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Merry Meet Friends

Greetings and Witchy Blessings to you all!

Welcome to our latest newsletter.

Coming up:

21/06/07 Yule’s Eve – Winter Solstice
22/06/07 Yule Day
1/07/07  Full Moon - Capricorn
15/07/07 New Moon - Cancer
30/07/07 Blue Moon - Aquarius
28/07/07 Witchaven Workshop in Hamilton - Element Earth

Yuletide Greetings

Yule or Midwinter  - 22nd June Southern Hemisphere

Deities: Mother Bertha; Father Winter; Santa Claus; Kris Kringle; St
Nick; The Kings of Holly & Oak.
Herbs: Chamomile; Rosemary; Ginger; Sage; Cinnamon.
Stones: Quartz; Blue Sunstone; Emerald; Ruby; Sapphire.

As the longest night gives way to dawns embrace,
And hope emerges from the dark anew,
The lady again gains her place,
And winters shadow fades like morning dew.

The solar festival Yule is the day that the Sun is reborn to warm the
Earth again.

One of the common although very new as traditions as celebrations go, is the battle
between the ageing Holly King, who represents the darkness of the old year.
And the young Oak King, who symbolises the light of the new year. The lighting of the
Yule log is to encourage the Sun’s easy birth and to welcome it back to the Earth

Old King, we thank you for all you’ve done,
For lessons learned and victories won.
We must, however, bid you adieu
For your reign is finished - tis over and through
Come forth, Young King of newest light,
Be born with ease; grow strong and bright.
Gain strength and stature in the sky
Shed your warmth on us now from on high.

Ways to Celebrate:

To ensure good luck and prosperity in the coming year, anoint a
bayberry candle with vegetable oil and roll it in dried chamomile. Light
the candle and allow it to burn down completely.

Foods of the Mid-Winter Solstice : turkey, cakes and puddings made
with dried fruits, fruits that represent the new-born sun such as
tangerines or oranges.

Rise before light breaks on the Solstice Day and light a golden candle
to greet the dawn. Let it burn itself out.

Coldest Darkness, melt away
Sunlight, grow and with us stay
Warm our bodies, hearts and Earth
And guide our paths in joy and mirth.

Make a Yule log from a piece of Oak, decorate it with evergreens and burn it.

Decorate Altar with evergreens (pin, rosemary, bay, juniper, and cedar)
and Dried leaves. Appropriate Foods include nuts, apples, pears, cakes
of caraway’s soaks in cider, pork. Serve Wassail, hibiscus, or ginger
tea to drink.

Whether you are just taking the time to recoupe, relax, reserve your strength until the bulbs start to reappear or you get the urge to  re-organise your altar, your sacred space, your home, your garden or even just to re-organise your wardrobe, enjoy and prepare yourself for the coming Spring.

Well on that note we will end this newsletter. Please let us know your thoughts and comments.
Until next Sabbat

Merry Part
Asrteia and the Witchaven Team