The Longest Night is on December 21st and or the winter solstice and or Yule. Since the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun in December, it receives less sunlight during the course of a day. At the solstice, the North Pole’s tilt away from the Sun is greatest, so this event marks the shortest day of the year north of the equator. It is the best time for dark magic and for dark pagans, Vampyrians, and other dark kin. It is also the time we are at our strongest and there is less sun to interrupt with our manifestations. Dark manifestations include those to help oneself for personal needs (as well as two drain others and take from others). The best magic to do during this time is psychic magic as well as blood magic and personal Magic as well as other dark magic. This is my favorite time of year and my most useful time of year as a dark Pagan, a goth, and a Vampyre.
Winter Solstice, Pagan Traditions & Christmas
The solstice may have been a special moment of the annual cycle for some cultures even during neolithic times. Astronomical events were often used to guide activities such as the mating of animals, the sowing of crops and the monitoring of winter reserves of food. Many cultural mythologies and traditions are derived from this. This is attested by physical remains in the layouts of late Neolithic and Bronze Age archaeological sites, such as Stonehenge in England and New grange in Ireland. The winter solstice was immensely important because the people were economically dependent on monitoring the progress of the seasons. Starvation was common during the first months of the winter, January to April (northern hemisphere) or July to October (southern hemisphere), also known as “the famine months”. In temperate climates, the midwinter festival was the last feast celebration, before deep winter began. Because the event was seen as the reversal of the Sun’s ebbing presence in the sky, concepts of the birth or rebirth of sun gods have been common and, in cultures which used cyclic calendars based on the winter solstice, the “year as reborn” was celebrated with reference to life-death-rebirth deities or “new beginnings”. Yule is an indigenous winter festival celebrated by the Germanic peoples. The earliest references to it are in the form of month names, where the Yule-tide period lasts somewhere around two months, falling along the end of the modern calendar year between what is now mid-November and early January.
The pagan Scandinavian and Germanic people of northern Europe celebrated a twelve-day “midwinter” (winter solstice) holiday called Yule (also called Jul, Julblot, jólablót, midvinterblot, julofferfest) one of the names of Odin. Yule is the modern version of Old Norse Jóland Jólnirone of the names for Odin. The Old English derivates ġēolorġēoholandġēolaorġēoli, indicates the 12-day festival of "Yule" (later: "Christmastide") and the latter indicating the month of "Yule", whereby ǣrra ġēolareferred to the period before the Yule festival (December) and æftera ġēolareferred to the period after Yule (January). Both words are cognate with Gothic 𐌾𐌹𐌿𐌻𐌴𐌹𐍃 (jiuleis); Old Norse, Icelandic, Faroese and Norwegian Nynorskjól, jol, ýlir; Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian Bokmåljul, and are thought to be derived from Proto-Germanic *jehwlą-.[2][3]The etymological pedigree of the word remains uncertain, though numerous speculative attempts have been made to find Indo-Europeancognates outside the Germanic group, too. The noun Yuletide is first attested from around 1475. Many modern Christmas traditions, such as the Christmas tree, the Christmas wreath, the Yule log, and others, are direct descendants of Yule customs.
Sol Invictus (“The Unconquered Sun”) was originally a Syrian god who was adopted as the chief god of the Roman Empire, the official sun god and a patron of soldiers under Emperor Aurelian in 274 AD. His holiday was traditionally celebrated on December 25, as are several gods associated with the winter solstice in many pagan traditions. The theory dating from the 12th century says that the near-solstice date of 25 December for Christmas was selected because it was the date of the Roman festival of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (Birthday of the Unconquered Sun). Of course, there are scholars who challenge this theory. On the other hand, customs of the Christian religion are full of examples of pagan rituals adapted by Christianity. The purpose was clear and logical: to make it easier for the ancient folks to accept the new religion.
