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Pine Cone Decorations - This is one of my favorite things to do. This is easy, fun for us, and is a great
offering to the animals, especially the birds. All you do is collect pine cones that have already released their seeds. Then
attach a hanger to the top (use cotton yarn or thread and just tie it to the top.) Make sure you leave enough room to tie
the pine cone to a tree after. Now you are going to spread peanut butter all over the pine cone. Then you cover the
peanut butter with bird seeds. It has been a tradition for my daughter and I for several years now. We make up a bunch of
these and give them as gifts. We bring them to my grandma's house and help her hang them out on the trees. She really enjoys
the visits from the birds.
TWELVE- HERB YULE SACHET
from Willows617
7 parts Juniper
2 parts Rosemary
4 parts Cinnamon 2 parts
Lemon peel
4 parts Allspice
2 parts Orange peel
4 parts Ginger
1 part Clove
4 parts Caraway
1 part Bay
2 parts Nutmeg
2 pinches Orris root
Tie up in green or red cloth and give as gifts on Yule or Samhain.
Wreaths - You can make wreaths out of any material you wish. First you need to decide, 'will you make this every
year, or do you want this one to last for many years?' If you are making one to bring out for decking the halls every year,
use the artificial holly leaves and attach them to a metal ring with florist wire. If you are making it for this winter season,
go and harvest some fresh holly. When you harvest your holly try to take from several different bushes rather then just one,
especially if you are making a large wreath. Also do not forget to leave a thank you for the plant and the earth. I like to
leave the pine cone decoration I will describe next. You might also want to use pine sprigs and evergreen branches. Again,
use the florist wire and attach the branches to your metal ring. You can use the same metal ring each year. My friend likes
to use the green florist foam that is shaped like a ring. You could also use ribbon and tie your items to a grapevine wreath.
Try different things and really focus on the solstice and the rebirth of the sun.
Candy Cane Bath Salts
Source: Natural Beauty for All Seasons by Janice Cox
2 cups Epsom salts
1/2 cup sea salt
4 to 6 drops peppermint oil
2 to 3 drops red food coloring.
Place one cup of Epsom and 1/4 cup sea salt in a bowl or resealable
plastic bag. Add 2 to 3 drops peppermint
oil.
Place the remaining ingredients in a second bowl. Mix all
ingredients well. Layer the red and white salts in a
clear bottle or
jar, tilting the bottle or jar as you fill it. Tie with a ribbon and
some small candy canes.
Christmas Scent
3 sticks cinnamon
3 bay leaves
1/4 cup whole cloves
1/2 lemon
1/2 orange
1 quart water
Combine ingredients and simmer in a teakettle or saucepan throughout
the holidays!
Bleached Pinecones
Pinecones
household liquid bleach
large bucket
glass plate
a rock or brick
foil lined baking
sheet
Best done outside in a well-ventilated area. Do not splash bleach.
Work carefully. Place pinecones in bucket;
add bleach to cover.
Place plate on top of pinecones and weight with rock or brick to
keep the pinecones covered with
the bleach. Allow to sit for five
hours. Remove pinecones from bleach (use gloves) and place on baking sheet covered with
foil. Place in 250 degree oven for several hours until they reopen completely. The time will depend on how large the pinecone
is.
Uses: You can use the same as above. Also they are pretty placed
among your garland or even on the Christmas tree
itself.
Scented Pinecones
Pinecones
paraffin
doubleboiler
tongs
crayons with paper removed
cinnamon oil, or other scents
newspaper
Cover work area with newspaper. Melt paraffin a double boiler over
hot water (heat BEFORE adding paraffin).
Add pieces of crayon to
paraffin after it has melted. Red or green would be good for
Christmas. Add until the color
is as you would like it. Add scented
oil. Holding pinecones with tongs, dip in paraffin. Allow to dry
between coats.
Continue coating until fully covered. Allow paraffin
to dry completely before storing or using pinecones.
Uses: These
can be given and used as firestarters or placed in bowls to scent a room.
How to Make a Yule Log
Gathering the Symbols of the Season
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.
Yule Gifts - Spell Kits
1 small basket
1 candle appropriate to magical purpose
1
vial oil appropriate to magical purpose
a few incense sticks
herbs, stones, and symbols also appropriate
ribbon in
colour appropriate to magical purpose
paper
pen
coloured cellophane
Arrange the candle, oil, incense,
and other
items in the basket, then write the spell
directions and an appropriate chant on the paper.
For instance,
a chant for general good fortune
might go something like
Fortuna, Goddess of Fortune and Luck
Cut right through life's crud and muck
Bring good
fortune with this spell
Set good luck in motion and let it gel
Roll the paper into a scroll and tie it with
a ribbon bow. Wrap the basket in cellophane
and secure with ribbon.
From Yule. A Celebration Of Light
And Warmth
By Dorothy Morrison
Yule Gifts - Attitude - Changing Pomander
1 Orange
1 Yard 1/4 inch
ribbon (colour of your choice)
2 Boxes whole cloves
straight pins
pencil
With the pencil, mark a line
around the orange
from top to bottom and back to top. Use the centre
of the line as a guide, draw horizontally, and
mark
another line around the orange. This should give you
four equal sections. Place ribbon over the last drawn
line,
overlap the ends a bit (secure with straight pins),
and snip. Use the ribbon to measure the full length of
the other
line and add approximately fifteen inches. Cut.
