Pagan goddesses, yule logs, and Christianity, oh my!
A bit of Winter Solstice history and why we don't need to panic about the word "Pagan"
For a millennia ancient people have found comfort, guidance, and community in celebrating the seasons. Especially during the harsh winter months, people would gather to mark the passing of seasons through the burning of fires, holding feasts, and worshipping whatever deity they saw fit to help turn the world from bitter cold to spring. These pre-Christian traditions were both harshly criticized by the church as well as embraced, rebranded and included in early day Christian celebrations. It is then no mistake the church decided to move the birth of Jesus (the Light of the world) to coincide with Winter Solstice (the rebirth of the sun).
In this season of deconstructing traditional church and turning towards eco-spirituality, I find that the Light of Christ has been woven deeply into these ancient traditions, much like the early church realized. Yet, the rigor of religious tradition has dominated much of the way I celebrate this season. I have spent hours upon hours planning services, decorating sanctuaries, practicing Christmas carls, cleaning up, and getting home late. All inside the warmth and comfort of a modern building with good heating and the convenience of electric lights. But our ancestors depended on the elements and community to make the season bright. Shared feasts and fires, cold cabins with fur blankets for warmth, we waited in hope and desperation for the sun to return. It was a time of hibernation, with seeds germinating in the soil, and watching for the light to return.
On the day of the Winter Solstice, the sun seems to stand still as it slowly inches its way low across the sky. It is the shortest day of the year and the longest night. Watch this incredible video of Winter Solstice in Fairbanks Alaska.
Growing up in Alaska, we had two choices in winter: Stay inside till Spring or learn how to ski! (Or snowshoe or cross-country ski or play broom ball on the frozen lakes). You’d be surprised how many people choose to invest in good winter gear and brave the cold. In my small community church, the youth group was just as active in the winter as in the summer months. Though the days were shorter, we’d bundle up and keep a good supply of hot chocolate on hand. Since moving to the PNW, the rain has made it harder to brave the outdoors and I found that I was spending much of my life indoors. Being a part of Wild Church has helped me to brave the cold once again, connecting me back to a seasonal life and the ancient ways of celebrating.
Winter Solstice is one of two Solstices on the seasonal calendar. To find this calendar, you have to search “Pagan Wheel of the Year” which automatically freaks out most conservation Christians. The word pagan was once a scary word for me as well. Pagan was equivalent to witchcraft and Satan worship. Yet, paganism is ancient and created much of the backdrop to Christianity. The church found much similarity to paganism and their Christian beliefs. Though much of the church rejected paganism, some pagan traditions still lived on and were incorporated into Christianity. Hello, our Christmas tree has pagan roots! During the winter months, ancient people would decorate with evergreens such as pine, holly, ivy, and mistletoe in or around their homes to symbolize hope, good fortune and to ward off evil spirits.
Much of what clashed with these traditions is that many of their deities were female. We can only imagine what it was like for them to encounter a tradition with a dominant male god figure. One of my favorite pagan goddesses comes from Scotland and parts of Ireland. Known as The Hag or Cailleach; she is the ruler of winter.
This goddess is known during the winter months as the crone entity. The crone entity is known for deep wisdom and mystery. Powerful and creative, she shapes the landscape with her bare hands. She appears as an old woman with a blue face and is the bringer of storms. Some tales depict her as riding on the back of a speeding wolf, bearing a magical hammer or wand. Though she is typically known as a destroyer goddess, especially with winter storms, she is also able to create new life with her magical wand, creating landscapes, bringing fresh springs of water, and protecting wild animals. Some say she even has a wicked sense of humor which feels appropriate when we experience winter storms. This goddess appears near the end of fall, being born old she gradually grows youthful until she is a beautiful maiden in springtime. Though many no longer celebrate this goddess figure, she was vital in shaping much of the culture of Scotland and there are even tails of her debating with St. Patrick over the island being Christian or Pagan. Her story has been told many different ways throughout the centuries and I find it fascinating how these old folklores paint a picture of what life was like before Christianity. What I find most fascinating is how these ancient deities were deeply connected to the Earth. Before the arrival of Christianity, most cultures acknowledged the power and wisdom of creation, and gave these attributes names, personifying them into stories. What I appreciate about the Pagan culture is their dedication to witnessing the natural cycles of our world. They are deeply connected to God’s creation, which produces a sense of respect, gratitude, and love for our more than human world.
