What we now know as the Christian celebration of Christmas, a festival of consumerism and excess, has some interesting historical origins relating to the cycle of life on Mother Earth.

Yule is an ancient Mid-Winter festival celebrated by our English ancestors to honour the Winter Solstice on the 21st of December.  At this time the sun appears to rise and set in the same place for a few days, before it starts its long journey towards the opposite pole, and a new cycle of life begins.

The Celts and the Anglo-Saxons lived in harmony with Mother Earth, celebrating the cycle of the year with seasonal festivals that formed the Wheel of the Year.  Alban Arthan is the Druid tradition celebrated at the Winter Solstice,

The Winter Solstice, or Yule, is a powerful transition marking the shortest day and longest night of the year, symbolising themes of rebirth and the return of light.

Yule predates Christmas, having its origins in Norse traditions. The contemporary word ‘Yule’ is derived from the Old English word “geōl” and the Old Norse “jól”.

In Norse mythology, Yule was connected to the god Odin, who was associated with wisdom, war, and the Wild Hunt. The Oak King and the Holly King were symbolic figures representing the cyclical battle of light and dark.

The Druidic ceremony of Alban Arthan, translates as ‘The Light of Arthur’, referring to the Sun-God who dies and is reborn as the Celtic ‘Son of Light’, or the Mabon, at the Winter Solstice. Arthur awakens from his sleep and is reborn as the savour of the Earth, gently warming the land so that the plants may start to grow again with the coming of Spring.  Fires were lit to symbolise the rebirth of the Sun and the warmth that it would bring.

The rebirth of light was a preoccupation of man pre-2000 BC because it brought much needed food and warmth.  As such they built monuments which expressed the sun’s importance for life on Earth. The Neolithic monument of New Grange in Ireland was built to allow the low midwinter sun to pass along the upper gallery of the corridor before penetrating the centre chamber.  This marks the Sun God impregnating the womb of the Earth Goddess with the light that will enable her to nurture the growth of new plants and animals.  At Stonehenge, the departing Winter Sun sets through the South West trilithon and is reborn at the midwinter sunrise through the South East trilithon.

The Anglo-Saxons celebrated “Mōdraniht”, Mother’s Night, during Yule, a festival honouring maternal ancestors and fertility.  For them, it was a celebration of the end of darkness and the return to light.  At this time, the goddess rests in her Dark Mother aspect, preparing to give birth to the Sun and the New Year through her night-sky womb. The Sun’s rebirth was welcomed with giant bonfires and drumming throughout the night.

Yule traditions include elements taken from nature, such as the Yule Log, a large log or tree burned in the hearth to symbolise warmth, protection and the return of the Sun. Holly, Ivy, and Mistletoe were symbolic of life and renewal during the dark winter months.

Wassailing was a tradition of singing to ensure a good apple harvest, which has now evolved into carol singing. The term came from the Old English “waes hael”, meaning “be well” or “good health.” The giving of presents during Yule reflected themes of generosity and community.

After their armies retreated from England, the Romans left their Roman Catholic and Christian Churches to control the people. The clergy duped the locals into celebrating the Christian festival of Christmas by blending it with the existing traditions of the Winter Solstice and Yule to ease the transition to Christianity.  The time of Christmas replaced the ancient Roman festivals of Saturnalia and Sol Invictus. Saturnalia honoured Saturn, the god of agriculture, wealth, and time.

Sol was previously a Roman Sun God, replaced by Sol Invictus, also known as Mithras, who was celebrated on 25 December.  This marked the birthday of the ‘Unconquered Sun’; a solar deity and central figure in the Roman Empire’s religion.  It celebrated the supremacy of the sun and the triumph of light over darkness.  It coincided with the Winter Solstice, symbolising the return of the light and the renewal of life.

Many Roman customs were carried over to Christmas including revelry, decorations, singing, gift-giving, and feasting, while schools, courts, and wars were suspended.  Early Christians associated Yeshua (Jesus) with light and rebirth, mirroring the themes of Sol Invictus and the Winter Solstice.  In the bible Jesus is referred to as the “Sun of Righteousness” (Malachi 4:2) and “Light of the World” (John 8:12).

Inspired by these themes, in 273CE the Romans fabricated December 25th for the birth of Jesus, to give continued importance to the date through their new religion. If you read the clues in the Bible relating to Jewish feast dates, you will come to two possibilities for Yeshua’s real birth date:

1. 15 August to 20 September, with 11 September being most likely; or
2. 7 February to 15 March, with 12th March being most likely.

Overall it seems that 12 March is the actual date.

By the late 4th century, under Emperor Theodosius I, Christianity was declared the official state religion, and older customs, including the worship of Sol Invictus, were increasingly suppressed.

Then we were left with the story of Jesus who originated from the Sun God, a dependent infant in the cradle of Winter who has escaped the powers of darkness. The Christian nativity story is therefore a version of the Sun’s rebirth. The Magi were people from Persia, now known as Iran, who were members of a school started by Daniel which studied the constellations.  They calculated that a King was going to be born on 11th September and held the tradition of giving three types of gifts to a King.  So there weren’t three Wise Men giving the three gifts of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh as presented in the current Nativity.  This notion of giving expensive gifts has since been exploited by shop owners and the media so that they can make more money at this time of year.

Contemporary Yule Celebrations

The Celtic origins have long been lost by the majority of people, but some celebrate the Winter Solstice on the 21st with a good meal of seasonal vegetables and herbs and fine company.

We can light a Yule candle to welcome the return of the Sun and go inwards to feel what we want for the new phase by sowing the seeds of our dreams that will take root in the spring.

The Yule Log
 was traditionally a log found in the woods was decorated with some sprigs of evergreen tied with a red ribbon and put in the fireplace.  You can write your wishes for the new year on slips of paper and tuck them under the ribbon. Burn the log saving a piece for the next year’s celebration to acknowledge the completion of the cycle.

You can make a Candle Log for the dining table
 by taking a small log with a flat base and drilling holes for the candles.

Make a Yule Candle
 with a large red or white candle set among seasonal greenery. Y ou can anoint the candle with seasonal oils or herbs, focusing your intentions for the new year.  Light the candle at dusk and allow it to burn until the following morning.  Write your wishes on paper, light them with the candle flame, and place them in a burning bowl to release your prayers to the spirit realm.

Light a fire outdoors and enjoy the dance of the Fire Spirits.  Drum to assist with the birthing of the Sun.

Note on Yeshua

Yeshua was not a Christian and was not the founder of Christianity; he was an Ascended Master who came to Earth raise the vibration to take people out of fear and into love.  Christianity was developed by the Romans hundreds of years after his death.  The irony is that Yeshua was a zelot who was against Rome.  He did not encourage people to worship him; he urged people to behave like him, showing them the way to live their lives in harmony with others.

He exited this realm because the people started to idolise him and worship him instead of his Father.  He wanted them to see him as a teacher bringing them the message to live as he did and to accomplish what he did: finding the love of God inside himeself and living in faith and abundance.

Christianity was created as a religion much later, mostly by Paul, who was Saul the Gnostic Christian killer.  He stole their sacred texts before throwing them to the lions. As a guest in a Roman villa, he edited their work and passed it off as his own.  This was at the time when the Romans burned down the Library of Alexandria and stole some of the most important texts to hide in the Vatican.

Christianity is far removed from the truth that Jesus taught and lived and is rarely mentioned in Church.  If Yeshua were alive today he would not be a Christian, he wouldn’t have a religion because his truth has universal significance and the truth will set you free.

John 8:32 “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-33 New International Version

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