their own name on it to open on Solstice night or morning. In cases in which
family members give each other multiple gifts, each member can select a gift to give
each other member. Another method of gift distribution is to have family members
place their names in a hat or basket, and when this is done, to each draw a name,
which indicates the person to whom they will give a Solstice gift.
 Still another alternative is to have a gifting experience unique to Solstice. A group of
similar, yet distinctive small gifts, individually wrapped can be placed in a large
basket or cauldron. There should be one for each family member. At least one extra
gift could be included and this could be kept for the family as a whole or later given to
a family friend. Some examples of gift groups include an assortment of pieces of
tumbled agate or quartz crystals, a collection of animal figurines or exotic sea shells,
an array of candles or bells, or a variety of pieces of candy or other food treats. Gift
picking can be according to age: oldest to youngest, youngest to oldest; according to
birth date in the year; by first name in alphabetical order; by lot; or by some other
method. The gift exchange, when involving Nature gifts, can have an educational
component. For example, if bird images are the gift form, the family can talk about
each type of bird after each figure is unwrapped.
 A good way to bring closure to the gift exchange on Solstice night is for the family to
join hands together in a circle and spend a few moments focusing together on the
sharing of love, a on-going gift that transcends time and physical presents.
 Focus on appreciating each other strengthens the family as well as imbues the gift
giving and other Solstice celebration experiences with a spiritual context.

13 Ways to Celebrate Yuletide

by Selena Fox

1. Create a Pagan Winter Solstice framework for

the entire holidays season - understand that Christmas Eve and Christmas, New Year's

49
 Eve and New Year's Day have their origins in Winter Solstice celebrations of a
variety of Pagan cultures through the ages.
2. Decorate your home with sacred plants connected with Winter Solstice: evergreen
wreaths & boughs, mistletoe, holly, and ivy. Learn about the Pagan symbolism of
each.
3. Harvest a Yule tree in a sacred way from a tree farm that practices sustainable
agriculture, if you can, or intuitively select a tree, cut or symbolic, from a shop in your
area. Set up the Yule tree in your home and decorate it with lights, sun symbols, and
other images. Reflect on blessings of joy, renewal, and well-wishes as you decorate
the tree.
4. Kindle lights to represent the Sun. Decorate with electric lights and candles. On one
of the nights of Solstice, turn off all lights, experience the longest night, reflect on
renewal and peace, and turn the lights back on to symbolize the birth of the New Solar
Year.
5. Recognize Santa as a multi-cultural, multi-religious character - learn about the Pagan
roots of Santa and other Winter Solstice sacred gift bringers, including the Goddess
Holda (see my article: When Santa was a Woman on beliefnet for more info).
6. Learn about holidays foods, symbols, customs, and/or lore from an ancestral ethnicity
and incorporate something you have learned into your celebration of Yuletide.
7. Listen to Pagan Yuletide music. Create a Yuletide chant, poem, or song.
8. Burn a Yule Log in a hearth, in a bonfire, or by burning candles on, in, or near a log
of Oak on an altar. Learn about Yule Log traditions and create your own.
9. Meditate on the rising and/or setting of the Solstice Sun. Note its position on the
horizon at this time of year and observe its change in position on the horizon as the
days start lengthening again.
10. Join with others in celebrating Pagan Yuletide. Attend a ritual, be part of a festival,
join an on-line discussion, host a party, listen to a Yuletide show on internet radio (I
will be doing 3 podcasts this Yule!)
11. Contribute to a charity of your choice. Spread the joy of Yuletide.
12. Learn about sacred sites aligned with the Winter Solstice. Envision your own
celebrations of Winter Solstice being part of a vast network of Solstice celebrations
happening around the planet (Winter in the Northern hemisphere & Summer in the
South). Watch live video of Winter Solstice at New Grange or other sacred site with
coverage.
13. Focus on world peace and planetary well-being in your rituals, meditations, prayers,
and other workings. Peace-making was part of Winter Solstice among many peoples
in the past. Keep this tradition alive in the present and future.

Pagan Yuletide Greenery

50
 by Selena Fox

Kinds

 from Evergreen "Yule" Trees - Pines, Fir, Spruce, others

 from other Trees - Holly, Oak, Birch, Silver Fir, Yew, Juniper, Cedar, Fruit trees,
others
 from Herbs - Mistletoe, Ivy, Bayberry, Bay, Rosemary, Sage, others
 from other Plants - Poinsettia, others

Forms

 living
 cut & kept fresh
 cut & dried
 representational

History

 Used for Winter Solstice time celebrations since antiquity -- Roman, Teutonic,
English, Egyptian, others
 Use continued as part of Christmas traditions, but banned some eras & places due to
their Pagan associations
 Part of spiritual & secular December holiday celebrations in contemporary America &
elsewhere

Sacred Uses:

 Wreath - symbolizing the wheel of the year; placed on doorways, walls, altars, other
places
Rituals of selection, creation, placement, removal, burning at Imbolc, Summer
Solstice, or other times

51
 Yule Tree - symbolizing eternal life force & World Tree; decorated with lights, sun
symbols, other symbols
Rituals of growing, selection, honoring tree spirit, placement, decoration, removal,
offering or burning
 Sprigs, Boughs, & Garlands - symbolizing the continuity of life; used to adorn
homes, altars, other places
Rituals of cutting, arranging, removal, burning or mulching
 Mistletoe Amulet - symbolizing peace, friendship, affection; hung above door ways to
protect home
Rituals of harvest, placement, home blessing, kissing under it for peace making, fun,
good luck
 Mistletoe is often an ingredient in multi-herbal kissing ball used in similar ways
 Yule Log Adornment - with Holly to symbolize old year passing & with other greens
for continuity of life
Rituals of selection & placement on the Log, burning with the Log to welcome new
solar year, good luck
 Greenery Circle Making - symbolizing the Circle of Life & Yule season; outline ritual
circle with greens
Rituals of harvest, placement, later removal & use in sacred fires
 Evergreen Sprig Wand - symbolizing the Yuletide season, renewal, well-being
Rituals of harvest, uses for circle casting, purification, healing, energy directing, home
blessing
 Sacred Fires - dried greenery symbolizing the season & specified intention such as
release or attraction
Rituals of fire starting, fire feeding, magic making
 Crowns - of Holly leaves symbolizing Holly King, Holly Boy, & Goddess; of Oak
Leaves for the Oak King, of Ivy for Goddess, God, Ivy Girl; of a mixture of greens
symbolizing Yuletide
Rituals of creating, crowning, invoking, offering, aspecting, thanksgiving, celebration
 Gifts - of living plants, herb teas, greens scented candles, motifs decorating cards,
foods, music, art
Rituals of creating, selection, gifting, thanksgiving, friendship renewal & love
 Greenery Meditation - using actual or visualized greenery symbolizing renewal of the
Yuletide season
Rituals of healing, guidance, seasonal celebration

52
53