The New Light

I haven't felt much like drawing cards for the last few days, so instead, I thought I'd actually pick one today. In preparation for The Hidden Path and Well Worn Path, I thought I would choose one from the Wicca Oracle. Being the 20th December, I thought it made good sense to pick #14, which shows three candles, some holly and mistletoe, symbolising the festival of Yule.

From what I have read, the celebration of Yule actually starts tomorrow night for most, ready for the 22st, when the sun comes up. Tomorrow is the shortest day of the year and I can feel it, since today seemed as though it was getting darker around 2.30 this afternoon. It is pitch black outside at the moment, and all I can see is the flashing blue lights of the house opposite me. For Wiccans, this sabbat celebrates the Goddess and her giving birth to the Sun God. From Thursday, days begin to grow longer, with the return of more sun. To get through the dark Winter months, people have traditionally brought the outside in, decorating their homes with evergreen foliage, mistletoe and holly, lights, and the burning of a yule log to welcome the new sun. Falling at the end of December, this might sound familiar, but a lot of people might be surprised to find out that these pagan festivities actually predate Christianity. In actual fact, there is little written documentation of when the birth of Jesus was, but it has been argued that it was more likely in the Spring, when the shepherds would have been tending their flocks by night during March. The Winter Solstice (or Yule) is a Pagan Holiday. The church adopted it as their own when the folks who practiced the Old Ways and the Old Religion wouldn't bend to the will of their priests.

People celebrate Yule in many different ways, not unlike the methods in which Christmas is celebrated. A tree is decorated, good food is eaten and it is a time for socialising and desiring peace between all. On the eve of The Winter Solstice, many welcome the sun by staying up all night, performing specific prayers (or spells) and reflecting on what they are leaving in the dark or will be taking forward into their lives with this new light. There are three red candles on the card from The Wiccan Oracle. I have seen these in white, red and black, honouring the maiden, mother and crone respectively. This triad is one turn of the wheel from birth to death, showing the celebration of Yule (dated somewhere between the 21st to 23rd December, depending on the Gregorian calendar) as the end of the year. For Pagans, Witches and Wiccans, Thursday is much like New Years Day.



Thinking of Yule reminded me of the 7 of Pentacles from The Druidcraft Tarot. Even though there is no mention of the sabbat in the accompanying book.

The ancient Druids believed mistletoe to be an indicator of great sacredness. The Winter Solstice, called 'Alban Arthan' by the Druids, was according to Bardic Tradition, the time when the Chief Druid would cut the sacred mistletoe from the Oak. Is that what we are seeing in Will Worthington's painting in the card? The mistletoe is cut using a golden sickle on the sixth night of the new moon after the winter solstice. A cloth was held below the tree by other members of the order to catch the sprigs of mistletoe as they fell, as it was believed that it would have profaned the mistletoe to fall upon the ground. He would then divide the branches into many sprigs and distribute them to the people, who hung them over doorways as protection against thunder, lightning and other evils.

The Druids are thought to have believed that the berries of the mistletoe represented the sperm of the Gods. When pressed, a semen like substance issues from the white berries. Mistletoe was considered a magickal aphrodisiac. Girls standing under a sprig of mistletoe were asking for a bit more than a kiss, I have read.

I searched around through other tarots to see if the festival of Yule is depicted elsewhere. I don't own Lo Scarabeo's Witchy Tarot, but I guess that the illustration for the 10 of Wands could show two people burning the Yule Log while choosing natural fruit and sweets to decorate their home. I also wondered if the traditional 19th trump in the Rider Waite shows the birth of the Sun God beneath the warming rays of the sun.

Amongst the dark, today has been quiet, except for my dad's moans here and there. He seems to be getting worse as he gets older, picking at this and that. Mum went for her consultation this morning and will have physio in a few days time. I am glad the appointment is here, since she was in such agony yesterday.

It feels fitting that we should have moved at this time of year. As the light steps into our days for longer, I see it spread around our new home. My dad has already stripped out the paper in the bathroom and has begun to paint the walls. It really looks fresh and feels like ours. As the crone of the last year is ready to take her last breath, I have a lot to be thankful for.

Illustration from The Wiccan Oracle by Chatriya Hemharnvibul