Nice altar @praecog29! Candle magic is definitely a favourite of mine!
And Tarot spells too:
Wow @Susurrus those look really neat!
Did you remember to do the Prayer for Shipped Packages 
!?
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Since this is our first Yule we decided to celebrate a bit differently than in years past. Usually our family celebrate the 12 days of Christmas but this year my husband made me a Yule log and hand crafted candles. We did solitary Yule celebration and meditated on being thankful for all the wonderful gifts we have received all year long.
I also did a very large salt bowl.
I incorporated all this in our traditional Christmas decor as you can see in the background. 
My daughter earlier was thinking of a dear friend who was murdered on Christmas eve and I helped her get over her depression by having her help me decorate while explaining that I also feel down a bit because this is my motherās favorite season. She died in 1996 and Christmas is very hard for me as well. But I have an ancestor altar that I did for November All Souls day to remember her and to not forget she is in a better place like my daughterās friend. She perked up and is feeling much better tonight. We will be heading out tomorrow to celebrate Winter Solstice with my son and his fiance (plus family) tomorrow. Very different than last year.
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I love ur decorations Krissie looks really good! Looks like you have the spirit! I love all of them!
Jeannie
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A very symbolic solstice indeed, @MeganB! I hope the walkthrough goes well and wishing you all the best- a new home is a great way to celebrate the return of the sun! 
Go for those swiss cake rolls, @praecog29! 
Your candle set-up looks beautiful- youāve prepared such a wonderful collection! It sounds like your Yuletide celebrations are already off to a wonderful start. Enjoy, and may your holiday be full of light and happiness 
Your simmer pot looked lovely, @Susurrus- I hope it helped to ease your pain! Shame about the spoons. I know the post is a bit of a nightmare these days, so I second Franscisoās suggestion- @Bertaās lovely Prayer for Shipped Packages is perfect for that! 
At least you have the other crafts to do- and they are stunning! Really well done, Krissie. Thanks for sharing your treasures!
Absolutely lovely, @Magdelina! I hope you and your husband had a lovely meditation. Your decorations are beautiful- thank you so much for sharing! Enjoy your happy solstice celebrations with your loved ones 
Hooray, @Jeannie1! Everything looks very festive and so nice- well done! Hope you are having a wonderful Yule 
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The holidays bring a lot of joy but also a hectic haze! Iāve been bustling around getting things ready for my Yule celebrations and Christmas festivities with my partner.
The tree is here and ready 
, and I got some lovely mistletoe to decorate the apartment with:
It looks like I was in tune with @Berta, who has shared some lovely information about mistletoeās lore, history, and important role in Yule: Why we kiss under the mistletoe 
and Mistletoe and Butterflies 
.
I blessed the mistletoe under the light of the moon for one night before hanging- soaking up that Waxing Moon energy 
and getting ready for the return of the sun after the solstice 
I also came up with a little Green Witch home blessing to say while decorating:
Seasonal spirits of joy and wealth
Ward off the darkness, bring us good health.
Evergreen tree and mistletoe-
The seed of next year will soon start to grow!
The decorations are a combo for the solstice/Yule, Christmas, and New Yearsā celebrations- so Iāve got 3-in-1 covered! 
And what would a holiday be without a little baking? 
(A close-up shot because Iāve already eaten 3/4 of it
)
A seasonal crisp with apples, pears, cranberries, and ginger 
. Plus a hearty helping of some of the other warming holiday spices talked about in the Fiery Brew Group Ritual a few weeks back.
Still got lots to do, but everything is slowly coming into place! Iāll be cooking up a special Yuletide meal tonight and doing a Solstice meditation to welcome in the light again 
Wishing a very Happy Yule to all! 
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And itās time for a friendly reminder that this challenge closes:
TOMORROW: Dec 22nd, at 7:00 AM CET (Central European Time)
If havenāt posted yet and youāve got some fun holiday preparations done, weād love to see them! Feel free to post about your magickal holiday cheer by the deadline.
Blessed be!
