Yule Ritual 2012-Smelling Like Christmas!

Making all the Christmas morning goodies tonight. Ok, just one goodie and one lunch fixin'. Candied yams at my son-in-laws request *lol* And the Clayton coffee cake!! Then at my daughter's house I'll whip up the cinnamon pull apart bread! woohoo!!

Left (Goddess area):

silver candle for my Goddess Isis, color of the moon and symbolic to the Yule season. The all Goddess, triple Goddess, creator of all and everything.
Chalice with water to represent the element of water.
One of my faery figurines to represent the fae and the element of air.
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 Center (both Goddess & God area):
my working candle is always at the Spirit area (top of the pentagram), my offering to the Lord and Lady (orange/clove pomander), my main altar decoration to Yule is the center area with pinecones, stones (citrine, tigers eye), herbs scattered about-sweet cinnamon stick, 2 laurel bay leaves, dried rosemary, dried juniper berries, myrrh, frankincense. My circle of pinecones is closed with a little Goddess medalion, and my bell.

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Right (God Area):
Sun God candle, bowl of salt & my california white sage stick that I used to 'clear my space of all negativity for my magickal work to take place'.
Cauldron with red rock that I normally use to burn charcoal with loose natural incense. But I am out of charcoal discs for incense. So I used it to burn a red candle symbolizing the Sun (called for by Scott Cunningham's Yule Ritual in Wicca for the Solitary Practicioner).

(above)

handmade autumn magic candle (smells like melting honey). I made it last autumn trying out a technique where I smear candle dye with a q-tip on the inside of a votive candle mold. Pour the wax. When I removed the candle it looked JUST like a cat! lol

The candle was orange in color, so I used it to represent the Sun/Sun God, return of the Sun! In the Egyptian pantheon the Sun God is Ra.

My herbs that I had gathered on my altar during my ritual, I later used my mortar & pestle to pulverize those herbs. Making them into a loose natural incense & sprinkled them all over my Sun candle and continued with  my ritual. Excellent wonderful aroma!!!
(juniper berries, rosemary, myrrh, frankencense, sweet cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cloves)

I had also previously sprinkled pine pure essential oil around on my altar and pinecones. That too was a wonderful aroma to have wandering through the air as I perform my ritual. It was a very long ritual too. =)

The orange (orange/clove pomander) in the back left is my gift offered to my God & Goddess Osiris & Isis; that I made on the eve of Winter Solstice.

The cinnamon stick particles are really catching fire & taking off.(on the right side)

Anyone reading through any of my rituals for the 1st time, who does not follow the same or similar path might be scared of wicca, paganism, witchcraft, magick, shamanism, or the like... I am an open minded person. I had been curious about wicca and ancient teachings for many many years, and even I had some things wrong about paganism. Just because of the symbols we are fed by society. Heck! I thought Pagans/Paganism in general was something that did not even exist anymore. I had always heard that the Christian traditions were Pagan to start with a long long time ago. Such as May Day. I grew up with May day and it is a very special and sentimental day to me.

Now take the rituals that we perform. They have nothing to do with putting evil onto someone. That is laughable to me now. The sabbat (holiday) rituals have to do with giving thanks to the earth and universe for gifts recieved.

Curious what the use of herbs and oils are all about?
Herbal Grimoire

• Juniper Berry Properties - purifies the aura, clarifies thought, and protects from negativity
• Bay Leaf Properties- is a sun herb. Yule is a celebration of the Sun returning. December 21st (Winter Solstice) is the longest day of the year. After that night every day the Sun stays up a little bit longer, gaining in strength until it is at its most powerful. (summer) http://www.alchemy-works.com/herb_bay.html
• Cinnamon Stick Properties- also linked to the Sun. It is a fire herb. Associations include protection, abundance, love, hearth, home.
• Clove Properties -  Associated with the Sun, warmth, prosperity, protection. Encourages action, and its scent encourages confidence.
• Rosemary Properties - protection, love, clearing, purifying, Place under pillow to repel nightmares, inhale as an oil to improve memory. Use at both funerals and weddings because of its is benevolent associations. Associated with the planet Mercury.
• Pinecone Properties - Male, associated with the planet Mars. Elements: air & fire. Prosperity, birth, fertility.
• Frankincense (resin) Properties - Associated with fire and the Sun. Good for centering yourself for meditation, chakra cleansing (the third eye), purification of negative energy. Relaxing
• Myrrh Properties - purification, martial protection, healing of heart, spirit, or body. 

Stones and Gems I used ~ 

• Citrine Stone - citrine is a grounding stone. yellow in color. Relieves anxiety, depression,  promotes positive energy. Yellow is symbolic to creativity, the element of air, intelligence. Boosts self esteem. Aids digestive problems.
• Tiger's Eye - Associated with Ra the Sun God of the Egyptian pantheon. Encourages bravery.Elements: Earth, Fire. Grounding, helps energy flow freely through the body. Prosperity, reduces cravings & addictive behaviors.