Yultide Blessings-- Traditions

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This is the first year I am actually "celebrating" Yule.

I was baptized Presbyterian, made my confirmation Methodist, married Lutheran, and then basically lived and worshiped as a Methodist for years. I started having issues with my faith back when my children were still young, and I witnessed their persecution by other children in Sunday school and the teachers did nothing about it, and all the hypocrites I knew belonged to my church, BUT the big reason was 2 HUGE prayers, that ANY Christian would think that "God" would answer in a positive way went by year after year without being answered.  At the point that I was seriously at a crossroads, those 2 prayers had been prayed one for about 20 years and one for about 18 years.

Becoming disabled, after only being out of College 5 years, and having my great niece be born with not only a fatal disease but one that cause the child DAILY EXCRUCIATING pain (read about EB and Daisy on my sidebar)  sometimes it is so bad she stops breathing and turns blue, she needs to be bagged, sometimes even rescue breathing and cpr. She has MRSA, Psuedomonis, and other infections (which is what usually kills these kids)  The is other information surrounding her birth etc, that I won't go into here.
However, I am done with Christianity. I believe in Jesus, I believe he was an enlightened man, like Buddha, and Mohammed and Gandhi etc.

Now that you have a bit of back ground. I'll share some of my favorite "Christmas traditions" and my first YULE alter.


First I have to say, it wouldn't be Christmas with out sending out cards. I do every year, though, the lists shrinks every year, sadly. (WE will revisit cards, later on)

Every Christmas eve, we would go to the "family Candlelight service" at our church after dinner

 

When we came home, hubs would take care of the wood stove, and bring more firewood in. I would make popcorn and hot cocoa

and I had a pop-up book that came with a cassette reading of 

"The Night before Christmas" so we would listen to the reading, while sipping the cocoa, and eating the PC, I would turn the pages and the kids would do the pop ups or pull tabs etc.

 then they all (including hubs) went to bed, and Mom put everything together  and wrapped whatever wasn't already wrapped, and pulled out everything that was hidden and got it under the tree.

 

of course, as the kids grew the traditions slowly changed and disappeared. One last tradition, was the week that they were home from school (Christmas to new years) We would all hop in the car, with a thermos of cocoa, again. LOL and drive around looking at all the decorated houses.

I hope you liked my little trip down memory lane. NONE of these photos are mine though, just so you know.

Now here's my YULE Alter, my log is not finished yet, and I haven't put my green tapers out yet, and MY nightly health and healing candle is on the alter. but you get the idea.

 the overall Alter

 close up of my pentacle wreath(where I added evergreen and holly) and "Isis" print

 close up of the "Winter Solstice Queen"

 My "God" candle and the close up of "The Holly King"

 My "Goddess" candle and close up of "The Oak King" print.

 

 looking down onto the alter, my cinnamon healing candle is out front, with a crystal, and there is a white candle with a crystal. Evergreen boughs, holly branches & pine cones.

* the art prints from top to bottom- of "Isis" (as visualized by the artist) "Winter Solstice Queen", "The Holly King" and "The Oak King" are all by the artist Emily Balivet.  here is her Etsy shop.

The Alter should be complete and lit for the YULE MAGIC blog party on the 21rst.

now, I said I would revisit Christmas cards. I will be giving away 10 Christmas cards(with envelopes), hand made by me, that you can use for next year.

 * to win:

*you MUST be a follower

*you MUST comment on this post, a real comment, NOT just please count me in.

****you MUST, MUST, MUST include your email IN your comment.  (I recommend in this format: sallyjo AT charter DOT net)

Cut-off date for this giveaway is 12/25 midnight--so 12/26would be too late)

BIG THANKS to Astraea for hosting this blog party!