Emma Kathryn Wild Witchcraft

By the time the wheel of the year trundles round to Yule, Samhain and the spirits we honour at that time can feel almost like a distant memory. And that’s not a dig or bitchy comment – we all get a little caught up in things as the festive season rolls around, a little lost in all the glitz, filled with festive cheer. And yet, for many people, it’s not all a glittery party that lasts until the new year celebrations. Money worries and the stress of spending or not spending time with people are common, but this time of year can also be tinged with nostalgia and melancholy as we think about those who are with us no longer, our loved ones who have crossed the final divide.

While we think of Samhain and Halloween as being the time for celebrating and honouring those who came before, Yule has a long association with spirits and ghosts. Perhaps there is something to be said about sitting around the Yule fire and sharing stories in the long night, about looking into the darkness with remembrance that seems a little more personal than the celebrations of Samhain. I’ve just finished reading A Christmas Carol with my class at school, perhaps the most famous Christmas story that just so happens to be a ghost story too. And like in the novel, as we stare into the longest night, warmed by the Yule fire, the sadness and nostalgia of the what has already passed are backlit by the hope that comes with the promise of the returning light.

This is the time for more poignant ancestor work, of lighting a candle for our unknown ancestors and remembering and honouring those who we did know, our beloved dead who we might have had relationships with while they still belonged to the realm of the living. Working with our ancestors at this time also involves an element of self reflection and learning so that we might make changes that benefit us.

So how might you work with your own beloved dead at this time of year? There are many simple things you can do. If you live near their final resting place, then spending time there is a no-brainer. Tending the graveside, leaving seasonal plants, the pouring of libations and the lighting of candles are all easy and accessible things that won’t add to the stress of the season. In fact, as small as such actions are, they really provide a pause in the madness of the festive season, a break from the capitalist onslaught, in which you can take a moment to notice yourself, your body, your feelings.

Lighting a Yule fire with the traditional silver birch log can also be incorporated into your ancestor work. Silver birch is a magical tree indeed, often symbolising new beginnings, protection and strength. The seeds of the silver birch are easily spread by the wind, meaning that their progeny grow in new places, upon new ground, and I like to think of this as representing new generations, who might be far removed from their origins but are connected to those who came before.

Setting a place for your beloved dead at your Christmas dinner table and serving them food is also a way of remembering your beloved dead and welcoming them into the folds of family life without overshadowing your own celebrations.

As an obeah woman and witch, I know our ancestors are always with us. We carry them in our blood as we move through this journey that is life, so if you can only do one thing to honour your ancestors, then taking care of yourself, being kinder to yourself and taking the time to centre and ground yourself has to be it.