Beatus Sol Invictus
Vampyrian Beliefs
The longest night. A vampire’s delight.The winter solstice is a time of birth and rebirth, life and death, waning light and rising darkness. We believe this is the best time to invoke Layla or of Lilith and do magic in her Realm or of her/them or whomever is your God or Goddess. Most of our rituals are best done during this time as well as empowering rituals as well as invoking rituals and curses. Also doing rituals during this time can give them a darker nature and holds a special place and Layla/ Lilith heart and this will be the best time to do an invocation to her, the feast of Layla/Lilith as well as any other invocation, Lilith day, and of course the ritual of the longest night!
Ritual of the Longest Night – DEC. 21st:
Spiritual Father: Welcome to the Ritual of the Longest Night
Spiritual Mother: Yes, welcome, thank you for coming!
Father: This is a Ritual to celebrate the longest night of the year, an especially sacred time, when much lingers on the brink of death, existing in the places in between. Many celebrate the returning of the Sun, but we also celebrate its absence, for there is much that is beautiful about the Night. We are gathered in a time to connect with One’s own Darkness, to examine the journey. More than all else, to step outside the bounds of what we already know, and into the realms of the unknown.
Spiritual Father and Mother: We shall begin.
Spiritual Father: I call to thee Mother Layla, Hecate, and Father Set; I call to thee to join me in Ritual this, the longest Night. Dark Layla, come, celebrate this Darkness with me, come revel in the deep black. Layla, Mother, Goddess, Vampyr Queen! To you I do sacrifice this Light (blows out candle) Hail Layla, Hecate, and Father Set!
Spiritual Mother: I call to thee Kali Ma, Kali Durga, kala, time, Mother, destroyer, bloodthirsty dancer! I call to thee and cry to thee “Ama!” Before me, you change shape, at once Layla, at your feet are owls, and in your eyes are the Spirits of the Wind, and you are Mother still. Unto the Mother of Darkness I do sacrifice this flame (blows out candle)…
Hail Kali, Hail Layla, Hail!
(Each Member “offers” the light to their Deity/Divine by “blowing out their candle”, until all are “standing in Darkness.”)
Spiritual Father: Darkness is often thought of as a ‘time for dreams’, for those of us who dwell in the dark, life can often seem a Dream. It is true, the Night is not reserved for Fantasy, but when the light has left, in the secret dark of our selves, there is Desire born.
Spiritual Mother: I would ask that each of you reveal to yourself, a piece of your Darkness, something born of your Desire. Speak it to yourself, or write it down where you can face it for what it is. Don’t share it here; this is for you and the Dark alone to know. (We will observe two minutes of silence in the chat for the completion of this activity.)
Spiritual Father: I draw this blade, and with no eyes to see it in the Darkness, I could be grasping the hilt or the blade. (Raises athame) I am spared, it is true to me. But had it not been, how easily a lesson learned, than to go grasping for things in the Dark. I do not deny Darkness, and it is true to me, but it can cut me quick, and I do not grasp it lightly. I have great respect for that which is Dark, and here on this, the longest Night of the year, I celebrate its power. I pass this blade to our Spiritual Mother.
Spiritual Mother: Hail the Darkness!
(All Members: Hail!)
Spiritual Mother: We are not monsters, we do not hide from the Light, but the Darkness is a part of us, just as integral, and equally as sacred. As we seek to achieve Balance, we must meter out as well a time for the Dark. This is that time! I pass this blade to ______
(Next Member) Hail!
(All Members “pass the blade” until it is “returned” to our Spiritual Father.)
Spiritual Father: Layla, Dark Mother, drink with me of this Chalice if you will, for there are dark blessings on your lips, and I would have them! (Drinks of chalice) Ina Etuti Absu! Dwell in Darkness! I pass this chalice to
Our Spiritual Mother…
Spiritual Mother: Darkness, drink with me of this cup, for from it the blood of my Ancestors is born, and I would have their Wisdom tonight. (Drinks of chalice) Ina Etuti Absu! Dwell in Darkness! I pass this chalice to ______…
(Chalice is “passed” to all Members until it is “empty” and returned to Spiritual Father)…
Spiritual Father: Thank all those who have joined us this night for coming; we were honored to have you here…
Spiritual Mother: Yes, thank you for coming, and Dark Blessings!
Spiritual Father: The Ritual is ended…
© Rev. Samilyn and Founding Father J P Vanir