Welcome December!
December Lore and Correspondences
December is the twelfth and final month of the Gregorian calendar and the first month of winter. It derives it's name from the Latin word decem, meaning ten, as December was the tenth month of the oldest Roman calendar. The Latin name is derived from Decima, the middle Goddess of the Three Fates who personifies the present.
The Franks call it Heilagmanoth, or Holy Month, because of its large number of sacred festivals.
This month the Wheel of the Year is turned toward Yule (the Winter Solstice), one of the four Lesser or Minor Sabbats for many pagans, celebrated each year by most modern witches and occultists.
Astrological Signs:Sagittarius, Capricorn.
Spirits:Snow faeries, storm faeries, winter tree faeries.
Herbs: Holly, English ivy, fir, mistletoe, pine, balsam.
Colors: Blood red, green, gold, silver, white and black.
Flowers:Holly, poinsettia, Christmas cactus.
Scents: Balsam, pine, frankincense, myrrh, mint, ginger, cloves, cinnamon.
Stones::Blue zircon, turquoise, serpentine, jacinth, peridot, tanzanite.
Trees: Pine, fir, holly, evergreens
Animals: Mouse, deer, horse, bear.
Birds: Rook, robin, snowy owl.
Deities: Athene,Fates, Freyja, Hathor, Hecate, Ixchel, Lucina, Minerva, Neith, Norns, Fates.
Calendar
December 1
The Goddess Athena was honored annually on this day with a religious festival called the Day of Pallas Athena.
December 1 is the time for young girls in some parts of the world, to perform the ancient art of cromniomancy (divination by onion sprouts) to find out the name of their future husbands. To find out who your future husband will be, take some onions and carve upon each one a different man's name. Place the onions near a fire and the man whose name is on the onion that sprouts first will be the one.
December 3
Women's rites were performed annually on this date in ancient Rome, in honor of Bona Dea, the Good Goddess. All males were barred from the ceremonies which were conducted by vestal virgins.
This day was sacred to the Goddess Cybele and also to Rhea, the Great Mother of the Earth in ancient Greece.
December 4
The festival of Bona Dea, a Roman fertility goddess.
The Goddess Minerva was honored with an annual festival on this date in ancient Rome. Minerva (the Roman counterpart of the Greek Athena) is a Goddess of battle and also a patroness of the arts and wisdom.
December 5
The First Feast of Saint Lucia is hold on this date each year in Italy. She was originally worshipped as Lucina before being Christianized into a Saint, a Pagan Goddess of light who also presided over childbirth.
In former times, on the Eve of St. Nicholas, children put out carrots, hay, and straw, supposedly for his horse, to be exchanged for presents at night.
December 7
An annual rite called the Haloia of Demeter was performed in ancient Greece on this date. Each year the Goddess Demeter wanders the earth in search of her stolen daughter Persephone. The Goddess' sorrow brings Winter to the world and all trees and flowers cease to bloom; Spring returns however, when Persephone is allowed to temporarily leave the darkness of the Underworld and Demeter once again rejoices.
December 9
Sacred to Astraea, a Greek Goddess of justice.
The Optalia, the festival of Ops, the Roman goddess of harvest.
December 10
The ancient Roman festival called Lux Mundi (Light of the World) was held annually on this day in honor of the Goddess of Liberty. In France, a similar festival takes place on this same date.
December 11
Sacred to Arianrhod ,the Snow Queen Goddess, and Yuki Onne.
On this date, the ancient Roman Goddess of the winter season was honored with an annual festival known as the Day of Bruma.
December 13
The Sementivae, the second festival of Tellus, the Roman earth goddess.
In Sweden and Norway, the Sun Goddess Lucina is still honored with a traditional festival of light on St. Lucia's Day (also known as Little Yule) each year on this date. At daybreak, the first-born daughter of the house wears a candle crown in obvious reference to the Pagan symbols of fire and life giving light, and serves her family cakes. There are processions and treats. Young girls often wear white dresses and many of the men dress as elves, who are known as Lucina's helpers.
Lucia was actually a woman from Italy who was burned as a witch, but the fire did not touch her. She was later sainted by the Catholic Church. She was later Sainted by the Catholic Church.
December 15
The Greek Goddess Alcyone, who was symbolized by the kingfisher, is honored beginning on this day with the Halcyon Days festival which begins seven days before and continuing until seven days after. According to legend, these days are a special time of tranquility and calm, due to the magical powers of the Halcyon (a fabled bird much like a kingfisher, who nested on the sea and calmed the wind and waves during Winter Solstice. Interestingly, the kingfisher's eggs hatch at this time of year, but only if tides are low and the sea is calm.
