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YULE / WINTER SOLSTICE
Wheel of the year / Pagan sabbat art

 

OIL PAINTING IN PROGRESS 

 

OIL PAINTING IN PROGRESS

 



  Yule, winter solstice, Oil on Canvas, 76 cm x 61 cm

 

 

YULE / WINTER SOLSTICE

TRADITIONAL DATES : Northern Hem: Dec 21 - 22 . Southern Hem: June 21 - 22 .
Astrological dates vary annually.

"In the darkest hour of the longest night, ignite a candle to welcome the return of the light"

YULE: SOME KEY POINTS:

  • Midwinter / Longest Night of the year. One of the most ancient winter celebrations in the world.

  • Traditionally a time of rest, a holiday from sowing and reaping the land all year.

  • A time for family gatherings and story telling.

  • In the morning after the longest night the "sun is born again" because the sun starts to grow bigger again after this night. It is tradition to stay up all night and welcome the sun rise in the morning at this time. However, the sun also appears to be sagnant for 3 days. This has been observed by many ancient cultures for millennia. The sun seems  to "die in the consellation of the Southern Cross before resurrecting after 3 days."

  • Evergreen trees were decorated at Yuletide and gifts exchanged throughout pagan Europe since ancient times to symbolise renewal and hope during the dark winter months and to celebrate this turning point. This old tradition was later adopted and adapted by Christianity.

  • Probably the most important spiritual meaning of the winter solstice is that this is a time meant to reflect and recreate yourself. You should spend at least an hour doing that on the night of the Solstice. Light a candle, keep the lights off, and embrace the darkness.

  • An old legend or mythological story that was shared by many Celtic and pagan traditions is of a battle between the Oak King and the Holly King. They have this battle for supremacy at this time. Some details of this story vary slightly between the different traditions. 

  • Newgrange in Ireland is a 5,200 old stone temple. The sun strikes an Altar point each year at the time of the Winter Solstice. Researchers & archaeologists still do not know how the building could have been constructed but it reflects the importance & significance of the wheel of the year key points to communities since ancient times.






 






















"Yule – Winter Solstice" —

Wheel of the Year Collection | Wiccan Sabbats Series


In the deepest dark, the light is born again. This is Yule, held in oil as a sacred meeting of two worlds.

At its heart is a powerful dual portrait — one face, two Kings. On the left, the Holly King in his winter reign: skin cool as frost, hair and beard braided with holly leaves and bright red berries, wreathed in snow. On the right, the Oak King returning: skin warm as living wood grain, crowned with green oak leaves and acorns, his beard tangled like roots coming alive again.

Between them, a crown of Celtic knotwork unites them — they are not enemies, but one soul turning. Beneath them, the forest sleeps under falling snow, a Yule tree glows softly with lights against the bare branches, and in the lower corner, curled in a disc of pure gold leaf, is the miracle — the newborn Sun Child, sleeping on snow, the new-born Sun at its most vulnerable and most powerful.

Bonny Hut frames the entire piece in a Celtic border under a star-filled night, with delicate snowflakes dusting the bottom of the canvas like a quiet prayer.

The Sabbat: Yule is the Winter Solstice  the longest night of the year. It is the stillest point of the Wheel, when nature holds its breath. And then, the turn. The old stories say this is the great battle of light and dark, where the Holly King who has ruled the waning year yields to the Oak King who will rule the waxing light.

 It is also the birth of the Sun God to the Goddess — from death comes new life. Evergreens were brought inside to remind us life endures, Yule logs burned to call the sun back, and ever since we still hang lights in the dark.

Why this print belongs in your home: A print of Yule is a talisman of hope and renewal. It is for those who are in a winter season of their own — a reminder that the dark is not an ending, but a womb. Hang it where you need comfort, reflection, and quiet strength. It brings grounding, protection, and the profound promise that the light always returns.

 It is especially meaningful for those who love winter magic, Celtic mythology, and the deep, cozy peace of a candle lit against a snowy night. This is not just a painting of midwinter. It is the moment the Wheel turns, and the Sun is reborn in your hands.