I'm an old pagan( somewhere north of 50). This will be my first Yule on open display to friends and family. Assembled the Yule alter out in the open.which I'm very proud of. Ready for the night of the 21st with some of the best homemade mead to share with the gods. And I'm gonna get eff'd up with them and my ancestors. Happy Yule Mr.Ocean and Happy Yule to anyone who reads this post........Travel well my friends. Frostproof, FL.
Cringe. LARPers bring great shame to our ancestors. I watched neo-paganism be created from whole cloth on bulletin board systems and early forums in the 90's. It's so daft.
I'll be celebrating yule for the first time this year. As a relatively new heathen, and someone who practices exclusively alone, the lead up to and preparation of ritual for the well know holidays is always something that makes me a little nervous. At the same time I do enjoy the process. Its always fulfilling in the end, and of course videos like this are always helpful during the process and entertaining to top it off!
I too am celebrating Yule for the first time this year! Also being a very new Heathen, discovering my own beliefs within the system, I wanted a way to celebrate the Holidays with my family the Heathen way, which (having paused to comment this before watching this video) to my knowledge holds a lot of the original themes to Christmas events. This video may inspire some great ideas and knowledge to look for, but my main idea is to do a 5 day Yule, 21st-25th, 5 days of Feasting, Boasting, Drinking, Toasting, Singing, Gifts, Games, and Glory! (EDIT: Added Feasting, the main theme of my version of the celebration. I seemed to have forgotten to add it because I was going off my personal notes and that was a 'given' of the holiday at the top of the notes, separate from the bulk. Providing a great feast to all who appear for the celebration will hopefully please the Gods and Ancestors with my display of grandeur and bountiful giving)
I am also a new Heathen celebrating my very first Yule. I have a planner going with some scripts to read and offerings to give and everything. Pretty exciting! I wish you and your family the best this Yule season.
I'm new to hethanry as well and I've been reading up on this a lot but I still don't know how I'm going to celebrate this year. We're going to do a bonfire and drink some Mead and eat good food surrounded by friends. I'm still trying to figure out how to connect with Thor
As you may know. "Jul" is still a word that we Scandinavians use for Christmas. Though to this day it has a lot of Christian influence, in my house we eat the traditional Norwegian foods that have been eaten for generations, we decorate for winter and instead of santa clauses hanging around we have "nisser" which are pretty much like gnomes that look like santa. Or santa looks like them? In Scandinavian folklore you find a lot of variations of these different Nordic creatures that we still use to this day, and in the case for Jul, we always have different types of Nisser hanging around. Maybe next year I can convince my family to make it 100% heathen, although Im not sure how that will work out with my atheist brother, Jehovas witnesses'ish father, Buddhist mother and other christian siblings. God Jul!
Interesting information, thanks. I'd also like to note that as I understand it, except for the big 3 that are the Abrahamic religions, everything falls under the umbrella of paganism. That would include the religions of both of your parents.
@@KarlKristofferJohnsson My bad. I didn't realize that. Their beliefs are certainly very different than most of Christianity. Thanks for the correction.
I have an obvious- or perhaps not- particular deity I like to acknowledge during this season. Skadi. Although she is usually cited as giving inspiration to women, there's no reason she can't inspire men as well. She also helps us overcome grief (since she lost her father) and to never take bs from anyone (since even though Loki makes her laugh, she never forgives him for the part he played in the death of her father) and having a strong spirit, making it through such things, is a good thing both to reflect on from the previous year and to seek out for the coming year.
I have always liked the idea of the comfort of the holiday season, in a more Norse-friendly context than usually presented, and Skadi has always been important to me. She reminds me of my mother a bit. I tend to find favor with slightly more obscure deities than the usual list of Odin, Thor and perhaps Freyja.
Ocean missed out on a good pun: Yule find a way or make one. Log your journey as you go. I love all the deities and entities you proposed within the video, and might need to figure out some way to incorporate them all! Especially Sol! I believe toasts to her and her brother Mani would be perfect during the Winter Solstice. After all as we celebrate Sol's gradual return with Yule, we should give thanks to Mani for watching over us in her absence. Both siblings are important after all. :D
I'll be practicing alone by taking myself out for a meal and a drink. I'll dedicate it to Odin, Thor, and Tyr. I'll also be giving thanks to Njord, Freyr, Freya, Sol, and Mani as well as honouring my late grandparents and a second cousin who took his life 5 years ago (I'll also visit his grave).
Glædelig Jul Bryan…. (And your cousin didn’t take it, he lost it, one don’t "commit suicide", but die by suicide - I think this is so important to stress, and while it's maybe wrong of me to almost be lecturing you, I also wanna stress that I write this with empathy and compassion)
We are celebrating our first Yule this year. We are starting with Mother's Night in which offerings to female ancestors and goddesses such as Freya, Frigg, and Hel. Then offerings throughout for all gods. Finishing with the end with a oath on New Years. At least that is the plan but it may change as I do more research.
Someone complained about the antlers. Shed antlers. PLASTIC shed antlers. I've ordered 'tolerance' and 'coexist' bumper stickers to replace the previous decorations. Play ball!
I think I will be practicing yule quietly this year. I am the only one in my family that is pagan and it's difficult to come out and say that. So for now I think small things will suffice.
Likewise. I've just quietly ignored the suggestions from siblings for things like church service podcasts to listen to, and I haven't been to church for over 20 years, except for funerals, but the occasion hasn't arisen where I feel the need to explain my non-Christian beliefs to them. I live alone, so I'm celebrating alone tonight.
I have a really cool experience that I need to tell somebody. During Yule I try to set goals, this year however was something different. I prayed to Eir, goddess of healing and I asked her to guide me because I recently have gotten my EMT license, and the plan was to be an EMT and be a combat medic in the army. However, I have two children, miles-odin is only three months old and I was unsure if I made the right choice with EMT stuff. Because I will make the same amount as an EMT that I make now only I'll be working crazy hours. And yesterday, I walking out of the grocery store, and I hear somebody crying help. It was crowded so it took a second but I found a 81 year old woman on the ground and she was clearly hypoxic. I was fortunate enough to be there, she was crying and so scared and thought she was dieing of a stroke. I was able to be there with her in that moment, and literally hold her hand and promise her that she's not dieing, she just needs oxygen. I believe Eir put me there to tell me I'm needed in EMS feild. I went home, stood at my alter and thanked her and told her that I hear the call. Even my non-pagan husband was like what are the odds?! That the 45second walk to your car somebody is in need of EMS care.
