Winter Solstice is seen as the
rebirth of light into the world throughout the Indo-European nations. Whether
you are following a Celtic, Greek or any other Indo-European cultural practice
modern Neo-Pagans follow a course of birth and rebirth each year that starts
with the Winter Solstice.
Where Summer Solstice
marks the longest day of the year and the decline of light in the world, Yule
marks the longest night and the decline of darkness. Modern pagans celebrate
Yule on December 21st or 22nd. As with the other solar high days the changing
of light and darkness has an astrological basis, yet there is a spiritual side
to this time of year as well that spans through nearly all indigenous European pagans.
During Winter Solstice the Earth is
as its furthest point from the Sun in the orbital cycle. Also the Northern
Hemisphere is as its maximum tilt from the Sun. During this time the as the
Earth rotates the Northern Hemisphere, due to the tilt of the Earths axis,
spends the longest amount of time in dark than any other time of year. Yet this
time of year also marks the turning point of the orbiting cycle of the Earth
and the changing of the tilt in the axis so that warmer weather and longer days
begin to find their way back into the world.
The most popular of the spiritual or
religious explanations for Yule is the struggle between the Holly and Oak
Kings. In this myth the Holly King, the dying or shortened sun, battles with
his son the Holly King, the newly born or growing sun. The battle ends with the
dead of the Holly King, which in turn gives rule of the world over to the Oak
King. This is a very popular belief among many Wiccans and Neo-Pagans.
Another way to look at Yule is a time
to honor Apollo. Apollo was seen as a god of light and in many cases was
associated with the sun in the Hellenic world. So it would be reasonable to use
Yule as a time to honor Apollo. But there is another Greek deity that would be appropriate
to honor during Yule or Winter Solstice, Helios. Helios was seen as a cycling
deity that rose from the ocean in the morning and moved across the sky
throughout the day in His chariot to finally sink again into the waters of the
ocean at night. This, like many other myths, could very well be seen as the
birth, life, and death of the god not only throughout the journey of a day but
also throughout a year. Yule could be seen as the rebirth of Helios back into
the world and Him starting His journey through the year in the great chariot
riding across the sky.
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