December 16
In ancient Rome on this day, the festival of the Goddess of wisdom, Sapientia was held annually on the eve of Saturnalia, a day when wisdom may not be the ruling quality. She was also known as Sophia In Greece, and Sapientia-Sophia in medieval times.
The Yule Child is honored on this day in Mexico, by a religious festival known as Posadas , which begins annually on this day. It is celebrated until the twenty-fourth of December.
The Native American tribe of the Hopi in the southwestern United States celebrate the Soyal ceremony annually on this date (approximately). The rites of the Soyal celebrate the return of the Sun (Life) and commemorate the creation and rebirth of Spider Woman and Hawk Maiden .
This day is also sacred to these wisdom-Goddessess: Athena, Kista, Maat, Minerva, and the Shekinah.
December 17
The God Saturn was honored on this, the Roman festival of Saturnalia. He was pictured with a half-bare chest and a sickle or ears of corn in his hand. His consort was the Goddess Ops, Goddess of fertility. This was a week of feasting, merriment, charades, gift-giving, and the lighting of torches and candles. The festival ran for seven consecutive days, and can best be described as festival of extravagant decadence. Slaves were allowed to meet their masters on equal terms. On this day of goodwill to all, the common greeting was "Bona Saturnalia!" This festival is the origin of most all carnivals and revels we still observe today. The modern celebration of Christmas is somewhat a continuation of this midwinter festivity.
Saturn was associated in Roman times with fertility and wealth, and in recent times has been known as a god of Chaos.
December 18
On this second day of the Saturnalia, ancient Romans celebrated the Eponalia; a feast dedicated to Epona, the Celtic Mother-Goddess and a patroness of horses.
Her annual festival in Roman times was around the 18th December (in Mantua/Italy), when her images in shrines and stables were draped in rose garlands.
The birth of the God Diev and the rebirth of the Sun is celebrated annually in Latvia with a four day winter festival. Houses are festively decorated and traditional feasts are prepared to welcome the four gift-bearing celestial beings who are the heralds of the winter solstice.
December 19
The Romans celebrated the Opalia , a feast dedicated to Ops (Abundance), the harvest Goddess of fertility and success, and consort of Saturn, on this, the third day of the Saturnalia.
December 20
The Mother Night, Yule Eve
On this night (approximately), a Germanic/Scandinavian Midwinter festival known as The Mother Night (or Modresnach) was observed. It was believed that dreams on this night foretold events in the upcoming year. Many of its traditions live on modern Christmas celebrations. The decorated evergreen tree was a symbol of the Tree of Life, or World Tree. The star atop the tree represented the pole star of the Star Goddess. The dinners and gifts were in honor of the food and prosperity given by the Mother Goddesses to their human children. The elves connected with our current Santa Claus are remnants of the supernatural Nature folk of the Old Religion. The reindeer are symbols of old shamanic abilities used by the people. The mistletoe is said to have first been picked and used to collect kisses by the Goddess Frigg, before it became a weapon to kill her son.
December 21
The festival of Angerona, the Roman goddess of secrecy.
Winter Solstice, known as Yule. The shortest day and longest night of the year. Yule is widely celebrated by many varieties of modern pagan.
It is also known as Winter Rite, Midwinter, and Alban Arthan. Yule is derived from the Anglo-Saxon Yula, which means Wheel of the Year.
In many cultureds it is symbolised in religion by a Virgin mother giving birth to sacred offsprin: Rhiannon to Pryderi; Isis to Horus; Demeter to Persephone.
It is the festival of the Sun's rebirth, and a time for many pagans to honor the Horned God. The aspect of the God many pagans invoke at this Sabbat is Frey, the Scandinavian fertility God and a deity associated with peace and prosperity. Love, family togetherness, and accomplishments from the past year are also celebrated. On this Sabbat, witches bid farewell to the Great Mother and welcome the reborn Horned God, who rules the dark half of the year.
An old tradition many pagans still observe in this season is bringing in the Yule Log, wishing on it, and lighting it from the remains of last year's log. Once, the Yule log was the center of the celebration. It was lit on the eve of the solstice (it should light on the first try) and kept burning for twelve hours, for good luck. Riddles are posed and answered, magic and rituals are practiced.