I love the continuous learning we get as part of the heathen community. ^^ As a Norse witch who practises Majik I often give thanks to Skadi during this time. Her unabashed determined nature and her ability to model allyship, compromise (Through her marriage and subsequent amicable split with Njordr) and inspire loyalty (as even though she is a Jotann, she sides with the Aesir on many occasions, more notably she is the one who fastens the snake above Loki's head when he is captured) is something I find worth celebrating. In many books I've ready she is considered to be the god of snow and ice, somthing that for our ancestors would have been either a blessing (ice to drinking water) or a curse (Well... dieing from the elements) she is a force to be acknowledged and I like to offer just a bit of ice cold swedish vodka to her as a way of saying "You keep being you girl, I see you I accept you, I fear for my safety around you, but your awesome and I like you xD"
Sandi here (husband's account), Not Heathen/Asatruar, but several friends follow that path. I am Wiccan (yeah, yeah, I know). My husband and I facilitate pagan (including heathen) serices at our local Army post. We try to put in as much as we can in the hour allotted us (and the other faiths) by the Chaplain. Many are Asatruar, or at least profess curiosity in such. We have resources of both The Eddas and some members of the local Heathen community. Your videos are also very helpful in our Services to the Trainees. You will be happy to hear, tha when one wishes to make a profession of faith, we can arrange for a Gothi (don't know the alt-code for the d with a line through the stem) ro come and help them. Thank you so much. As for Yule (Winter Solstice) - I give honor to Bertcha, along with my patroness Brighid (although Her holiday is Imbolc) and my patron, Herne is prominent in the Celtic trditions I honor. Bertcha, on the other hand, is the Saxon Goddess of Winter (this pantheon has Wotan as the All-Father). It is said that Bertcha must be appeased with cakes, and fried dough, studded with dried friuts and coated with fine powdered sugar (called olliebollen), otherwise she will slice your belly open and stuff it with straw. Or so the legends say ^_^. Found out this little tidbit while researching ollibollen.
Ocean Keltoi: "Hopefully this will be the video yule goat to for information... This was terrible, forgive me" Me: "Gods bless this guy! He could probably defeat the Jotun with puns and laughter!"
A quick mention of the "real" Yule, based on the Lunar calendar might help new Pagans. Based on the current lunar calendar, Jan 17 2022 is the next Yule. Great video as usual. skål
Not milk and cookies for Santa, but when I was a child we still left porrige (cooked with milk instead of water), topped with butter out for the farms tomte/land-alfr (most probably eaten by a fox).
Some things I wish were included in this: 1)KRAMPUSNACHT! Is it a Viking thing or just a Norse Christian thing? 2) Santa's 8 Reindeer come from Sleipnir's 8 legs? 3)Recall that Thor's Goats were Teeth Gnasher and Teeth Grinder (aka Thunder and Lightning) and the german names of 2 of Santa's reindeer are Donor and Blitzen... Thunder and Lightning. A coincidence?! Fantastic work as always!
It's more of a German/Bavarian thing as I understand it, but Krampus is fun in his way and a good way to encourage naughty children to behave. He IS pre-Christian though just so you know. He may even have links to other pagan Horned God figures. They are not uncommon.
Santa is German, but origins came further east though. Just like the sky father or all father. Anyway, will never know the exact truths of those things. Krampus was probably reference to loki, trickster God often took on demon looks post Christian faith.
Not sure how you got thunder and lightning out of the name of his goats, especially since you already stated their meaning. Thor's name is literally thunder, not one of his goats. 🤔
This will be my first Yule that I am celebrating while studying Heathenry. I'll probably toast to Odin for now and see where my education and understanding takes me.
I made four toasts of alchohol. One to Odin, Thor, Sol, and Freyr. The first three to Odin, Freyr, and Sol, was whiskey my father left me when he passed. The fourth was black rum given to me by a friend. I shared this toast as a show of friendship to Thor. I'm new so if I messed up I'm sorry. I simply thanked them.
These puns just keep getting better and better. I personally think they might have worshipped Odin as a deity associated with the Wild Hunt and a god of death not unlike Hel. The latter may also have been worshipped at this time in some places, specially if equated with Frau Holle or Perchta.
I'm celebrating yule for the first time this year. Thank you for your help, it means a lot to me and is greatly helping me get more in touch with it all.
I'll be practicing quietly, in my head (being raised on Quakerism, I'm comfortable with silent prayer/connection/conversation with the Divine). I might reread Terry Pratchett's _Hogfather_ (speaking of toasting our anscstors).
This is why you HAVE to wait till the end every time, "...written all here in you yule log." On the 21st, with mead in hand, and immediate family around; I will be hailing my ancestors for all their struggles and wisdom, Odin and Thoth for the wisdom so desperately needed, Freyr for peace also needed, Njordr for safe travels coming in the year ahead, and Pazuzu for nefarious reasons...
As a brand new heathen I'll be celebrating Yule by myself. I'll definitely be including Odin and Frey in my ritual celebrations. Possibly Thor & Sol as well. These last videos have been extremely helpful in knowing how to prepare for the holiday. Thanks as always for the dedication and information.🍻
My celebration will be mostly Christian but i will do a Yule blot to hail Sol,Ullr,Skadi and Hel Sol for obvious reasons,Ullr for hes my main god,Skadi hoping for a mild but snowy winter and Hel to see over my mother whos currently in her care.
One of the gods I will also keep in mind this yule, apart from what I call "the big three" (Thor, Odin and Yngvi Freyr) is Lady Hel in rememberance of those who passed away during this year.
See I love this holiday because I connect to my Celtic paganism as well, and since this is a dedicated Heathenry channel I wanted to say which Gods from Heathenry I shall be honoring this Yule. Freya, an honor in hopes of fertility in the coming year (me and my partner are trying for our first child so 🤞). Loki, for protection of my home and of those whose gender exists outside the binary commonly portrayed in our society. And Hela, for protection and care for the family I have lost, and the hope that if I were to find myself in her domain that I would be taken care of well. Just thought this would be an interesting lil diatribe, my celebration of Yule has always been one of looking forward and being thankful of all aspects of my life, not just of the bounty of harvest and the returning of the sun (not saying everyone celebrates that way, just a lot of the people ik have and wanted to differentiate).
I'll have a YYYUUUUULLLLEE Solstice without you. But no honestly. One kindred that I was once part of. We would write notes on a piece of paper tie it to a wreath and burn it before the start of the next year. And exchange gifts to everyone.
in sweden we still celebrate with hay goats and with pig's head and ham. before we got Santa,(1900) it was the jul goat who gave the presents during Christmas. we do not celebrate Christmas on the 25th because the Christians did not manage to change the day we celebrated. so the symbols remain even though the people have forgotten why they are there God Jul !
I never grew up with winter holidays, and have a hard time celebrating the coming of the sun in the dark of night. I'm not sure what to do for this holiday except be grateful when the sun finally rises.
Great video, Ocean. We pour a shot of mead for Odin, Frigga (Freyja), Thor, Sif, Freyr, and Sol, but make offering to all the deities of the tradition and welcome them to our home.
Should be back in time from a Christmas trip to celebrate yule. I have the luxury of a fireplace, so there will be a yule log. I might try alenog that you mentioned, someone gifted me an early meal.
I was 7 minutes in before I noticed the hat 🤣 something about it is just so in character that it seems entirely natural. "the sign of the hammer" is actually an interesting concept. I've often pondered that the inverted cross, in an extremely simple way, feels similar to some representations of Mjolnir and being Catholic at my core I have made the comment in the past that "the sign of the cross" is far more representative of an inverted cross. I personally suspect that it originated more as a reference to Saint Peter because of this but because of my personal association between the inverted cross and Mjolnir it takes no real leap of my imagination to consider it possible if someone told me that a "sign of the hammer" was a thing even if it evolved from a quick thinking liar.
