Yule ritual 5/5, Merry Midwinter, Yule and Winter Solstice

The etymology of Solstice, rituals for today, the upcoming New Moon in Capricorn and this month's tree according to the Celtic tree calendar - Silver Birch (Betula pendula).

Hello there,

Wishing you so many Solstice Blessings. I hope the return to the light after today’s shortest day brings with it hope, renewal and good health for you and yours.

I don’t know about you, but I’m a self-confessed etymology nerd - I love looking into the meaning and history of words. The word ‘Solstice’ comes from the Latin words sol stit which translates to sun stands still. The naming of this time of year comes from a time when we had a deeper connection to the cycles which were going on in the more-than-human world. Our human ancestors would have watched the sun’s path with much more reverence than we do today, with our ability to override the darkness with electricity and technology. Seeing the sun stop at his most Westerly place in the sky on the Solstice for 12 days would have been a cue for us to pause and surrender too, reflect on the year passed and prepare ourselves to start again, anew in the New Year.

This year’s Yule wreath

Yule rituals

Over the past 4 weeks I’ve been sharing some ways to ease into this dark part of the year, offering invitations for a variety of rituals including creating a Yule altar and a Yule wreath. You can find these in the Moontime musings archive. To mark this darkest day of the year, my rituals for today will revolve around watching the light. I’ll be finding a spot to sit as the sun rises where I live at 8:19, see the moonset at 13:52 and finally the sunset at 15:49, with the added light and warmth of a fire. Let me know how you’ll be marking the shortest day with a comment below.

According to an article from the Royal Botanical Gardens:

[On the Winter Solstice] It was believed that the sun stood still for twelve days so a log was lit to vanquish darkness, banish evil spirits, and bring luck for the coming year. This was known as Yuletide. During the celebration, houses were decorated with holly, ivy, mistletoe, and other plants. Many of these plants were thought to hold special powers but they were also used as a reminder of rebirth, a return to longer days, the planting of crops, and the world becoming verdant again. Yuletide became Christmastide and many pagan beliefs and rituals were absorbed by the church into Christmas celebrations. December 25 was chosen as the date for Christmas due to its proximity to the solstice.

Source: Alex Henderson

Silver Birch (Betula pendula)

By now I’m sure you’ve already decorated your house with holly, ivy and evergreens in the form of a tree, wreath or perhaps in the creation of a Yule Altar (I’d love to see your creations - please tag @foxfirelearning on social media). But I wanted to mention another tree that I’m paying attention to this month. This is Silver Birch (Betula pendula) and she is the tree of the month from 24th December - 20th January, according to the Celtic Tree Calendar, which coincides with the next moon phase beginning on Friday. In today’s video and podcast (which will be released at sunset), I talk about how vibrant the Silver Birches in my local park have been this season, adding a sunny glow on dark Winter days. Silver Birch has many gifts, including that of readily combustible twigs should you find yourself trying to light a fire in the rain. Find out more about her gifts in my free Silver Birch guide.

New Moon in Capricorn

As well as the Winter Solstice, we’re also almost at another New Moon. On Friday the moon becomes New in the sign of Capricorn - a sign focused on the long game which means that this is a great time to think about your hopes and dreams for 2023. No, I’m not talking about those short-lived ‘New Year’s’ resolutions like joining the gym, going vegan and ditching caffeine all at once; which often last a week until we realise that without intention behind them, these resolutions were always destined to fail. Instead, this is the perfect opportunity to sit down with a cuppa (maybe at your Yule altar), reflect on all that came to fruition for you in 2022 and consider what areas of your life you want to focus on for 2023. It can be helpful to organise these intentions into categories such as home, mind, body and spirit. You may decide that carving out a sacred space where you can spend time on the New Moon is an intention for your home and spirit category. Maybe your mind is yearning for more intellectual stimulation in the realm of ancestral wisdom connected to the more-than-human world. Perhaps trying out a Yoga Nidra class with guided is what your body needs in 2023.

Remember that we’re still in Winter when it comes to January, even when the ‘outside world’ of media and advertising is encouraging us to step into the New Year as if it’s suddenly summer and we’re overflowing with vitality and energy. So whatever intentions you choose to set for this year, I hope they’re nourishing and in line with what you need, not what the outside world is telling you you need!

Newsletter format

My writing is centred around the Wheel of the Year and the eight sabbats with my free newsletters coming out in sync with these 8 festivals which are 31 October, 21 December, 1 February, 21 March, 1 May, 21 June, 1 August and 23 September (please note: these dates sometimes shift by a day or two each year). I also write for the New and Full Moons for my paid subscribers and for other occasions in between. If you’d like to read all of my content and help to support my writing you can do so by subscribing for £3.50 per month or £35 per year. Thank you so much for your support.

Thank you for reading and have a wonderful festive season. I’m taking my own advice and having a break for 2 weeks now. See you on the Full Moon of 6th January 2023! x