Yule 2023: Winter Solstice

This holiday originates from the culture of ancient Germanic peoples. This is the last reference point in the Wheel of the Year. On this day the cycle is reset, the wheel turns to the beginning of a new cycle and a new countdown begins.

Yule is a mid-winter holiday, when the longest night and shortest day of the year begins on Earth. It is also the celebration of the birth of a new young Sun.

Note: The ancient Slavs, our pagan ancestors, celebrated the Night of Chernobog on the night of December 20-21. It was believed that a new Sun was born from darkness. The light part of the shortest day was called Karachun's day. From the 21st, knowledgeable people in pagan traditions celebrated Kolyada, the birth of a new Sun.

This holiday is the final reference point in the Wheel of the Year. It falls on the night of December 20-21. In later times, Christians began to celebrate the Nativity of Christ during this period, which falls on December 25th. But originally this is the Winter Solstice holiday. It is believed that after December 21, the Sun grows and gains its Strength.

What is Yule?

Traditionally, Yule is a holiday of Germanic and Scandinavian peoples. It lasts 13 nights. Our Slavic ancestors called Yule Kolyada. At a later time, Kolyada with the calendar reform was moved to January 7 and the tradition of Christmastide was also shifted there.

It is noteworthy that decorating a house with green spruce branches is a very old Yule tradition, which was adopted and transformed by modern people. For example, in the USA it is very popular before Christmas, and here it is December 25, to hang a wreath of spruce branches on the door of the house, and decorate the house with branches of ale and coniferous trees.

On Yule, European pagans brought a log of Ash, which was set on fire on the Yule night, and it was supposed to smolder for 12 days.

Yule was originally a holiday dedicated to the birth of the new Sun. It is believed that the Power of solar energy increases and grows until the Summer Solstice.

In witchcraft circles, Yule is one of the most powerful days for holding covens and Circles of Power for practitioners at Places of Power.

Also on this day, rituals were performed to bless the trees.

Features of Yule in 2023

On this day, the Waxing Moon will be in the sign of Aries at the age of 7 lunar day, sunrise at 12:24, sunset at 01:17 (Kyiv time).

Length of day 8 hours 00 minutes 31 seconds.

The sun will be in the sign of Sagittarius, sunrise at 7:56, sunset at 15:56 (Kyiv time).

The planets will be visible: Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune.

Yule in 2023 falls on Wednesday, the day of Mercury.

Mercury Day is well suited for speeding up affairs, trade and business transactions, establishing communications and financial rituals.

This is the most powerful day for ritual work. Also, over the next 13 days, rituals of various directions will go very well in accordance with the lunar cycle.

During the week after Yule, those very Christmastides come and it will be very good to work with mantic systems and program positive changes for the next year.

This period has long been considered a time for forming desires to realize them in the new year.

During this period, it is also good to get rid of everything unnecessary and outdated, both in the physical sense (all accumulated rubbish), and in the mental and emotional sense, that is, a good time to end outdated relationships, quit an unsuitable job and change your place of residence.

I also remind you that Wednesday is Mercury Day - a day of working with such deities as Mercury, Hermes, Odin, Wotan, and also Athena.

Plants of this day: fern, lavender, lily of the valley, aspen.

Tarot cards that correspond to Wednesday: Wheel of Fortune, Eight of Pentacles and Magician.

I wish you successful magical practice and all the best!

Best regards, Margarita!

May the force be with us!