Tuesday, December 11, 2012

15 Days of Yule: The Yule Log


As the Wheel of the Year turns once more, the days get shorter, the skies become gray, and it seems as though the sun is dying. In this time of darkness, we pause on the Solstice (usually around December 21st, although not always on the same date) and realize that something wonderful is happening.


On Yule, the sun stops its decline into the south. For a few days, it seems as though it’s rising in exactly the same place… and then the amazing, the wonderful, the miraculous happens. The light begins to return.

The sun begins its journey back to the north, and once again we are reminded that we have something worth celebrating. In families of all different spiritual paths, the return of the light is celebrated, with Menorahs, Kwanzaa candles, bonfires, and brightly lit Christmas trees. On Yule, many Pagan and Wiccan families celebrate the return of the sun by adding light into their homes. One of my favorite traditions – and one that children can do easily – is to make a Yule log for a family-sized celebration.

A holiday celebration that began in Norway, on the night of the winter solstice it was common to hoist a giant log onto the hearth to celebrate the return of the sun each year. The Norsemen believed that the sun was a giant wheel of fire which rolled away from the earth, and then began rolling back again on the winter solstice.

As Christianity spread through Europe, the tradition became part of Christmas Eve festivities. The father or master of the house would sprinkle the log with libations of mead, oil or salt. Once the log was burned in the hearth, the ashes were scattered about the house to protect the family within from hostile spirits.

Because each type of wood is associated with various magical and spiritual properties, logs from different types of trees might be burned to get a variety of effects. Aspen is the wood of choice for spiritual understanding, while the mighty oak is symbolic of strength and wisdom. A family hoping for a year of prosperity might burn a log of pine, while a couple hoping to be blessed with fertility would drag a bough of birch to their hearth.

In my house, I usually make our Yule log out of pine, but you can make yours of any type of wood you choose. You can select one based on its magical properties, or you can just use whatever’s handy. To make a basic Yule log, you will need the following:


  • A log about 14 – 18” long
  • Pine-cones
  • Dried berries, such as cranberries
  • Cuttings of mistletoe, holly, pine needles, and ivy
  • Feathers and cinnamon sticks
  • Some festive ribbon – use paper or cloth ribbon, not the synthetic or wire-lined type
  • A hot glue gun
  • All of these – except for the ribbon and the hot glue gun -- are things you and your children can gather outside. You might wish to start collecting them earlier in the year, and saving them. Encourage your children to only pick up items they find on the ground, and not to take any cuttings from live plants.

Begin by wrapping the log loosely with the ribbon. Leave enough space that you can insert your branches, cuttings and feathers under the ribbon. In my house, I place five feathers on my Yule log – one for each member of the family. Once you've gotten your branches and cuttings in place, begin gluing on the pine-cones  cinnamon sticks and berries. Add as much or as little as you like. Remember to keep the hot glue gun away from small children.

Once you've decorated your Yule log, the question arises of what to do with it. For starters, use it as a centerpiece for your holiday table. A Yule log looks lovely on a table surrounded by candles and holiday greenery.

Another way to use your Yule log is to burn it as our ancestors did so many centuries ago. For myself, before I burn my log, I write down a wish on a piece of paper, and then insert it into the ribbons. It’s my wish for the upcoming year, and I keep it to myself in hopes that it will come true.

Image via .charmedinnewengland.com

If you have a fireplace, you can certainly burn your Yule log in it, but I prefer to do mine outside.If you have a fire pit in the back yard, on the night of the winter solstice, gather out there with blankets, mittens, and mugs full of warm drinks to burn your log. While watching the flames consume it, discuss how thankful you all are for the good things that have come your way this year, and how hope for abundance, good health, and happiness in the next.


Love and Lightning Bugs,
  Photobucket

7 comments:

Julia Potvin said...

I love yule logs, and I normally make them every year, I can find everything I need right in my woods.
Its fun and always looks so nice, love yours.

Malia said...

I enjoyed reading about the yule log, Looks very decorative!

(¯`•¸Geca Franco¸•´¯) said...

Now I wish I'm back in the winter wonderland so I can make this beautiful decor.

Anonymous said...

That is beautiful. If you can collect all of that where you live outside, I want to move there!

Cheap Is The *New* Classy said...

Wow! I bet that makes the house smell so nice!

Dawn

jenny at dapperhouse said...

My son made a Yule log that weare using for a centerpiece. I will have to show him this post and see if he wants to burn it and count our blessings - maybe a new tradition for Christmas eve?? THANKS!

Kimberly Storms said...

I am glad you feel so comfortable and confident sharing what you believe here!