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A Yule 2024 Letter from Marilyn
Dear Kindred Spirits,
As the wheel of the year turns, so too does the wheel of political power. With the incoming presidential administration, many of us in the magical and spiritual communities find ourselves facing an uncertain future. We are entering a time where Christian nationalist ideologies—long a shadow in the political landscape—threaten to become more entrenched in our nation’s policies and cultural narrative.
For those of us who walk spiritual paths outside the Christian and Abrahamic traditions, this shift may feel like an ominous tolling bell. History remembers well the fires of persecution that consumed so many witches, pagans, and practitioners of Earth-based faiths. The echoes of the past resonate: forced conversions, accusations of heresy, and violent suppression of those who dared to honor the divine in their own sacred ways.
Yet, we are still here. We are still weaving spells, lighting candles, and whispering prayers to ancient gods and goddesses. We are resilient, powerful, and connected by threads of magic and community that no oppressive force can sever.
While acknowledging our fears, we must also remember that witchcraft and non-conformist spirituality have always been acts of resistance. To exist openly as a witch, pagan, or practitioner of any marginalized spiritual path is inherently defiant in the face of authoritarian control.
Staying Safe Without Disappearing is Key
In these times, our challenge is to remain visible while protecting ourselves and our communities. Drawing inspiration from Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny, we can adopt practical and magical strategies:
1. Do Not Obey in Advance: Authoritarian regimes rely on people complying without being asked. Resist the urge to self-censor or hide your spiritual practices out of fear. Practice discretion when necessary, but do not extinguish your inner flame.
2. Defend Institutions: Support organizations that fight for religious freedom and civil rights. Join interfaith coalitions where your voice can amplify the call for justice.
3. Beware the One-Party State: Stay politically engaged. Vote in every election—local, state, and federal. Encourage your coven, grove, or spiritual circle to register and vote as well.
4. Stand Out: Wear your pentacle, your ankh, your runes if it feels safe to do so. Let your existence be a beacon of diversity.
5. Be Kind to Your Community: Check in with fellow practitioners. Create support networks where you can share resources, offer spiritual aid, and provide mutual protection.
6. Learn from Peers in Other Countries: Connect with global pagan and witch communities to share strategies and stories of resilience.
7. Believe in Truth: Combat misinformation. Educate others about the diversity and history of spiritual practices outside the mainstream.
We Must Carry a Message of Hope
Though the days ahead may seem dark, remember that we are no strangers to shadows. Witches thrive in the liminal spaces, transforming hardship into power, grief into action, and fear into courage. Our rituals remind us that endings are nearly always beginnings.
Let us invoke protection, cast circles of safety, and call upon our deities and ancestors for guidance. But let us also march, vote, and speak truth to power. Our magic is at its strongest when intertwined with action in the mundane world.
Together, we will endure and flourish. We are the descendants of those who refused to be erased, and we carry the legacy of resistance in our bones.
Stay wild. Stay free. Stay magical.
With unwavering faith in our shared power,
Marilyn
A Yule Ritual for New Beginnings
Celebrating Yule, the winter solstice, is a profound way to honor the return of light and embrace new beginnings. In Pagan traditions, Yule symbolizes rebirth, renewal, and the cyclical nature of life. Below is a Yule ritual focused on new beginnings.
Preparation
Gather Materials:
Candles: Representing light and the sun’s return.
Evergreen Boughs or Wreath: Symbolizing eternal life and resilience.
Symbols of the Elements: Such as a bowl of water (water), a stone (earth), incense or herbs (air), and a candle or small fire-safe dish (fire).
Journals and Pens: For reflection and intention-setting.
Crystals or Personal Items: That resonate with your intentions for new beginnings.
The Ritual
Opening Invocation:
Begin by calling in the quarters (North, East, South, West) or your chosen deities and spirits.
Example Invocation:“Spirits of the North, East, South, and West, guardians of the elements, I invite you to join me in this sacred space. As the wheel of the year turns, I honor the light returning and welcome new beginnings.”
Circle Casting:
If working with a circle, visualize a protective barrier of light surrounding your space, ensuring a safe and sacred environment.
Reflection on the Past Year:
Sit quietly and meditate on the events, growth, and lessons of the past year.
Write down key reflections in your journal, acknowledging both joys and challenges.
Setting Intentions for New Beginnings:
Focus on what you wish to cultivate in the coming year—be it personal growth, new projects, relationships, or spiritual development.
