Yule Ritual

Celebration for Yule, the Winter Solstice

Opening Poem

Suggested reading: “Air and Water in Darkness” by Juan Ramón Jiménez

The Winter Solstice and the Meaning of Yule

Twice a year, the Earth reaches the balance point between day and night. On those days, the equinoxes, we celebrate the life-sustaining cycles of light and dark and reflect on the turning wheel of life and death. When the day and the night are of equal length, we are reminded of the equality of all living things—for they are all aspects of Gaea, our living world. We celebrate with flame, whether the flicker of candlelight or the roar of a bonfire, to remind us of the energy of the sun and the creative spark of the cosmos beyond.

Twice a year, too, the Earth transitions from lightness into darkness and then darkness into light. On these days, the solstices, we pause again, to celebrate the lesson the Earth teaches us: that all things are temporary and that change is inevitable. The winter solstice comes at a time of cold and darkness, of shortening days and lengthening nights.

At Yule, our celebration of the winter solstice, we are reminded that no matter how dark it gets, the light always returns. The night will always end and a new day will always begin. Life is often a struggle; we grasp and slip, fight and fail, win then lose. But hope, like the light, is always present, if we have the presence of mind to find it.

We are at the year’s closing; as the wheel turns around us, the days will now grow longer and longer until we are once again spiraling beneath the late sun at Litha, the celebration of the summer solstice. Even though we look to the light with hope and anticipation, we must remember that we need winter’s long dark nights. They are the time for us to turn inward, to reflect, and to renew ourselves so that we might be capable of fulfilling our role in this world in the year to come.

Today is the beginning of the waxing half of the year; from now until the summer solstice the day will lengthen and night will shorten. Today marks the re-birth of light into our world, with the promise that winter will come to an end. Now we shed our fears and worries and celebrate all that is and all that will be, the ideas and projects we have brought to fruition, the joys and sorrows that have grown from the seeds we planted.

As we walk the spiral, let us think about what it is we want to celebrate about this year. What do we hope to bring into our lives next year? What do we hope to let go of? What attitudes and actions did not serve us in the last year? Where do we need to forgive ourselves and others to make peace with past hurts? In the darkness of winter, what do we want to learn, to create, to nurture? This is the dream of Yule, to honor all that we have made manifest in our lives, and to begin again in joy and peace.

Walking the Spiral

In the greatest darkness   The light is reborn
Out of winter’s cold   The light is reborn
From our deepest fears   The light is reborn
When we most despair   The light is reborn
When all seems lost   The light is reborn
When the earth lies waste   The light is reborn
When animals hide   The light is reborn
When the leaves are gone   The light is reborn
When the river is frozen   The light is reborn
When the ground is hard   The light is reborn
Shadows are fleeing   The light is reborn
Light is returning   The light is reborn
Warmth will come again   The light is reborn
Summer will be here once more   The light is reborn
Plants will grow again   The light is reborn
Animals will be seen once more   The light is reborn
Green will come again   The light is reborn
Life will continue   The light is reborn

(Repeat until all have completed the spiral walk.)

Candle Lighting

I light this candle in the name of the Ancestors, the Guardians, and all the holy ones who walk the world. May its light guide all the kindly spirits to bless this place.

I light this candle in the name of learning. May its flame remind us to look towards the unknown with curiosity and an open mind.

I light this candle in the name of creativity. May its glow inspire us and give us the confidence to share our true selves with the world.

I light this candle in the name of friendship. May its light continue to bring us together, so that we might offer each other joy, comfort, and company.

I light this candle in the name of the sun. May its flame warm our winter nights and remind us of the ever-returning summer.

I light this candle in the name of the Earth. May it illuminate our path through the coming year and remind us to walk with peace and compassion for all Gaea’s children.

Closing Poem

Suggested reading: “Burning the Old Year” by Naomi Shihab Nye