The word Yule comes from the Germanic �Iul� and means �Wheel.� Yule is also called Midwinter, and as Alban Arthan (pro; �AL-bahn AR-than
Yule is a Solar Sabbat and sacred to the Old God, the Lord of Winter, who has many names ,Cernunnos, and the Holly King ,Odin, and Santa Claus, to name a few.
Holly and mistletoe are common symbols of Yule. The Holly�s red berries represent the sacrificed of the God and the blood of the Goddess. The white berries of the Mistletoe, the semen of God.
For Yule the focus should be on the return of life and our families.
Colors - Red, Green, White, Silver, and Gold.
Symbols - Yule Log, Yule Tree, Holly,Pine Cones
Herbs - Oak, Holly, Mistletoe, Rosemary, Pine cones
Stones - Bloodstone, Ruby, Garnet
Food - Nuts, Apples, Mulled wine, Dried fruits, Turkey, Oranges,
Incense- Bayberry, Pine, Cedar, Rosemary, and Juniper.
Deities - Newborn God, Triple Goddess
Traditions - Yule log (oak or pine), Mistletoe, Wreaths, Strings of dried flowers and cinnamon sticks, Apples, Oranges, Yule tree.
Burn Bayberry candles, incense for happiness and prosperity for the year.
Save a piece of the Yule log, it should be Oak, for the next Yule to light the fire.
Recipe
Yule Log Cake
(serves 8)
1 package commercial cake mix, preferable chocolate
2 cans (24 oz.) pre-made frosting in a dark brown color
Several tubes of cake decoration frosting in green, red, and white
Several toothpicks
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease and line a jelly roll pan with waxed paper. Mix the cake according to the package instructions and pour a thin layer- no more than 1/4- inch thick- into the prepared jelly roll pan. Bake the cake until just underdone. If you can't tell by looking, then use the knife test. When the knife emerges not quite clean from the center of the cake, and when a light touch does not bounce back easily, it needs to come out. Check the cake at seven minutes, and then every two minutes after that. DO NOT over-bake or the dough will be dry and hard to work with. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool slightly. The remove the cake from the pan by lifting out the wax paper. With the dark frosting, coat the top of the cake. Carefully lift one end of the cake and begin gently rolling it up as if you were rolling up a map. When you are done, anchor the cake with tooth-picks and let it cook for about 5 more minutes. Cool the cake for 30 minutes, then frost it with the dark brown icing. Next, take the tubes of colored cake decorating frosting and make holly and mistletoe over the top. You can also use artificial greenery until it is time to eat the cake. To finish, take a toothpick and etch lines into the frosting to resemble tree bark.
Taken from
Edain McCoy's book "The Sabbats- A New Approach to Living the Old Ways"