We have moved away from God’s creation, sheltering ourselves from the unpredictable and wild world. Many of us don’t even know where our food comes from and often consume it without a second thought as to how it was grown or who grew it. The seasonal calendar may have pagan roots but it is a call back to nature, to our roots, from dust we came… God loved this human and more than human world enough to not only create it but become one with it. And it is in this season, where a new year is born both in Advent and Winter Solstice that reminds us that we are seasonal creatures too. From spring to winter, birth to death, we move through this beautiful and wild life ever-changing. Life is not static and yet, with modern comforts and anti-aging tactics, we fight against the looming winters instead of like the Cailleach who gave herself over to aging and laid down to rest only to become a mountain.
Giving ourselves over to winter is no easy task. This season is often associated with busy calendars, shopping, and endless activity. I find myself exhausted by all of it starting on December 1! Yet, the winter invites us to rest, gather with community, and turn inward as creation models so beautifully. It’s a season to slow down not speed up. But how do we slow down truly, when the obligations of this season loom large? I think the answer is simple but it requires good clothing.
There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.
Nordic Proverb
Get outside, anyway you can. Take time to roam the earth this season and breathe in the cold crisp air. Bundle up, pour yourself a hot cup of tea or coffee, and sit on your back porch or wander through a park. Even better, invite a friend to go with you. Listen to the rain, befriend the birds in your yard, pick a favorite tree, and sit with her awhile. Watch the wintering world and ask what lessons it wants to teach you. God has woven her wisdom deep into creation, might we take a moment to listen?
May we all give ourselves over to winter and find that we can be mountains too.
Many blessings,
Want a bit more?
The history of Yule
This season, I am purposely not stepping foot inside a Target. I don’t want to be tempted to buy a bunch of cute Christmas, mass-produced decor in the dollar spot. Almost every year, I go a little nuts buying all the small houses and trees (no judgment for anyone who has already done this). As I have been learning about the Winter Solstice tradition, I realize I have everything I need to decorate my home given to me by Mother Creation. I have a gorgeous pine in my front yard, a Holly tree in our backyard corner, and Ivy. So much Ivy! A funny history on Ivy. Pagan tradition says that during the Winter Solstice, the Ivy King and the Oak King have a battle. The Oak King wins which represents the coming of Spring. But eventually, the fight occurs again and the Ivy King wins to usher in the time of winter. Ivy, in the early church, was banned and seen as demonic because it grew in the shade! Really guys!? The church is just as guilty of creating strange folklore. But the Pagans saw Ivy as symbolizing eternal life and eventually the church did as well. Anyways… this year, I decided to decorate my home similar to our pagan ancestors and bring in the beautiful evergreens that grow naturally around my house. I made my first Yule log which is a tradition that began in Germany.
Yule was first a pagan celebration that consisted of animal sacrifice, feasts, and a huge communal fire to worship their deities. Because this festival landed around the same time as Winter Solstice and then Christmas, it gradually moved into being a Christmas holiday. The Yule Log which was originally a huge log that was burned during the Winster Solstice feast to encourage the return of the light eventually was adopted by the church as a symbol for the birth of Jesus. Many pick their log early in the season, bring them indoors to dry, and decorate them with seasonal evergreens. We created ours with one of the logs from our wood pile, cut it in half, drilled a few holes in it for candles, and voila! I had my centerpiece for my mantle and I love it! Lighting the candles each night helps me to feel connected to the world around me, even while I’m tucked away in my warm home.
In love with Luna Moonfall!
Learning to go outside in the rain is a real struggle. Growing up in Michigan, I had a hard time making that shift as well; we just didn't go out in the rain much over there and in the PNW it's either go out in the rain or stay indoors. Adjusting my clothes was as important as adjusting my attitude, but I still have to psyche myself up for a rainy time outdoors much more than I would for a snowy day outside.