Look up what a Wolf Cross is and how similar it is to the Peters Cross as well as "Thor’s Cross" Just because the heathens got Christianized doesn’t mean paganism was sanitized…. It took a very long time, and what happened was more that Christianity appropriated, or given a more friendly spin to the process, adopted and adapted, old pagan traditions.
@74 Rowe While there is similarities, there's also differences that are way to important - so no! They are not "all the same" - but there are many of them who has been influenced by other gods over time. And what often is true, is how aspects of nature has been the basis of many religions, (which can explain many a similarity)
My Grandparents in MN always had a smorgasbord, sadly yes lutefisk 😂,.I noticed the old Lutheran prayers do combine alot of Yule words due to the Swedish heritage of the area. Many different holiday rituals can be seen on both Pagan and Lutheran having shared parts
I am having my first Yule celebration this year. We are planning to make the Yule goat, have a gathering for a bonfire and a dinner. We shall drink and share stories before ending the night with a toast to Odin, Sol, Thor, and Tyr.
I have celebrated yule for the past 5 years and this year I wrote a Yule Prayer to Odin for this years dinner. I made an Altar to him as well for Yule, So he's taking center stage for me this year :)
Ive regarded myslef as heathen for almost 2 years, but this past year, Ive really started to dig deeper into my understanding of it all. Videos like this are an amazing tool to help deepen my understanding, gain perspective and provide me a great starting point to form my own connection to the gods. I cant say enough how much I appreciate this channel and all thats put into it.
I honor the ancestors on Samhain(Halloween) and throughout Yule and Imbolc(Candlemass...Feb2 for Catholics).There is also the Spring Equinox (Ostara)aka Easter (originally a festival honoring women,eggs,birds,rabbits and other symbols of fertility) I'm an older Christo-Pagan who was raised with my brothers to be open -minded to accept everyone in the world " as they are for who they are" . My ancestors are all of Celtic/UK and Indigenous American (Wabanaki of Maine) and they blended Jesus's teachings with the preserved "Old Ways" to pass on to us . We celebrate the changes in the Seasons with family,relatives,friends of all faiths(as well as atheists and agnostics too). Brightest Blessings to Everyone Everywhere. God Jol , Merry Christmas and an awesome Winter /New Year too.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🌲🌲🌲🌲❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
I was tought as a child that we cover our homes in lights and candles during december as a way of showing Sol the way so that she does not get lost on her way back to us
now me know how to do it properly me will honour Odin' Sol' Freyr and Njordr but mainly doing my ancestors this year cos lost three family last year and tonight another loved this video Ocean it will help me in my own practices cos where me live few Heathens look forward to the next one
So many people are doing their first year of yule just like me!! I never expected that and I'm so so excited to keep learning from Oceans videos and the rest of the community!
Hail Ocean! Thank you for your content, humor and knowledge. This will be my first time openly practicing in a group environment from a leadership position. (Terrifying) Typically I would honor Sol, Mani, Freyr, Thor and the Hammingja but thanks to this I see that others may soon be incorporated in the future.
Yet again, a great video. This is the first year I'll be celebrating Yule myself after coming to this Heathen path almost a year ago. Very happy about this time of year.
Our family Yule Log tradition we began about 10 years ago. Taking a log from the previous year's Yule fire we place Thanksgiving for the past year into its charred core, then we take a new log and put our prayers for prosperity and protection for the next year and hail Odin. Feasting and merry making is generally celebrated until January 3rd, my stepson's and late father's birthdays, both Capricorns, symbolized by the Goat. I think we will add a straw goat offering to our celebration this year, seems fitting. I am truly thankful I found this channel, it is inspiring to me.
Had a question I became a Patreon a few days ago so when do I get notifications and have my name on the credits at the end? You're the first pateron I've ever followed so I'm not sure how it works :)
thank you for your so excellent & fully indepth dwelling on the Northern gods and godesses. in this vain my friend.. godt yul åg godt nytt år 2022 ... nd boy what a wale of a year this'll become . ! an asttologer
I think I will be celebrating Yule this year. I'm still not sure how to go about it, but I'd like to toast to Odin, Nordr and Thor as well as my ancestors and my grandfather, who left this realm a couple months ago.
Thank you Ocean; great video! I wonder, is it possible Yule had something to do with the Balder death-return cycle? I know it seems like baggage Jesus, but we know that the church chose the winter Solstice because it was already seen as the rebirth of Sol Invictus. Perhaps, like other cycles such as Dummuzi, etc, this was the day Balder returned from Helheim? Perhaps Mother Night celebrates the drama of Frigg, Allmother, descending to win back her son from Hel? And thus Odin is Yule Father as a great celebration for the return of his son to Asgard? Do we kiss under the mistletoe from a long tradition to show that even the instrument of Balder's death no longer has power in the face of the Yule celebration?
Considering that Baldr is said to return only after Ragnarok, I find that highly unlikely. Wouldn't surprise me if there some tie in to the metaphorical rebirth of Sól tho (or strengthening, I guess, since she's clearly still there, just not for long). Sidenote: Allmother? The only times I've heard that before was in Horizon Zero Dawn.
I celebrate the solstice as a secular holiday but I bring in some Yule-ish traditions along with it because I feel a need for ritual, since I came from a highly ritualistic form of Christianity. It’s essentially me pouring one out (a libation of whiskey or mead) for my dead loved ones to remember them, my alive relatives (chosen and by blood) to wish them well and to myself to remember that life is fleeting and like the Monty Python song goes: “For life is quite absurd And death's the final word You must always face the curtain with a bow Forget about your sin Give the audience a grin Enjoy it, it's your last chance anyhow”. I do this on the equinoxes and Summer Solstice as well, lighting at very least one candle at each.
As I go further in this journey and learn more I plan to celebrate more of the holidays since I'm leanring how to. This year for yule I'll be primarily incorperating Odin into my celebration. These past few years have been really tough for me and even very recently I've been in some pretty dark places that I've had to fight through but they've taught me a lot. And in these past few years is also when I first started realizing the calls from the gods the primary one in my case actually being Odin though recently I also think Thor has dropped some hints my way as well that I had previously been blind to probably others as well that again I've just not seen due to me not knowing as much about them and how they may reach out. I'll also be toasting to my ancestors and just in general those I've lost. Ancestors for obvious reasons but those I've lost because I wouldn't be who I am without them and for that I am forever grateful. Later when I've learned even more I plan to do far more and hopefully I'll be able to find a local group that I can actually celebrate with as well as learn from and with. I seriosuly can't thank you and the other content creators (the good ones) enough for sharing your knowledge. Its made this new and often confusing journey just a bit easier. I know I haven't beem active in the discord and for that I'm sorry. But I do genuinely appreciate all that you guys do and I wish you all a very happy yule and all the luck and prosperity in the new year.
Eventually, yes. There's a number of deities with a lot of information out there. I plan to have at least one video on each deity over time to make looking into each deity easier for people looking for information.
