Welcoming the Return of the Sun: Wiccan Yule Traditions

By admin

Wiccan Yule celebration is a pagan holiday that marks the winter solstice, which usually falls on December 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere. This is a significant time for Wiccans and other pagan traditions as it represents the shortest day and longest night of the year. During the Yule celebration, Wiccans honor the rebirth of the Sun God and the return of light and warmth. The holiday is also known as the Sabbat of the sun child and is seen as a time of hope and renewal. Wiccans believe that the Winter Solstice is a time when the Goddess gives birth to the Sun God, who brings light back into the world. It is a symbolic representation of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.



Witch’s Mark

A witch’s mark : In witch lore, an extra treat or nipple on witches for suckling familiars and Imps, who were said to crave human blood. Extra nipples appear naturally in a small percentage of the population, but in earlier times, they had an infernal association. Any wart, mole, tumor, protuberance or discoloration of the skin was thought to be a witch’s mark, particularly if it secreted fluid or blood.

When accused witches were arrested, their bodies and cavities were searched for any irregularities. red spots, bumps under the tongue and fleshy bumps and folds in the vagina were considered paps for familiars. In witchcraft trials, “prickers” pricked the skin of the accused to determine insensitive areas (see Pricking), which also were called witch’s marks.

Out of fear, some people cut off their warts, moles and lumps, but the resulting scars were also taken as proof of being a witch and trying to hide it. The term witch’s mark is often used interchangeably with Devil’s Mark, which was considered proof of a covenant with Satan. Witch’s marks also are described as unusual birthmarks.

Sybil Leek believed in witch’s marks and said she and other women in her family line were born with them. Initiation rituals in some traditions of contemporary Witchcraft call for symbolic witches’ marks in an xshaped cross to be made with anointing oIls on the body of the candidate.

According to the Book of Shadows for the Gardnerian tradition, the crosses are traced over the third eye, the heart and the genitals, symbolizing the freeing of mind, heart and body.

In rural Appalachia, a witch mark is a star, similar in shape to a maltese cross, that is etched or drawn over the doorway of a home or barn, to keep witches away. It is also carved out of wood and nailed over the door.

SEE ALSO:

  • Witchcraft Glossary
  • Witchcraft

FURTHER READING:

  • Guazzo, Francesco-Maria. Compendium Maleficarum. Secaucus, N.J.: University Books, 1974.
  • Summers, Montague, ed. The Malleus Maleficarum of Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenger. 1928. reprint, New York: Dover Publications, 1971.

The Spooky Beauty Mark Quiz That Could Tell You If You Come From A Line Of Witches

As the months slip from summer to fall, our days grow darker and shorter and we welcome the onset of that most wonderful time of the year — Spooky Season. Carved pumpkins appear on porches and wispy cotton strands that look like spiderwebs are draped over trees. For some people, the buildup to Halloween is even more meaningful, due to one specific piece of folklore.

It is a symbolic representation of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. The Yule celebration involves various rituals and traditions. One common practice is the lighting of the Yule log, which represents the returning light of the Sun God.

There’s a spooky beauty mark quiz that might tell whether you come from a line of witches.

If you travel through the realm of TikTok to WitchTok, you’ll find posts on the various ways to know if you are a witch. Some posts rely on palmistry, the study of marks on the palms of a person’s hands, to determine if someone has healing marks, also known as witches' marks. Yet apparently, there’s an even easier test to uncover if your ancestry is rooted in witchcraft.

According to the TikTok account @rainbowmoonreadings, women can look at their beauty marks to know if they come from a witchy lineage. One particular post instructs women to look at their forearms, where the presence of a beauty mark in one certain spot means that they are, in fact, a witch.

The beauty mark test for witches made its way to Instagram, where one astrology account called @cancer.horoscope0 reposted the TikTok test. The post brewed over 365,000 comments, many coming from women who noticed a mark on their arms.

“So how do I unleash my powers?” Asked one woman who found the mark. Another woman with the witch's mark asked, “Where are you, my fellow sisters?”

While most people have freckles, moles, or beauty marks on some part of their body, there is historic precedence surrounding the idea that witches have special markings.

According to a website focused on the history of Massachusetts, the concept of witch’s marks gained traction during early 16th-century witch hunts. They were defined as marks on a person's skin that proved they were a witch, as the mark was said to be evidence of a pact made with the Devil. An anonymously written book from 1645 defined witch’s marks as “a blue-spot, or red-spot, like a flea-biting.”

Witches were also said to be marked with a witch’s teat that their families nursed from. As a result of this lore, one popular tactic of witch-hunting was stripping the accused witch down and searching their naked body for the mark.

There are other ways to find out if you're descended from witches, stemming less from body-based markings and more from historical record-keeping.

