Yule: The Midwinter Ritual
The rain beats heavily against the window, a portal onto a dark and unknowable landscape. The tempest howls and whistles at the door, commanding entry into the warmth of company. Within a shadowed room three candles glow warmly about a circle of friends. Each one is lost in thoughts, their attention directed to the calennig in their hands. In turn the participants whisper words of power that tremble from their lips:
By apple red and almond white,
I cast this spell upon this night!
By might of triple evergreen,
Oh spirits present and unseen,
By warmth of glowing candle flame,
Luck and fortune thus we claim!
The calennig (kal-ENN-ig) is an old Welsh term that is derived from the Latin word kalends, meaning “the beginning of a new month or year.” The English word “calendar” shares the same etymological root. In Wales, the calennig is an ancient winter ritual that may be traced as far back to the fourth century and the Celto-Romano period of the British Isles. The Romans introduced the Mediterranean apple to Britain, a much larger species than the small native crab apple. Whilst the actual significance of this ceremony has been lost to the mists of time, it is being successfully reintroduced into Welsh and Pagan culture.
Traditionally, the calennig is a new year gift that is claimed to bring good luck and fortune for the year ahead. It consists of a bright red apple studded with almonds which sits atop three small legs made of twigs. In recent times, cloves have been used to replace the almonds. A candle is stuck into the top of the apple and evergreens decorate its base. Children would wander from house to house carrying their calennig, knocking on doors and singing a verse in return for cookies and cakes.
In modern Paganism, the calennig represents a myriad of symbols associated with the longest night and shortest day. The apple, long associated with the otherworld, symbolizes our connection to the ancestors and the dead. The candle atop the apple is symbolic of the returning light, the sun born from darkness. The almonds represent promise and faithfulness, as it is the first tree to flower in spring, and is traditionally associated with the powers of awakening and watchfulness. The evergreens of holly, ivy, and mistletoe remind us of the animistic principles in nature and our connection to them and the qualities of protection, friendship, and magic. The calennig is kept year round, and whilst the apple and greens may well shrivel and dry, it is believed that luck and fortune will remain so long as the calennig remains upright.
So this Alban Arthan, why not bring a little Welsh magic to your celebrations by performing this simple yet beautiful ritual with ancient roots? This ceremony can be performed by a group of people as well as solitary. The main working of the ritual is the creation of the calennig itself. With this in mind, you will need to consider the space afforded to you and how many participants will be present. Be creative—this is a fun ceremony that should be radiant with joy and laughter. Place the required components around the central cauldron, which, if there are twenty or more people present, will be quite a spectacle! The only thing that will limit the effectiveness of this ceremony is your imagination.
Items Needed
1 cauldron
1 small candle (the small Christmas tree variety is perfect)
4 additional candles (either pillar or jarred or whatever you have in your magical cupboard) to represent the powers of land, sea and sky, and one to sit in the cauldron
An array of evergreens and pinecones
3 twigs approximately 4 inches long
1 large red apple
A small, sharp knife
13 split almonds
A sprig of holly
A sprig of ivy
A sprig of mistletoe
And so it begins…
Delineate sacred space in that manner by which you are accustomed or…
With your cauldron taking center stage with candle within, arrange the calennig components around it. Place the 3 additional candles around the edge of your circle at equal distances from each other. Take some evergreens or pinecones to delineate your circle and approach the candle that represents land and say these or similar words:
Powers of the land, we/I call to thee. Powers or stability and strength, nurture and security arise and come unto us. Creatures of the land, hear this call. Gods and spirits of this land, witness and protect this rite.
Light the candle and lay a trail of evergreens from this candle to the next, which will represent the sea. Say these or similar words:
Powers of the sea, we/I call to thee. Powers of tide and flow, of emotion and feeling, lover of moon and keeper of secrets, arise and come unto us. Creatures of the sea, of lakes and rivers hear this call. Gods and spirits of the sea and water, witness and protect this rite.
