Solitary Yule Ritual

ALTAR A bowl of salt Cup of water holly mistletoe Yule Log (or wreath that holds alteast 3 tall candles) Yule Cake Chalice of wine or juice Rosemary or Frankincense incense 4 corner candles 1 tall Gold God candle 1 tall Silver Goddess candle Bloodstone or Carnelian gemstones 1 tall white candle (for Maiden) 1 tall red candle (for Mother) 1 tall black candle (for Crone) Athame and/or Wand

Cauldron or incense burner _________________________________________________ ____ Cast circle and call the corners. Light the incense then begin to invoke the Goddess & God. INVOCATION OF THE GOD: (DO NOT LIGHT THE GOLD CANDLE) "I now do call upon the eternal God in the ancient way, as Lord of the Sun. Who, in this season, will be reborn as the Oak King. Send thy spirit forth so that I, your humble child, may feel your light within me. As it is willed, so mote it be!" INVOCATION OF THE GODDESS: (While lighting the SILVER candle) "I now do call upon the eternal Goddess in the ancient way, as Young Mother, great womb from whom all life flows. Send thy spirit forth so that I, your humble child, may feel your life within me. As it is willed, so mote it be!" "Blessed Lady Goddess, mother of the newborn King, I thank you for the bounty of your Earthly body - my home. Blessed be this season of Yule and the newborn God. Blessed be the Lord!" (Place the holly on the altar in a place of honor) "Tonight Goddess and God are reunited, Tonight life and light begin anew, The Lord and Lady are again one!"

Light the tall WHITE candle while saying: "Blessed be the Maiden, innocent and fresh!" Light the tall RED candle while saying: "Blessed be the Mother, fertile and loving!" Light the tall BLACK candle while saying: "Blessed be the Crone, powerful and wise!" Then light the tall GOLD GOD candle while saying: "Blessed be the Father, the Lord God and King!" Take the bowl of salt and pour it into the cup of water. Then take your fingertips and anoint your feet (Maiden), belly (Mother) and head (Crone) for this is the Blessing of the Triple Goddess. When finished, take the Yule cake and break a piece off to sacrifice to the Goddess. Then hold it upward while saying: "This bit of life-giving grain of your Earth I give back to you now in humble thanksgiving. You are in and of this cake, Young Mother. Allow me to use it to fill myself with your boundless presence." Break off another piece of the Yule cake and eat it. Place the rest of the cake back on the altar to give back to the Earth later. Then take the Chalice of wine or juice and hold it upward while saying: "Blessed Lady, I thank you for your gift of the newborn King. This water of your Earth I give back to you now in humble thanksgiving. You are in and of this ale, Young

Mother. Allow me to use it to fill myself with your boundless presence. Blessed be the Lady!" Take a drink from the chalice of wine or juice and then place it back on the altar. "Farewell old year, farewell Holly King." Then remove the holly from the altar and replace it with the mistletoe, symbol of the Oak King, while saying: "Blessed be the God, King of the waxing year! I pray you will guide your children safely through to the season of warmth and light." Sit for a moment, reflecting upon the Goddess and God and the meaning of the season. When finished close the ritual and open the circle. "I am a child of deity, I am part of the creative life force which moves the universe, I am part of all that is; Though we are apart, we are ever together - For we are all one in the spirit of our Goddess and our God. Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again - Blessed be!" (Thank the Goddess and God and the elements remembering to give back to the Earth afterwards.)

Simple Yule Ritual for Beginners

Materials Needed: Dirt from the land you live on (to represent the Earth) A candle (bright yellow to represent fire, and the sun) Water (to represent, of course water. From your tap is fine) Incense (to represent air. Any scent you feel is appropriate will do) An evergreen branch (small or large will do) A small offering to the Reborn God (incense, something handmade by you, a string of beads, ect) And most important, a quiet ritual space where you will not be disturbed.

Additional materials, such as pinecones, antlers, flowers, ect can be added to the ritual space as desired. I usual have many things around me, that have special meaning to me, but this is meant to be a very simple ritual for the newcomer, so I will forgo adding more than needed.

Place the Earth element in the North, the Air in the East, the Fire in the South, and the Water in the East. Try to place them so that you can reach each of them easily from one position. This can be on a small table, a tree stump, or the ground. If you wish, cover the area

with a cloth that you will only use for ritual to help put you in the right frame of mind for it. Light the Fire candle, and meditate on what Yule means to you. If you are still learning, and are not quite sure of what it does mean to you, read thishttp://www.angelfire.com/ca5/witchcraftstudies/yule.html This was written by Mike Nichols, and should help you understand the day even more.

After meditating, pick up the bowl of Dirt, and say (or think), I am of this Earth, forever linked to the Gods. Draw a pentacle in the dirt. Replace. Next pick up the Incense, drawing a pentacle in front of your with it say, This is the breath of the Gods, which gives me life. Replace. Picking up the candle, say, This is the Flame that warms our heart, just as the love of the Goddess and the God warms our souls. Replace. Last, pick the bowl of Water up, and say, And this the ever-changing waters and nourishes life, without which we would not be. Replace.

Think on the Gods rebirth, and the lengthening days that follow the Winter Solstice. Say what is in your heart at this time to the Goddess and the God. If you are in a situation that you are not comfortable to speak aloud, then think those words.

Next, take the offering you are giving to the Gods up in your hands, hold it to the sky and say, This is my gift to you, for you have given many gifts to me. This symbolizes my pledge to you. Replace. Add why to this why you chose this offering.

Now for the closing of your ritual. Take up the Earth again, saying, Thank you for watching over my rite. Pour the dirt back onto the ground if outside, if not, wait till you are completely finished then do it. Say the thank you for each of the elements. Pour the water out onto the ground as well. Take your offering to a favorite tree or plant of yours, and either place it on the branches where it wont be disturbed, or bury it near the roots. Place the incense under/over the offering, and leave it to burn itself out. Take the candle inside, and place in a window. Let it burn all the way out. (Make sure there arent any curtains or other flammable materials nearby that could catch fire. Be safe.) Spend the rest of the day aware of the significance of the day.

If you have any changes that you would like to make for yourself in this ritual, go ahead. Paganism is a living religion, always growing and expanding. To the new person, I would suggest keeping it as simple as possible. This is why you will not see the usual tools, such as the knife or a circle used here. It is not needed. They have their purposes.

Go with the Gods, Blessed Be.