Yule - the Altar (and an update from me!)

I'm trying to get back into my blogging again. Yes, I was absent from the bloggingworld for almost the whole month of November - but I have a good excuse!

YES! I was participating in NaNoWriMo, and I DID IT!! I wrote 50,000 words in 30 days! It's a great start on my novel, which is far from finished and may or may not ever see the light of day. We shall see...

Anyways, along with my soul-searching and writing, I have been busy with the kids, and doing this crazy Real-Estate dance that has driven me almost to the brink of insanity! I can't say much right now except for that we WILL be moving soon, into our very first HOME, and I'm so excited and happy yet so stressed beyond belief! We are waiting to sign the final papers (the title) and then get the keys and move!!

So.... funny thing... when you write as much as you can for 30 days straight, it actually becomes a habit! I have started journaling again just to keep writing, and as you can see from the previous two bogs, I have been inspired both poetically and spiritually. Today I kept thinking of several things I would like to blog about, but the day passed me by rather quickly as I cleaned my kitchen, and did my usual household stuff - and then of course I had to watch the Charlie Brown Christmas special on tv. So I finally get back to my computer and wonder... what should I write about?

Looking thru my blog list I remembered this site - Pagan Blog Prompts and I figured today's prompt was a perfect way to get my wheels turning!! I had wanted to start posting some Yule related stuff anyways, and today's prompt is;

Your winter altar

Show or describe your altar as it stands in the winter months. What sorts of imagery do you focus on? Which deities do you call in via symbolism? Where in your home does it sit?

I love the colors of this season... pure, crisp whites, with dark greens and deep reds. Highlighted with golds and silvers.... these colors are refreshing and empowering and I try to include them on my altar if I can. I have a dark green tablecloth that I use as an altar cloth, and white lace doilies on the top give it a perfect touch. Of course I have two white candles, and I usually include a large red candle right in the middle - cinnamon scented if they have it. Pine cones, holly leaves, and mistletoe will decorate my altar if I can find them (sometimes I have to substitute the fake plastic stuff, but I don't mind). I also try to place some representation of the Sun on my altar at this time of the year, as I find this is an important, yet often overlooked symbol of this Sabbat...

Yule, or Winter Solstice, is traditionally thought of as the first day of winter, as the hemisphere is now tilted away from the sun and the colder weather is here to stay for awhile. But the night of Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year, meaning that after Yule - the days slowly become to get longer again, and the Sun slowly regains it's balance and prominence. This year I painted a little ceramic box with paint ad beads = a picture of the sun, and I am looking forward to giving it a place on my winter altar to help welcome back the sun and recognize that brighter times lay ahead!!

I don't currently have my altar, or any seasonal decorations put up, because we will be moving sometime in the week before Christmas. I am hoping to be settled in by Yule so I can put up my altar. Wish I had some pictures to show you, but instead I found these Yule altar photos at Pagan/Wiccan About.com, as well as this article about what other types of things or items might be placed on a Yule Altar...