Exchanging gifts at Yule is a traditional way of participating in the festive and joyful spirit of the sabbat. At Yule the Sun King is reborn and it is a day of happiness, thanksgiving and good cheer. In olden times, Children were escorted from house to house with gifts of clove spiked apples and oranges which were laid in baskets of evergreen boughs and wheat stalks dusted with flour. The apples and oranges represented the sun, the boughs were symbolic of immortality, the wheat stalks portrayed the harvest, and the flour was accomplishment of triumph, light, and life. Holly, mistletoe, and ivy not only decorated the outside, but also the inside of homes. It was to extend invitation to Nature Sprites to come and join the celebration. A sprig of Holly was kept near the door all year-long as a constant invitation for good fortune to pay visit to the residents. Yule gifts would be sweet confections and delicious baked goods, and perhaps a specially mulled wine or mead. Yule cookies, baked goods and seasonal treats were made all the more special because they are baked only once a year at Yuletide.
This Yule, you can begin your own tradition of making special Yule gifts and baked goods to give to friends and loved ones. For ideas of special Yule cookies, check out the recipes listed in this magazine for Yule. You could also consider giving gifts of homemade candles, oils, potpourri or sachet. Candles and sachet with pine, spruce and cedar combined with cinnamon, ginger, cloves and oranges create a welcoming and warming aroma. If there are magick users on your Yule list, you could make a gift of assorted essential oils, incense or crystals they can use in their magick work. Turquoise is a powerful crystal for drawing money and abundance when it is given as a gift. Perhaps that someone special in your life would like an extra special crystal wand or a new book of shadows. Handmade ornaments for the Yule tree are a great creative activity for adults and children alike. Seeing your little one’s artistic style develop over the years is fun and engaging and will make for fond memories at Yule when it comes time to trim the tree. Many ideas for different Yule ornaments can also be found throughout the magazine.
For a gift to yourself this Yule, how about an intention to slow down, spend more inner time in quiet meditation, focussed upon the wisdom within you. Bypass the seasonal frenzy and instead spend time with a few friends, perhaps making a garland of fresh greens or baking gingerbread cookies. Light some wonderfully fragrant candles and let them burn throughout the evening, filling your home with warmth, fire energy and delicious smells.
When not writing for Ravenhawks, Kamberlyn works with clients to bring about the life, relationship, finances and career that their soul desires for them. She can be found on KEEN at Kamberlyndivinelove or through her website, LadyKamberlyn.com.
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