In the past, wild boars were sacrificed and consumed along with large quantities of liquor. Corn dollies were carried from house to house while carolling. Fertility rites were practiced (girls standing under a sprig of mistletoe were subject to a bit more than a kiss in these times), and divinations were cast for the coming Spring. Many of these customs, in have been adapted and are celebrated in the mainstream Christian Christmas celebration, though most celebrants do not realize their origins.
In ancient Greece the winter solstice ritual was called Lenaea, the Festival of the Wild Women. In very ancient times, a man representing the harvest god Dionysos was torn to pieces and eaten by a gang of women on this day. Later in the ritual, Dionysos would be reborn as a baby. By classical times, the human sacrifice had been replaced by the killing of a goat. The women's role had changed to that of funeral mourners and observers of the birth.
In Slavonic cultures, the festival of Koleda began at Winter Solstice and lasted for ten days. In Russia, this festival was called Kutuja, which was later applied to Christmas Eve. Although the Slavonic name comes from the God Kolyada, it was in honor of Lada, the Goddess of love, Spring, youth and fertility. She was said to be reborn each year at this time. Each family burned a Yule log and invited their personal household Gods to join in the festivities. Groups of children went from house to house singing; as a reward, they were given little gifts.
December 23
The Larentalia (Larentinalia), festival of Acca Larentia the Roman goddess who gave the early Romans their land.
December 25
The birthday of Mithra (also known as Mithras), the Persian god of light and wisdom.
Also Christmas day, a Christian religious observance celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, a character in their mythology which they believe to be the son of their god..The practice of celebrating Christmas on December 25th began in the early 4th century. It was a Christian substitute for the pagan festival held on that date to celebrate the birth of the unconquered Sun. Christmas customs such as Christmas trees, holy and mistletoe have pagan origins - such as celebrating the midwinter festival of Yule. The term Xmas refers to the first letter (chi) of the Greek word, Christos.
December 29
Moon of Hecate the Crone(Roman)
Whatever you celebrate, enjoy this month of introspection and celebration.
Blessed dark and deep.
December Lore and Correspondences
December is the twelfth and final month of the Gregorian calendar and the first month of winter. It derives it's name from the Latin word decem, meaning ten, as December was the tenth month of the oldest Roman calendar. The Latin name is derived from Decima, the middle Goddess of the Three Fates who personifies the present.
The Franks call it Heilagmanoth, or Holy Month, because of its large number of sacred festivals.
This month the Wheel of the Year is turned toward Yule (the Winter Solstice), one of the four Lesser or Minor Sabbats for many pagans, celebrated each year by most modern witches and occultists.
Astrological Signs:Sagittarius, Capricorn.
Spirits:Snow faeries, storm faeries, winter tree faeries.
Herbs:Holly, English ivy, fir, mistletoe, pine, balsam.
Colors:Blood red, green, white and black.
Flowers:Holly, poinsettia, Christmas cactus.
Scents: Balsam, pine, frankincense, myrrh, mint, ginger, cloves, cinnamon.
Stones::Blue zircon, turquoise, serpentine, jacinth, peridot, tanzanite.
Trees:Pine, fir, holly.
Animals:Mouse, deer, horse, bear.
Birds:Rook, robin, snowy owl.
Deities:Athene, Attis, Dionysus, Fates, Frey , Freyja, Hathor, Hecate, Ixchel, Kris Kringle (as the Pagan God of Yule), Lucina, Minerva, Neith, Norns, Osiris, Woden, and the Wiccan Horned God (Consort of the Wiccan Goddess).
December 1
The festival of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. Poseidon is also the god of rebirth.
Also, the Goddess Athena was honored annually on this day with a religious festival called the Day of Pallas Athena.
December 1 is the time for young girls in some parts of the world, to perform the ancient art of cromniomancy (divination by onion sprouts) to find out the name of their future husbands. To find out who your future husband will be, take some onions and carve upon each one a different man's name. Place the onions near a fire and the man whose name is on the onion that sprouts first will be the one.
December 3
Women's rites were performed annually on this date in ancient Rome, in honor of Bona Dea, the Good Goddess. All males were barred from the ceremonies which were conducted by vestal virgins.
This day was sacred to the Goddess Cybele and also to Rhea, the Great Mother of the Earth in ancient Greece.
December 4
The festival of Bona Dea, a Roman fertility goddess.
