It’s that time of year again when the holidays are already in stores and you’re making cocoa regardless of the temperature outside: Yule! I don’t put my Yule decorations up until after Thanksgiving (American), but the pre-game? It’s already started. Below are eight ideas for Yuletide fun that I hope you’ll enjoy.
1. Full Year Divination: Now that the nights are long, doing divination for the full Wheel of the Year to come is a fun way to pass a lazy evening. It takes a little while, but the results can be illuminating. Suggested spreads include the Yule Tree spread found in Yule by Susan Pesznecker, a Wheel of the Year spread with one card to represent each of the eight sabbats, or a 12 card spread to symbolize each month in the solar year. You can vary this one and go a 12-13 card spread for each Full Moon in the lunar year as well. Be sure to record the information in your Book of Shadows and reflect on it as the year goes by.
2. Gift Tag Wish Tree: A wish tree is part of Tanabata, or at least that’s what I always associated it with. This activity uses that traditional festival as a basis, and adapts it for Yule. This activity works well for witchlings and families as well as solitaries and witches in the broom closet. Once your tree is up, use paper gift tags to write intentions or ‘wishes’ for the New Year. Fold the tags so that the writing cannot be read; then hang them on the tree. Either on Yule or when you take the tree down, dispose of the tags by burning them in your cauldron (recommended) or burying them, if they are biodegradable.
3. Give Back: Last year I recommended giving back to nature, but people also need a little help getting through winter. Charity is a wonderful quality to bestow to witchlings, too; in my house we never threw anything out that wasn’t damaged beyond repair, we rehomed it or gave it to charity. I also never sold gifts, if something was given to me and I no longer wanted it, I gave it away. This year consider giving back in any way you can. Go through old clothes and donate them, sponsor a child for the holidays through a local Angel Tree, Toys for Tots, or other organization. Donate canned food, go to a soup kitchen, or adopt a family for a holiday dinner. You can also support Giving Tuesday, which is the first Tuesday after US Thanksgiving, a day that a lot of people donate money to charitable organizations.