Vikar's Rant: Yule

"Hark the New Age Pagans Sing, Glory to the Holly King, Peace on Earth and mercy mild, God and Goddess reconciled, Hear us now as we proclaim, We have risen from the flames, Our ancient Craft now we reclaim, In the God and Goddess' names. Hark the New Age Pagans Sing, Glory to the Holly King!"
- 'Coeis and Morrigant' (HARK THE NEW AGE PAGANS SING!) as sung to the tune 'Hark the Herald Angel Sings'

"Snow lies deep upon the Earth, Still our voices warmly sing, Heralding the glorious birth, Of the Child, the Winter King! Glo -- ria! In excelsis Deo! Glo -- ria! In excelsis Dea!"
- GLORIA Ellen Reed

"Glo -- ria! In some Chelsea tavern!"
- Vikar & Wife making better use of the latin

September 28th, 2003

It's that time of year again. Well, for my wife and I, it's Yule. For those who worship Madision Avenue, it's Christmas. I'm not going to hog the spotlight on this one, but my wife is going to educate non-Pagans on the meaning of Yule.

So here it is. - Vikar

There is a place in Ireland called Newgrange. It is a Neolithic cave, with beautifully carved spirals and other symbols. Inside, it is dark as naturally any cave will be. Once every year, however, at dawn on the winter solstice, a shaft of light appears through a carefully placed opening in the top of the cavern. It floods the darkness of the cave with a piercing light. Stonehenge is another ancient structure which was designed to mark the solstices.

Amazing, really, when you think about it.

Now, imagine, if you will, that you are part of a primitive culture. You don’t truly understand the world around you, or the natural process of things. You can, however, see patterns. For example, every morning the sun rises, moves across the sky, and sinks on the opposite side of the world. It grows dark. The moon then appears, and likewise progresses to the other side until it is no longer visible. It becomes light again. These same patterns are reflected in the seasons of the year.

Our ancestors were much more aware of what was going on around them then we are.

In our lives today, we spend so much time removed from the natural world that we often pay it no attention. Think about it. Most of us spend the better part of our day inside a building, with artificial lighting, heat or air conditioning and sometimes no windows to the outside. We then leave that structure, get in our (also climate controlled) vehicle and drive to yet another building, also artificially lit and heated or cooled.

How many times do we leave our jobs, get outside and say “Wow! I didn’t realize it was raining!”

Let us go back to our ancestors. Winter was a harsh, dangerous time for them. If they did not have enough food, starvation was probable. Understandably, they could not wait for winter to end and looked for any sign that warmer days were returning. The winter solstice was the promise of longer days and warmer weather to come.

Modern Pagans, like everyone else, usually live in warmth and comfort all year round, and don’t have to worry about dying horribly in severe weather. Long after humans realized that the sun does not indeed “go away”, the celebrations remained symbolically. Even when you know why the seasons change, and how, doesn’t it always feel good when the sun stays around a little longer? Anyone with seasonal depression can tell you what a difference even one minute more of sunlight in a day can make.

Yule, or the winter solstice, is the time of year when the days begin to lengthen again. After the shortest day of the year, there is a balance between the light and dark. Then, little by little, the days get longer once again. It is the return of the sun.

A common Wiccan myth is that the Goddess labours to give birth to the son (sun) on this day. This was not borrowed from Christianity; quite the opposite. Long before Christianity, there was Mithras, who was born on December 25th, of a virgin mother, and went on to die a sacrificial death. December 25th is also marked as the birthday of Dionysius (again, virgin birth, died on a tree). This is also the birthdate stated for Horus, son of Isis.*

Evergreen trees were often decorated with things that symbolized fertility and health, in order to draw these things to the people who decorated them. These trees seemed mystical, as they retained their leaves and colour all year round. They were a symbol of Deity, never dying. The Druids especially revere trees, and often the trees were left where they were, outdoors, and the celebration took place among them. This custom remains in many Yule celebrations, and was added to Christmas festivities as well.

Another popular custom is the lighting of Yule logs and candles, to symbolically help strengthen the newborn sun. It is a festival of light and sharing, marking another turn of the “wheel of the year”.

The focus is on rebirth and renewal, and welcoming the coming light part of the year. Often, Pagans make plans for the new year (which most of us have welcomed at Samhain) and work on new beginnings.

This is a joyous time for many faiths**. Light, joy, giving, sharing and warmth seem to be common to all of them.

I don’t get offended by a Menorah or a nativity set. I think they all have a special beauty to them. If someone tried to cram them down my throat, and told me I must believe in this, that or the other thing, then, yes, I would have a major problem. Why worry that your neighbour is not celebrating in the same way that you do?

Instead of getting uptight about all the differences, I really wish people could focus on the similarities, and act on the spirit of the season. Then I believe people could enjoy their own celebrations much better.

Happy Holidays to all. May you truly experience the happiness of the holiday of your choice.

* - I am not trying to knock or deride anyone’s belief here. No one really believes that Jesus was born in December anyway, and the exact date is never mentioned anywhere. There is more evidence, such as shepherds tending flocks, suggesting this event took place in the spring instead. This particular date was set by the church for a reason. Since the Pagans already celebrated the solstice, Christmas was placed nearby in order to make the transition that much easier. And in some places, Christianity and Paganism co-existed quite peacefully.

** - Okay, yes, and stressful. Especially for those of us who hate to shop normally, never mind when the rest of the human race is all at the same mall, on the same line as I am. This is why I do not go to the mall after Thanksgiving. Online shopping is a blessing. So are these new drug stores that have everything you could possibly think of, and then some. Did I mention I hate shopping?