The Goddess Minerva was honored with an annual festival on this date in ancient Rome. Minerva (the Roman counterpart of the Greek Athena) is a Goddess of battle and also a patroness of the arts and wisdom.
December 5
Another date given for celebration of the Poseidea, an annual seaside festival, was celebrated on this date in ancient Greece to honor Poseidon.
The First Feast of Saint Lucia is hold on this date each year in Italy. She was originally worshipped as Lucina before being Christianized into a Saint, a Pagan Goddess of light who also presided over childbirth.
In former times, on the Eve of St. Nicholas, children put out carrots, hay, and straw, supposedly for his horse, to be exchanged for presents at night.
December 7
An annual rite called the Haloia of Demeter was performed in ancient Greece on this date. Each year the Goddess Demeter wanders the earth in search of her stolen daughter Persephone. The Goddess' sorrow brings Winter to the world and all trees and flowers cease to bloom; Spring returns however, when Persephone is allowed to temporarily leave the darkness of the Underworld and Demeter once again rejoices.
December 9
Sacred to Astraea, a Greek Goddess of justice.
The Optalia, the festival of Ops, the Roman goddess of harvest.
December 10
The ancient Roman festival called Lux Mundi (Light of the World) was held annually on this day in honor of the Goddess of Liberty. In France, a similar festival takes place on this same date.
December 11
Sacred to Arianrhod ,the Snow Queen Goddess, and Yuki Onne.
On this date, the ancient Roman Goddess of the winter season was honored with an annual festival known as the Day of Bruma.
December 13
The Sementivae, the second festival of Tellus, the Roman earth goddess.
In Sweden and Norway, the Sun Goddess Lucina is still honored with a traditional festival of light on St. Lucia's Day (also known as Little Yule) each year on this date. At daybreak, the first-born daughter of the house wears a candle crown in obvious reference to the Pagan symbols of fire and life giving light, and serves her family cakes. There are processions and treats. Young girls often wear white dresses and many of the men dress as elves, who are known as Lucina's helpers.
Lucia was actually a woman from Italy who was burned as a witch, but the fire did not touch her. She was later sainted by the Catholic Church. She was later Sainted by the Catholic Church.
December 15
The Greek Goddess Alcyone, who was symbolized by the kingfisher, is honored beginning on this day with the Halcyon Days festival which begins seven days before and continuing until seven days after. According to legend, these days are a special time of tranquility and calm, due to the magical powers of the Halcyon (a fabled bird much like a kingfisher, who nested on the sea and calmed the wind and waves during Winter Solstice. Interestingly, the kingfisher's eggs hatch at this time of year, but only if tides are low and the sea is calm.
The second festival of Consus, the Roman god of good council.
December 16
In ancient Rome on this day, the festival of the Goddess of wisdom, Sapientia was held annually on the eve of Saturnalia, a day when wisdom may not be the ruling quality. She was also known as Sophia In Greece, and Sapientia-Sophia in medieval times.
The Yule Child is honored on this day in Mexico, by a religious festival known as Posadas , which begins annually on this day. It is celebrated until the twenty-fourth of December.
The Native American tribe of the Hopi in the southwestern United States celebrate the Soyal ceremony annually on this date (approximately). The rites of the Soyal celebrate the return of the Sun (Life) and commemorate the creation and rebirth of Spider Woman and Hawk Maiden .
This day is also sacred to these wisdom-Goddessess: Athena, Kista, Maat, Minerva, and the Shekinah.
December 17
The God Saturn was honored on this, the Roman festival of Saturnalia. He was pictured with a half-bare chest and a sickle or ears of corn in his hand. His consort was the Goddess Ops, Goddess of fertility. This was a week of feasting, merriment, charades, gift-giving, and the lighting of torches and candles. The festival ran for seven consecutive days, and can best be described as festival of extravagant decadence. Slaves were allowed to meet their masters on equal terms. On this day of goodwill to all, the common greeting was "Bona Saturnalia!" This festival is the origin of most all carnivals and revels we still observe today. The modern celebration of Christmas is somewhat a continuation of this midwinter festivity.
Saturn was associated in Roman times with fertility and wealth, and in recent times has been known as a god of Chaos.
December 18
On this second day of the Saturnalia, ancient Romans celebrated the Eponalia; a feast dedicated to Epona, the Celtic Mother-Goddess and a patroness of horses.
Her annual festival in Roman times was around the 18th December (in Mantua/Italy), when her images in shrines and stables were draped in rose garlands.
