The Green Egg Forum is a lively hotbed of thoughtful discourse, moderated by Cat Gina Cole. In this column, Cat shares some of the most interesting and interactive posts and threads from the forum. Want to get in on the conversation? We would love to have you! Go to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1069823176940972/ to join.
This week in the forum the question was asked :
“What does Yule mean to you and what do you have planned for that day?
I think the responses show just how eclectic Paganism and Witchcraft traditions can be. Let us know in the comments what your plans are or what you think of the response you see here.
“Ritual with a neighbor”
“For me, it’s a time of reflection, generosity and kindness. This year I will hold a three-person ritual. We’ll be thinking about what we’ve done over the past year and what we’d like to do over the next. We’ll celebrate the Sun King with small handmade gifts, Rugbrod (a type of rye bread that tastes like a less sweet gingerbread, cooked for 24 hours), cream cheese, pickles and Yule cookies.”
“The coming back of the light. A reminder that even when things are really hard there is hope. Each day is a potential new beginning. A time to rest, reflect, and celebrate. I will read my traditions ritual as these days I am a remote member of my tiny tiny Eclectic Wiccan tradition. Every year I make Challah, because I am of the Jewish family (though I don’t practice the Jewish faith). I give loaves to my neighbors who have children. I love that they get to taste real bread.”
“The beginning of a new year cycle, time for looking forward to fresh starts and new life and new growth. I will be leading a tarot gathering focusing upon Yule, and a lot of meditating and reflecting. 2023 was exceedingly tough and it threw me way out into the weeds. On Yule, I want to plan a path to get back onto my road.”
“Waking up early to greet Beaivi with my drum (Saami name for the Sun, Sun God).”
“A time for rest, a time to feel renewed, and time for family, food and memories.”
“Youlle is the sacred ground, the time when Orion is at its zenith/apex just after nightfall. In our mythology, it is the Huntress Arianna and her two hounds, Zyrhis and Proxin, hunting in the wild woodlands. The ancient Mesopotamians called Arianna ‘Al Jouza meaning the Central One because of its place between and south of Gemini and Taurus. The Age of Gemini was the final age of the 26,000 year stellar epoch and the Age of Taurus beginning in 4525 BC began the new epoch. The bright star, Betelgeuse (Bet Al Jouza means the Shoulder of Arianna/Orion, the Central One) rests at the vernal equinox in this year. The constellation Ophiuchus and Orion are the two warriors who hold aloft the dragon Tiamat, mother of the gods/planets. Tiamat inscribes the curving draconian path of the ecliptic that the planets follow, held from the north by Ophiuchus and from the south by Orion. The Apex of Orion marks the advent of winter in the north and the Apex of Ophiuchus marks the advent of winter in the south (hemispheres).”
“It means the joy of giving, pouring love into the newborn year, welcoming that spark of light to the sky and inspiration to our hearts. Yule is the reset where the fields lay fallow, resting before the next planting season. The shorter days and cooler weather means we are often inside more if we are privileged to have homes and to be thankful for their protection. Yule is the fullest expression of the dark of the year, the longest night, and the height of feminine mystery and immersion into the womb to be reborn. Yule is the Yin to the Yang of Summer Solstice – a night as long and dark and restorative as the Summer Solstice day is bright and long and proactive.”
I must say I really enjoyed seeing such a mix of practices and beliefs and I learned some new things in the process.
In another post a member stated he felt Eclectic Wicca was just “cherry Picking” religion and wondered why his comment brought such hostility. True to the tradition of the Green Egg Forum where everyone gets a voice, we posted his opinion. It is the responses that I think are encouraging and have the most value. Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Here are the responses from the group members:
“I am far from 30 and not even a Wiccan and I find this difficult. It feels like a slam on any and all Eclectic Witchcraft.”
“There are no rules in magic.”
“It unleashed hostility because the way it makes its point is hostile. You posted something to get a reaction and now you’re complaining about the reaction.”
“Cherry-picking religion? One’s personal practice of spirituality, no matter the roots, is an individual choice designed to bring us closer to the true meaning of spirit Stop criticizing those who make their path their own.”
“I was initiated into Wicca in ’83 but now have my own eclectic tradition of witchcraft. I assure you that there is nothing special about either path except for the feeling they give their adherents. Sometimes we become a bit pompous about OUR path as opposed to others, which does much disservice to both ourselves and our chosen paths. I am not so pompous about my wiccan path as to make such a statement, nor so pompous about my eclectic path that I cannot laugh at it. But let us not sew divisiveness between us. When the hateful mobs come for us, they will not distinguish between Wiccans and Hedge witches.”
“Agreed, there is too much divisiveness already.”
I think the acceptance of diversity in Paganism really shows in these comments, what do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1069823176940972/ is the link for the Green Egg Forum on Facebook.