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Love everyoneās beautiful pictures. I feel like I have just had a āHoliday Tour of Homesā
Nice bundle of Mistletoe @BryWisteria. I wish I had your recipe for that yummy crisp you made. I have never added pear and cranberry - that is a healthy twist.
@Jeannie1 I Love your beautiful bells and I love the way you decorated your Yule Log. 
@Magdelina your hubby did a great job on your Yule Log AND HANDCRAFTED CANDLES!!! That is truly the pioneer spirit at work. Youāll appreciate that Emily (my daughter in Wyoming) cut a small tree to decorate her table, (avoiding the dogs tail). The ornaments I sent her this year were too heavy for the branches! Made me think of Charlie Brown Christmas Tree.
@Susurrus I love your ornament with the inspiration tag and your pinecones (a favorite I had to add to the old BOS). I have to ask if you made your bells. They are stunning!!!
@praecog29 Thanks for your candle array! I love candles (when they donāt blow up) and that is a lovely way to celebrate solstice. To be honest, it never crossed my mind to use a bit of candle magicā¦like two favorite in one - as long as I am burning candles why not add purpose. Perfect!.
@Susurrus and @SilverBear I love the simmer pots. One of my favorite holiday memories was drinking homemade Wassail after Christmas Caroling. I miss the smell and taste of that spicy drink. You inspire me to see if I can make a small batch at home. (Wonder where Dad stashed the Rum)ā¦ 
If I canāt find all the ingredients I know I can at least use your simmer pot idea and make the house smell festive and protected.
@Francisco thank you for adding your lovely tarot spread. Something must have happened in a past life that has me jumpy around those cards. I havenāt been able to figure out my anxiety about them. It is NOT rational. My heart pounds, my hands shake and I would define my emotion as āfearā. It is a real love/hate relationship I have with them. So strange. I admire anyone who has the gift to work with Tarot. I find the images beautiful and intriguing. It truly frustrates me.
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Love your crafts @Susurrus! Iām sorry you werenāt up to baking. Hopefully today youāll feel better. Good luck with your appointments!
What a gorgeous Yule Log @Magdelina! That looks awesome!
And your log @Jeannie1 looks great as well, Iām sad I canāt make it out to the forest to find one now.
You know Iāve never seen Mistletoe around here, not even in the shops when I was young? Holly, sure, but not misletoe. Go figure. Sounds like you have a wonderfully festive day planned out today @BryWisteria! Hope you have a good one!
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So the shortest day came, and the year died,
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
āSusan Cooper, The Shortest Day
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This was a bit of a challenge to set up since I have an active spell on my altar and didnāt want to disturb it too much. Here is my yule log I made from a branch that fell from our birch tree last fall. Pretty simple compared to all of your beautiful creations. I set out my Yule memory box. The Witch bells are always on my bedroom door but I love their sound this time of year. I also have had a permanent small jingle bell wreath in the shape of a star that is always up. It just means more to me at Yule. I continue my Motherās tradition of changing out the large wreath on the front of the house. Right now it is pine boughs and pinecones, lights and red ribbon.
Bells on the doors sound sweet and so clear
Holly and mistletoe herald the year
Love and light enter all hearts on this day
Peace and protection we beg you to stay
Friends and family held dear in our hearts
Our spirits hold tightly and never apart
God Yule to you -everyone -Welcome the sun
May warmth, love and peace be yours - darkness is done!
-Berta
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When Jupiter and Saturnāthe two biggest planets in our solar systemāmeet, itās termed the āGreat Conjunction.ā Whatās even more special is that itās happening on night of the winter solstice.
WREATHS
Wreaths are part of many ancient traditions dating back to the earliest civilizations. The circle is a symbol of immortality; throughout history, wreaths have been associated with life, rejuvenation, and renewal. Originally, wreaths were worn around the head, neck, or waist.
The Greeks awarded laurel wreaths to their triumphant athletes, in the Persian Empire they were worn on the head as a symbol of importance, and ancient Romans wore them like crowns. In Sweden, candles were incorporated in the wreaths to celebrate the return of light after the winter solstice. Nowadays we use them in a window or on a door as a sign of welcome during the holidays.They can be used flat on a table for decoration or as an advent wreath, which also has candles, one for each Sunday between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
YULE LOVE THIS WREATH
Need: a circular frame - (a wire frame can be a wire coat hanger into a circle)
Floral wire
Side cutters for cutting the wire
Pruners for cutting the greens
Ribbon
Misc. greens, herbs, nature findsā¦ etc.
