Day 11 of AishaOaktree's 21 days of YULE blog party

Each day for the next 10 days, I will be sharing  either some legends, myths, devotions, my own thoughts perhaps a recipe or 2 on my blog for Aisha's YULE Blog Party at By The Broomstick.

Please visit the other blogs that are participating(above)

I am still a newb, learning. Therefore any legend, myth, devotion etc. will be coming from someplace I read it, and I will be giving credit to the right people.

ADDITIONALLY, I have a small gift tree that has a some ornaments on it, but it also has 21 little gift bags or envelopes that are numbered 1-21.  Each day I will pick a winner from the comments for that day.  These giveaways are priced from $1-$5, and there are a few are like booby prizes...I am doing this FOR FUN!!

EASY RULES:

*be a follower
*tell me something about that day's post that means something to you, or touches you etc.
*list your name
*pick a number from 1-21*  (*each day obviously there will be numbers listed as OUT, it will be your responsibility to pay attention to each day's posts, to see the number that is no longer available)

Picture of gift tree not ready, will add asap, so sorry for this, i want to do it outside on my little table, but it has been too windy.
You can't see the gifts anyway, they are wrapped and in bags, or just there#s are in the bags or envelopes.   NO ONE from DAY ONE picked a #, so I asked hubby to pick one and I could take it out of the running...that # is the #11....so pick a number between 1-21 except for 11, 5, 7, 9, 21, 20,4, 16 & 13.


Nicole from Beadwright was yesterday's winner with #13

I only allow 24 hours per post for picking numbers, comments always accepted :), but picking a # must be in the first 24 hours after I post each day! additionally only 1 win per person during the 21 days. Thank you.
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Crafts and Creations

From Patti Wigington, your Guide to Paganism / Wicca

Make ornaments and other crafts to celebrate the season.
© Patti Wigington 2007

Yule is a time of year when the crafter in all of us tends to come out. With the weather being cold, we often find ourselves drawn to staying indoors and creating something new by hand. Handmade Yule crafts are a great way to celebrate the season, and decorate your home to mark this midwinter Sabbat.

How to Make a Yule Log

By Patti Wigington, About.com Guide

 The Yule log is a tradition that goes back to the days of the ancient Norsemen.

Image © Getty Images

As the Wheel of the Year turns once more, the days get shorter, the skies become gray, and it seems as though the sun is dying. In this time of darkness, we pause on the Solstice (usually around December 21st, although not always on the same date) and realize that something wonderful is happening.
On Yule, the sun stops its decline into the south. For a few days, it seems as though it’s rising in exactly the same place… and then the amazing, the wonderful, the miraculous happens. The light begins to return.
The sun begins its journey back to the north, and once again we are reminded that we have something worth celebrating. In families of all different spiritual paths, the return of the light is celebrated, with Menorahs, Kwanzaa candles, bonfires, and brightly lit Christmas trees. On Yule, many Pagan and Wiccan families celebrate the return of the sun by adding light into their homes. One of our family’s favorite traditions – and one that children can do easily – is to make a Yule log for a family-sized celebration.
A holiday celebration that began in Norway, on the night of the winter solstice it was common to hoist a giant log onto the hearth to celebrate the return of the sun each year. The Norsemen believed that the sun was a giant wheel of fire which rolled away from the earth, and then began rolling back again on the winter solstice.
As Christianity spread through Europe, the tradition became part of Christmas Eve festivities. The father or master of the house would sprinkle the log with libations of mead, oil or salt. Once the log was burned in the hearth, the ashes were scattered about the house to protect the family within from hostile spirits.

Because each type of wood is associated with various magickal and spiritual properties, logs from different types of trees might be burned to get a variety of effects. Aspen is the wood of choice for spiritual understanding, while the mighty oak is symbolic of strength and wisdom. A family hoping for a year of prosperity might burn a log of pine, while a couple hoping to be blessed with fertility would drag a bough of birch to their hearth.
In our house, we usually make our Yule log out of pine, but you can make yours of any type of wood you choose. You can select one based on its magickal properties, or you can just use whatever’s handy. To make a basic Yule log, you will need the following:

• A log about 14 – 18” long
• Pinecones
• Dried berries, such as cranberries
• Cuttings of mistletoe, holly, pine needles, and ivy
• Feathers and cinnamon sticks
• Some festive ribbon – use paper or cloth ribbon, not the synthetic or wire-lined type
• A hot glue gun

All of these – except for the ribbon and the hot glue gun -- are things you and your children can gather outside. You might wish to start collecting them earlier in the year, and saving them. Encourage your children to only pick up items they find on the ground, and not to take any cuttings from live plants.

I have other directions for many Pagan/Wiccan items you can make yourself. Starting in January, It is my plan to have a post for each new and full moons.