For me, Yuletide is a very exciting time.
I come from a country with no Christmas
and the gathering of families and exchange of gifts
is as fantastic to me as it would be to a child.
But where did those traditions come from?
The old, Pagan residents of these lands have the answer.
Some of the community don’t like to admit it but Wiccans have a lot in common with Druids. Both are versions of an ancient priesthood, both celebrate nature and the seasonal festivals and, with time, each religion has influenced the other to a greater or lesser degree.
Whereas Druid energies are practical and masculine, us Witches are more magical and feminine; Druid rituals often take place in the daytime and Witches are mistresses of the night; Druids use poetry where Witches use spells – but any Witch can easily hold her own in a Druid ritual and vice versa. The differences only make it more fascinating.
Yule Traditions of Yesteryear
Those Druids have celebrated the rebirth of the sun for centuries on the 21st of December. They call it Midwinter, or Alban-Arthan - the shortest day after which the sun starts to return. As well as going into the stone-circles and such nature temples for their rituals, they also gave presents around the fire and gathered boughs of evergreens and mistletoe. That, and their tradition of burning an oak log hold some clues as to where traditional Christmas came from.
Gathering in a stone circle is the ancient form of sitting in the living room with all your friends and relations, with vast amounts of chocolate making everyone a bit sugar-hyper and with wine flowing from lunchtime.
This is exactly the kind of time that necessitates a spell to get you through.
Spell for Harmony between Friends and Family
Keeping your own calm is, of course, central to the success of maintaining your sanity so pick any night before the family gathering, but it must be an evening when you’re calm and happy.
Pick a nice box of chocolates. It’s got to be a big one, with at least one chocolate for each member of the family who will be sharing Christmas with you.
Spend your evening with that box of chocolates as your best friend. Watch telly together, have it by your side as you’re reading a magazine and playing on your computer. Let the sense of calm waft onto the box… and when the evening draws to a close, spray a bit of your perfume on it and wrap it up with a beautiful ribbon.
Keep the box by your bed until family starts to gather for the festivities and before anyone has a chance to start arguing, hand each one of the assembled masses a treat from your box.
Another aspect of having so many people around is that each and every one deserves a present. Spending fever is so tempting and it’s only natural to find yourself in the red when only half the shopping is done.
A lot of money can be saved with forward planning – either doing it online or deciding who gets what and from which shops before you even set off. To help you stick to your resolve, try this simple charm:
Spell to Resist Overspending on Presents
Mix these three essential oils or fragrances in a tiny bowl (you only want three drops of each): eucalyptus for purity, lavender for inner calm and cinnamon for the seasonal feel.
If you don’t have those oils handy and don’t want to spend money on purchasing them, hunt around the house for cinnamon in the spice rack, lavender in your bathroom potpourri and perhaps eucalyptus nasal drops… all you want is a little mixture that smells of those three fragrances.
Dip your finger in the mixture and dab a little on your wallet, on your credit card and on your bank notes. The smell will remind you of your resolve not to overspend when you take your wallet out.
You’ve put a lot of thought into everyone else’s present and you want to make sure you don’t end up with a pile of novelty socks for presents, all a size too big because “the design was so cute, I had to get it for you”.
Wishing for specific presents or any specific outcomes to spells is a bit of a magical grey area. We’re not supposed to influence anyone’s free will, so how do we get what we want whilst keeping it ethical?
Spell to Get Your Heart’s Desire
Whatever your ideal present is, make sure you wish for the gift rather than wishing for someone specific to bring you it. That way, you may well win it in a raffle or be given the exact amount of money to be able to buy it for yourself. That way, you’re not bending anyone’s will to your own.
Whether you want a stunning pair of boots or your biggest wish is to see your parents getting on, take a little while to yourself on a Saturday and whilst completely calm, chant under your breath:
“Earth and Water, Air and Fire,
Bring to me my heart’s desire”
Keep chanting, a little louder and a little faster every time, while imagining a thin golden cone of power rising from your heart upwards. When you feel the cone is sufficiently big and that you chanted sufficiently long, see the cone rise rapidly and disappear in the sky.
As long as we’re on the subject of ethics, it’s always a good idea at the end of a spell to ask for it ‘out of free will and for the good of all’. That way, if you have crossed a line, your spell will not.
Have a Merry Festive Season, however you choose to celebrate it.
Inbaal can be contacted for readings on 075 0505 7040 or inbaal.com