I'm brazilian, so I'll be celebrating Litha... And since anytime there will be two sabbaths happening at the same time I grantee you a series of videos on the sabbaths will be great ✨ also, sometimes it feels kinda wrong celebrating Litha in December (because it's an north-centrist world) but I can't do anything about my year finishing in the summer, so I always go for a mashup
You know it feels very strange to put a 9 foot pine tree in my living room, I live 5 min from a beach in Brazil and its summer, the pines nearby are not even producing pine cones and every other plant around is ✨living✨ so no need to bring something that doesn't looks dead inside my house
So idk I'll be making Litha food (I'm a "kitchen witch") and preparing mead for it to be ready by the actual Yule here, have a little toast and prayers/meditation for the more litha-ish gods and on new years eve I'll be toasting to Yule gods since it's new years
This was gonna be the first year I practiced Yule but due to the Tornados I will not be home for the solstice and instead helping out in KY. Is there anyway I can do something while away from home with limited items and privacy?
First, that is an awesome thing that you are doing to help. One of the first things I always think of is having candle lit so as guide/welcome back the sun. Having gratitude, asking for the strength to make it through the darkness and winter, and asking for abundance in the coming of the new year and spring. Offer up the volunteer work you're doing. It's easy enough to off up some form of libation.
When I was a child I learned that Thor rode in a card pulled by Goats through the sky. In the old time, especially in the North people rather had goats as domesticated livestock than cows.
Regarding freyr "if you want peace be prepared for war" it's a good moto BTW, sol is portuguese for sun. Probably nothing related, just some curiosity. Lusitans also had pagan gods before the treachery against Viriathus (Viriato in portuguese) best regards from Portugal 🇵🇹
Although I'm Christian (albeit I have times where in my studies of the old ways, celtic druidism and the old gods, I find a comfort and naturalness like I've experienced them before) I have been studying up on the celtic connections to Yule, and one deity that I always love reading up on who is said to have an interesting connection in Cernunnos, so I may add something connected to him in my decorations this year and make my apartment more rustic yule feeling.
I hope you are well and busy living life. A festive Yule to you and yours. But I return to the saying now forever linked to this time of the year, and that is that I do not wish you fame or fortune, happiness or health, nor a great career but instead the mental fortitude to handle what life throws at you.
As I see it, a reason to toast Njörður and Freyr at the same time, and just after Jólnir, the Jölfuðr himself, is that it’s two of the most important factors for survival, farming and fishing, symbolized by in this case by father and son. While I’m not religious, (as I’m an atheist), so not a "true believer" - I still celebrate Yule, and the Yuletide is the time of year I think the most about my Scandinavia heritage - how my pagan ancestors celebrated this event, how important it was to them, and how it influenced how even Christians celebrate Christmas. Of course it’s also at this time of year I end up in debates about the father of Yule, and how Norse/Germanic pagan tribes such as the Vandals and especially the Langobards brought the figure with them to the regions they conquered and settled in, such as the area we now call Italy, including the town of Bari, where the bones of Nicholas of Bari, a former Christian Bishop of Myra, also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker, and later known as Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas, Saint Nick, or Santa Claus, was put to rest in the Basilica San Nicola My personal conviction is that it’s so obvious how the Langobards "Christianized" the old Yulefather through the narrative of Saint Nicholas! After all, this was exactly what Christianity did, adapted old pagan traditions to fit into a Christian narrative…. I honestly have a hard time understanding how anyone can disagree - it’s the most simple explanation to why there is all of these similarities…. And even if anyone disagrees, it doesn’t remove the fact that Jólnir was celebrated among the Norse, and have far more similarities with the modern Santa Claus, than even old Sinterklaas has, including the part of the Yuletide he visits us. Glædelig Jul
My current mission is to write songs for Yule. I came here to be well inspired, but I already written the lyrics (in German) for Baldr with the hope that the life of the sun is restored, just like the light in all of us gets restored. Just like the pagan traditions are getting restored. My take on Baldrs death is, that it is the beginning of the death of the heathen/pagan spiritual culture. But since the narratives are all biased by christianity, I hold on the hope, that Baldr returns back to life, eventually. Just like the year knows bright times and dark times, we also expirience over a period of thousands of years light and darkness. You may comment me on this one. But I just wanted to add, that this channel is for me a part of the light returning. And while yule like to add puns to your intro, I added a pun in German in the end. Bald is german and means "soon". Bald bald Baldr, can be translated in "Soon, soon Baldr."
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I'm an old pagan( somewhere north of 50). This will be my first Yule on open display to friends and family. Assembled the Yule alter out in the open.which I'm very proud of.
Ready for the night of the 21st with some of the best homemade mead to share with the gods.
And I'm gonna get eff'd up with them and my ancestors.
Happy Yule Mr.Ocean and Happy Yule to anyone who reads this post........Travel well my friends.
Frostproof, FL.
Enjoy,n ,have a horn full for me!!! A great Yule, to all!!
From Ocoee,Fla!!!
Happy Yule brother, to you and your family
Happy Yule to you my Southern neighbor! Hailing from Waycross, GA🙋♀️
Please don't say old... Your mature lol or are you 😊
Cringe. LARPers bring great shame to our ancestors. I watched neo-paganism be created from whole cloth on bulletin board systems and early forums in the 90's. It's so daft.
I'll be celebrating yule for the first time this year. As a relatively new heathen, and someone who practices exclusively alone, the lead up to and preparation of ritual for the well know holidays is always something that makes me a little nervous. At the same time I do enjoy the process. Its always fulfilling in the end, and of course videos like this are always helpful during the process and entertaining to top it off!
I too am celebrating Yule for the first time this year! Also being a very new Heathen, discovering my own beliefs within the system, I wanted a way to celebrate the Holidays with my family the Heathen way, which (having paused to comment this before watching this video) to my knowledge holds a lot of the original themes to Christmas events.
This video may inspire some great ideas and knowledge to look for, but my main idea is to do a 5 day Yule, 21st-25th, 5 days of Feasting, Boasting, Drinking, Toasting, Singing, Gifts, Games, and Glory!
(EDIT: Added Feasting, the main theme of my version of the celebration. I seemed to have forgotten to add it because I was going off my personal notes and that was a 'given' of the holiday at the top of the notes, separate from the bulk. Providing a great feast to all who appear for the celebration will hopefully please the Gods and Ancestors with my display of grandeur and bountiful giving)
I am also a new Heathen celebrating my very first Yule. I have a planner going with some scripts to read and offerings to give and everything. Pretty exciting! I wish you and your family the best this Yule season.
Even as an Atheist, I have every respect for the pagen and heathen beliefs and celebrate yule as the way it should be.
It's basically Christmas without church
I'm new to hethanry as well and I've been reading up on this a lot but I still don't know how I'm going to celebrate this year. We're going to do a bonfire and drink some Mead and eat good food surrounded by friends. I'm still trying to figure out how to connect with Thor
As you may know. "Jul" is still a word that we Scandinavians use for Christmas. Though to this day it has a lot of Christian influence, in my house we eat the traditional Norwegian foods that have been eaten for generations, we decorate for winter and instead of santa clauses hanging around we have "nisser" which are pretty much like gnomes that look like santa. Or santa looks like them?
In Scandinavian folklore you find a lot of variations of these different Nordic creatures that we still use to this day, and in the case for Jul, we always have different types of Nisser hanging around.
