Category: Yule

Long before Santa and Christmas, Yule was celebrated on the longest night of the year. And when invaders destroyed their sacred groves, the Druids brought their fires and greens inside their homes to celebrate in secret. Little did they know that Roman soldiers would adopt their traditions and turn the Winter Solstice Yule into what we see today. But it began in forests and tiny hamlets with nature and the elements guiding their way…

“…so now, on Yule, the longest night of the year, the darkness gives way to light. The Goddess Brighid, comes into the world and renews our spirits with hope and joy.” Jack held a piece of each up as he told us their meanings.  “We gather the evergreen, symbol of immortality and the constant source of life that the Gods and Goddesses provide. We hang the Ivy at our door to invite the Nature Spirits into our homes. And the Holly; it asks that good fortune come to all who dwell within. And lastly, the mistletoe, the seed of the Divine. It is gathered from the deepest part of the forest to remind us that even in the darkest times, if we look hard enough, we can always locate the spark of the Creator waiting for us to find it and carry it into our lives.”

-excerpt from Apprentice: Book Two of the Leelanau Chronicles

Wishing you all more light this year.