Naturalistic Paganism

So how will  you be celebrating?  There are less than three weeks left before Yule (the Winter Solstice)! This is going out a week early because for many of us, this is a Sabbat that takes a little more preparation (and if you are buying gifts, the HP Gift List here might help).  Whether that’s due to cultural inertia, or kid’s expectations, the importance of Stars and this Sabbat, or whatever, it’s a big deal in our family.  We’ve already started the Solstice doors and decorating.  If you have been doing your Winter Solstice traditions for years, if you are just starting your family and are currently building the traditions which will bring the Universe to your kids, or anything in between, I hope that the traditions and practices here are found to be useful, inspiring, or just comforting.

For me, this Sabbat was my gateway – the first holiday I added to my life after leaving all Catholic holidays behind as insignificant to our human future.  I started watching our Sun rise on the Winter Solstice – a tradition linking me to millions of Ancestors across the globe for thousands of years.  I found out how real, powerful, and universal this holiday is in one way or another, and how natural it was for this season to capture our human attention.  The rest of the Wheel followed easily from there.

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