Yule is an ancient holiday which has been celebrated on the Winter Solstice for thousands of years by Germanic cultures, and now by Neo-pagans across the Earth. Whats lovely about seasonal celebrations like the Winter and Summer solstice is that it forces us to slow down, create space, and enjoy the moment...
Yule or Yuletide, aka Winter Solstice, in the Northern Hemisphere marks the longest night and shortest day of the year and is one of the oldest celebrations in the world. Like all the Neopagan holidays the date varies between December 20 to December 23 depending on the year with the Gregorian calendar. Though with modern technology we can more closely track the exact moment when the Earth pole is at its maximum tilt away from the Sun. This year the winter solstice is exact on Friday, December 21 at 2:22 p.m. PT or 5:22 ET as the Sun moves into the tropical zodiac sign of Capricorn. As a turning point of light and reflection and of all the cyclical, seasonal holidays, the winter solstice is perhaps the most Christianized from its Earthly Pagan roots and Roman traditions.
Known as Summer Solstice to most, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere has several names including Litha and Midsummer. It is a day of joy and merriment, as well as major witchiness. Litha comes from the old Anglo-Saxon name for June and July, given by an English monk named Bede. As the lustful and passionate energies of Beltane subside, they make way for the maturity and power of Litha. Spring was the phase of courtship and now summer has become the commitment to love as the...