A Wise woman’s Guide to Yuletide Magic by Layla Morgan Wilde

Christmas long before it was known as Christmas, was celebrated as Yule. These are some fun, magical and surprising facts about the holiday season. 12 Magical Days Of Yule

Beneath the twinkling lights and commercial glitter of modern Christmas lies a web of ancient wisdom so deep, it thrums in our very bones. As I write this from my home at the forest’s edge, stirring a pot of traditional mulled wine infused with elderberries and prophecy-inducing mugwort, I feel called to share the old ways that still whisper through our holiday celebrations.

 

The Wild Hunt and the Longest Night

Those who walk between the worlds know that the Wild Hunt rides fierce during these dark December nights. Led by various deities depending on your tradition be it Odin, Holda, or the Horned One. This supernatural hunting party sweeps through the skies, gathering lost souls and spreading both blessings and warnings. The jingle bells we hang today were originally used to ward off these wild spirits or, for the brave, to call them closer.

When I celebrate Yuletide ceremonies, we honor this ancient force by leaving offerings at crossroads: bread soaked in mead for the hunters, herbs for their steeds, and sometimes a carefully wrapped bundle of our fears from the past year, ready to be carried away on the winter wind.

The Hidden Language of Evergreens

 

As both a shamanic practitioner and keeper of the green ways, I’ve learned that each evergreen carries its own medicine. When we bring these trees into our homes, we’re not just decorating we’re inviting specific energies:

– Pine brings cleansing and renewal

– Fir connects us to divine inspiration

– Spruce offers protection and grounding

– Holly guards against malevolent forces and represents the sacred masculine

– Ivy, with its spiral growth, symbolizes the soul’s journey and the sacred feminine

In my practice, I create protective wreaths using all five, binding them with red thread under the dark moon before Yule. These hang above my doors year-round, their magic renewed each winter solstice.

 

 

The Cauldron of Rebirth

Long before the first Christmas was celebrated, wisewomen and shamanic healers understood this season as a time of death and rebirth. The cauldron now diminished to a cooking pot for holiday feasts was once seen as the womb of the Great Mother, where all things are transformed.

In my tradition, we still honor this by keeping a cauldron burning through the longest night. Into it we cast herbs of vision (mugwort, bay, frankincense), herbs of letting go (rosemary, pine), and herbs of new beginnings (cinnamon, ginger). The smoke carries our prayers to the ancestors, while the flames remind us that even in deepest darkness, transformation is possible.

 

The Medicine of Midwinter Plants

Every plant that flowers or fruits in midwinter was once considered sacred medicine. As a wisewoman, I work extensively with these allies:

– Mistletoe, the golden bough of the Druids, opens doorways between worlds

– Poinsettia, sacred to the Aztec shamans, represents life force and divine sacrifice

– Rose hips, rich in vitamin C, remind us that even in winter, the Mother provides

– Hellebore, the Christmas Rose, brings banishing power and protection

These plants teach us that strength often blooms in unlikely seasons. When I create medicine bundles for the dark months, these are my most trusted allies.

Time Between Times: Working With Yuletide Magic

The twelve days of Christmas from December 21st to January 1st by the old calendar represent a powerful liminal space, what we call a “time between times.”

In my shamanic practice, this period is ideal for:

– Journey work to meet ancestors and power animals

– Divination (particularly on New Year’s Eve)

– Setting intentions that will manifest throughout the coming year

– Deep healing work, as the veils between worlds are naturally thinner

During these nights, I keep a special candle burning, dressed with oils of frankincense and myrrh. Each night, I spend time in meditation, journeying between the worlds, gathering wisdom from both ancestors and future selves.

The Hidden Magic of the Christmas Tree

 

Few realize that the Christmas tree tradition stems from ancient shamanic practices of the Norse and Germanic peoples. These evergreen trees were seen as cosmic pillars – living bridges between the underworld, middle world, and upper world.

When our ancestors decorated trees with lights and offerings, they weren’t simply making pretty displays; they were creating sacred light trees that helped spirits navigate during the longest nights of the year.