Maybe next year I can convince my family to make it 100% heathen, although Im not sure how that will work out with my atheist brother, Jehovas witnesses'ish father, Buddhist mother and other christian siblings.
God Jul!
Interesting information, thanks. I'd also like to note that as I understand it, except for the big 3 that are the Abrahamic religions, everything falls under the umbrella of paganism. That would include the religions of both of your parents.
@@greeneyedlady5580 Jehovah's Witnesses is an off-shoot of Christianity. I'm pretty sure that makes it Abrahamic.
@@KarlKristofferJohnsson My bad. I didn't realize that. Their beliefs are certainly very different than most of Christianity. Thanks for the correction.
That's a religiously diverse family you've got there!
Guess that's why they do "Christmas in July" 🙃
I'm too young to drink but I've been giving a toast to the ancestors every morning with coffee which I am old enough to drink
I have an obvious- or perhaps not- particular deity I like to acknowledge during this season. Skadi. Although she is usually cited as giving inspiration to women, there's no reason she can't inspire men as well. She also helps us overcome grief (since she lost her father) and to never take bs from anyone (since even though Loki makes her laugh, she never forgives him for the part he played in the death of her father) and having a strong spirit, making it through such things, is a good thing both to reflect on from the previous year and to seek out for the coming year.
I definitely like the toasting of Skadi in a Yule context.
I have always liked the idea of the comfort of the holiday season, in a more Norse-friendly context than usually presented, and Skadi has always been important to me. She reminds me of my mother a bit. I tend to find favor with slightly more obscure deities than the usual list of Odin, Thor and perhaps Freyja.
In my eyes, Hlín furfills that spot, bringing serenity and helping is heal from sorrow.
Ocean missed out on a good pun: Yule find a way or make one. Log your journey as you go.
I love all the deities and entities you proposed within the video, and might need to figure out some way to incorporate them all!
Especially Sol! I believe toasts to her and her brother Mani would be perfect during the Winter Solstice. After all as we celebrate Sol's gradual return with Yule, we should give thanks to Mani for watching over us in her absence. Both siblings are important after all. :D
Hail Sunna! Hail Mani!
Odin Yules! 🤣
I'll be practicing alone by taking myself out for a meal and a drink. I'll dedicate it to Odin, Thor, and Tyr. I'll also be giving thanks to Njord, Freyr, Freya, Sol, and Mani as well as honouring my late grandparents and a second cousin who took his life 5 years ago (I'll also visit his grave).
Glædelig Jul Bryan….
(And your cousin didn’t take it, he lost it, one don’t "commit suicide", but die by suicide - I think this is so important to stress, and while it's maybe wrong of me to almost be lecturing you, I also wanna stress that I write this with empathy and compassion)
We are celebrating our first Yule this year. We are starting with Mother's Night in which offerings to female ancestors and goddesses such as Freya, Frigg, and Hel. Then offerings throughout for all gods. Finishing with the end with a oath on New Years. At least that is the plan but it may change as I do more research.
It sounds beautiful, much joy to you ! :)
Glædelig Jul
Why? Didn’t they offer female babies to the gods meaning kill them? Or do you believe that wasn’t true?
@@reflectionsinthebible3579 No, they didn’t do that. Don’t know where you got that idea, but given your name, I can guess.
My cubicle decorations at work are mistletoe, ivy and antlers. Everyone assumes Xmas
Someone complained about the antlers. Shed antlers. PLASTIC shed antlers.
I've ordered 'tolerance' and 'coexist' bumper stickers to replace the previous decorations.
Play ball!
I think I will be practicing yule quietly this year. I am the only one in my family that is pagan and it's difficult to come out and say that. So for now I think small things will suffice.
Likewise. I've just quietly ignored the suggestions from siblings for things like church service podcasts to listen to, and I haven't been to church for over 20 years, except for funerals, but the occasion hasn't arisen where I feel the need to explain my non-Christian beliefs to them. I live alone, so I'm celebrating alone tonight.
I have a really cool experience that I need to tell somebody. During Yule I try to set goals, this year however was something different. I prayed to Eir, goddess of healing and I asked her to guide me because I recently have gotten my EMT license, and the plan was to be an EMT and be a combat medic in the army. However, I have two children, miles-odin is only three months old and I was unsure if I made the right choice with EMT stuff. Because I will make the same amount as an EMT that I make now only I'll be working crazy hours. And yesterday, I walking out of the grocery store, and I hear somebody crying help. It was crowded so it took a second but I found a 81 year old woman on the ground and she was clearly hypoxic. I was fortunate enough to be there, she was crying and so scared and thought she was dieing of a stroke. I was able to be there with her in that moment, and literally hold her hand and promise her that she's not dieing, she just needs oxygen.
I believe Eir put me there to tell me I'm needed in EMS feild. I went home, stood at my alter and thanked her and told her that I hear the call.
Even my non-pagan husband was like what are the odds?! That the 45second walk to your car somebody is in need of EMS care.
Congratulations on such a clear sign and blessings for the elderly woman. Be amazing!
I love the continuous learning we get as part of the heathen community. ^^
As a Norse witch who practises Majik I often give thanks to Skadi during this time. Her unabashed determined nature and her ability to model allyship, compromise (Through her marriage and subsequent amicable split with Njordr) and inspire loyalty (as even though she is a Jotann, she sides with the Aesir on many occasions, more notably she is the one who fastens the snake above Loki's head when he is captured) is something I find worth celebrating.
In many books I've ready she is considered to be the god of snow and ice, somthing that for our ancestors would have been either a blessing (ice to drinking water) or a curse (Well... dieing from the elements) she is a force to be acknowledged and I like to offer just a bit of ice cold swedish vodka to her as a way of saying "You keep being you girl, I see you I accept you, I fear for my safety around you, but your awesome and I like you xD"
Sandi here (husband's account), Not Heathen/Asatruar, but several friends follow that path. I am Wiccan (yeah, yeah, I know). My husband and I facilitate pagan (including heathen) serices at our local Army post. We try to put in as much as we can in the hour allotted us (and the other faiths) by the Chaplain. Many are Asatruar, or at least profess curiosity in such. We have resources of both The Eddas and some members of the local Heathen community. Your videos are also very helpful in our Services to the Trainees. You will be happy to hear, tha when one wishes to make a profession of faith, we can arrange for a Gothi (don't know the alt-code for the d with a line through the stem) ro come and help them. Thank you so much. As for Yule (Winter Solstice) - I give honor to Bertcha, along with my patroness Brighid (although Her holiday is Imbolc) and my patron, Herne is prominent in the Celtic trditions I honor. Bertcha, on the other hand, is the Saxon Goddess of Winter (this pantheon has Wotan as the All-Father). It is said that Bertcha must be appeased with cakes, and fried dough, studded with dried friuts and coated with fine powdered sugar (called olliebollen), otherwise she will slice your belly open and stuff it with straw. Or so the legends say ^_^. Found out this little tidbit while researching ollibollen.
Ocean Keltoi: "Hopefully this will be the video yule goat to for information... This was terrible, forgive me"
Me: "Gods bless this guy! He could probably defeat the Jotun with puns and laughter!"
