The twelve magic nights of Christmas was always acknowledged and celebrated as a spiritually charged time when our material world and the spiritual world overlaps. There are local differences across Europe to when the events begin and end, starting between 21st - 25 December and finishing on 1st - 6th January.

From past Celtic culture the twelve magic nights would of most likely began on the Winter Solstice, 21 December, it was also known as Mother’s Night, with much spiritual emphasis on female Goddesses and Dieties. it marked the beginning of the new year, it was observed and celebrated for the entire evening deep into the night.

During the twelve days and nights no hard work would be undertaken, it was a time of inner work peace and festive celebration.

The winter solstice produces the shortest period of light in the day and the longest night of the year, the return of the Suns path was felt and known as the rebirth of the Sun and from now onwards towards the summer solstice (21st June) each day we are blessed with more minutes of sunlight.

Ancient cultures around the Earth observed/celebrated this festival. It was much more popular in past times, I'm sure the locals would have seen it as a great inspirational milestone, with part of the dangerously cold winter already passed, as the Sun regains its strength again.

The layouts of Neolithic and Bronze Age archaeological sites, such as Stonehenge in England, the astonishing stone works of Orkney and Newgrange in Ireland were built with more acknowledgement to the winter solstice rather than the summer solstice, with their main stones pointed out in alignment to the midwinter Sun.

To our recent British ancestors this solstice time was commonly known as Yule or Yuletide. The name Yule derives from the word yoole, which developed from the Old English term geo-l in the 8th Century AD. Yule was always known as the twelve day holiday, beginning on Mothers Night (December 21st) and ending twelve days later (January 1st). It's the origin for the 12 days of Christmas. The 21st December also rekindles the enduring legend of the battle between the oak king and  the holly king. These two mighty rulers fight for supremacy as the wheel of the year turns. The Winter Solstice sees the oak king conquer the holly king and oak reigns until Summer Solstice. In some ancient european traditions, the oak king and the holly king are seen as dual aspects of the horned god Cernunnos. Each of these twin aspects rules for half the year, battles for the favour of the Goddess, and then retires to nurse his wounds for the next six months, until it's time for him to reign once more.

For other folk with a spiritual outlook, Yule is the time when the Sun God Lugh is reborn in human form to rejoin his beloved wife Eriu. Eriu is described as a hag, who transformed into a powerful goddess by the marriage. She was known in Ireland as the sovereignty of Ireland.

A time of sharing, caring and feeling jolly and merry and celebrating life,  Feel whats correct, true and righteous for our life path, and let it flow into the unfolding year. Wake up before dawn around the Solstice, meet up with family and friends, sing together. laugh together and feel the magic of this time.

Go outdoors when you can during the 12 days/nights of Christmas, in the  garden or the local park or countryside and open the heart, greet and thank the nature, and greet and thank the sun our beautiful warm star returning again gradually becoming warmer and warmer, brighter and brighter.

'Solstice' meaning : From Latin-  'Solstitium', containing the 'sol'  Sun &  'sistere'  to still / stand. 

Peter Carvello.

Nov 2024