On the 8th day of Yuletide...
The 8th day of Yuletide is a celebration of the hunt and winter. Tonight's celebration is the feast of Skadi and Ullr. These are Norse gods of winter and they are honored for the blessings they will bestow in the season.
Early people had to deal with the powers of the darkness, and to help with that they called on the god, Thor. Thor was the one who was brave and powerful enough to defeat the lady of death. He is the great protector of Mother Earth and middle earth from all the powers of darkness and evil.
His wife, the goddess Sif was the goddess of grain and fertility and protector of the children.
The winter goat became the symbol of Yule. Thor would sacrifice his precious goats, then resurrect them with a blow of his hammer. This represented the resurrection of the sun and nourishment.
Tonight we remember what role we play in community and our responsibility to protect the children. It is appropriate the the focus virtue tonight is hospitality.
Yesterday was the 5th day of Yuletide, the day sacred to community. During the long nights of winter, it was the sense of community that kept people going. Meals were shared and the daily work load was done by everyone.
Giving, and graciously accepting, was an integral part of the people. I found this quite appropriate that it fell on Christmas this year. Our family does a potluck for Christmas day. There is less work for the host and more time to be with each other. So toast to community and focus on honor. Enjoying each other is so important.
Today, the 6th day of Yuletide is for It was a night to celebrate the goddess Eir.
She is the matron goddess of healing and health care workers and is called upon to ward of sickness and injury. On this 6th night of Yule, reflection is on self-discipline, honor and virtues. And the virtue to focus on tonight is fidelity. Not only in relationships but to the balance of life.
To honor Eir, make yourself a hot cup of bone broth and reflect on your health and healing.
Today we toast Odin (a major Norse god and poet), Njǫrd (god of the wind and sea), and Freyr (Njord's son, god of fertility, rain and sunshine). It is the day to revel in family and friends and to remember the value of community.
As the solstice brings in the birth of the new year, today is offered to honor Mani, God of the Moon.
We've all heard the song, the 12 days of Christmas, but did you know that is connected to the 12 days of Yule? Many of the traditions we have in our modern Christmas celebration, comes from a celebration that happened long before Christianity.
Most nations of the Northern hemisphere (it's the shortest night on the Southern hemisphere) celebrated the last 12 days of the year in reverie. The ancient peoples worked hard to survive, but on these last days of the year, no work was allowed. Everyone celebrated life.
Today is the winter solstice. Tonight, in the Northern Hemisphere, it is the longest night of the year. Tonight it is Mother Night.
The first night of Yule is Mother night. The winter solstice celebrates the birth of the coming Spring. The evening is spent honoring the mother ancestors that protect us. It honors the return of the sun and seasons of life.
