Winter Solstice, Yule, Christmas, etc

This year like so many of my resent past, I have not been in the mood for the tree, decorations, merriment etc for Yule/Winter Solstice.  Money tight, working etc just doesn't seem the same as when the kids were little.  Anyway, Mike and Rhonda decided I needed my decorations up, so they decided to use my Samhain tree (black with white lights) and it seemed fitting for my first Yule in this apartment so I said do what you wish.  I sat at the computer trying to figure out what I was making my Mom, have my Dad's gift done, but not at that point and thinking about how I use to be able to afford to get my boys the gifts on their list.  Then it hit me... RIGHT!  I had a husband with a very decent job!  I wasn't paying the bills alone, I wasn't trying to figure out how I was going to fix my truck blah blah and blah.  So then and there I decided, Yule isn't about gifts and stockings full of fun, it is about the Winter Solstice!  Goddess giving birth to the Sun God and new beginnings!
I love that my parents and I are having a home-made gift exchange this year, we are all 'crafty' in one way or another and it is going to be my favorite part! 
Found out my adopted son is going to be coming home this year and I haven't seen him in 2 years so it is going to be the best part for me!
Below are pictures of the decorations and my mantle, but I wanted to add... no matter the tradition you hold in your family what is important is that you are together at some point and that in my case, I celebrate the re-birth of the Sun God and have a festive dinner with my children, some fun with some friends and celebrate the Winter Solstice with my meditation group!
So, that being said, I will start Sunday at Moot the them is 'Drumming in the Sun' and the Ritual Dragon Drummers will be there along with many of my friends from the wiccan/pagan community, my 2 son's and their girls will be here for a turkey dinner on the 21st, my meditation group is doing a ritual for Winter Solstice on the Thursday and then I am working Friday - Tuesday.  I will get to see my other son Christmas morning and that makes me very happy!  I keep Christmas for Joe who is my birth youngest and doesn't accept my Wiccan/Pagan faith, well not accept but doesn't acknowledge is more like it.  So, they will get their gifts on the 21st and stockings on the 25th and whoever can be here before I go to bed is welcomed.  I am sure it will be Ryan and Mike and his girl.  Joe will go to their dad's to be there Christmas morning with their little brother.
So whatever your faith, tradition or mindset... have a very blessed time over the holidays!  Be safe and feel love, I will miss my family this year since I have to work, but they are in my heart.
Pictures!

Tree 2011

The stockings were hung



Love my Mantle! Mike did a Great job



Mantle close up

Found this in Pinterest.com and thought it was very fitting, I hope you enjoy it and have a lovely time with your family and friends over the holidays!

May God and Goddess bless and keep you safe during the merry season,
~Blessed Be~

Blessed Yule! Winter Solstice 2010

Sadly, I will be working on Yule, so to all my friends in the Pagan/Wiccan communities bring back the Sun King my friends! 
Tuesday December 21st marks our Winter Solstice along with our celebration of Yule.  It is the turning of our Wheel of the Year and it is the shortest day of the year, official start of Winter and this year even more special this Winter Solstice 2010 will also have a Total Lunar Eclipse with a Red Moon or a Pink Copper Moon.  Could this be a prophetic sign of something to come? The last one was in 1638.

I love the following article on making a yule log, I am making one next year!  I have no idea where I will burn it but I have the need to make one!

