Yule and Ritual

Source.

Yule* (also known as the Longest Night, the Winter Solstice, Midwinter, and a myriad of other names) falls on the shortest day and longest night of the year.  For the Norther Hemisphere it's usually sometime between the 20th and 23rd of December.  Yule, or Winsol (see my note at the end of this post), is, for me, a time to celebrate both the darkness and the rebirth of the sun.  It's the birth of the a new year, and I treat it as such.  This is my time to make plans, to rid myself of unnecessary and often negative influences, and begin the process of shedding my old skin.  Often, I write myself a letter to be read on the next Winsol, and read the letter that was written on the last.  And of course there's feasting and the exchange of gifts.  Winsol is a time for rest, regeneration, making plans for the next year, and spending time with loved ones.

Below is a short, solitary ritual that I wrote this year, and some associations I have for the holiday.  They are not Wiccan, as I am not Wiccan, but instead are some crazy amalgam of Neopagan, folkloric, and druidical traditions, coupled with my family's decidedly non-Christian Christmas tradition.

2014's Winsol falls on the 21st of December.  Sunset is at 5:03pm CST.

Source.

Associations

Colors: red, green, white, blue, gold, silver, black

Plants: mugwort, cranberry, bayberry, poinsettia, evergreens: spruce, fir, juniper, mistletoe, holly, etc.

Food/Flavors: goose, roast beef, lamb, nuts, dried fruit, cranberries, apples, oranges, gingerbread, spices, beans and legumes, mint

Drink: buttered rum, wassail, eggnog, spiced rum, ginger tea, hot chocolate

Scents: frankincense, myrrh, evergreen scents: balsam, fir, juniper, etc., spicy scents: ginger, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, etc.

Stones: bloodstone, ruby, garnet, emerald

Astronomical: Aurora Borealis

Source.

Ritual

A few minutes before sunset (which is at 5:03 pm CST, see above) bundle up and go outside.  As you watch the sun disappear below the horizon, hold your breath.  While you're holding that breath, think on the year past: blessings and sorrows.  Think of everything you wanted to do and didn't.  Think of what you did instead, and see how those things changed you.  Gather up your negative thoughts, your regrets, your pains and pressures, everything you want to rid yourself of from the previous year.**  Release your held breath, and with that release expel all of the negativity you gathered.  Meditate briefly on your goals for the coming year, then head back inside.

Once inside and relieved of your bundling clothes, head to your alter and light candles in the colors of the season.  (This year I will be burning 1 red and 2 green candles that one of my brothers gave me for Christmas a few years back.  Scents: cinnamon, balsam & cedar, and mistletoe.) Offer up a small prayer for the rebirth of the sun.  Meditate on the flames, feel the warmth radiating out.  Breath in.  Breath out.  Slow your breath, your mind, your body.  When you can see into the heart of the flame you can call the elements, cast your circle:

Facing eastwards visualize the power of air before you and the power of water behind you, feel the presence of the winds of the east and waters of the west.  When this imagery is strong in your mind, say: "Light and darkness; east and west; air and water; come, let my circle, my spirit, be the meeting place between you."

Visualize the power of fire to your right and the power of earth to your left, feel the presence of the fires of the south and earth of the north.  When this imagery is strong in your mind, say: " Heat and coldness; south and north; fire and earth; come, let my circle, my spirit, be the meeting place between you."

Focus on the elements and their powers, the cardinal directions and their powers, when you have these clear in your mind, say: "Powers that create, preserve, destroy, and redeem, come, and let my circle, my spirit, be the meeting place between you." 

Continue: "Come, powers of east and air, light and dawn; come, and receive your blessing.  Come, powers of west and water, dark and dusk; come, and receive your blessing.  Come, powers of south and fire, heat and life; come, and receive your blessing.  Come, powers of north and earth, cold and death; come, and receive your blessing.  Blessed are the cardinal points and elements.  Blessed are those that join our*** circle."

Now, if you wish, you can invoke your ancestors, your gods and goddesses, or other spirits, inviting them into your circle in much the same way.

Say: "We gather to celebrate Winsol (the Winter Solstice, Yule, whatever), the rebirth of the sun, and the passing of the year.  On this, the longest of nights, we pray for the return of the sun and the promise of rebirth and spring!  As the sun grows stronger, the days lengthen, growing brighter, may we too grow stronger, brighter.  As the sun is reborn, so too are our hopes and our dreams.  Blessed is the sun, blessed is this solstice!"

Meditate on once again on the flames of your candles.  Find the heart of the flame, allow it to fill you with warmth and light, driving away the cold and darkness, driving away your troubles and negativity.  Breathe in and out slowly.  As before, gather up everything you want to discard that lives inside of you, picture it being shoved in a bag and draw the strings of the bag tightly closed.  Breathe and relax.  Find yourself in the heart and the heat of the flame.  Keep hold of the bag.

Faretheewell the elements, the spirits, the ancestors, the gods and goddesses that joined you in your circle: "Farewell, powers of east and air, light and dawn; farewell, and thank you for your presence and your blessings.  Hail and farewell!   Farewell, powers of west and water, night and dusk; farewell, and thank you for your presence and your blessings. Hail and farewell!  Farewell, powers of south and fire, heat and life; farewell, and thank you for your presences and your blessings.  Hail and farewell!  Farewell, powers of north and earth, cold and death; farewell, and thank you for your presence and blessings.  Hail and farewell! 

Continue: "Powers that create, preserve, destroy, and redeem, farewell!  Thank you for your presence and blessings.  May may there be peace and honor between us now and always.  Hail and farewell!"

Extinguish the candles, or leave them in a safe place where there is no possibility of them setting fire to anything.  Bundle up again, walk outside, face east, say:  "May the coming dawn bestow upon us all the blessings the coming spring, and bring the promise of endless possibilities.  May it drive the shadows from my soul."  Breathe in deeply and release, releasing, as well, the bag you've been holding in your mind.  Gently push the bag out with your breath and let it go.  Imagine it drifting away, dispersing where it can no longer do harm.   

Breathe, slowly, deeply, meditating on new possibilities.  Breathe out, and take a deep breath in pulling in the blessings of the solstice, feel those blessing fill you, pushing against your skin.  Say: "This Winsol ritual is complete.  Thank you.  Hail and farewell!"

Go inside.  Decompress.  Eat something.  Drink some water.  Stretch.  Dispose of any ritual offerings you added in an appropriate manner.  Write about your ritual experience, record as much as you can - you can interpret it later.  Write about what you look forward to in the coming year.  What are your goals?  Your dreams?  Think about what you need to do to accomplish those goals.

So, that's it.  That's my Winsol ritual for 2014.   

I totally just found this on google images.

*A few years ago I started calling Yule "Winsol" which is short for Winter Solstice, and, as far as I know, was coined by one of my favorite fantasy writers, Anne Bishop, for her Black Jewels series of books.  I like the term.  It suits the season.

**Can you tell 2014 was a bad year for me?

***I speak in plural once I've been joined by spirits.  To do otherwise, to me, seems rude.