Fold the ribbon in half and crease well to mark. Use
a straight pin
to attach the ribbon mark to the bottom
of the orange. Work upwards and continue to secure the
ribbon to the orange
with straight pins. Tie the loose
ends in a knot. Use the pointed ends of the cloves to
puncture the orange and press
cloves into the sections
between the ribbons until each section is completely
covered. Tie the ribbon ends into a
bow. Enchant the
pomander by saying something like
Orange of Sun and heady spice
Keep the closet smelling
nice
Bring joy to all who enter here
And keep their outlook bright and fair
From Yule. A Celebration Of
Light And Warmth
By Dorothy Morrison
Christmas Glistners
by Melissa Blake, New York
skill level: easiest
cost: under
$5
craft time: 2 + hours
pipe cleaners (any color)
thread
Borax laundry soap
glass container
pencil (to
dangle design from)
spray acrylic or clear spray paint (optional)
Bend pipe cleaner into desired shape be sure it fits
into your glass container.
Boil some water, then pour into glass container; add Borax until water is very cloudy.
Tie
a piece of thread on your pipe cleaner and dangle in water mixture, be sure it is not touching sides or
bottom and
is covering your design.
Let water cool.
The longer it is left in the mixture, the more crystals form on the pipe
cleaner.
Remove pipe cleaner from water and let dry.
After it is dry you will be able to see all the crystals formed
on the pipe cleaner.
Spray with a clear acrylic spray and hang wherever you like.
Yule Spell Baubles
yule tree ornaments
Whip up some of these Spell Baubles
to use on your tree, or to give to others
as
a gift.
You know those empty, clear, glass ornaments
you find at craft stores this time of
year Why
not use them to craft a charm for good things in
the coming year
You'll need an assortment of herbs,
stone chips,
fabrics and ribbons. Use your own correspondences,
or you can pick and choose from what I have listed
here
Love
Everyone needs more love for the coming year. Some
items you might consider adding to a Love Spell Bauble
would be you and your love's hair, pink and red sparkle
hearts, red & pink ribbons;
Dried Herbs apple blossom,
basil, chamomile, catnip,
cinnamon, clove, copal coriander, cmin, dill,
dragon's blood, gardenia, ginger, hibiscus,
jasmine,
jumiper, lavender, lemon balm, lemon verbena, lotus,
maroram, mastic, mimosa, myrtle, neroli, orchid, orris,
palmarosa, peppermint, rose, rosemary, sweet pea, thyme,
tonka, tuberose, vanilla, vervain, vetivert, violet, yarrow,
ylang-ylang
Stone chips amethyst, chrysocolla, jade, moonstone, rose
quartz, tourquoise
Protection
Some items you might consider adding to a
Protection Spell Bauble might
be sand, pins,
nail clippings, black or silver ribbons;
Dried Herbs Angelica, anise, asafoetida, basil,
bay, bergamot,
pepper, caraway, carnation, cedarwood,
cinnamon, clove, copal, cumin, cypres, dill, dragon's
blood, eucalyptus, fennel,
fern, frankincenes, gernaium,
heather, honeysuckle, hyacinth, hyssop, juniper, lavender,
lilac, lime, lotus, mandrake,
marigold, mimosa, mistletoe,
mugwort, myrrh, orris, patchouly, pennyroyal, peppermint,
pine, roe, roes geranium, rue,
sage, sandalwood, thistle,
valerian, vetivert, violet, wood aloe, woodruff, wormwood
Stone chips agate (all colors),
amber, carnelian, coral,
lapis luzuli, quartz crystals, garnet, lava, salt, tourquoise
Money & Prosperity
Some things you might consider adding to a
Money & Prosperity
Bauble might be gold & green
confetti; gold pieces; rolled up money;
Dried Herbs allspice, almond, basil, bergamot,
camomile,
cedarwood, cinnamon, cinquefoil, clove, clover, dill
elder, ginger, honeysuckle, hyssop, jasmine, myrtle,
ntmet, oakmoss, orange, patchouli, peppermint, pine, sage,
sassafreas, tonka, vervain, vetivert, wood aloe, woodruff
Stone chips amethyst, aventurine, bloodstone, carnelian,
green tourmaline, malachite, peridot, tiger's eye, topaz
Peace & Tranquility
Blue, purple & lavendar ribbons;sparkle dust;
Dried Herbs
Cumin, gardenia, lavender, lilac, magnolia,
meadowsweet, narcissus, pennyroyal, tuberose, violet
Stone chips amethyst,
aquamarine, calcite, chalcedony,
kunzite, malachite, sodalite
Psychic ability & Dreamwork
Dried Herbs anise, bay, camphor, cassia, cinnamon, citron,
clove, flax, gardenia, heliotrope, honeysuckle, lemongrass,
lilac, mace, marigold, gum mastic, mugwort, nutmet, orange,
orris, peppermint, roes, safron, star anise, thyme, tuberoe,
wormwood, yarrow
Stone chips amethysts, aquamarine,
aventurine, azurite,
citrine, lapis lazuli, moonstone.
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