Pagan Winter Solstice Traditions: Learn More About Yule And Christmas

The goddess Persephone is tied to the seasonal changes and is often honored by pagans and witches throughout the year. She is the queen of springtime and the bringer of fertility. However, she also has an association with winter because the world falls fallow while she resides in the underworld with her husband, Hades. You can read more about the mythology around Persephone here. If you don’t know much about her yet, I highly recommend checking out this post!

During the winter season, we can use herbs to help keep us warm, draw in prosperity and luck, and banish the negative spirits that lurk in the cold dark days of winter. Here are 15 herbs for the holiday season. You may have heard of these herbs before but if you haven’t, here are some facts about them.

Decorating a Yule altar can be an exciting and fun project. In addition to decorations for your home, there are plenty of options when it comes to decorating a Yule altar. If the aesthetics of an all-white Christmas appeals to you, then these white altar decor ideas will help make that vision come true.

After the Winter Solstice, the secular new year is upon us. Spend the time planning your coming year and making plans for what you'll be able to accomplish by the end of the year. If you're looking to make big changes in your life, consider setting goals for yourself. But remember that at the same time, don't forget to live in the present moment and enjoy all the things you have right now.

Many people are looking to start new traditions this year. Consider the 10 traditions in this post to add magic and witchiness into your life!

These delicious ginger snap cookies are a vintage recipe that will probably be very nostalgic for some of you!

Green witches might have the hardest time of all witches during the winter holidays. The Winter Solstice can be a hard time to find plants and do green magick.

This post will give you ideas to incorporate plants like holly, birch, and cinnamon sticks into your Winter Solstice celebration.

Green witches and pagans that crave greenery will also find gifts and other ideas to help people with green thumbs.

Lucifer is the lord of light and darkness, but he also represents the return of the sun at winter solstice. If you work with him during these holidays, you can use your connection with the sun to bring warmth into your life.

Dried flowers and white sage don't always cut it for a green witch. If you have a friend that practices green witchcraft, you might need more unique gift ideas.

Your witchy friend will be touched by these gifts. Best of all, most of them would please any plant lover!

Skip the essential oils, and get your witchy friends herbal blends for everyday healing. Green witches know the power of nature, and their ritual tools are the leaves, fruits, and berries of medicinal and magical plants.

So help your friends explore natural magic with these modern witch gifts.

While you might not want to burn a Yule log this year, you can still use your kitchen witch skills to make a Yule log cake!

This is a Christmas tradition is based on the Medieval practice of cutting down a Yule tree. Also known as a Bûche de Noël, this is usually a chocolate sponge cake covered with decadent icing and decorated to look like a Yule log.

Classic Christmas sugar cookies can be made with a kitchen witch twist! With the right intentions, everyone that eats these magical cookies will prosper and be merry through the Christmas season.

Turn your baking into a witchy ritual! It's as simple as grabbing a few candles before you begin baking.

While wreaths can be hung up year round, they are most popular around the Winter Solstice. Would you rather buy a wreath from some faceless company, or hang your own handmade wreath? The choice is obvious!

Wreaths can bring good fortune and are easy to make with items found in the forest (or local craft stores).

The right holiday wreath will usher in good fortune, prosperity, love, and so much more!

Are you interested? Then let's learn how to make a Yule wreath!

Your Yule altar is an important tool for your Winter Solstice rituals. This is where you'll place offerings and decorations. You will also do your rituals at this altar.

Clearly, you'll need to set it up right.

With some holly, mistletoe, a yule log, and plenty of solar symbols, your altar will radiate magic!

This post will teach you about the symbols of winter and what decor to choose. From pillar candles to sun wheels and pine cones.

Decorating for Pagan Christmas doesn't have to be hard! There are some simple decor options that will make your home feel hygge all through the season.

If you have ever wondered why witches and pagans even celebrate Yule, this is an essential read for you.

This post goes into the history of Yule, why pagans celebrate the Winter Solstice, and gives you ideas on how to celebrate it more authentically.

Wassailing and mumming are ancient traditions that even modern Christians still see as a Christmas tradition. If you're looking for something new and fun to do this Winter Solstice, consider trying this Anglo Saxon tradition.

Treat your pagan friends to fun Yule gifts without breaking the bank! These gift ideas are each under $10, and are perfect for the holiday season. 

I'm sure that your holiday expenses are piling up. Choose something cheap but unique for your witchy friend! 

Perfect for anyone trying to have a debt free Christmas.

No pagan celebration is complete without some shadow work. Try some Winter Solstice themed journal prompts to unlock your own mind. These writing prompts are aimed to help you enjoy this seasonal holiday.

Journaling is helpful for anyone dealing with the sadness and anxiety that most of us get around the holidays. Shake off the winter blues and do some cathartic writing!

Throw a great Yule party without harming the environment! With a few simple swaps, your party will be just as fun but with less environmental harm.

Add a more traditional flare to your holiday celebrations with this traditional Yule Log. Decorate tables and altars with this Yule log, and protect and bless your whole house.

This Wassail recipe is so delicious, I sometimes even make it after Yule!

Throw in some kitchen magic correspondences and you'll be drinking to more prosperity in the new year.

Christmas carols are fun, and they're an outdoor activity that can be enjoyed even if you have to socially distance! Learn about the history of carols at this site. And then go outside and sing your heart out for friends and family!