Light the candle and lay a trail of evergreens from this candle to the next, which will represent the sky. Say these or similar words:
Powers of the sky, we/I call to thee. Powers of breath and expression, of inspiration and vitality, come unto us. Winged ones, creatures of the air hear this call. Gods and spirits of the sky, witness and protect this rite.
Complete the circle by trailing the evergreens or pinecones to the candle that represents land. Turn to face the center and with both hands outstretched toward the cauldron, say these words or similar:
Powers of the center, of potential of the fire within and the fire without, powers of creation and all-knowing, arise and come unto us, witness and protect this rite.
Light the candle that sits within the cauldron.
Now take the apple and hold it in your power hand, i.e., the hand that you normally write with. Close your eyes and reflect on the previous Samhain season, considering your ancestors and the quality of darkness and rest. Hold the apple aloft and say these or similar words:
Ancient ones of shadows deep,
Sacred dead your wisdom keep.
Here within this apple round,
Otherworldly powers found,
Calennig bring by ancient lore,
Magic from the days of yore.
Now take the three twigs and either force each one into the underside of the apple or create three small slits with the knife to ease their entry. As each twig represents the powers of land, sea, and sky, respectively, call to these powers as you insert each twig. The ultimate aim is to create a stool-like appearance. Fiddle with them until they support the apple firmly on sturdy little legs.
Now take the knife and make thirteen small incisions around the apple, each one representing the passage of the moon. Holding the almonds in your power hand, close your eyes and consider the powers of emergence, of awakening, and promise and how they reflect the qualities of Midwinter. Hold the almonds aloft and say these or similar words:
Blessed fruits of sacred tree,
Imbibe, imbue thy might in me,
Awaken, bring to us the sun,
Now that light o’er dark is won.
Calennig bring by ancient lore,
Magic from the days of yore.
Carefully insert each almond into the apple’s flesh, rounded end first. If you wish, continue to recite the above verse until the task is complete.
Now make three small slits around the top of the apple and take the sprig of holly, close your eyes, and consider its attributes. It is strong and majestic, the red berries glisten against the snows of winter. It is protective and resilient. Hold the holly sprig aloft and say these words or similar:
Oh radiant king in forest deep,
Oh holly stir the world from sleep,
Protect and guard, your luck abound,
Within the wood you are thus crowned.
Calennig bring by ancient lore,
Magic from the days of yore.
Insert the sprig of holly into the top of the apple. Now take the ivy and consider its properties of friendship, resilience, and potential and call to it thus:
Blessed ivy, stout and strong,
Guide us through cold winter’s song,
Climb, ascend to summer’s light,
Keep us through the longest night.
Calennig bring by ancient lore,
Magic from the days of yore.
Insert the sprig of ivy into the top of the apple. Take the mistletoe and consider its properties of healing and magic and call to it:
All heal, all heal, green and white,
By shout of ancient Druid rite,
Between the realm of sky and earth,
Bestowed within the gift of birth.
Calennig bring by ancient lore,
Magic from the days of yore.
Insert the sprig of mistletoe into the top of the apple. Affix the small candle to the very top of the apple; a little melted wax will help position it securely.
Consider the meaning of this night and light the candle to mimic the rebirthing of the sun. Now hold your calennig aloft in both hands and say these words or similar three times:
By apple red and almond white,
I cast this spell upon this night!
By might of triple evergreen,
Oh spirits present and unseen,
By warmth of glowing candle flame,
Luck and fortune thus we claim!
Your calennig is now complete. Remain in your sacred space and revel in celebration and frivolity. Finally, bid farewell to the powers of the cauldron and extinguish the candle therein. Turn to the three candles that sit about the circle, acknowledge their powers, and extinguish them. Keep your calennig as close to the center of your home as possible or near the hearth until the twelfth night, and then find it a home in a quiet corner. When the wheel turns to Midwinter once more, offer your calennig to fire and thank it for its presence in your life, a reminder of the powers of nature and the sun.
The rite is done and the wheel resumes its perpetual turning through the seasons.
A blessed Alban Arthan to you all.