Sabbats Almanac: Samhain to Mabon - Kristoffer Hughes 2018
Crafty Crafts by Natalie Zaman
Yule
I HAVE A THING for oldish British TV shows, especially when they involve cooking. A favorite is River Cottage, and I have a special fondness for the first Christmas special, probably because the host, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, goes out to a forest with the local hedge witch to find Yule logs.
The Well-Dressed Yule Log
I like the idea of finding a Yule log in the woods, but it’s something I’ve never done. There were years where our Yule log was one of those manufactured logs (made from sawdust, nutshells, wax, and other things and compressed into a log shape), or just a candle in a log-shaped holder when we had no fire place or fire pit. For a few years I managed to store the trunk of the previous year’s Yule tree and cut that up to use as a Yule Log. As the trunk yielded several logs, I got an idea for a unique holiday gift: Garbed in herbs, oils, words, cords, and, of course, glitter, it seems almost a pity to put a match to a well-dressed Yule log, but that’s the point—it’s meant to go up in smoke! And, of course, you can make a well-dressed log for any occasion that calls for a bonfire.
Time Lavished: The actual dressing of the Yule log will take only an hour of your time. Having all of your materials laid out before hand, a large space in which to work, and an extra pair of hands or a support to hold the log steady if it tends to roll or rock when placed on a flat surface will save time as well as frustration. Crafting the log can also be a ritual. If you choose to do this, allow time for the creation of sacred space and any other preparations your tradition dictates.
Coinage Required: $20—$30 will buy you everything you need to dress several logs. But remember—logs can certainly be found, and herbs grown and wild harvested.
Supplies
One log of wood. Found, part of a cord, or a man-made (of recycled materials) log—anything you can (legally and safely) get your hands on.
An uplifting essential oil. I love lemon balm and lemon verbena, but orange blossom and ylang-ylang work well too.
Paint, paint markers, or sharpies
A large bundle of rosemary (for remembrance and gratitude) lavender and sage (for cleansing)
Jute, cotton, hemp, or wool cord. Everything will be burned, so natural is better.
Scissors
Masking tape
Craft glue
Glitter
Small tumbled crystals, crystal points or crystal chips—I used tigers eye (for success), rose quartz (for love) and quartz crystal (for clarity).
Beeswax candle or sealing wax
The suggested stones and herbs can be replaced with others that resonate with you. Always work with materials with which you are comfortable.
Brush any dust and debris from your log.
Write the outgoing year on one end of the log and the incoming year on the other with the markers. On the body of the log, write out some statements of gratitude for the old year, and hopes and wishes for the new year. Brush the log with your sunny essential oil, and roll it in the glitter.
If you’re working with a man-made log, the initial prep work is a bit different, but make no mistake, this type of log is just as good as a natural log. First, remove the packaging and rewrap the log with masking tape and plain brown paper, butcher paper, or a double or triple layer of blank newspaper (newspaper is a bit thin and can tear easily.). Avoid wrapping your paper too tightly as it acts as kindling for these logs; you want the log to have a bit of breathing room. Write the outgoing and incoming years on the new wrapper as well as any intentions and statements of gratitude. Brush the paper with a thin layer of glue and sprinkle it liberally with glitter—there’s no such thing as too much—before blessing it with a few drops of oil.
Cut five 24-inch lengths of cord. (Each one should be long enough to tie around the log and knot it.) Lay them out one underneath the other, spacing them evenly. The length of the space from the top cord to the bottom one should match the length of the log. Center the log on top of the cords; they’ll be the initial means of securing the herbs and flowers to the log before you bind them with a longer length of cord.
Divide your bunch of lavender in half. Place one half on the log so that the tips of the flowers line up with the edge of the log, then do the same on the other end. You should have two bundles of flowers on top of the log, flowers facing outward and the cut stems facing each other.
Place the rosemary in the center of the log, on top of the lavender. The rosemary should cover the parts of the lavender stems that have no flowers.
Place the sage in the center of the log on top of the rosemary. Carefully adjust the layers so that the entire log is covered and that there are no blank spaces.
One at a time, tie up each cord to secure the herbs and flowers to the log.
Next, cut a longer length of cord (about 5 feet long). Lay it out on your workspace, then place the log on top of it. Line up the cord with one end of the log.
Carefully pull the cords up so that you have even lengths on both sides, crisscross them over the herbs and flowers, then wrap them around the back of the log. Work slowly and methodically, crisscrossing the cords over and under the log until you get to the other end. If you didn’t cut a cord long enough to do this, simply knot it off, cut another length of cord and pick up where you left off. You can bind the log once, or several times. When you’re finished, the log will look like a giant smudge stick.
As a finishing touch, stud the log with the crystals. Staring at one end of the log, drop several drips of sealing or beeswax directly onto the herbs until you have a blob the size of a dime. Press the crystals into the wax while it is still warm and liquid. I set my stones in a row down the log, but you can do it in other patterns, or randomly.
Both the making and the burning of the well-dressed Yule Log can be a ritual. Dress the log with intention: Say, sing, or think about things that happened in the waning year for which you are grateful, and the things for which you are hopeful in the coming year. If your log is a gift, personalize it by visualizing the recipient and all of the good things you wish for her as the old year turns to the new.