A 2016 press release from the Wellcome Library in London announced the presence of a digitally-archived, 350-year-old manuscript called MS3658, also titled Names of Witches in Scotland, 1658. The manuscript is a ledger dating from 1658 to 1662 that lists the full names of accused witches in various towns and provinces in Scotland. Accompanying certain names are details of alleged confessions, which were most likely received by committing torture.

Photo: Anete Lusina / Pexels

An article from Smithsonian Magazine reported that following the Scottish Witchcraft Act of 1563, which made witchcraft a crime punishable by death, 3,000 to 5,000 people were openly accused of witchcraft during the 16th and 17th centuries. 84 percent of accused witches were women, and about 65 percent were over the age of 40. Around 64 percent of those accused were from what would now be called the middle class.

Have You Participated In The Wrist Freckle Challenge?

The internet tends to go crazy over the weirdest things.

I'm not criticizing anyone for getting involved, because I 100% admit to getting caught up in them.

The latest craze is #thewristfrecklechallenge and even Time magazine got in on this one.

It seems that a crazy amount of women have a freckle on their wrist or upper arm and there are thousands of pictures to prove it.

We asked you on Saturday if you have a wrist freckle and the overwhelming answer was YES!

According to health experts, the cause of this phenomena is pretty unexciting. Freckles are caused by the sun and wrist and arms are often exposed to UV rays. Think about when you drive in your car. Even with a long sleeve shirt on, your wrists will still be exposed.

Prompted by one reader's comment asking if the freckle meant you were a witch, I did a little deeper digging about the meaning of freckles.

I did find the phrase "Witch's Mark" and after reading several articles, I found one that had the best explanation.

A witch’s mark can be an irregular mark on the body that indicates that a person could be a witch. However, as there are very few human beings who don’t have some type of birthmark, freckle, wart, mole, scar, age spot, or other natural blemish upon their skin, it would mean the whole global population are witches.

In short, if you have a freckle on your arm there is no need to worry that you will soon be burned at the stake. unless you live in the middle ages. then you need to worry.

DreamZone.com claims that moles or freckles in specific places on your body have a variety of meanings. If you have a freckle on your arm "the person is courteous and good mannered. He will face any situation with resolution and fortitude.

A person with a mole on either wrist is usually creative and innovative.

I can think of worse things than being courteous and creative!

Whatever you believe, it is kind of fun to see that the world over, a small commonality like a freckle on your arm can bring us all together!

Wiccan yule celebratikn

The Yule log is usually a large piece of wood, often decorated with symbols and herbs, that is burned in a ceremonial fire. Another important aspect of the Wiccan Yule celebration is the exchange of gifts. This tradition is a way to share abundance and goodwill with loved ones and friends. It is also a way to express gratitude for the blessings received throughout the year. In addition to these rituals, Wiccans may engage in meditation, spellwork, and divination during the Yule celebration. They may also decorate their homes with evergreen branches, wreaths, and candles to symbolize life and warmth during the cold winter months. Overall, the Wiccan Yule celebration is a time to honor the cycles of nature and celebrate the returning light of the Sun God. It is a festive and joyous occasion filled with rituals, traditions, and a sense of hope for the coming year..

Reviews for "Honoring Ancestors during Wiccan Yule"

1. Sarah - 2/5: I was really excited to attend the Wiccan Yule celebration, as I've always been interested in different spiritual practices. However, I was extremely disappointed with the event. The organization was chaotic, with no clear instructions or guidance for the participants. The rituals felt disconnected and lacked depth, leaving me feeling unsatisfied and confused. Additionally, the event was overcrowded, making it difficult to fully engage with the activities and connect with the other attendees. Overall, it felt like a disorganized and underwhelming experience.
2. Mark - 1/5: I attended the Wiccan Yule celebration with an open mind, but unfortunately, it left a lot to be desired. The event lacked proper planning and execution, resulting in a messy and uncoordinated experience. The rituals felt forced and shallow, lacking the spiritual depth I was hoping for. Additionally, there was a lack of organization, with no clear communication or direction from the event organizers. I left feeling disappointed and disillusioned, with a sense that this celebration was merely a superficial attempt at appropriating Wiccan traditions without truly understanding or respecting their significance.
3. Emily - 2/5: As someone who has explored various spiritual practices, I was looking forward to experiencing a Wiccan Yule celebration. However, I found the event to be poorly organized and lacking in authenticity. The rituals and ceremonies felt more like a theatrical performance than a genuine spiritual experience. There was a sense of superficiality throughout the event, as if the organizers were more focused on creating a spectacle rather than allowing participants to connect with the true essence of Wiccan traditions. Overall, it was a disappointing and disheartening experience that failed to capture the true spirit of the Wiccan Yule celebration.

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