Yule

Submitted By: Veilwalker

This is the time of year that the sun is at it's lowest point in the sky (Northern Hemisphere). From Samhain to yule the days grow shorter and the nights longer. This is the darkest time of the year. But this
time of year is illuminated by the warmth of candles in the windows or flames dancing around and logs crackling in the fireplace. It's smoke drifts up the chimney out into the countryside or cities to mingle with the chimney smoke of other neighbors. Around this time of year, we can often smell the aroma of cookies, cakes and other goodies that are being prepared in the kitchen. The Dark half of the year begins in the Autumnal Equinox and ends at the Vernal Equinox.
The darkest time is from Samhain to Imbolc. To Pagans, this symbolizes the time of spirit activity. Yule is the darkest night of all. The veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest at
Samhain, but not on that night only. The dark night of winter from Samhain to Yuleare filled with spirit activity. For this reason their are so many Yuletide ghosts, not the least of which are Charles
Dicken's Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.

As suggested by the last of these three spirits, Yuletide, like Samhain, was a time for looking into the future, there are a number of ways of doing this that are traditionally associated with Yuletide. One was to site on a bulls hide at a cross roads on the eve of New Year, in a sort of vision quest. The significance of the Bulls hide is  interesting, because such hides were often associated with the mound burials of pre-Celtic Europe. the locations of a cross
roads for the exercise is also interesting, because magick circles were traditionally cast
at cross roads. The resulting symbol of the Circle with the North to South, East to West, intersection at it's center was of course, the solar wheel.
A simpler methos of divination was to toss a shoe over your left shoulder. If it landed upright, the prediction for the coming year was favorable. But of all the methods of divining the future, and of
all the devices created for the purpose, perhaps the most natural method is learning to read the signs and omens provided by Nature.
First become intimately familiar with the local species and ecosystems. That is because natural omens are commonly given by the unusual of plants and animals, and it is first neccessary to know what behavior is usual. It is of vital importance to become aware of your environment. Natural signs can fall under the categories of " normal" & " paranormal".The first group is concerned with such things as weather predictions: for instance, " rooster tail " clouds
fortell a change in weather, often an approaching storm. While a "mackerel sky ", out of the northwest usually predicts a nice day. A misty morning is a sign of a sunny afternoon. Sea Gulls inland are a sure sign of storm at sea, while an absence of gulls at the shore is usually a warning to head inland. The higher squirrels build their nests , the more severe the Winter.

It is when we enter the paranormal portents, those that do not fortell the weather or the season, but our personal futures, that things are not so simple, and the signs and symbols can be infinite.
Now it becomes not only necessary to know the species of native wildlife and their normal behavior, but it is also helpful to know what those plants and animals represent in traditional folklore and occult literature; and also to understand how they fit into the context of the present situation.

Sources:

" Ancient Ways " : Pauline Campanell

illustrated by: Dan Campanelli

" Sabbats " : Edain McCoy