The Twelve Days of Yule

On the days leading to Yule, there is a sacred time known as the ‘Twelve Days of Yule.’ Most days are dedicated to a specific deity and virtue. The Twelve Days of Yule start on December 20th and continue to December 31st. If you want to celebrate the Twelve Days of Yule, you’ll have to plan a ritual per day and stick to doing the routines until the Twelve Days have passed. It’s traditional to not work during this time, but it’s understandable if not working isn’t an option. You can still celebrate the Twelve Days of Yule with a quick prayer or ritual; you don’t have to make it an all-day event. We’ll go over what each of the Twelve Days of Yule stands for and what kinds of spells and rituals you can do during these days.

December 20th - Mother Night and Industriousness

December 20th is the first night of the Twelve Days of Yule, and it’s when Pagans celebrate the beginning of a New Year. The reason this night is called the Mother Night is due to the deity linked with this day, Frigga, the Mother Goddess and mistress of the home and hearth. Frigga welcomes both the living and the dead members of the family to come in and take part in the festivities. During this day, it’s best to start putting up decorations and reach out to your family. Try to perform spells and rituals that pertain to the home and family as it will be a great beacon to start a wholesome and loving Yule time.

The virtue tied to this month is the virtue of industriousness. We need to remind ourselves that we are responsible for our actions, so if we need to get anything done, we have to step up and do it. Being industrious does not mean you have to set complicated tasks; simple things like cleaning up a mess or setting out your schedule for the day will be enough to help you start a healthy working habit.

December 21st - The Wild Hunt and Perseverance

On the second day of Yule, the ‘wild hunt’ is on. Odin is leading a brigade of the dead casting

down lightning and thunder as he gathers lost souls or anyone else that gets in his way. It’s essential to stay inside during the second night of Yule as you can easily get caught in the hunt. You can say a prayer to Odin or perform a spell of the hearth to protect you from Odin’s touch.

The virtue for this day is the virtue of perseverance. Nothing comes easy, and hardships are something that we have to deal with daily. On this day, we must honor the imperfections we feel and keep pushing forward to our ultimate goal. By not giving up and persisting, we can become better, more fulfilled versions of ourselves.

December 22nd – Courage

For the third day of Yule, Máni is celebrated. He is known for providing light for hunters so that they may traverse through the night safely. It’s best to light a fire in your hearth and burn trinkets, wooden carvings, or Yule logs to bring luck and purification to you.

December 22nd is also the day to remember the courage that you have. There are some days where we have to face something we are afraid of, but instead of running from these things, we have to face them head-on to improve our strength. Spells relating to power would be ideally performed on this day.

December 23rd – Love

On the fourth day of Yule, we don’t celebrate its deities, Njord and Freyr directly, but we celebrate by using their goblets. Their goblets represent peace and a good season, so it’s traditional to have large feasts to bring peace into your home.

You also want to keep the virtue of love in mind. Have compassion not just for others, but to yourself as well. By having love and compassion, you can relate to others and be able to help them. Take this day to perform spells of love and compassion.

December 24th – Hospitality

No deities are celebrated on this day. Instead, the divine energy located inside of everyone is observed by stepping out into the community to help others in need. By helping out your community, you will bring a sense of self-worth and respect to yourself and your home.

Since this is a day about community, you want to keep the virtue of hospitality in mind. Every person should have a sense of hospitality inside them naturally, so whether you are the host or guest, it is essential to show respect to the people around you.

December 25th – Healing and Discipline

This day, we must take the time to look at the health of yourself and your loved ones. Eir, the goddess of healing and health-care, is honored on this day, and she can bless us with physical and psychic healing. Since healing is highly associated with plants, perform healing spells that contain herbs and plants are extremely well received on this day.

While healing is vital on this day, so is keeping ourselves disciplined. We have to control our actions, no matter the situation. Always think before you speak or act, or you become more of a burden rather than an aid.

December 26th – Fidelity

On this day of Yule, Thor is honored by going out and visiting all of the loved ones you can meet. Thor is seen as the great protector due to his undying devotion shown to his family, so it’s vital to perform spells and rituals about protecting your home and your loved ones.

Fidelity is also respected on this day. The term fidelity, in this sense, is being used to represent being faithful to someone or something you genuinely love. By remaining faithful, no matter the temptation, you’ll have a good blessing brought to you in the coming year.

December 27th - Truth

On this day, we honor Skaði and Ullr, gods of the hunt. You don’t have to go out and hunt, but be sure to have a well-stocked home for feasts. You can also have some fun family bonding activities to bring the blessing of a fulfilling year to come.

The truth is respected on this day. Truth holds so much power as it can help people build confidence in you and trust you more in the future. Don’t simply tell someone what they want to hear, stand up for yourself, and say what you feel.

December 28th – Honor

The goddess often overpowers the god in traditions, so on this day, it is ideal to honor the god to bring masculine energy to your spells and to show respect to the men in your family who have positively impacted you. You can also show respect to Odin as he is the leader of the Norse gods.

Honor is highly represented on this day since, without honor, we cannot be human. By showing honor, we’re proving that we’re not afraid to be ourselves and that we will always strive to be better, so spells that provide energy boosts are ideal for performing on this day.

December 29th - Justice

On this day, the Sun Goddess is venerated as the sun is slowly starting to bring warmth down to us. It’s ideal for performing spells centering on energy boosts, welcoming the sun, or bringing kindness into your home.

On this day, we need to show justice. Treat others how you would want to be treated so that you show your humanity and caring nature. Give people second and third chances as you never know how helpful someone can be until you get to know them.

December 30th - Self-Reliance

All the Valkyrie are respected on this day as they’re responsible for picking up and helping those who have fallen. Perform spells and rituals on this day that honor those who have passed.

You need to show your self-reliance on this day. Rely on yourself and the power that you have. By being able to believe in yourself, you will be able to accomplish more!

December 31st - The Twelfth Night and Wisdom

As this is the last night of Yule, no deities are honored, only the people. Go about caroling to bring warming and positive energies for the coming year. You can carol alone or with friends and family so long as you maintain a light and positive energy.

Wisdom is the virtue for this day. You have to learn from what you have experienced, grow from them, and understand that everything happens for a reason. Without these life experiences, you will not be able to better yourself or learn. Be welcoming of the experiences that you have as it will help you in your life.

Each night of Yule is essential, so if you want to have a successful Yule celebration, it is an excellent idea to celebrate all Twelve Nights of Yule. You can follow traditional ceremonies, or you can make your own that still bring the magick of Yule to you and your home.