Well, we've officially entered december and Yule is fast approaching, does anyone have special plans?

It's always a hard time for me because my Dad died on the 20th of December, but also a happy time when our family gets together, so it's a bit odd. I'll probably be spending mine with my family, I haven't seen my eldest sister or her kids since the summer so that will be special enough

I think I'll plan a little ritual to do too, nothing too spectacular but probably involving lots of candles and some meditation/pathworking The trouble is in my new place there just aren't that many safe places to put burning candles so I'll have to improvise this year

I'll probably be with my parents since my Dad has is birthday on the 20th... coincidence, isn't it? I don't know what else I'm going to do, decorate my room with stuff, probably. I haven't planned any rituals. I'm busy with something else on that plane. (A friend of mine lives in an apartment and about a month ago someone was murdered in the same building, someone she knew. The one who did it has been caught, probably, but she still feels so unsafe that she doesn't dare to sleep there. So we're going to clean the entire place and make it cosy and probably going to do a little ritual involving lots of open windows and some incense.)

i am hoping that we'll be done moving by then. i am hoping to spend that day settling any left over stuff that needs unpacked and then smudge the new place. Oh and now that I'm moving into a bigger place with a room of my own- I am going to set up a little altar space maybe I'll wait and do it that day too.

My girlfriend (another witch) and I are going to be going home to CA to visit my family and we'll be there over Solstice. So I've promised her I'll take her to my old vigil spot on the beach where I used to celebrate the sabbats and do my rituals when I lived in Santa Cruz. Not sure how much structured ritual we'll do, if any, but it will be lovely to be able to observe Midwinter at home again. She and I might split up for awhile at some point, as I rededicate myself to my patroness every Midwinter, and I do that alone.

Elwing, good luck with the cleansing for your friend's place. I helped my girlfriend do something similar a few months ago after a particularly nasty suicidal incident left her place feeling tainted. I'd recommend warding the place, both to help keep her safe and to help her *feel* safe.

I'm still in debate how I'm going to do it... I don't know how many weird ritual-like stuff she will be comfortable with and obviously I can't do anything without telling her. I strongly believe in the cleansing power of normal actions: opening all windows, cleaning everything, making the place nice and feel like a place to live again. If you are not too familiar with rituals I think this helps better than a full-fledged altar with candles, circles and calling of gods and goddesses. I guess we'll have to discuss it in advance. I'll think of something

I will probably do a cleansing on the 20th but I may go to an event put on by one of the museums here - they do a solstice celebration each year. The evening star party sounds like fun and its free!

http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.c...r-solstice.cfm

I'll be home, so I'll do what I always do and go watch the stars that night and enjoy the cold. Maybe in the coming year I'll finally start doing real rituals, but the dorm room stifles me and its hard to get to state parks and nature areas on a bus line.

I'm not sure what we'll do yet. My birthday is actually on the 21st, and I know my hubby has got grandma lined up to babysit and then we're going out.

I have a funny yet embarrassing Christmas related story though. We were at a baby shower for a friend. It was at the house of friend's husband's brother's fiance's parents, and they have a nativity scene up year round. My ds, 4, and dd, 3, were looking at it and announced that Mary was a witch.

blessed yule everyone!

happy birthday moon faerie! loved the story about your kids too- if i ever have kids i want them to be like that!

That is so cute, although rather embarrassing I'm sure. I love it though