Book Title and Author: Have A Cool Yule by Melusine Draco
Status? : Finished
My overall rating of the book : 7/10
How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: I was hoping to learn more about dealing with stress during the holiday season.
My personal thoughts/opinions: This was an okay book. It didn’t have a lot of rituals, spells, or things like that. They went over the basics of Yule, the different days that were special, things like that, and stressed having a schedule. They were a bit dismissive of the importance of family in a few bits, mostly they were like, if your parents have passed, then you don’t have to worry about celebrating with your siblings and other family. On one hand I can understand that, and on the other hand it upset me. So I’m not sure about that.
They did have good ideas about how to combine Yule and Christmas, so that was nice! Still, the book was a bit disappointing. Not what I’d thought it would be. Oh, and the author is British, so it took me a moment to remember that a bundle of twigs and branches is called a ■■■■■■over there.
An interesting quote from the book: “Pagans will have made their own provisions for the coming mid-winter celebration to welcome back the Sun-King and among these can be an alternative ash-■■■■■■, made up of ash twigs, to be burned to ensure good fortune.
A miniature ■■■■■■can be kept in the house for good luck. Like a lot of magical customs, the Yule log must not be bought. The hearth fire is the symbolic and magical centre of any pagan home, and it is to the hearth we bring the richness of nature’s bounty to help celebrate the old festivals and feast days.
Next to the Harvest Home, perhaps the Mid-Winter Festival is the most important festival in the pagan calendar so start scavenging for your Yule log – even if it’s only a mini ash-■■■■■■for the patio burner! And make sure it is seasoned dry wood to prevent smoking. The Yule log should sit in the hearth until the Winter Solstice, decorated with sprigs of holly.”
Draco, Melusine. Pagan Portals - Have a Cool Yule: How-To Survive (and Enjoy) the Mid-Winter Festival (p. 18). Moon Books. Kindle Edition.
All in all, would I recommend this book?: Maybe, it depends on what you are looking for. Yule: A Celebration of Light and Warmth by Dorothy Morrison had much of the same information and was a better book, in my opinion.
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