Yule: the Winter Solstice

Hello dear one and welcome to another blog on another amazing festival for the wheel of the year!

Today I greet you like old man winter as I present to you some of the medicine contained within the festival of Yule. Yule is a Norse term for this festival, the Celtic name for it being Alban Arthan, or for most of us we know it as the Winter Solstice.

Solstice means "sun stands still" as it appears to us that the sun is veryyyy slowwwllyyy moving across the sky. Is it standing still? We aren't quite sure. If you go far enough north it will not even be visible to you! Where I am in the Niagara Region of Canada, the daylight length is approximate 9 hours, making it a very short day indeed.

This longest night of the year and shortest day comes with the promise of hope, for after this transitional time we begin to see more light pouring into us here in the northern hemisphere, and with the return of light naturally comes the return of more energy.

It takes its sweet time though, we don't really notice it strongly until March when the equinox draws near. Within the medicine of this dark time though, there is immense power to be held.

The darkness of winter invites us to take a look at our own shadows. Our darkness, our perceived weaknesses... all the things we've tucked away inside that we fear the world witnessing or knowing about us. Something we often forget is that the shadow is just as sacred as the light and deserves just as much attention! So, as you feel the natural energies shift to slow, restful and introspective, I welcome you to embrace what you're feeling rather than trying to suppress it or cast it aside. It is trying to tell you something that you need to know. ALWAYS.

Welcoming the light at this time is also a common theme, the longest night greets the sun like an old friend and says "hey, it's time to return", and so we can welcome our own light once more. With this light comes the feelings we naturally find in the midst of this season - hope, wonder, joy, merriment, community and connection. Many people don't see relatives or certain friends all year until they arrive at the holidays. This can mean a time of reunion or a time of practicing boundaries depending on your personal experience!

This energy of love that exists so strongly is what I choose to consciously create my Yule celebrations from as a whole. I want to enjoy my holiday season, even though it often comes with great boundary setting in my relationships, so - I focus on how to make it more magical. Here are some things I do every year that I invite you to try in your own time.

Baking & Cooking

This might appear to be pretty common and straightforward for this time of year - and it is! What I like to personally explore is trying recipes I've never done before by looking online at different options or in the cookbooks I have on hand... Or I will aim to make recipes that take a lot longer to cook. I have this time off to do what I please with and cooking is one of my favourite things to do in my spare time!

I do my best to eat as seasonally as possible... so, some of my favourite things to make over the holiday season are ginger cookies, anything with cranberries (like cranberry oatmeal cookies, or a cranberry mocktail), gingerbread loaf, mint hot chocolate, peanut butter balls, stuffing with mashed potatoes and gravy - I think the stuffing is the best part, mushroom wellington, sourdough braids and more. There are so many amazing recipes to try, so why not challenge yourself and see what you can create! Maybe even get a little experimental and try blending flavours together or look up the foods of your ancestors or make family recipes!

Spend time outside

I know you're very surprised that the earth lover is telling you she spends time outside. I mean this genuinely though as where I live the temperatures can get so cold that even the desire to leave the house disappears entirely. Last year on Christmas it got down to -30ºC at my house. I took my dog to the park across the street and she was so unimpressed with me taking her out! I'll never forget the hilarious look upon her face!

The main reason I invite you to do this though is not just to get fresh air or devote yourself to embracing nature - it is to align your body with the seasons. It's so easy to get caught up in others things we are doing inside and never seek to align ourselves with the seasons. Winter is cold, it requires more effort to bundle up and go out, but it is also important. Within each blustery winter day is just as much power and medicine as a sunny summer's day. I invite you to go for even a 15 minute walk to enjoy winter and embrace your own nature as a being of nature. Align with the seasons by reminding your body what winter is like.

Give back to your community

This is actually one specific thing that I personally love about the holidays. I know that people aren't always in a position to give back and that we are all doing our best (I don't always have the funds to pour back into my community either), but every year it lightens my heart to see people giving back however they can. Maybe it's sharing a post of a small business you love, or shopping at the local shops vs the big box stores. I have some friends who sponsor a family every year to support them in receiving their full Christmas wish list - which often ranges from things they need to things they want. I've gone carolling in the past and collected donations for Project Share. These days I will often donate my extra yarn to women who make hats and scarves for the homeless or low-income families, or I will buy a couple jars/cans to put in the project share bin in the grocery store every time I go. Even if you don't have a lot to spare, it all makes a difference, no matter how small it appears. How do you like to give back? I'd love to get some fresh ideas for this!

I hope your winter solstice is magical and beautiful in its own unique way.

Blessed be,
Emily