The star or angel placed atop the tree? This marks the gateway to the upper world, while the tree’s roots, now hidden in a stand or skirt, were traditionally honored as pathways to the ancestors in the underworld. Every ornament was a prayer, a story, a spirit helper.

 

Santa: The Shapeshifting Medicine Man

Long before Santa wore red and white, shamanic healers in the far north wore ceremonial robes adorned in these very colors of the sacred Amanita muscaria mushroom. These medicine people would visit homes during the winter solstice, entering through the smoke hole (now symbolized as the chimney) to bring healing, visions, and gifts of spiritual significance.

Many don’t know that reindeer are naturally drawn to these red and white mushrooms in the wild. The connection between flying reindeer and Santa isn’t just whimsy, it’s a distant echo of shamanic journeys where both human and animal spirits took flight together through the star-filled winter sky.

The Medicine Wheel of the Year

 

 

In our traditional understanding, what you call Christmas occurs at a crucial turning point in the medicine wheel of the year. This isn’t just the shortest day, it’s the moment when the veils between worlds are thinnest.

Our ancestors knew that during these long nights, the Great Spirit draws closest to Earth, making it the perfect time for vision quests and communion with the spirit world.

The tradition of staying awake on Christmas Eve has roots in ancient vigils where entire communities would drum, sing, and journey together through the longest night, holding space for the rebirth of the sun. The morning feast wasn’t just a celebration, it was a ceremony of gratitude for surviving the darkness and welcoming the return of light.

Ritual Gifts and Sacred Exchanges

 

The modern exchange of gifts harkens back to something far more profound than simple giving. In shamanic traditions, the winter solstice was a time when the ancestors and nature spirits would exchange gifts with the living. Each gift was seen as a transfer of medicine of power, wisdom, or healing.

The tradition of hanging stockings comes from leaving offerings for the spirits and ancestors. These weren’t meant for candy, but for sacred herbs, tokens, and messages from the spirit world. The morning discovery of gifts was seen as evidence of successful spirit communion.

 

The Hidden Medicine of Christmas Colors

The traditional colors of Christmas carry deep shamanic significance:

– Green represents the eternal life force that persists even in winter’s grip

– Red symbolizes the sacred blood of life, the spark of spirit in all things

– Gold reflects the returning sun and the wisdom of the ancestors

– White embodies the snow, the cleansing of the old year, and the blank canvas of new possibilities

 

The Original Flying Reindeer Priestesses

One of my favorite pieces of hidden wisdom concerns the reindeer-herding tribes of the far north. Their shamanic priestesses would gather Amanita muscaria mushrooms, sacred medicine that helped them journey between the worlds. These wise women were said to fly with their reindeer allies during celestial ceremonies. The red and white colors of these mushrooms are reflected in modern Santa’s garb, though few remember why.

In my own practice, while I don’t work with Amanita, I honor these ancient priestesses during the winter solstice by drumming the reindeer rhythm, a specific beat that mimics the sound of running hooves on frozen ground.

As a keeper of these ancient ways, I see how these deeper meanings still pulse beneath the surface of modern celebrations. When you gather with loved ones this season, remember: you’re not just celebrating a holiday. You’re participating in an ancient ceremony of renewal, an honoring of the eternal dance between darkness and light.

Today, I blend ancient ways with practical modern magic. My Yuletide practices include:

– Creating protective charm bags filled with blessed evergreens for family members

– Shamanic drum journeys to connect with the spirit of winter

– Crafting medicinal mulled wine with traditional herbs of prophecy and healing

– Maintaining an ancestral altar with candles lit for the twelve nights

– Performing house blessings with traditional smoke cleansing using pine and juniper

Remember, these sacred days are more than just a holiday, they’re a doorway to deep magic, ancestral wisdom, and powerful transformation. When you deck your halls this season, know that you’re participating in rites that stretch back through time immemorial.

 

May the old ways guide you, and may the returning light fill you with blessing. May your own inner light shine bright as the returning sun.

xo,

Layla

Layla Morgan Wilde practices traditional shamanic healing and wise woman herbcraft and tarot readings in Westchester County, N.Y.. She offers seasonal ceremonies, healing sessions, and teaches the old ways to those called to walk between the worlds.