A quick mention of the "real" Yule, based on the Lunar calendar might help new Pagans. Based on the current lunar calendar, Jan 17 2022 is the next Yule. Great video as usual. skål
Do kids leave out milk and cookies for Santa because back in the day, people would leave out offerings for Odin?
who knows? the act is very pagan.
Not milk and cookies for Santa, but when I was a child we still left porrige (cooked with milk instead of water), topped with butter out for the farms tomte/land-alfr (most probably eaten by a fox).
Doing a small blot by myself honoring Freyja, Frey, Njord, Thor and Odin- also honoring Skadi as well.
Glædelig Jul
Odin was very much expected. I even use an image of him as the last day of an advent calendar I made.
Some things I wish were included in this:
1)KRAMPUSNACHT! Is it a Viking thing or just a Norse Christian thing?
2) Santa's 8 Reindeer come from Sleipnir's 8 legs?
3)Recall that Thor's Goats were Teeth Gnasher and Teeth Grinder (aka Thunder and Lightning) and the german names of 2 of Santa's reindeer are Donor and Blitzen... Thunder and Lightning. A coincidence?!
Fantastic work as always!
It's more of a German/Bavarian thing as I understand it, but Krampus is fun in his way and a good way to encourage naughty children to behave. He IS pre-Christian though just so you know. He may even have links to other pagan Horned God figures. They are not uncommon.
Santa is German, but origins came further east though. Just like the sky father or all father. Anyway, will never know the exact truths of those things. Krampus was probably reference to loki, trickster God often took on demon looks post Christian faith.
Not sure how you got thunder and lightning out of the name of his goats, especially since you already stated their meaning. Thor's name is literally thunder, not one of his goats. 🤔
this year will be my first yule as a practicing heathen,thanks ocean for the vid, i got some ideas for the blot me and my sister weill be doing
This will be my first Yule that I am celebrating while studying Heathenry. I'll probably toast to Odin for now and see where my education and understanding takes me.
I usually go with Odin, Thor, Frigga, Freyr, Freyja, Frau Berchta, Frau Holle,, and Sunna
10/10 video! And that pun at the end! xD
As a Celtic pagan this is so interesting!
I made four toasts of alchohol. One to Odin, Thor, Sol, and Freyr.
The first three to Odin, Freyr, and Sol, was whiskey my father left me when he passed.
The fourth was black rum given to me by a friend. I shared this toast as a show of friendship to Thor.
I'm new so if I messed up I'm sorry. I simply thanked them.
The way the video cut out on the last joke was hilarious. I will likely be worshipping Freyr this year, have a nice day
These puns just keep getting better and better. I personally think they might have worshipped Odin as a deity associated with the Wild Hunt and a god of death not unlike Hel. The latter may also have been worshipped at this time in some places, specially if equated with Frau Holle or Perchta.
I'm celebrating yule for the first time this year. Thank you for your help, it means a lot to me and is greatly helping me get more in touch with it all.
Glædelig Jul….
I refer to christmas as "the gateway lie" as I think it is a sort of sugary sweet frosting that makes christianity a lot more palatable to children.
I'll be practicing quietly, in my head (being raised on Quakerism, I'm comfortable with silent prayer/connection/conversation with the Divine). I might reread Terry Pratchett's _Hogfather_ (speaking of toasting our anscstors).
Ah I love Hogfather! It's one of my favourite Pratchett books
@@Anxious_bastard Gnu Terry Pratchett
Happy Hogswatch everyone!
This is why you HAVE to wait till the end every time, "...written all here in you yule log."
On the 21st, with mead in hand, and immediate family around; I will be hailing my ancestors for all their struggles and wisdom, Odin and Thoth for the wisdom so desperately needed, Freyr for peace also needed, Njordr for safe travels coming in the year ahead, and Pazuzu for nefarious reasons...
Thanks!
Ha en velsignet dag.
I've been watching a lot of your videos lately, and all of these puns are groan inducing and facepalm worthy. Please keep them coming. 🤣
As a brand new heathen I'll be celebrating Yule by myself. I'll definitely be including Odin and Frey in my ritual celebrations. Possibly Thor & Sol as well. These last videos have been extremely helpful in knowing how to prepare for the holiday. Thanks as always for the dedication and information.🍻
My celebration will be mostly Christian but i will do a Yule blot to hail Sol,Ullr,Skadi and Hel
Sol for obvious reasons,Ullr for hes my main god,Skadi hoping for a mild but snowy winter and Hel to see over my mother whos currently in her care.
One of the gods I will also keep in mind this yule, apart from what I call "the big three" (Thor, Odin and Yngvi Freyr) is Lady Hel in rememberance of those who passed away during this year.
See I love this holiday because I connect to my Celtic paganism as well, and since this is a dedicated Heathenry channel I wanted to say which Gods from Heathenry I shall be honoring this Yule.
Freya, an honor in hopes of fertility in the coming year (me and my partner are trying for our first child so 🤞).
Loki, for protection of my home and of those whose gender exists outside the binary commonly portrayed in our society.
And Hela, for protection and care for the family I have lost, and the hope that if I were to find myself in her domain that I would be taken care of well.
Just thought this would be an interesting lil diatribe, my celebration of Yule has always been one of looking forward and being thankful of all aspects of my life, not just of the bounty of harvest and the returning of the sun (not saying everyone celebrates that way, just a lot of the people ik have and wanted to differentiate).
I'm celebrating yule for the first time this year. I've chosen Freyr and Njordr as my main gods so I pretty much have to.
I'll have a YYYUUUUULLLLEE Solstice without you.
But no honestly. One kindred that I was once part of. We would write notes on a piece of paper tie it to a wreath and burn it before the start of the next year. And exchange gifts to everyone.
in sweden we still celebrate with hay goats and with pig's head and ham. before we got Santa,(1900) it was the jul goat who gave the presents during Christmas.
we do not celebrate Christmas on the 25th because the Christians did not manage to change the day we celebrated. so the symbols remain even though the people have forgotten why they are there God Jul !
Let's see... there's Honky, Dorry, Stinky, Sleezy, and Poopy. What did I win?
This is gonna be my second celebration of yule, il try making a yule goat 🐐 happy yule.
I laughed out loud when u got to the hammer symbol XD wish I could've seens wolfs face
I never grew up with winter holidays, and have a hard time celebrating the coming of the sun in the dark of night. I'm not sure what to do for this holiday except be grateful when the sun finally rises.
Great video, Ocean. We pour a shot of mead for Odin, Frigga (Freyja), Thor, Sif, Freyr, and Sol, but make offering to all the deities of the tradition and welcome them to our home.
Should be back in time from a Christmas trip to celebrate yule. I have the luxury of a fireplace, so there will be a yule log. I might try alenog that you mentioned, someone gifted me an early meal.
A vivid and well researched video. Thanks for sharing your research.
I was 7 minutes in before I noticed the hat 🤣 something about it is just so in character that it seems entirely natural.