IMAGINATION and CREATIVITY
There are no hard and fast rules for wreath-making. Whatever pleases you is a success!
Every wreath starts with a base of some sort; it can be wire, straw, vine, or wood. Stalks of woody herbs like rosemary, lemon verbena, artemisia, or summer savory can be wrapped into a circle to make a fragrant base. Attach the wire to the base by winding it three times round and securing. Gather small bundles of bunches of evergreens together and wire them to the base. Continue making similar bundles of greens. Overlap the bunches to hide the stems. Tuck small bunches of herbs and other interesting greens into the base using more wire to hold them if necessary. Using greens of different colors and textures will give your wreath its richness. Add cones, dried flowers, berries, and fruit for accents. Donāt forget the bow!
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Beautiful @berta! Youāre lucky you have a log, I donāt. It looks really nice and rustic. And I love the charm you wrote!
And the instructions for the wreath! Very cool! Hope youāre having a blessed solstice!
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Blessed Solstice everyone!
I didnāt get out to see the Star today like I wanted to, it was too cloudy. So I set out to do the Solitary Yuletide Ritual from here on Spells8. I donāt have a log, so I set up the candles in front of my computer so I could read from that. LOL.
I meditated on the lightās return and the new things I want to do this year. Like, get my health better, and continue writing.
Then I followed a family tradition. Every year, during the holidays, my family would see how many times we could watch the different versions of the Christmas Carol. So Iām watching Patrick Stewartās version now. A lovely memory that brings me closer to my parents.
So thatās what Iāve done for Holiday Cheer. Hope yāall are having a good one! Blessed Solstice!
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Iām sorry youāve had a hard day love, but that soon charm is beautiful! I bet it smells good too with the cinnamon tied to it. ~HUGS~ Take care of yourself love!
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I believe it was cleansing energy in my home somewhereā¦ because I ugly cried about 5 times today.
Social Security couldnāt do my appointment because my decision is still in the processing center. So she had her manager call down there to speed it up & she will keep checking on it & call me as soon as it is in her office.
Then my Dr didnāt add the wrist to my MRI so I have to wait until tomorrow when heās in the office. My friend that works there is going to talk to him for me.
Then just EVERYTHING hit me multiple times today like a ton of bricks in waves. I did make an appointment to claim bankruptcy & Iām applying for mortgage assistance as we are behind. It was just a hard day & I didnāt get to make my fresh new simmer pot & it was too cloudy to see the star. 
Iām doing okay right now, Iām having some winter spice tea & making the spoons & ugly socks with my daughter. 
Thank you everyone
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Dearest @Susurrus,
I am sending you the stars.
and I am sending you lots of hugs. That is a lot to be dealing with at one time. The wheel will spin and this will pass. Let the tears flow. I think that is appropriate for all you are managing. I did hear that there should be more stimulus checks coming, but I donāt know if it will be enough to help you with everything. Take care. Keeping you in my thoughts.
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I love seeing everyoneās altars!! 
@Magdelina Look at those plants in the seasons colors!!
@Jeannie1 Nice one! Are you going to burn it throughout the winter??
@Berta Thanks for that gift of a poem!! 
@Amethyst Your altar is perfect!! Iāve never seen that movie! Thanks for the recommendation!!
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Francisco,
I wanted to burn the Yule log tonight since Itās my first Yule, I have decided to burn the logs! I wanted to watch the star aligned tonight! Itās really cold outside I hope I last. I know that Saturn and Jupiter are going to align tonight and this has not happened in centuries and the last time it has happened was 200 years ago so I can use any this energy moving forward! This is a special year that I have come to a new place in my life! A time I will always cherish! This winter solstice is very special! Something I can can write down in my bos! That is if I could see it with the naked eye Iām not really sure if Iām gonna be able to do that
Blessed be
Jeannie
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