Yule! The Winter Holiday of the Pagan Religion...

This time of year always brings about happiness and joy to all. No matter what religious background you are, families and friends gather to celebrate the most spiritual time of year (for most people, Christmas). Pagans consider this happy time "Yule" or "Yule-tide". There are a few specific events that all Pagans take practice in, but there are tons of ways to celebrate Yule.

The Pagan holiday begins on about December 21st (Winter Solstice). On that day, the earth's axis tilts away from the sun in the Northern Hemisphere, and the sun reaches at its greatest distance from the equatorial plane. Most winter festivals/celebrations are celebrations of LIGHT; so, as a festival of the Sun, the most important part of any Yule celebration is light - candles, bonfires, and more.

Depending on your specific tradtions, there may be slightly different ways of celebrating. But, here are is a common ritual that any Pagan can respectfully follow:

The Yule Log:



"On Yule, the sun stops its decline into the south. For a few days, it seems as though it’s rising in exactly the same place… and then the amazing, the wonderful, the miraculous happens. The light begins to return.
The sun begins its journey back to the north, and once again we are reminded that we have something worth celebrating. In families of all different spiritual paths, the return of the light is celebrated, with Menorahs, Kwanzaa candles, bonfires, and brightly lit Christmas trees. On Yule, many Pagan and Wiccan families celebrate the return of the sun by adding light into their homes. One of our family’s favorite traditions – and one that children can do easily – is to make a Yule log for a family-sized celebration. As Christianity spread through Europe, the tradition became part of Christmas Eve festivities. The father or master of the house would sprinkle the log with libations of mead, oil or salt. Once the log was burned in the hearth, the ashes were scattered about the house to protect the family within from hostile spirits."

Just like Christmas, Yule is a time for celebration, family, and rebirth. Yule and other religious winter holidays have their differences, but one thing can be said for all. This is a time for loving, gathering, celebrating, giving, laughing,  feasting, connecting to the world around us and embracing the light energy. So, I wish to all of you to have a wonderful holiday, and stay close to the ones you love, be humble to those around you, and have fun!

Deep Look Into the History of Religion: Druidry (Blog 3)

Druidry is the original religion of the celtic people that one time lived throughout all of northern and western Europe. After the wars with the roman empire and the fall of gaul most of the druidic nations became a part of the roman empire with the exception of the celts in Ireland and Scotland. These lands would be the last bastion of druidry in its original form up until the fall of the roman empire and the rise of the chatholic church.

Years later with the rise of catholicism and the crusades through Europe, papal influences eventually reached the druidic people. Through the brutal conversion of the citizenry and the lack of written records of druidic practice, it was thought that the druidic following was officially wiped out. Then for good messure what little written records there was, were burnt. But the religious tradtions were kept alive through secrecy and survived as they had for millenia.

Druidic practitioners are still alive today, but because of historical happenings, they have been under the radar. Most people do not even know that Druidry exists because of what they have taught growing up. But what people must know is that it is a true religious practice that has set its roots deep into history and is still going strong today.

Mind Over Matter

Willpower is one of the most powerful forms of creation and strength. Mind over matter is as much of a reality as the physical world. Most people use only 10% of their brain,but if everyone tapped into the other 90% percent, our entire perception on the world would change. Believing in something can be powerful; especially if you believe it enough to where it actually happens. Like for instance, if you read your horoscope when you first wake up in the morning, you tend to believe in what it says so much that you actually make it happen during the course of the day. There have been stories of a woman who lifted a car out of instinct and willpower to save her son; who was pinned underneath. It also has to do with the amount of adrenaline, but how could she have done it if she didn't have the willpower to do it. Emotion is also greatly impacted by mind over matter as well. If you walk around with you head up high and confident, then you will become more likely to have great things happen in your life. If you have certain experiences bring you down and you believ you are worthless, then you become worthless. Willpower enables us to make things happen for ourselves. Why should we waste and ignore something so easy to use. Believing is the key and you will succeed. If we can harness "Mind over Matter", then we can do anything we have ever dreamed of doing.