"the sign of the hammer" is actually an interesting concept. I've often pondered that the inverted cross, in an extremely simple way, feels similar to some representations of Mjolnir and being Catholic at my core I have made the comment in the past that "the sign of the cross" is far more representative of an inverted cross. I personally suspect that it originated more as a reference to Saint Peter because of this but because of my personal association between the inverted cross and Mjolnir it takes no real leap of my imagination to consider it possible if someone told me that a "sign of the hammer" was a thing even if it evolved from a quick thinking liar.
Look up what a Wolf Cross is and how similar it is to the Peters Cross as well as "Thor’s Cross"
Just because the heathens got Christianized doesn’t mean paganism was sanitized….
It took a very long time, and what happened was more that Christianity appropriated, or given a more friendly spin to the process, adopted and adapted, old pagan traditions.
Also, what hat?
Isn’t that how he looks all year? 😜
@@gorillaguerillaDK making my own wolf cross is on my to do list.
@74 Rowe
While there is similarities, there's also differences that are way to important - so no!
They are not "all the same" - but there are many of them who has been influenced by other gods over time.
And what often is true, is how aspects of nature has been the basis of many religions, (which can explain many a similarity)
that was properly funny. Great Vid too, I love it
That was a great video brother
good day- ousttanding goodbye!~
My Grandparents in MN always had a smorgasbord, sadly yes lutefisk 😂,.I noticed the old Lutheran prayers do combine alot of Yule words due to the Swedish heritage of the area. Many different holiday rituals can be seen on both Pagan and Lutheran having shared parts
Appretiate the video. Keep em coming. Wish this channel had more exposure.
i love evergreens, and hawthorne berrys, mistletoe, green and red in living trees, bushes etc. and wood and bark. juniper berries etc.
So my dad told me we are direct decendants of Eric the red four days ago.
You have a beautiful storytelling style!
I'll be tousting all that you've said the ansestors, skadi, and maybe all that i can remember before im too drunk
(sorry for my english)
I am having my first Yule celebration this year. We are planning to make the Yule goat, have a gathering for a bonfire and a dinner. We shall drink and share stories before ending the night with a toast to Odin, Sol, Thor, and Tyr.
I have celebrated yule for the past 5 years and this year I wrote a Yule Prayer to Odin for this years dinner. I made an Altar to him as well for Yule, So he's taking center stage for me this year :)
Glædelig Jul….
I absolutely love this! 🥰
Ive regarded myslef as heathen for almost 2 years, but this past year, Ive really started to dig deeper into my understanding of it all. Videos like this are an amazing tool to help deepen my understanding, gain perspective and provide me a great starting point to form my own connection to the gods. I cant say enough how much I appreciate this channel and all thats put into it.
I honor the ancestors on Samhain(Halloween) and throughout Yule and Imbolc(Candlemass...Feb2 for Catholics).There is also the Spring Equinox (Ostara)aka Easter (originally a festival honoring women,eggs,birds,rabbits and other symbols of fertility) I'm an older Christo-Pagan who was raised with my brothers to be open -minded to accept everyone in the world " as they are for who they are" . My ancestors are all of Celtic/UK and Indigenous American (Wabanaki of Maine) and they blended Jesus's teachings with the preserved "Old Ways" to pass on to us . We celebrate the changes in the Seasons with family,relatives,friends of all faiths(as well as atheists and agnostics too). Brightest Blessings to Everyone Everywhere. God Jol , Merry Christmas and an awesome Winter /New Year too.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🌲🌲🌲🌲❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
I was tought as a child that we cover our homes in lights and candles during december as a way of showing Sol the way so that she does not get lost on her way back to us
I love this
I have met you a few times in streams. Subscribed and forgot due to ADHD. Thank goodness I remembered to subscribe! Great video!
now me know how to do it properly me will honour Odin' Sol' Freyr and Njordr but mainly doing my ancestors this year cos lost three family last year and tonight another loved this video Ocean it will help me in my own practices cos where me live few Heathens look forward to the next one
So many people are doing their first year of yule just like me!! I never expected that and I'm so so excited to keep learning from Oceans videos and the rest of the community!
Glædelig Jul Cat Mills
Hail Ocean!
Thank you for your content, humor and knowledge.
This will be my first time openly practicing in a group environment from a leadership position. (Terrifying)
Typically I would honor Sol, Mani, Freyr, Thor and the Hammingja but thanks to this I see that others may soon be incorporated in the future.
Yet again, a great video. This is the first year I'll be celebrating Yule myself after coming to this Heathen path almost a year ago. Very happy about this time of year.
Our family Yule Log tradition we began about 10 years ago. Taking a log from the previous year's Yule fire we place Thanksgiving for the past year into its charred core, then we take a new log and put our prayers for prosperity and protection for the next year and hail Odin. Feasting and merry making is generally celebrated until January 3rd, my stepson's and late father's birthdays, both Capricorns, symbolized by the Goat. I think we will add a straw goat offering to our celebration this year, seems fitting. I am truly thankful I found this channel, it is inspiring to me.
Had a question I became a Patreon a few days ago so when do I get notifications and have my name on the credits at the end? You're the first pateron I've ever followed so I'm not sure how it works :)
I added your name on this one, should be toward the top of the list.
@@OceanKeltoi I appreciate it I wasn't trying to be rude or anything I just didn't know :)
@@neirakhepera4043 absolutely! I appreciate the patronage! Glad you joined in the discord as well ^_^
@@OceanKeltoi of course I joined you're one of my favorite heathen RUclipsrs!
A trvly wonderful video, many thanks
I’ve seen a lot more videos on Yule this year, and I love it. It brings back some specialness to this time of year that was lost growing up!
thank you
for your so
excellent &
fully indepth
dwelling on
the Northern
gods and
godesses.
in this vain
my friend..
godt yul åg
godt nytt år
2022 ...
nd boy what
a wale of a
year this'll
become . !
an asttologer
Thank you again for your wonderful and instructive narrations. Just driving to work and listening😊
I NEED that opening pun on a loop!
His videos are always a goat to video I learn so much👍
I think I will be celebrating Yule this year. I'm still not sure how to go about it, but I'd like to toast to Odin, Nordr and Thor as well as my ancestors and my grandfather, who left this realm a couple months ago.
My condolences. I'm sure he will be present.
Thank you Ocean; great video! I wonder, is it possible Yule had something to do with the Balder death-return cycle? I know it seems like baggage Jesus, but we know that the church chose the winter Solstice because it was already seen as the rebirth of Sol Invictus. Perhaps, like other cycles such as Dummuzi, etc, this was the day Balder returned from Helheim? Perhaps Mother Night celebrates the drama of Frigg, Allmother, descending to win back her son from Hel? And thus Odin is Yule Father as a great celebration for the return of his son to Asgard? Do we kiss under the mistletoe from a long tradition to show that even the instrument of Balder's death no longer has power in the face of the Yule celebration?
Considering that Baldr is said to return only after Ragnarok, I find that highly unlikely. Wouldn't surprise me if there some tie in to the metaphorical rebirth of Sól tho (or strengthening, I guess, since she's clearly still there, just not for long).
Sidenote: Allmother? The only times I've heard that before was in Horizon Zero Dawn.
Enjoy the holidays everyone.