Write these intentions clearly in your journal. You can also create intention cards or use symbols to represent each goal.
Symbolic Actions:
Lighting Candles: Light a candle for each intention, focusing on the flame as a representation of your goals igniting into reality.
Burning Ritual (Optional): Safely burn the paper with your reflections or intentions as a way to release the old and welcome the new. Ensure to perform this in a fire-safe container.
Affirmations and Visualization:
Recite affirmations that align with your intentions. For example:“I embrace the return of light and welcome new beginnings with an open heart and mind.”
Visualize your intentions manifesting, imagining the steps and feelings associated with their fulfillment.
Gratitude:
Express gratitude for the lessons learned and the opportunities ahead. Thank the elements, deities, and any spiritual beings you invoked.
Closing the Ritual:
Dismiss the quarters or deities respectfully.
If you cast a circle, visualize it dissolving, knowing the sacred energy remains.
Extinguish the candles, symbolizing the end of the ritual but the continuation of the intentions set.
Post-Ritual Practices
Daily Affirmations: Reinforce your intentions with daily affirmations or meditations.
Track Progress: Keep your journal updated with progress, reflections, and any shifts in your goals.
Celebrate Small Wins: Acknowledge and celebrate each step you take towards your new beginnings.
Tips for a Meaningful Ritual
Personalization: Tailor the ritual to fit your beliefs and preferences. Incorporate elements that resonate personally.
Mindfulness: Approach each step with presence and intention, ensuring that your actions align with your desires for new beginnings.
Community: Consider performing the ritual with loved ones or a community if you feel it enhances the experience.
Yule Shadow Work
As the wheel of the year turns to Yule, we honor the rebirth of the sun and the return of the light. This sacred season invites reflection on the past year and intention-setting for the one ahead. Shadow work during this time offers a chance to explore the hidden corners of your soul, uncovering blocks or fears that may hold you back from manifesting your desires.
Find a quiet space, light a candle to symbolize the growing light (optional), and address the following:
1. Reflecting on the Year Behind:
- What goals or intentions did you set last year? Did you achieve them? Why or why not?
- What challenges or limiting beliefs surfaced as you pursued your goals?
- What lessons did this year teach you about your inner strength, resilience, or areas for growth?
2. Exploring the Shadows:
- What fears or doubts arise when you think about setting new goals?
- Are there patterns, habits, or relationships that drain your energy or keep you stuck?
- How do you hold yourself back from stepping into your full potential?
3. Planting Seeds for the New Year:
- If you could step into the coming year free of fear or doubt, what would you want to accomplish?
- How will you nurture and protect these goals, like seeds in winter soil, until they bloom?
- What is one small, symbolic action you can take now to honor these intentions?
As you write, allow honesty to guide your pen. Shadow work can feel uncomfortable, but it is in these moments of deep self-awareness that we find clarity and empowerment.
Coven Coloring Club: The Yule Wreath
This turn of the wheel, the coven coloring club is getting the Yule treatment. We would like our coven to color the beautiful wreath and share your creations with us on our socials. Either tag us (@midwestcovencast) or use #covencoloringclub to help us find your work. We look forward to seeing what awesome works you create! Blessed be!
You can download the printable file below and either print or upload to your favorite digital art program to start coloring.
Southern Hemisphere Shoutout: Litha
Blessed Litha to all of our pagan and witchy friends south of the equator. We hope hope you have been enjoying the blessing of beautiful blooms aplenty and that you are savoring the sun as the shorter days of light come nearer. Blessed be! If you'd like, you can revisit our Litha newsletter from our turn around the wheel.
Special Thanks
As always, we extend a deeply felt thanks to our Patreon coven for helping us to make all of our media products (podcasts, books, and more) possible! An extra special thanks to Steve D. and anonymous for being such amazing people and our top contributors. You both rock!
CALENDAR
21 December Yule Begins
30 December New Moon (4:26pm CST)
31 December New Year’s Eve
01 January New Year’s Day
Yule Ends
03 January Midwest Coven Cast Presents: Weekend Reads (S4E7)
13 January Full Wolf Moon (4:26pm CST)
17 January Midwest Coven Cast Presents: Weekend Reads (S4E8)
29 January New Moon (6:35am CST)
31 January Midwest Coven Cast Presents: Weekend Reads (S4E9)
01 February Imbolc
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