Yule Blessing

Origionally posted 12/09. Posted again in 12/11 with gratitude and thanks for loved ones, health and hope.  My thoughts today are with those less fortunate who could use our help this season.  Do what you can. Sia. 

This Yule blessing comes to us courtesy of the good folks at the Portland Revels. It is a poem for the New Year by Irish poet and spiritual teacher John O'Donohue. I would encourage everyone who reads this to make a donation to a charity of your choice - the need this year is very great.

A Blessing for the New Year BEANNACHT On the day when The weight deadens On your shoulders And you stumble May the clay dance To balance you And when your eyes Freeze behind The gray window And the ghost of loss Gets into you, May a flock of colors, Indigo, red, green And azure blue, Come to awaken in you A meadow of delight. When the canvas frays In the curragh of thought And a stain of ocean Blackens beneath you, May there come across the waters A path of yellow moonlight To bring you safely home. May the nourishment of the earth be yours, May the clarity of light be yours, May the protection of the ancestors be yours. And may a slow Wind work these words Of love around you, An invisible cloak To mind your life. from To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings, Doubleday, 2008 by John O'Donohue If you would like to hear the words of this blessing spoken with a lovely Irish accent by the poet himself, here is a link to a youtube recording: Beannacht Wishing the blessings and peace of the Winter Solstice to you and yours, Sia Welcome Yule!

Plants, Books and CDs for the Winter Solstice

Today I would like to share some treasures for the Winter Solstice including this article titled Plants of the Winter Solstice:

Oak and holly play an important role in many of our holiday celebrations surrounding the winter solstice. In ancient cultures the holly tree symbolized the waning sun commencing with the summer solstice and the oak tree symbolized the waxing sun commencing with the winter solstice...Placing a ring of holly on doors originated in Ireland since holly was one of the main plants that was green and very beautiful with its red berries at this time of year and gave poor people a means of decorating their dwellings. Decorating one’s home with holly was believed to bring protection and good luck to the inhabitants in the coming year....

The “mighty oak” was the most sacred tree of Europe, representing the waxing sun, symbolized endurance, strength, protection, and good luck to people in the coming year. On the winter solstice, on the longest night of the year, people would place and set afire a giant oak log in a community fire pit or families would place a smaller oak log in their fireplace. This log became known as the “Yule log.” ...

The article goes on to discuss mistletoe and the Christmas tree (which many of us know as the Yule tree), pointing out the earthwise traditions associated with both. This comes to us from the US Forest Service.

Books and CDs for Yule & Sostice:

Adults

Celebrate the Solstice: Honoring the Earth's Seasonal Rhythms Through Ceremony and Ritual by Richard Heinberg

The Winter Solstice: The Sacred Traditions of Christmas by John Matthews

The Return of the Light: Twelve Tales from Around the World for the Winter Solstice by Caroline McVicker Edwards

Kids:

The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice by Wendy Pfeffer

The Winter Solstice by Ellen Jackson

A Solstice Tree for Jenny by Karen Shragg

CDs:

Beautiful Darkness by Jessica Radcliff

And Winter Came - Enya

Firedance: Songs for Winter Solstice by Jaiya

Midwinter Night's Dream by Loreena McKennit

Lights of Winter: Winter Celebrations Around the World by Heather Conrad

We are snowed in today. I will bake some Yule cookies and play with the kitten. Madame, our newly adopted dog, would also like a walk - its seems she loves the snow.

Blessings of the season to you and yours,

Sia


Related Articles:

Welcome Yule! Music, Dancing and Revels

Berry Walk: Yew Berries

Photo: Mistletoe - US Forest Service Site

Poster: Nest in Holly Tree by Gay Bumgarner

Image: Cover: A Midwinter's Night Dream