The Mini Witch’s Guide to Winter Solstice and the Witchy Holiday Yule

The Mini Witch’s Guide to Winter Solstice covers Yule holiday celebrations with Plants By Laurali! It’s that time of year again. Darkness covers the landscape, as the longest day of the year enters the hemisphere.

Winter Solstice is a great time of year to reflect on the past year and set new goals and resolutions for the upcoming year. It is a time of snow, purity, and new beginnings.

It’s also a great time to let go of any negativity accumulated from the past year. Winter Solstice, also known as Yule, marks a time of new beginnings.

Falling under the sign of Capricorn, the Yule holiday is a time of planning, trimming, and making futuristic plans of what is to come. Many people make their New Year’s resolutions around this time, ready to create forward movement.

Winter Solstice is also a grand time to do any shadow work that pops up for you. It’s a good time to clear away any emotional baggage and start anew.

Personally, I love this time of year for working with new plants and herbs that I don’t work with year-round from the magical herbarium for herbal witchcraft. Mistletoe, pine needles, and even yule logs gather energy for my end-of-the-year spells.

It’s a great time to burn intentions under the fire on a cold night with the stars shining bright as the longest day of the year creates a spectacle of darkness. I like to use either a fire pit or fireplace to burn off the old and welcome the new. After all, that’s what the Winter Solstice holiday is all about!

The Mini Witch’s Guide to Winter Solstice and the Witchy Holiday Yule

Winter Solstice has a warm, cozy energy about it that’s different from other witchy pagan holidays. Capricorn season brings with it goal-oriented focus and intention, making it easier to set plans in place for work, wellness, and even family resolutions.

You can celebrate the Yule holiday by writing down some things you’d like to see happen during the new year. Then, take those intentions and transform them into spells. I recommend making multiple copies so you can burn one, keep one, and have a paper to refer back to throughout the year.

Sit down and think about what you’d like the Winter season of life to be like. What goals do you have? This will help you focus and hone in on what is truly important to you.

Do you have any deities you work with? This is a great time to connect with your favorite winter gods or goddesses and tell them what you’d like to change in your life.

Last night, I prayed to my patron deity, Goddess Fortuna, as I drifted off to sleep. I started talking with her about some changes I’d like to make and this feeling of motivation and inspiration came over me.

This is the perfect time to make things happen! Traditionally, many people call upon the Holly King and the God Odin, depending on your belief system. I tend to stick with the Greco-Roman Gods whom I’ve already established a relationship with.

A wonderful god to work with during the Yuletide Season is the Sun God Apollo! Apollo can help you set goals and create New Year’s Resolutions that stick, especially if they pertain to health and wellness.

Winter Solstice and Yule represent a return to the sun gods, making Apollo the perfect companion and ally to work with. He is the god of warmth, sun, and light. He is a god of enlightenment and understanding.

If deity work isn’t your thing, it’s also the optimal time to connect with the genius loci or spirits of the land in a brand-new way. Depending on your location, you may experience a quiet winter wonderland of snow and ice.

I live in Florida where the weather is temperate this time of the year, but I still connect with Lord Pan and the pine trees that dot the forest. I have a special connection with them. I use pine needles to make pine top tea and create spells and natural remedies.

This time of year is great for both endings and new beginnings! It’s time to let go of the past and time to say hello to your future with Winter Solstice.

Winter Solstice Shadow Work

Winter Solstice is the perfect time to do shadow work! Many of us are forced into hermit mode as snow falls and winter landscapes are made. Even though I live in Florida, I still live as seasonally as possible.

It’s a time of both darkness and light, making it the perfect shadow work companion. You can use this time to curl up by the fire and learn something new about yourself.

Most people don’t like to challenge themselves, but the challenge can sometimes be a good thing! How would you like to challenge yourself this season? Write down ways it can be done.

You can conquer everything from demons to wellness goals. Winter Solstice is a great time to let old things fall away and reflect on what needs to change.

Think about how you can challenge yourself, as well as how you can make tweaks and changes toward your goals. Shadow work looks beyond the surface! It goes into the deep abyss.

