Romanticize 11: Celebrate Yule

Witches refer to this day as the "return of the light."

Today is the winter solstice, aka Yule—it’s the shortest day of the year (for those of us who reside in the Northern Hemisphere, that is). Yule denotes the time of year when the days finally begin to get longer again, which means more light! Celebrations surrounding the occasion are all about rebirth and new beginnings—hence, the theme of today’s Romanticize.

The Romanticize

Observe a Yule tradition or two.

The Advice

• There are so many ways to mark this day—you can keep things simple by lighting a few candles in honor of the brighter days ahead and journaling about all the seeds of new beginnings you’re planting for the coming year. Or you can observe a more involved ritual or create a spell bag. The Internet is a wide and wondrous place, so look into some traditions and find a practice that resonates with you.

• I’ll be making Yule good luck charms for me and my friends as directed in Skye Alexander’s Modern Witchcraft Spell Book, a Yule tea based on this recipe from Instagram’s Wiccan Tips (aka Lidia Pradas), and I’m lighting a fire in my wood stove using oak pieces (the most traditional type of wood for a Yule log) and surrounding it with candles to heighten the light vibration.

The Inspiration

It’s below freezing today, so the first thing I did was build a fire in my wood stove. I stuck to only oak pieces (I can generally tell by the streaks of red that appear on the cut areas), to keep it as traditional as possible (oak symbolizes strength and longevity). To amplify the observance of the light-filled days ahead, I also lit some candles around the stove.

Next, I let a pot of Yule tea warm on the stove—as per the above Wiccan Tips recipe, I added half a stick of cinnamon, star anise, the rind of one orange, and some cloves to full moon water. Not only does it taste delicious with a little honey, but it makes the whole room smell amazing while it’s simmering. I strained and reboiled the ingredients throughout the day and they never lost their potency (I am now 87% Yule tea, thank you).

Last, I put together Yule good luck charms for the coming year in cute little glass vials (which I first smoke cleansed with an herb stick and selenite). I’m seeing my three close girlfriends for a post-holiday dinner next week, and I thought it’d be nice to gift them each one of these little magickal creations.

As per the directions in the witchcraft spell book linked above, I mixed some ash from yesterday’s fire (which included oak wood), dried rose petals (for love), dried lavender (for peace), dried basil (for protection), dried mint (for prosperity), and dried echinacea (for health). Everything used came from either my garden or my local herb farm, which felt really special. I tore up some strips of paper and wrote personalized wishes on each piece, which I slipped into the vial along with the ingredients. If you don’t have vials, you can use drawstring pouches or even loose-leaf tea bags tied with string!

I’d love to know the results of your Romanticize—feel free to share your experience in the comments, or tag me on Instagram. Until next Wednesday, fellow romantics!