Happy Yule

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yule

~ we’d like to wish our readers a Happy and Festive Yule! ~

unfortunately, it saddens us to say that we must celebrate the winter solstice without an issue this year

Yule 2014 Submissions Open

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fiction submissions, lgbt submissions, submissions, submit, winter solstice, yule, yule submissions

~ we are currently accepting submissions for our Yule 2014 issue ~

publication dates: 21 Demember 2014, +/- three days

issue theme: queer’d sabbat/holiday-themed romances

please read the standard guidelines and submission guidelines

Yule — the winter solstice, the longest night of the dark and cold winter months — celebrates the rebirth of the sun deity in many traditions, and occurs on or around December 21

we are currently looking for fiction, poetry, non-fiction and/or artwork that contains theme(s) of the season and/or sabbat, preferably with a queer-ified angle  – awe us with mistletoe kisses between lovers, mediaeval feastings, wassailing and romantic gift exchanges — anything queer with themes of the season, whatever pagan path you follow!

we also are accepting non-fiction, photography and artwork that contains theme(s) of the season and/or sabbat, preference will be given to pieces with a queer-ified angle (which don’t necessarily have to follow the theme of ‘queer’d sabbat/holiday-themed romances’)

to submit to the Yule issue, please see the submission guidelines

submissions will close for the Yule issue on 16 December 2014

for more information on Yule:

history of yule, the winter solstice: an excellent article by lady springwolf at pagan’s path, which includes sections such as–the history and etymology of yule; the winter solstice as an astrological event; roman and norse influences on the celtic sabbat; the god and goddess at yule; as well as modern celebrations

yule: a short introduction to yule from the enchanted hollow, includes yuletide customs, the yule log and bonfires, and the oak and holly kings (there are also some lovely images within the article)

winter solstice, celebrating the return of the sun: a brief article at mystic cosmos, with introductory information to the winter solstice celebrations of many ancient civilisations, as well as the origins of some yule symbols, such as holly

Happy Yule!

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nature, yule, yule photography

~ happy yule from all of us at hyacinth noir ~

Yule Gingerbread

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gingerbread, yule, yule gingerbread, yule recipes

~ this soft gingerbread is perfect on those cold winter nights ~

ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
½ cup butter
3 cups flour
1 cup milk, sour
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
¼ tsp nutmeg
2 eggs, well beaten
1 tsp baking soda, dissolved in ¼ cup boiling water

directions:

in a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, set aside.  In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar, and add the eggs and molasses, mix well.  Stir in the flour spice mixture alternately with the milk to the sugar and molasses mixture.  Stir in the dissolved baking soda.  Pour into well greased 9 x 13″ cake pan and bake at 350° F for 30 minutes

we find this gingerbread is best served warm, and is exceptionally well paired with a hot lemon sauce (pictured)

Recycled Yuletide Tree Ornament

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eco-friendly ornaments, eco-friendly yule, eco-friendly yule ornaments, yule, yule craft, yule tree ornament, yule tree ornaments

~ dusty boxes pulled from storage and opened for the first time this turn of the wheel . . . unravelling crystal lights in honour of the returning sun and unwrapping yule tree ornaments since forgotten . . . each one a memory . . . each a warmth from the glowing fire ~

for this year’s Yule, we’ve created an ornament meant for making memories, as well as one friendly to the environment with recycled newspaper!

supplies:

newspaper
aleene’s tacky glue
cardstock
ribbon in yule colours

instructions:

take half a page of newspaper and fold it into a long 1” strip.  Run a line of glue down the strip

begin to roll the newspaper into a coil, careful to shape the center and edges as you go.  Glue down the end.  Continue until you have ten coils relatively the same size

using a 1/4-page of newspaper, repeat the steps above until you have four smaller coils, for the tree trunk

cut a tree-shape out of the cardstock, this will be the backing of your ornament.  Glue each coil onto the cardstock.  If you use coloured cardstock, you can let the background show through for a pop of colour.  You may also use newspaper as a backing, though it will not be as sturdy

cut a small length of ribbon as your hanger.  Glue it to the backing

you may also choose to use pages from a recycled paperback book instead of newspaper.  The print can also be spray-painted in colours of your choice prior to being rolled, but be careful to not use water-based paint as it will cause the paper to become stiff

Common Redpoll

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common redpoll, nature, photography, yule, yule photography

~ this prairie winter bird scrounges for seeds and bread in the snow ~

Celebrations of Yule

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winter solstice, yule, yule celebration, yule photography

~ yuletide is a time of hope and giving, a magickal season rich with symbolism; as nature declines and regenerates, we decorate with evergreen wreaths and trees, adorned with icicle lights and holly berries in celebration to the cycles of darkness and light, symbolic of birth, death and re-birth ~

in fact, many cultures and pagans celebrate the winter solstice with a common spiritual theme — the birth of a god by a goddess; these gods are commonly associated with the sun, or with death and re-birth

while yule is celebrated as the returning of the light and/or the sun god, the goddess shows her life-in-death aspect in this season — she is the leprous-white lady and the queen of winter, yet this is also the time that she gives birth to the god, who will re-fertilise her and bring light and warmth back to the earth

yule ritual and celebrations are indeed myriad, but most include common themes, such as the cycles of light and darkness, honouring nature and the gods, and embracing the spirit of giving — listed below are many ways in which the winter solstice and its spirit can be celebrated this season