Winter Solstice New Beginnings

Winter Solstice, falling under the sign of the hardworking Capricorn is a great time to usher in new beginnings! Are you ready?

This is the perfect time to write down resolutions and turn them into intentions to give them more power. Burn them in a fire under the stars or a fireplace with Christmas lights.

I sometimes burn mine with pine needles, as pine needles represent fresh energy and new beginnings. In addition to that, you can choose a word that resonates with you as part of your New Year’s resolutions.

Last year, I chose three. I chose, “All is Connected.” I resolved to make more business connections and friendship connections and that’s exactly what I did last year!

Working from home, it’s easy to lose connections with others and become isolated. This resolution allowed me to open up my world and branch out.

Start thinking about a word that resonates and feels right for you. That word will gear you throughout your entire year ahead. You can burn it, bury it, turn it into a sigil, whatever.

This is the season of life in which you can start over fresh! Buy a new broom to sweep out old energy. It’s time for a fresh start!

Winter Solstice and Yule Symbolism and Meaning

There are many ways in which you can navigate the Yule holiday. With that being said, there are some signs and symbolism to look out for that can be incorporated into any spells or rituals for the Winter Solstice holiday celebration.

Pine Magical Properties - Great for new beginnings, rebirth, and renewal. Has long-lasting powers and creates stability in whoever uses it. It makes a great protection amulet! You can use pine bark in spells for where you need to start a new project or job, and it can also be used for any type of moving spell.

Astrological Correspondences: Masculine/Mars/Air Element/Aries + Scorpio

Notes:  Pine pairs well with Lord Pan, God of the Wild! You can use pine to make pine top tea for healing cold and flu symptoms, as well as to bring about great change in your life. Pair it with a red jasper crystal for grounding your energy after spellwork and divination.

Mistletoe Magical Properties - Mistletoe is great for bringing love, fertility, and prosperity into your life! It also makes the perfect plant for the Yule tradition. Considered a lust herb, mistletoe brings people together in a romantic way! It can help couples conceive, as it assists with fertility. I’ve also used it in money spell jars, as it fits right inside and has a pretty aesthetic.

Astrological Correspondences: Masculine/Sun/Air Element/Libra

Notes:  Mistletoe pairs well with relationship shadow work! For example, in a twin flame or past life situation. It clears karma from past relationships and opens up channels of communication. Gods like Aphrodite and Lord Ares appreciate and work well with mistletoe.

Fire Magical Properties - Fire, much like the sun, burns things off and clarifies things. Fire purifies and destroys. The heat builds things back up again. It’s an element that speeds the spell up using candle magic and burning herbs in cauldrons. Fire is a powerful addition to any spell!

Astrological Correspondences: Masculine/Sun/Fire Element

Notes:  Fire can be used to burn intentions and pairs well with Lord Ares! Lord Ares is the God of war and fire. It can also be used to let go of what no longer serves you. Write down what you need to let go of and burn it in the fireplace! Fire makes the perfect company for letting go and ushering in new beginnings, making it perfect for the Yule holiday celebration.

As you can see, there’s a lot that can be done with Winter Solstice! It’s a time when you can cozy up and set new intentions by the fire with a warm blanket.

It’s a beautiful time to do shadow work and reflect on the past, healing old wounds and tending to your care. It’s also a terrific time to welcome a new way of life like a breath of fresh air!

What are your plans for the winter solstice? This year, I plan on doing what I do every year. I’m going to have a spiritual day for myself, spending time in thought and prayer, giving offerings to my deities, and connecting with the magic of nature.

I’m going to sit down and write out my intentions and stash them somewhere I can reflect on them later and watch them come to life. Winter solstice makes me feel inspired, shiny, and new again!

I might even do a proper cleansing for the holiday season, as a way to purify my intentions and clear my energy. Whatever it may be, the Yule holiday is about family, home, and the self. Don’t forget to practice self-care during this busy holiday season!

Thanks for reading! I wish all of you happy holidays and a happy new year. I think great things are around the bend for all of us. ~Laurali