The seed of light...

The gestational time between Samhain and Winter Solstice is deep and dark, lit only by the light from within. We wait patiently, incubating like a seed beneath the cover of frozen earth. From this place of darkness and retreat, the first rays of returning solar light emerge at Winter Solstice, shining the light from without. Although Solstice is the darkest night of the year, the light grows stronger each day afterwards. At this time, we are called to fill our emotional cups with yuletide cheer, and to celebrate hearth, home, and community. The tide turns at Solstice and we quietly take our first steps out of dormancy and into the reborn light.

Yule (from the Norse iul, meaning wheel), coincides with the Solstice and marks the death and the rebirth of the Sun God. The Goddess, who was Death-in-Life at Midsummer, now reveals her Life-in-Death aspect. As the solar light becomes stronger by the millisecond, we begin to observe the world around us again. Glancing outside, we see the evergreen trees radiating lifeforce from between the barren branches of the surrounding deciduous species. The evergreens stand strong all year long, but our attention is brought to their presence so much more during winter. Many evergreen species have energetic associations with the sun and the element of fire; they seem to emanate light and warmth from within during an otherwise cold and dark time. This energy serves as a kind of medicine for the body, mind, and soul.

Winter tree medicine…

A particularly useful and beautiful evergreen species is Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Hemlock trees are majestic, long-lived conifers found in cool, wet, dark forests throughout New England. Ironic, for a species associated with the element of fire. They are also the largest native evergreen in the Eastern US, eclipsing even Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus - another very useful herbal ally!). These sacred trees often live to 4-500 years, with the oldest possibly living up to 1000 years. The towering leviathans of the dark forest have long enticed humans, featuring prominently in indigenous legends, and inspiring many a famous New Englander, as Robert Frost illustrates in this poem:

“The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued”

— Dust of Snow by Robert Frost

The hemlock possesses a number of useful energetic and medicinal properties, specifically, those related to warming, cleansing, and supporting good health. The hemlock can warm and create heat, either by building a physical fire, or by way of a hot tea made with the needles. Medicinally, hemlock is thought to possess warming and astringent qualities, and may be an immune boosting plant because of its high levels of vitamin C. The needles are where the vitamin C resides, and they are deliciously sour, tonifying the mouth, throat, and digestive tract, while promoting digestive secretions, and waking up the liver. One such way to prepare hemlock needles is to make an elixir that can be used on its own or as part of a festive yuletide libation.

Winter Solstice Cocktail

1.5 oz cinnamon infused vodka
1 oz hemlock & wild rose elixir
1 oz cranberry juice
Club soda
Orange slice for garnish

To make the cinnamon vodka, simply place 1 cinnamon stick in 1 cup of vodka and let it sit for at least 24 hours (remove the cinnamon stick before serving). This warm and spicy infusion is the perfect base for a winter cocktail. For the elixir, just fill a 16 oz mason jar with plant matter halfway then add in roughly 75% brandy and 25% raw honey, until it’s about an inch from full. Let the elixir sit for 2-4 weeks, then strain. Once the infusions are ready, the cocktail is easily assembled by pouring the vodka, elixir and cranberry juice over ice, then adding a splash of soda water, stirring, and garnishing with an orange slice. Cheers!

A magickal Yule…

If ingestion is not something that appeals to you, another way to work with the warmth and cleansing aspects of hemlock, is through magickal and energetic means. As Yule marks the wheel turning out of the darkness and into the light; a new beginning of sorts, evergreens can be a powerful energetic ally for any meditation or spellwork you might decide to explore during this time of year.

Crafting an herbal spell bag on the winter solstice and keeping it on your altar as a reminder that the sun will always return is a wonderful way to celebrate this season. There are no rules to follow, and you can use whatever objects call to you, but for this particular herbal pouch, we simply combine a small amount of herbs, crystals, and other ingredients on a square swatch of fabric, then wrap it up and tie it off with the string.

Sea salt (for purification and protection)
Birch bark (for renewal and healing)
Dried orange (for divination and prosperity)
Hemlock cones (for warmth and transformation)
Rose hips (for love and peace)
Bloodstone crystal (for grounding and intuition)
Swatch of green fabric and red/white string

We have also written up a short charm, or incantation, that you can recite as you craft the bag and meditate on its symbolism:

“Winds of the north, east, south, and west. Elements of earth, air, fire, and water. Tonight we celebrate Yule, the winter solstice. It is the season of the Crone, the time of the winter goddess. We welcome the rebirth of the Sun, the return of light and warmth. As the Wheel of the Year turns once more. We honor the eternal cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth. As above, so below, as within, so without, in light as well as shadow.”

Even though the days of winter feel long and the light creeps back slowly, the sense of impending spring remains salient and on the horizon. At Imbolc (Feb 1), the first sense of movement begins beneath the quiet ground as the seeds activate and awaken. From there, movement and life begin to come out of dormancy and the light strengthens with great force on the eventual journey back to Midsummer.