Mystic Gifts and Charms Blog

Festivals of Light form a religious focus in many cultures, commonly held on the darkest days of the year. Their roots may be found in the ancient sympathetic magical tradition of attracting light and new life back to the world at the coldest part of the year. In modern magic, invocations for personal illumination are carried out by coverns and individuals at times of spiritual and amotional, as well as seasonal, darkness. Fires, candles and torches are used in these rituals to mirror the energies of the more formal festivals.

Christmas / Yule

Light was the focus of the annual midwinter solstice around December 21st from which the modern Christmas derives. These magical solstice ceremonies to selebrate the rebirth of the sun, and later the Sun Gods, and in Christianity the nativity of the Son of God, can be found in many cultures and are often celebrated by the sending of cards, and later gifts. Instead of sending a regular Christmas card this year, why not try sending your friends and relatives Yuletide Greetings instead?

Check out www.mysticgiftsandcharms.co.uk or go straight to our Yule Cards section. All cards are colour printed and come with full colour matching envelopes. We have designs from leading fantasy artists Briar and Anne Stokes.

Yule Cards by Briar & Anne Stokes

The Midwinter Solstice - Three days from sunset from around 21st December according to the calendar.

The Midwinter Solstice marks the longest night and the shortest day, and pre-dates organised religion. Because early humans saw the sun at its lowest point and the vegetation dead or dying, they feared that light and life would never return, So they lit great bonfires from yule logs and hung torches from trees to give strength to the sun. They also decorated homes with evergreens to persuade the bare trees to grow again after the winter.

The psesent Christmas festival is a glorious amalgamation of many ancient festivals thta centered around the midwinter solstice, Norse, Celtic, Greek and Roman, as well as Christian celebrations. The common theme is that the sun itsself, the sun God or Son of God is reborn at the darkest hour of the year and life begins again.

The feasing of Christmas, like the Harvest Festival, formed a magical gesture to ensure there would be food again in the spring and good harvests the following year, through eating abundantly at a time of dearth.

Midwinter rituals are potent for prosperity as well as abundance in many less material ways. The herbs and incenses of Midwinter include bay, cedar, holly, juniper, pine and rosemary.

For Midwinter Solstice candle colours use White, Scarlet, Brilliant Green and Gold.

I am really excited to say we have just got a great selection of alternative Christmas cards from Briar and Anne Stokes. Here are a couple of examples below.

Reproduced from original paintings by Briar, one of England’s leading mythological artists, the visionary and evocative themes portrayed in these stunning Yule cards are outstandinglt best we have yet seen on the Pagan market. Their colour, beauty and artistic merit will also makes them perfect for anyone who wishes to send unusual and original Christmas cards.

Fantasy Artist Anne Stokes “Snow Dragon”. High quality art print fantasy themed Yule cards with a full colour printed envelope. A sleeping dragon and a candle sketch is printed on the inside left along with “Yuletide Greetings. ”

These cards are more than just yule cards, they are works of art. They are bound to sell out fast so get yours while you can.  visit www.mysticgiftsandcharms.co.uk and see our Anne Stokes and Briar Yule cards section.