The following is a letter written by Rebecca Johnson-Rattray, an Iron Oak member and was printed in Today newspaper. This effort was part of a letter-writing campaign for a local Brevard group called the Interfaith Alliance of Brevard County (TIABC). TIABC is working actively to promote religion as a positive and healing force within the community. For several years, they sponsored the "Week of Civility" as a means to raise awareness for the need for tolerance, diversity and civility in schools and public life. As such, they warmly welcomed us as a Wiccan group and invited us to participate. If you live in Brevard, we hope you would consider helping this group. Contact Iron Oak if you wish more information.
The Wiccan winter holiday is the Winter Solstice also known as Yule. The Winter Solstice had been associated with the birth of a "Divine King" long before the rise of Christianity. This is a time of inner renewal. It is a time when I greet the sun at dawn with music and meditation. A time to do magic for a more peaceful planet.
Winter Solstice has been celebrated in many different cultures around the world for thousands of years. This is the beginning of the solar year and is a celebration of light and the rebirth of the Sun King. In old Europe, it was known as Yule, from the Norse, Jul, meaning wheel. Hence it is the beginning of the Wiccan "wheel of the year." It is a time to look inside yourself and nurture the seeds of self-growth and change, a celebration of endings and the preparation of beginnings.
The winter solstice is when, because of the earth's tilt, our hemisphere is leaning farthest away from the sun, and therefore the daylight is the shortest and the sun has its lowest arc in the sky. This happens around December 21st, when the sun is farthest away from us, and has been celebrated with sun rituals the world over for time out of mind. The celebration is probably most enthusiastic in areas of the earth where the winter is very dark and long, and the yearning for sun and light is a more tangible thing. But even here in sunny Florida the change is felt, our ground may not freeze over like it does in the north, but we notice that the days begin to get longer after the solstice. It is something innately and instinctual human to notice the beginning of our journey into the brighter half of the year. We still honor the power and mystery of darkness and light, both literally and symbolically.
Up until about two years ago I was a long time solitary practitioner.
Following my own path toward the God and Goddess. Yule was and still is a time
of introspection, meditation for me. A time for me to seek to manifest strong
self-change toward a more enlightened life. Now I belong to a Wiccan Church
located here in Palm Bay. The Church of Iron Oak, which is gently guided by
many wise people not the least of which is our High Priest, Roger Coleman. In
true pagan style, our church is not a building but instead the sacred space
of the outdoors. It is both within us and in the peaceful circle of nature.
As a group we are very much like a family. I suppose we are a
quite a "techno" pagan group! Reverence of nature and engineering
are definitely not mutually exclusive in our church.
I, the author, am Rebecca Suzanne Johnson-Rattray, a network engineer in Melbourne, Florida. As a church member I was asked to share my perspective on Yule with you by The Interfaith Alliance Task Force. May your holiday, what ever it may be, bring you peace and growth.