Creating your own Yule Log

November 28th, 2010  Lore

Sorry about that! I had been so wrapped up in my work that had I completely forgot and let the domain name expire! It wasnt until I got the “Well are you gonna renew, or not?” notice before I realized “Oh no!”
Yule is right around the corner! Do you believe it? How many of you are making a Yule Log? It never quite seems like Yule time until I’m sitting on the floor of my living room sticking paper, herbs and flowers to my yule log.
So, lets talk about Yule logs!
So, what exactly is a Yule log, and how do you make a Yule log? (All of you seasoned witches out there can just skip this next part)  Well I’ll tell you. In my family creation of a Yule log is somwhat like a new years resolution in a way. We put all of our hopes, dreams and aspirations onto our Yule log for the new year by attaching herbs, flowers, candles and handwritten spells . Making Yule logs, in my opinion, is the most enjoyable of all of the sabbat workings. A Yule log is a simple log, either completely round or a good workable chunk of wood. Now the type of wood is completely up to you and what would best fit in with your particular working. (Make sure your log is very dry! You might need to keep it in the house a few days before you begin your working.)
Ash for Health
Oak for Wisdom
Pine for Prosperity
Cedar for Positive Energy
Apple for Love
Birch for starting over and new beginings.
Once you have chosen your log, now its time to dress it.
Again, it is up to you how you would like to attach your objects to your log. Some good options are twine, colored ribbon and melted candle wax makes a good adhesive. Some witches even use a glue gun, although it is an option, its not my choice. I really dont want to smell glue as it burns. But hey, if you like it go right ahead!
As for objects: Pinecones are very traditional for the season as well as holly. These are some options you might want to attach to your log.
The following is an example of how I generally make mine. Feel free to use it as a guide if you are making one for the first time.
1) I usually choose a round, foot long (or so), 3-4 in diameter piece of Birch.  I choose Birch because I’m fond of starting off the new year fresh. (Again, any size any wood you like)
2) I like to use colored ribbon to symbolize my working, along with candles of the same color. If you are unsure of the color you think would work best, go here Spellcrafting . Astrology colors can be used as well if you don’t particuarly have anything in mind this year. For this example, this year I’m going to use white ribbons and candles for cleansing and new beginings.
3)The objects I will be working with is: roses as a symbol of love because I wish to love myself more. Daisies for purity and rebirth and of course Holly for happiness and a symbol for this year. I will also be attaching pinecones to signify the season. Also feel free to use dried berries and herbs!!! You can also use symbols of your family like paper poppets and write thier name and wish on the poppet, then attach. This is free reign here, use your imagination!
4)Unroll and cut a long piece of white ribbon and being to wrap your objects around your Yule log. I will use melted candle wax to ahere my tealights (you can also use votives or single spell candle shorties).
5) Optional: Write a personal spell on a piece of parchment. Mine will have something to do with a new begining for a fresh new start this year.
6) Create a fire in your fireplace or outside, where ever you will be burning your log. Once the fire is started. Gather your family, or if you are alone, gather yourself. Hold your log and take a few moments to visualize all of these things you would like to see in the upcoming year and push these energies into your log. When you are ready, place your Yule log into the fire. (you can light your candles and have them burn for a while before you place your Yule log in) As you had let go of things in the prior year during Samhain, now is the time to share with your family or yourself of the wishes and aspirations you have for the new year.
Merry Yule!

-Andromeda DeArmande )O(

I hope Andromeda does not mind I borrowed her posting, it is wonderful!!!

Memories

Wrapping my head around having to work this Yule and having Christmas off and spending it in a house with around 20 or so people that are all family.  Now in the land of 'NORMAL' this would not be an issue, but in the land of severe manic depressive plus social anxiety it is like having over a hundred people in a 10 X 10 room. 
This is the first year of no grandparents and I am missing all of mine a lot.  I was shopping with Faith and we were looking at all the different cheeses and it hit me, we won't be getting our cheese this year.  My Nanny and Poppa (Dad's parents) gave us cheese as part of our gift.  I got so sad then I started thinking of all the Christmas we never got to have with my Mom's Dad he passed when I was 5 or 6 yrs old and I know he would have loved seeing us all each year we grew up. I miss my Grandmother sleeping over in Susan's bed and being there with us for all the Christmas' that I can remember.  I remember I bought her creamed corn for her stocking one year LOL. There are so many memories with my sisters and my cousins, my Aunts and Uncles.  Nanny's sugar cookies with the wild icing and silver balls you weren't suppose to eat lol  I loved Christmas' as a child.  OH and the Icelandic Prune cake not sure who made it but surprising it was awesomely good!  I think one of Mom's family members in Winnipeg sent it to Grandma, but that could be wrong.  I use to be the 1st or 2nd to be awake, a toss up between me and my Dad lol Nanny always made us pj's every year that usually matched and we opened them after Christmas eve church services then went to bed after Dad set up the camera on the tripod so Santa could take pictures of the tree after he put the presents and stockings under the tree!  We were surprised every single year!  I wonder if Sandy remembers the year we were so sure our parents were Santa and we were in our room and HEARD the sound of sleigh bells!!  We dove under the covers and went right to sleep we didn't want him to miss our house!! Oh the memories I have are wonderful and what every child should have, we were so lucky.  I hope I have given my boys memories that were that wonderful!

So I will go there on the 25th with my meager gifts and my broccoli and both my son's and a camera with extra batteries and try to remember to take pictures of everyone and each family and my parents with all the grands and great grand kids, it sounds like another year of good memories.