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Solitary
Activities for Yule |
The first thing to remember is that most of the ways that others celebrate now are taken from Paganism. I could go into the old celebrations of Mithras and Saturnalia in Ancient Rome around this time of year, but that would be going too deep for the purpose of this page. I don't suggest that you should point out to your Southern Baptist cousins while visiting them that they're holding Pagan celebrations around Pagan symbols (I'm saying this from experience!), but just know inside that you, too, can sit around and talk about Christmas, give presents, and drink eggnog without feeling like you're betraying your own beliefs. If you don't feel like you can go to a Midnight Mass church service, you might want to state your case, but remember, the birth of the Christian "Son" of God is basically the same as the birth of our "Sun" God! So if you imagine that it's really the Goddess that's giving birth, and granted, some treat Mary as a Goddess, you shouldn't feel too uncomfortable with going to a church at this season.
So how should you, as a solitary, celebrate Yule? If your family isn't too keen on your Paganism, then you may want to celebrate early while you're still at school. It may not be the same date as you'd like to hold a ritual, but remember, it's the whole season, not just a day that counts. When you get home, light a candle on Solstice night and meditate for a while. Give thanks for what you have and for the coming of the light. You may want to have a type of New Year's Resolution celebration (even though Samhain was the New Year...that was kind of "death" of the year, this is the "birth") write down on a piece of paper how you want the light to purify you as the days grow longer. You can then burn this paper on the Solstice. Remember, rituals don't have to be elaborate, and you don't need every tool to create a circle. Just hold most of the ritual in your head...the Divine will know your intentions.
Still want to *do* something over the holiday? Check the group activities page for ideas on things you can do...ask your family to help, but know you're doing these things because you want to help others. You can also go back to your days in elementary school and make birdseed bells out of seed and peanutbutter or make (or buy) a bird feeder and keep it stocked over the Winter Break.
If you like working in the kitchen, help your family prepare foods. While helping, let some positive energy flow into the food itself while you prepare it. People will ingest this energy and it should make them feel a little more happy in this season instead of letting them succumb to feelings of depression, anger, and bitterness that occur with the hassles of shopping!
Remember to smile as much as possible. Though if you feel sad or angry, don't bottle it up too much, but if you can, then smile. It will brighten the days of other people and maybe they will pass that smile on to someone else. Have a great holiday!
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WICCA INFORMATION
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Try some of these books for further ideas on holding a Yule ritual with a group:
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