Yule!

[Wicca Chick]

So how was everyone's Yule?
What did you do to celebrate? Share!

Happy Yule!

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edited to add: check all the other boards as well if you have time...i think i put new threads/replied to many old threads![/center][/b]

[SilverDragonLily]

Happy Yule!
I did a small ritual this afternoon! I mostly meditated on the Wheel of the Year and how Yule fits into the life, death and rebirth cycle. then I even considered the pros and cons of a world without such a cycle if there was no death...interesting. I started thinking about if a family member has cancer, it would be nice knowing they wouldn't die...but then you can't 'kill' or destroy the cancer cells either! so basically the person would suffer therefore in a way I guess death is really necessary! in many ways
I also had fun decorating my alter for this celebration! most of my stuff came from the Christian Thrift Store:P hehehe! and I even tried to make my ritual more personal, I looked up some on the internet but reworded alot of things so it sounded more 'me' I'm still working on Ritual Structure 101;) but I think I'm getting it!
I also have great news about college since today I got my final grades for my first semester. I was so worried that I did well during the semester but bombed the final exams, but now I know I didn't I have 3 A's and one B! but then I knew that I was struggling in that class, and thats the class I worried the most about.
I hope everyone had a positive day! Merry Yule!

[Leandra]

My Yule was wonderful. I did a small ritual. Then I decorated a small Yule tree that I got for my room. And I finished the day off by wrapping up the last of my Christmas gifts for my family. All in all it was very peaceful and heart warming.

[Wicca Chick]

Silver - wow, it sounds like you made Yule a very meaningful day for you which is awesome! IT sounds like youre really getting a good grip on everything now its wonderful isnt it?

And for that altar of yours..how does it look right now? Do you have any pics? What did you buy for it?

And CONGRATS on your college marks! Wow you must be smart...most people dont get as high do they!



Leandra - Oh a yule tree in your room?! Wow, youre so lucky! I want one as well....unfortunately we dont have a spare small tree...or space in my room right now really. But at least we have a big tree in the living room...its better than nothing.
I know some people HATE wrapping gifts...but personally I kinda like it I love choosing the wrapping paper (although i HATE how its such a waste of paper...and i do use bags sometimes) and tying nice ribbons and bows on them....its fun lol
It does sound very peaceful and heart warming!



Thanks for sharing you guys! Ive enjoyed reading your stories!

[SilverDragonLily]

I don't have any pictures on my alter...well on my alter cloth there is trees and I have a Goddess statue
I took off the Goddess and God candle holders because I really don't have candles in them-its a waste of space and replaced with a basket of pine cones, and a glass jar with fake holly, bells and Christmas stuff I bought from the Gift Shop
and then I have 3 candles 2 red and one green and a sea shell on the Goddess side and pine cones on the God side and then a small decoration of an angel also from the shop
my Tarot cards are on the Goddess side as well and a small offering plate of cookies and chocolate candy with red, green and white sprinkles all on a seashell shaped dish:)
I think that pretty much explains it all..lol
I'm getting better at my rituals, but I still read mostly from the page I print...do you normally just find invocations, and corner calling and circle casting lines that are right for you and stick to them? and basically memorize most everything?

[SlayerDrow]

Sounds great everyone! I just wish I had as much dedication as the rest of you...but its so hard with a family that is so against it...anyway I have a mini Yule tree on my altar! (its fake but pretty, I put purple lights in it...)

[Wicca Chick]

Silver - Your altar sounds lovely You really put a lot of thought into it! I wish you had a photo of it...but oh well, I alreayd have a mental image lol
For invocations...sometimes i try and make up my own and keep it as short and simple (but yet meaningful and poweful!) as possible, so its less to remember. And if i find them online or something...I'll ALWAYS modify it so it fits ME.

Casting circles, i use the same one everytime ;D Im just so used to that ONE....ive always used it...
So I dont use diffenrt ones every time. It makes life simpler and im just soo used to that one...
At first, I tried a few different ones first and chose the one that i liked most.... there wasnt much reason why i chose that specific one, just that i personally liked it most and worked best for me.
Although I must say im performing it quite differently than i did when i first started cause along the way, i made a few minor changes...and its really become 'mine' right now.

And yeah...I try and memorize everything. (it does take A LOT of preparation eh?) BUt i still keep my BOS in front of me at that page just in cause i get stuck at one part, i can glance at it.

I hope that all made sense to you!




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SlayerD- Personally, I think its WAY better to have a fake tree than a real big tree. I wouldnt even dream of cutting down a real tree and putting it in my living room so that it could die Thats why im all for fake trees.
And at least you have a tree in your room so thats good for you!

[SilverDragonLily]

yes I was going to memorize it...ALOT of work:o then again I don't have any room to sit my BOS down...so I just have what I plan to do/say on some pages that I hold.
thanks for the advice! I guess though that when I get used to writing 'my own' rituals all the way they will be easier to memorize because I wrote it

[Wicca Chick]

Oh yeah, its A LOT of work. But its so worth it and so satisfying. And Thats why a lot of it is 'rhymes' it gives your brain something to do and i think rhymes are easier to remember!
Also its okay if you dont get every single word

And I dont have much space on my altar for my BOS either...usually its like half off the table or somethign lol! I jsut try and make room for it!
And...if you really dont have space, see if you can borrow an extra table to put it beside yoru altar to set your BOS on. And than return that table to where you 'borrwoed' it from after your done with it. (just look around your house for bits of furniture that you can borrow!)

And youre right...when writing your own ritual, its way easier to remembeR!
And when i right mine...i just try to keep the words at short as possible. To meee....actions speak more than words!

Blessings!

[TribalSpirit]

My yule was great. I also have a MINI Yule tree on my altar...i was out Yule hunting in the woods and found this place with all these little eight inch pine trees starting to come up...they were so adorable so i asked to borrow one and took it up with the roots potted it, and now I'm tending to it till Imbolc when I think I'll replant it. My ritual was great, it was simple but I really felt the Yule spirit all around, it;s such a a great season! I'll try and get a pic of it up EVENTUALLY (this will take awhile indeed) but I ddnt have any croisants or anything for the simple feast so I took regular bread and an x-mas star cookie cutter and hey it works!

[Wicca Chick]

Wow...sounds like you had a nice Yule as well Lunar!

You are SO lucky...you just happen to go Yule hunting in the woods (which btw, you have one close to your house?!) and you find a nice mini pine tree...

Planting it at Imbolc....it would be a good time to plant it. But is it still a little cold where you live? Usually around Imbolc...where I live its still quite cold! (nothing is growing yet!) Plants usually start growng again around Ostara or something...for where I am anyways...but than i am a lot 'upper' north than you are! Just check the weather beforehand!

And I love hte idea of star shaped cookie cutters...i gotta go get myself one of those! I would have SO many uses for it! lol...

Blessings...and Happy Yule!