The birth of the God Diev and the rebirth of the Sun is celebrated annually in Latvia with a four day winter festival. Houses are festively decorated and traditional feasts are prepared to welcome the four gift-bearing celestial beings who are the heralds of the winter solstice.
December 19
The Romans celebrated the Opalia , a feast dedicated to Ops (Abundance), the harvest Goddess of fertility and success, and consort of Saturn, on this, the third day of the Saturnalia.
December 20
The Mother Night, Yule Eve
On this night (approximately), a Germanic/Scandinavian Midwinter festival known as The Mother Night (or Modresnach) was observed. It was believed that dreams on this night foretold events in the upcoming year. Many of its traditions live on modern Christmas celebrations. The decorated evergreen tree was a symbol of the Tree of Life, or World Tree. The star atop the tree represented the pole star of the Star Goddess. The dinners and gifts were in honor of the food and prosperity given by the Mother Goddesses to their human children. The elves connected with our current Santa Claus are remnants of the supernatural Nature folk of the Old Religion. The reindeer are symbols of old shamanic abilities used by the people. The mistletoe is said to have first been picked and used to collect kisses by the Goddess Frigg, before it became a weapon to kill her son.
December 21
The festival of Angerona, the Roman goddess of secrecy.
Winter Solstice, known as Yule. The shortest day and longest night of the year. Yule is widely celebrated by many varieties of modern pagan.
It is also known as Winter Rite, Midwinter, and Alban Arthan. Yule is derived from the Anglo-Saxon Yula, which means Wheel of the Year.
In many cultureds it is symbolised in religion by a Virgin mother giving birth to sacred offsprin: Rhiannon to Pryderi; Isis to Horus; Demeter to Persephone.
It is the festival of the Sun's rebirth, and a time for many pagans to honor the Horned God. The aspect of the God many pagans invoke at this Sabbat is Frey, the Scandinavian fertility God and a deity associated with peace and prosperity. Love, family togetherness, and accomplishments from the past year are also celebrated. On this Sabbat, witches bid farewell to the Great Mother and welcome the reborn Horned God, who rules the dark half of the year.
An old tradition many pagans still observe in this season is bringing in the Yule Log, wishing on it, and lighting it from the remains of last year's log. Once, the Yule log was the center of the celebration. It was lit on the eve of the solstice (it should light on the first try) and kept burning for twelve hours, for good luck. Riddles are posed and answered, magic and rituals are practiced.
In the past, wild boars were sacrificed and consumed along with large quantities of liquor. Corn dollies were carried from house to house while carolling. Fertility rites were practiced (girls standing under a sprig of mistletoe were subject to a bit more than a kiss in these times), and divinations were cast for the coming Spring. Many of these customs, in have been adapted and are celebrated in the mainstream Christian Christmas celebration, though most celebrants do not realize their origins.
In ancient Greece the winter solstice ritual was called Lenaea, the Festival of the Wild Women. In very ancient times, a man representing the harvest god Dionysos was torn to pieces and eaten by a gang of women on this day. Later in the ritual, Dionysos would be reborn as a baby. By classical times, the human sacrifice had been replaced by the killing of a goat. The women's role had changed to that of funeral mourners and observers of the birth.
In Slavonic cultures, the festival of Koleda began at Winter Solstice and lasted for ten days. In Russia, this festival was called Kutuja, which was later applied to Christmas Eve. Although the Slavonic name comes from the God Kolyada, it was in honor of Lada, the Goddess of love, Spring, youth and fertility. She was said to be reborn each year at this time. Each family burned a Yule log and invited their personal household Gods to join in the festivities. Groups of children went from house to house singing; as a reward, they were given little gifts.
December 23
The Larentalia (Larentinalia), festival of Acca Larentia the Roman goddess who gave the early Romans their land.
December 25
The birthday of Mithra (also known as Mithras), the Persian god of light and wisdom.
Also Christmas day, a Christian religious observance celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, a character in their mythology which they believe to be the son of their god..The practice of celebrating Christmas on December 25th began in the early 4th century. It was a Christian substitute for the pagan festival held on that date to celebrate the birth of the unconquered Sun. Christmas customs such as Christmas trees, holy and mistletoe have pagan origins - such as celebrating the midwinter festival of Yule. The term Xmas refers to the first letter (chi) of the Greek word, Christos.
December 29
Moon of Hecate the Crone(Roman)
Whatever you celebrate, do it with joy.
Blessings dark and deep.
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