Just wanted to say thank you, your videos has helped me and my transition into norse paganism
I celebrate the solstice as a secular holiday but I bring in some Yule-ish traditions along with it because I feel a need for ritual, since I came from a highly ritualistic form of Christianity.
It’s essentially me pouring one out (a libation of whiskey or mead) for my dead loved ones to remember them, my alive relatives (chosen and by blood) to wish them well and to myself to remember that life is fleeting and like the Monty Python song goes:
“For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow
Forget about your sin
Give the audience a grin
Enjoy it, it's your last chance anyhow”.
I do this on the equinoxes and Summer Solstice as well, lighting at very least one candle at each.
As I go further in this journey and learn more I plan to celebrate more of the holidays since I'm leanring how to. This year for yule I'll be primarily incorperating Odin into my celebration. These past few years have been really tough for me and even very recently I've been in some pretty dark places that I've had to fight through but they've taught me a lot. And in these past few years is also when I first started realizing the calls from the gods the primary one in my case actually being Odin though recently I also think Thor has dropped some hints my way as well that I had previously been blind to probably others as well that again I've just not seen due to me not knowing as much about them and how they may reach out. I'll also be toasting to my ancestors and just in general those I've lost. Ancestors for obvious reasons but those I've lost because I wouldn't be who I am without them and for that I am forever grateful.
Later when I've learned even more I plan to do far more and hopefully I'll be able to find a local group that I can actually celebrate with as well as learn from and with.
I seriosuly can't thank you and the other content creators (the good ones) enough for sharing your knowledge. Its made this new and often confusing journey just a bit easier. I know I haven't beem active in the discord and for that I'm sorry. But I do genuinely appreciate all that you guys do and I wish you all a very happy yule and all the luck and prosperity in the new year.
Skål💀🍻 I really enjoy your videos, very knowledgeable ! Hail Woden the Allfather! Happy Yule holidays everyone🥓🍻🌲
I enjoy your videos! Do you plan on making videos on Freyja or Frigg soon?
Eventually, yes. There's a number of deities with a lot of information out there. I plan to have at least one video on each deity over time to make looking into each deity easier for people looking for information.
Blessed be. My birthday is on the solstice and I feel blessed by the many gods goddess’ x Fremantle said if you can’t slayem lay em
I'm brazilian, so I'll be celebrating Litha... And since anytime there will be two sabbaths happening at the same time I grantee you a series of videos on the sabbaths will be great ✨ also, sometimes it feels kinda wrong celebrating Litha in December (because it's an north-centrist world) but I can't do anything about my year finishing in the summer, so I always go for a mashup
You know it feels very strange to put a 9 foot pine tree in my living room, I live 5 min from a beach in Brazil and its summer, the pines nearby are not even producing pine cones and every other plant around is ✨living✨ so no need to bring something that doesn't looks dead inside my house
So idk I'll be making Litha food (I'm a "kitchen witch") and preparing mead for it to be ready by the actual Yule here, have a little toast and prayers/meditation for the more litha-ish gods and on new years eve I'll be toasting to Yule gods since it's new years
I am celebrating my first Yule this year! Excited but also low-key nervous hahaha
Happy Yule and Hail Skadi 🏔️
This was gonna be the first year I practiced Yule but due to the Tornados I will not be home for the solstice and instead helping out in KY. Is there anyway I can do something while away from home with limited items and privacy?
First, that is an awesome thing that you are doing to help. One of the first things I always think of is having candle lit so as guide/welcome back the sun. Having gratitude, asking for the strength to make it through the darkness and winter, and asking for abundance in the coming of the new year and spring. Offer up the volunteer work you're doing. It's easy enough to off up some form of libation.
What is your audio setup? Your sound quality is perfect!
Me listening to the story of the gods:
Me listening to the story of Sol: \[T]/
I LOVE the idea of toasting hamingja.❤
I want to try Yule but I’m still quite new and want to first make a few other rituals for the gods
things don't have to be fancy, or complicated. sincere and earnest mind are the most important.
When I was a child I learned that Thor rode in a card pulled by Goats through the sky. In the old time, especially in the North people rather had goats as domesticated livestock than cows.
Regarding freyr "if you want peace be prepared for war" it's a good moto
BTW, sol is portuguese for sun. Probably nothing related, just some curiosity. Lusitans also had pagan gods before the treachery against Viriathus (Viriato in portuguese) best regards from Portugal 🇵🇹
Although I'm Christian (albeit I have times where in my studies of the old ways, celtic druidism and the old gods, I find a comfort and naturalness like I've experienced them before) I have been studying up on the celtic connections to Yule, and one deity that I always love reading up on who is said to have an interesting connection in Cernunnos, so I may add something connected to him in my decorations this year and make my apartment more rustic yule feeling.
You don’t sound Christian.
I hope you are well and busy living life. A festive Yule to you and yours.
But I return to the saying now forever linked to this time of the year, and that is that I do not wish you fame or fortune, happiness or health, nor a great career but instead the mental fortitude to handle what life throws at you.
As I see it, a reason to toast Njörður and Freyr at the same time, and just after Jólnir, the Jölfuðr himself, is that it’s two of the most important factors for survival, farming and fishing, symbolized by in this case by father and son.
While I’m not religious, (as I’m an atheist), so not a "true believer" - I still celebrate Yule, and the Yuletide is the time of year I think the most about my Scandinavia heritage - how my pagan ancestors celebrated this event, how important it was to them, and how it influenced how even Christians celebrate Christmas.
Of course it’s also at this time of year I end up in debates about the father of Yule, and how Norse/Germanic pagan tribes such as the Vandals and especially the Langobards brought the figure with them to the regions they conquered and settled in, such as the area we now call Italy, including the town of Bari, where the bones of Nicholas of Bari, a former Christian Bishop of Myra, also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker, and later known as Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas, Saint Nick, or Santa Claus, was put to rest in the Basilica San Nicola
My personal conviction is that it’s so obvious how the Langobards "Christianized" the old Yulefather through the narrative of Saint Nicholas!
After all, this was exactly what Christianity did, adapted old pagan traditions to fit into a Christian narrative….
I honestly have a hard time understanding how anyone can disagree - it’s the most simple explanation to why there is all of these similarities….
And even if anyone disagrees, it doesn’t remove the fact that Jólnir was celebrated among the Norse, and have far more similarities with the modern Santa Claus, than even old Sinterklaas has, including the part of the Yuletide he visits us.
Glædelig Jul
This is pretty dope.
My current mission is to write songs for Yule. I came here to be well inspired, but I already written the lyrics (in German) for Baldr with the hope that the life of the sun is restored, just like the light in all of us gets restored. Just like the pagan traditions are getting restored.
My take on Baldrs death is, that it is the beginning of the death of the heathen/pagan spiritual culture. But since the narratives are all biased by christianity, I hold on the hope, that Baldr returns back to life, eventually. Just like the year knows bright times and dark times, we also expirience over a period of thousands of years light and darkness. You may comment me on this one.
But I just wanted to add, that this channel is for me a part of the light returning.
And while yule like to add puns to your intro, I added a pun in German in the end.
Bald is german and means "soon".
Bald bald Baldr, can be translated in "Soon, soon Baldr."