– decorate the alter and home with evergreen boughs, poinsettias, holly and/or mistletoe
– burn red, white and green candles to symbolise the bloodshed of birth, the innocence of new life, and growth processes
– make ornaments to hang from the yule tree, such strings of dried rosebuds, popcorn or cranberries, tied cinnamon sticks, bags of fragrant spices, or quartz crystals wrapped with shiny wire
– make a wreath out of evergreen boughs, holly berries and other decorations and symbols of the season
– meditate in the darkness, or with the light of a golden candle to symbolise the sun
– welcome the birth of the sun by lighting candles and allowing them to burn throughout the night
– additionally, decorate a special golden candle keep it lit throughout the night to symbolise the re-birth of the sun
– sing yuletide carols
– make and exchange yuletide gifts with family, friends and neighbours
– re-enact or tell the battle and story between the oak and holly kings
– make decorative wild-bird treats, such as rolling pinecones in peanut butter and bird seed, or honeyed-popcorn balls, and hang upon the trees outside
– donate funds and items to environmental organizations
– volunteer at a soup kitchen or donate to food-banks

Yule Spotlight Issue

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cathy bryant, stephen mead, yule literary issue

~ welcome to hyacinth noir’s yule spotlight literary issue, featuring the wonderful prose and/or yule decorations of two of our previous contributors, cathy bryant and stephen mead ~

all of our literary issues can be found under the ‘literary issues‘ heading at the top of the site (scroll over to see the individual issues and contributors to each section), and will also be featured here as a blog post; please click on ‘read and see more’ to be taken to more of the feature

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~ yule, the winter solstice and the time of the longest night, is celebrated on or around december 21, when the sun is at its southern-most position; many cultures celebrate yule with a common spiritual theme — the birth of a god by the goddess; these gods are commonly associated with the sun, or with death and re-birth ~ 

while yule is celebrated as the returning of the light and/or the sun god, the goddess shows her life-in-death aspect in this season — she is the leprous-white lady and the queen of winter, yet this is also the time that she gives birth to the god, who will re-fertilise her and bring light and warmth back to the earth

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~ artwork and photography in celebration of the yuletide season ~

red and white poinsettias, holly berries crimson in the snow, bronze statues of horned gods and silver antlered stags, glittering lights and golden ribbons; these adore our mantles and brighten the longest night as we celebrate of the return of the sun

below are some photographs of the yuletide decorations some of our contributors have created in celebrating the season; join us as we celebrate the season and spotlight several of our previous contributors (in alphabetical order) . . .

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~ cathy bryant – I adore Yule, but I don’t make many decorations these days; I prefer to rescue the decorations of others ~

Some people have a horrible tradition of throwing out their old festive decorations and buying new ones, thus I rescue the old ones and give them new life . . .

… read and see more here

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~ stephen mead – for decades now, how I’ve decorated for the holiDAZE has more to do with celebrating the beauty of winter and the return of the light ~

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I recall going for a long walk through the fields and hills around our house, collecting milkweed pods, pine cones, pampas grass, etc., and painting them silver and gold . . .

… read and see more here

 –

Morning Julegroed

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morning julegroed, yule, yule recipe

~ with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar, this julegroed recipe is perfect for breakfast on the chilly morning of the winter solstice ~

4 cups milk
1 tbsp slivered almonds
1 rounded teaspoon of butter
¼ cup sugar
1 cup washed white rice
½ cup thick cream

in a large saucepan, heat the milk (stirring constantly to avoid it burning to the bottom), until boiling.  Turn down to medium-low heat and add the butter and rice.  Cover with the lid, and let simmer slowly for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the milk is absorbed

transfer to a non-metal bowl and fold in the thick cream and slivered almonds

serve with sugar and cinnamon sprinkled on top

morning julegroed

Yuletree Beaded Glass Ornament

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yule, yule crafts, yule ornament

~ while trimming and decorating the yule tree this year, add a little bit of sparkle with a lovely beaded glass ornament — made with czech glass seed beads and swarovski crystals, these glass ornaments can match any colour scheme and can be as elaborate or simple as you’d like ~

yuletree beaded glass ornament

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materials:

beading needle
silamide thread or fireline
seed beads, in the desired colour palette
swarovski crystal elements in accent colours
glass ball ornament

instructions:

step 1:

after threading your needle, measure the top of the ornament (where the cap attaches) with seed beads on the thread.  You want your beads to fit over the ornament but not too snugly.  Cut an arm’s length of thread with the needle attached on one end.  (You may run out of thread, but you can attach more if needed.)  When you have the appropriate amount of beads, tie the thread ends in a knot so the beads form a circle.  Place the circle on the ornament top

note:  at this point, you may choose to use an ornament hanger to work the project.  If you don’t have one available, a banana hanger works just as well (they also make nice display holders for your ornaments!)

step 2:

using an accent colour seed bead, thread the desired length of beads for your first strand of the netting pattern.  I attempted to go in tens just for the ease of remembering how many I used.  Twenty is a good number for the starting round.  After the twenty seed beads, string an accent crystal, then another twenty seed beads

step 3:

decide how many points you wish to have, and thread the needle back through one of the beads in the top circle.  For example, if you want five points (or strings of netting) and you threaded ten beads on to your initial circle, you would thread the twenty + crystal + twenty into every other bead.  This will create a draping effect on the ornament

continue in this manner until you have made it all the way around

step 4:

for the next section of netting, rethread back through the first twenty seed beads on the netting.  Your needle should come out just to the right of the crystal.  Choose the amount you’d like for your next layer and repeat until you have the desired amount of netting layers

step 5:

in order to make the crystal drops, choose a point at which you want the crystal to hang from in the netting.  Thread the seed beads, then a crystal, then one more crystal.  Take the needle and, skipping the stop bead at the end, place the needle back through the crystal and seed beads above

Tighten the strand.  Thread back through the netting to repeat

step 6:

when you’re finished with your beading, simply knot off, thread through a few seed beads and clip the thread