The 12 Nights of Yule

Maybe someday we’ll be able to do something like this.

Ozark Pagan Mamma

There are a couple of different versions of the modern Ásatrú 12 Nights of Yule, but this is the version I’ve seen most often:

1. Modranicht
2. Wild Hunt
3. High Feast of Yule, sacred to Thor and Frey
4. Sacred to Ægir, Njörðr & Freya (or sacred to the Vanir)
5. Sacred to Community
6. Sacred to Eir and Healing
7. Sacred to Thor
8. Sacred to Skadi & Ullr
9. Sacred to Odin
10. Sacred to Sunna & the Ancestors
11. Sacred to the Goddesses & Valkyrie
12. Oath Night

The twelve nights begin on the eve of the Winter Solstice. However, some folks begin to celebrate on December 20th, whether it’s the actual Solstice or not. This provides a standard start day year after year. But also, when starting on the 20th, Oath Night ends up being on December 31st, New Year’s Eve, resulting in it…

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Yuletide story – The Littlest Druid celebrates Winter Solstice

🙂

Adventures and Musings of an Arch Druidess

Once upon a time in a place that is now called Ireland and a place we call Newgrange there was a very small Druid, well, she wasn’t a Druid yet but all the adults seemed to think one day she would be one. She wasn’t so sure. She didn’t seem to be good at anything. All she really seemed to be good at right at that moment was getting in trouble. So she sat on the bench outside the Chief Druid’s house and waited to hear how much trouble she was in. She sat kicking her heels on the stones that surrounded the hut. She gave an enormous sigh.

The Chief Druid was sitting inside with one of the littlest Druid’s teachers and they were both shaking their heads and smiling.

. “How much trouble is she in this time?” he asked. “Quite a bit,” replied her teacher.

“She’s managed…

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More Happy Birthday!

More Happy Birthday!

I’m also getting this book so I can learn more about Tarot. I’m super excited to finally be delving into Tarot!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Happy Birthday to Me!

My birthday is coming up, so I’m finally getting the deck of Tarot cards I’ve been wanting for the past 2 years! Hurray!

Why I’m Not Just a Naturalist

Raising Kids (ADF) Druid

Helpful resources for those on a Druid path.

Ozark Pagan Mamma

(Note: I’ve edited this article to change the focus from Druidry to Paganism and Nature Spirituality in general. I’ve left in the American Druid phrase “hearth culture”, as it is a useful term in general to describe a cultural tradition one follows for one’s deities, traditions, cosmology, etc.)

This is a bit of a guide, mainly made up of links to previous blog articles I’ve written on the various subjects for children, and links to some other websites, books, etc. In previous versions of this post, I suggested that you could arrange these into a schedule or a curriculum. However, knowing what I know now, I would say or keep your plans flexible, and follow your child’s lead. Many of the suggested books can be found at a library, or scored for cheap, used. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to do this. It is, however, an…

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Renewal: Thoughts on the Winter Solstice

Really beautiful.

I’m Stretchy!

I’m Stretchy!

An update on my personal life plus a new spiritual experience.

Reason for the season

Adventures and Musings of an Arch Druidess

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Countdown to Yule – Holiday Planner

How do you celebrate Yule?
I’m not sure what we’ll do this year. I observed Yule last year… but in a very quiet, individual kind of way. Now that Buddy is three I think I’ll tell him a story about what’s happening. I’d like to do some special baking, try my hand at doing the mulled/spiced wine thing, and do something special as a family (ritual, maybe). Also, the local UU church has a Yule celebration that I’d like to attend.
We still celebrate Christmas and have no plans to stop. Presents are kept to a minimum, though. Even if we are less poor in the future, we’ve already decided to keep presents pretty scaled back compared to how many people celebrate. Quality over quantity is the goal. In regards to the Christian nature of Christmas, I’m finding myself less opposed to sharing the Nativity story etc. with my SS (and future kids) during Christmas. I’ve realized that it’s still a beautiful story (with plenty of similarities to the pagan story of death and rebirth that surrounds Yule), the music is something I can’t live without, and I want our family to be able to share in the joy of the many holidays being celebrated during this time of year. I’ve been thinking that it would be neat, perhaps as a homeschooling project in the future, for the kids to pick a set of beliefs for the year and then have us observe the special holidays and customs as a family. The world is full of so many lovely traditions!

Ozark Pagan Mamma

December 1st – 7th

• Make the sugarplums.

• Take seasonal (outdoor) pictures with family/friends.

• Bring home a tree, evergreen foliage for crafts/decoration, and a Yule log, if you have a fireplace.

• Begin holiday shopping, if you haven’t already. (Read A Frugal Yule.)

December 8th – 14th

• Make or firm-up ritual plans; where, when, with who, etc. It is possible to celebrate 12 days of Yule with rituals and feasts. Decide how much celebrating best suits your available time and energy.

• Make menu plans, a grocery list, and shop for non-perishable items.

• Bake cookies. Bake cookies. Bake cookies.

December 15th – 19th

• Shop for the rest of your menu items.

• Prepare some menu items in advance (if applicable).

• Finish up gift shopping & wrapping.

December 20th – 31st

•  Prepare feast(s).

•  Have ritual, attend any other festivities, and celebrate!

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