St Sylvester's Day Lore

St. Sylvester's Day Lore

December 31st is St. Sylvester's Day. Here is some associated folklore:

• To be born on Sylvester's day gives a love of change that is carried too far.
• It is a bad day for reconciling enemies.
• December thirty-first, when Judas hanged himself, is considered by many a very unlucky day.
• On Sylvester night all water is turned into wine, but only between 12 and 1 o'clock.
• In Ireland on the last day of the year a cake is thrown at the door by the head of the house to prevent hunger from entering during the coming year.
• Whoever sees his or her shadow on St. Sylvester's night, without any head to the shadow will die within a year.
• On the last day of the old year rats are going about everywhere in the house, and if they hear nothing said about them, they will never go there again; but if the word rat is mentioned in their hearing, they will take it as an invitation and will return in great numbers.

It used to be a custom not long since for the inhabitants of St. Pierre on the island of Guernsey to turn out in a body on the 31st of December to bury an effigy representing the old year in the sand of Vazon Bay. This was called burying the "End of the Year." This custom is now extinct, and popular corruption has mixed it up with the burning of Guy Fawke's effigy on the 5th of November, so much so that the figure of Guy is now called "The end of the year" without any reason whatever.

In Germany New Year's eve is called Sylvester's Eve and it is considered ill luck to go to bed before the new year has begun. There is a widespread superstition that if you keep awake on that night and hear a chorus of voices singing hymns, you will have good luck all the year. In many families the children recite verses (New-Year wishes) for their parents, ask their forgiveness for wrong-doings during the past year and promising good behavior for the new year. Great revelries are held on that night in almost every country and many superstitious rites are observed.

In Scotland the last day of the year is considered propitious for almost any undertaking, especially marriage.

Found in:
Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World 

SOURCE
GYPSY MAGIC

Yule Meaning

Yule is a time of the greatest darkness and is the shortest day of the year. Earlier people noticed such phenomena and supplicated the forces of nature to lengthen the days and shorten the nights. Wiccans sometimes celebrate Yule just before dawn, then watch the Sun rise as a fitting finale to their efforts.

After the Norse brought Yule into prominence it nearly replaced Samhain as the date of the New year, and many modern Celtic covens still honor Yule this way. The Nordic-influenced Celts celerbated Yule with  many of the trappings we associate with modern Christians observances: decorated evergreen trees, wreaths, holly, mistleteoe, feasting, and dancing.

They also believed that on this night the Holly King, as the God of the waning year, would battle the Oak King, the God of the waxing year, and lose. Often Yule coven rituals have members reenact this fight.

This is the time of death and rebirth of the Sun God. The days are shortest, the Sun is at its lowest point. The full moon after Yule is considered to be the most powerful moon of the whole year. This ritual is a light festival, with as many candles as possible on or near the altar in welcome of the Sun child.

Thus passes away from thee,

away from thee and thing

the spirit of the last cycle's learning,

Free to move forward into the turning

of this year's cycle of learning

We rejoice

The time of repose has come

let us remember the lessons each has learned,

commit the lesson to heart,

preparing to move beyond.

Queen of the moon, Queen of the sun,

Queen of the heavens, Queen of the stars,

Queen of the waters, Queen of the Earth,

Bring us the Child of Promise!

It is the Great Mother who giveth birth to him,

It is the Lord of Life who is born agai,

Darkness and tears are set aside

when the sun shall come up early!

Yule is *almost* here!!

It's beggining to look a lot like.... Oak Moon

November is know as the Oak Moon. As the year turns darker, the nights grow longer, the moon is brighter. A time of reflection upon oneself, inner-searching, meditation. Transform yourself by learning what are your truths and lies. Perform insight spells.

Other names: Beaver Moon, Dark Moon, Fog Moon, Frosty Moon, Moon Before Yule, Owl Moon, Snow Moon, Storm Moon

Herbs: Sage and Chervil

Astrology: Sagittarius


The Oak Moon Esbat

The significance of each of the Esbats draws its influence from the changes in the earth around us. At this point in the wheel of the year, we have seen and accepted the demise in nature. We are taught as we look around the barren and frozen earth, that nothing dies that is not then reborn. We know implicitly that lying just beneath the surface, life waits to spring up around us anew. However, before this can happen the earth must rejuvenate to resurface refreshed and renewed with new purpose and energy. The Mood Goddess at this time is heavy with child – the Sun God, who shall be born at Yule. But before we celebrate the beginning of the return of the light at Yule, or the Winter Solstice (21st December), we celebrate the Oak Moon Esbat (15th December). It is now that we must take our lessons from the earth, accepting we all must rest before a new cycle begins, preparing to grow anew ourselves.

During the Oak Moon, a transition occurs, we move in this moon from death to birth, life renewed at the time of the Winter Solstice. With this in mind, it is a lovely idea to keep a candle burning from the Esbat to the Solstice, acknowledging the return of the light ahead, as the days begin once again to become longer. It is best, if you decide to keep a candle burning, to use a contained candle such as a votive, which is designed for extended (and safe) burn times, always observing safety, which is especially important if you have small children or pets. As you light the first candle, recite something akin to:

“Fire of the Sun, illuminate the Earth
Bring back life with your rebirth
We await your coming, until your rise
To re-awake the Earth and nourish our lives”

The candle is then extinguished at the Winter Solstice, when the light returns.

At the Esbat of the Oak Moon, there are many relevant rituals. To give candles as gifts at this time of year is a wonderful thing to do – symbolising our individual flames re-igniting at this powerful time of year.



SOURCE
http://brighterblessings.co.uk/articles/esbats.htm

We all Come from the Goddess