Samuel

[themori-witch]

Yule  & The Winter Solstice 101

Summer is over, Winter is in full swing, and Yule is upon us. 

Yule, pronounced “yool”, falls on the 21st of December in the Northern Hemisphere, a date that is also known as the Winter Solstice. In the Southern Hemisphere (below the equator), Yule falls on the 21st of June.

The Winter Solstice is the day of the year when the night is longest and the day is shortest. After the solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter.

Some Historical & Cultural Stuff:

Yule is the time of the year when the “dark half” of the year ends and the “light half begins”. 

Until the 16th century, the winter months were infamous for being times of famine in Europe - most cattle were slaughtered during this time so that they did not need to be fed during the winter. The feed was needed for the mouths of the farmers and the people. This meant that the solstice was a time when meat was plentiful, and is the reason why a lot of the celebrations surrounding this time of year centre around feasting and merriment.

In pre-Christian Scandinavia, there was a feast (named the Feast of Juul) that lasted for twelve (12) days. It celebrated the rebirth of the sun, and from this feast came the custom of burning a Yule log.

In ancient Rome, the Festival of Saturnalia (famously referenced in an episode of The Big Bang Theory) was the pillar of solstice celebrations. It was used to honour the God of agricultural bounty, Saturn and lasted around a week. Saturnalia was characterised by feasting, debauchery and the exchanging of gifts. Does that sound familiar? Well, it should! Many of these customs were absorbed and assimilated into Christian Christmas celebrations upon Emperor Constantine’s conversion to Christianity. This was done to make the conversion less of a shock.

Yule Associations: 

Colours:  Red, green, gold; white; silver; yellow.

Herbs & Plants: Mistletoe, Snowdrop, Lemongrass; Chive; Cinnamon; Sage; Rosemary; Ginger; Garlic; Orange Peel; Dill; Basil; Black Pepper; Bay Leaf; Ash; Thistle; Evergreen; Cedar; Frankincense; Holly; Ivy; Juniper; Mistletoe; Oak; Pine; Sandalwood; Yew; Cypress; Fir; Comfrey; Elder; Chestnut; Myrrh.

Symbols: Mistletoe, pillar candles in any associated colour, evergreen boughs and wreaths; fruit studded with cloves; wassail; Yule logs; holly.

Food & Drink: Yule log, wine (mulled), cider; turkey; lamb; venison; beef; cranberries; stew; pork; nuts; oranges; clementines. Seasonal vegetables. Wassail. Apples. Fruit. Cakes soaked in alcohol.

Stones Crystals & Metals: Gold, silver, diamonds; rubies; emeralds; bloodstone’ quartz.

Activities & Things to Do: Carolling. Wassailing, feasting, exchanging gifts; burning fires/candles; decorating a Yule tree and making decorations to put on it, such as Witch Balls, clove pricked fruit; make Winter potpourri.

Spells, Magick & Rituals: Cleansing, taking down old wards and putting up new ones, divination; reflective workings; workings related to new beginnings and fresh starts. Workings for goals and ambitions. Earth based magick.

[theshma]

The Winter Solstice is my birthday 🌲❄

[shaolinbynature]

[theshma]

This is epic

[whitepeopletwitter]

[kestrel-tree]

Ridiculous yet effective ways to deal with Executive Dysfunction

Dealing with executive dysfunction and ADHD becomes so much easier when you stop trying to do things the way you feel like you should be able to do them (like everyone else) and start finding ways that actually work for you, no matter how “silly” or “unnecessary” they seem.

For years my floor was constantly covered in laundry. Clean laundry got mixed in with dirty and I had to wash things twice, just making more work for myself. Now I just have 3 laundry bins: dirty (wash it later), clean (put it away later), and mystery (figure it out later). Sure, theoretically I could sort my clothes into dirty or clean as soon as I take them off and put them away straight out of the dryer, but realistically that’s never going to be a sustainable strategy for me.

How many garbage bins do you need in a bedroom? One? WRONG! The correct answer is one within arms reach at all times. Which for me is three. Because am I really going to get up to blow my nose when I’m hyperfocusing? NO. In allergy season I even have an empty kleenex box for “used tissues I can use again.” Kinda gross? Yeah. But less gross than a snowy winter landscape of dusty germs on my desk.

I used to be late all the time because I couldn’t find my house key. But it costs $2.50 and 3 minutes to copy a key, so now there’s one in my backpack, my purse, my gym bag, my wallet, my desk, and hanging on my door. Problem solved.

I’m like a ninja for getting pout the door past reminder notes without noticing. If I really don’t want to forget something, I make a physical barrier in front of my door. A sticky note is a lot easier to walk past than a two foot high cardboard box with my wallet on top of it.

Executive dysfunction is always going to cause challenges, but often half the struggle is trying to cope by pretending not to have executive dysfunction, instead of finding actual solutions.

[roachpatrol]

i left cabinet doors open all my life and couldn’t make myself stop leaving them open until i figured out my subconscious just wants to know where everything is at a glance. i put labels on each cabinet door for what was behind the cabinet and after that i was a lot better at closing them. 

showers are hard for me because they involve a lot of steps to get in and out. buying cleaning hand wipes helps me stay a lot cleaner and happier when i’m too tired or distracted to make myself be a normal person– they’re faster and involve way less prep time, decision making, and unpleasant physical sensations. 

i have disordered eating because, again, getting food is complicated, much less cooking anything. buying 10-12$ of cliff bars at a go and keeping them in my room by my bed gives me a headstart on breakfast and lets me take my meds on time. otherwise i would lie in bed, not taking my meds because i had to eat, and not eating because i was too tired and nauseous from being hungry to get out of bed.  

‘just try harder’ is not a solution. figuring out the actual problem and addressing it is the solution.

’normal’ isn’t the goal. you can’t be normal. it’s too late, but you know what, fuck normal. trying to be normal is going to kill you. ‘functional’ is the goal, and you can be functional. you can kick ass at functional. and that’s a lot better. 

[copperbadge]

When I talk about how there is no universal system for Keeping Your Shit Together, and how it’s more important to find a system that works for you, this is exactly the kind of thing I mean. 

My keys hang on the door so I literally can’t leave my apartment without touching them. My socks kept getting everywhere when I kept them with my other clothes, so instead I now keep them in a little hutch in the kitchen, where I keep all my shoes. All my silverware is in jars on my kitchen island so I can see clearly when I am out of forks. When I didn’t want to put on my socks to go running, I bought running shoes that didn’t require socks. There are people who would find all of the above unworkable and/or appalling but they don’t have to live my life and I do. 

Find what works for you and work it. Doesn’t matter if it’s weird or unusual or not as healthy as some weird ideal which is probably just a marketing tool anyway. If it works, work it. 

[snakewife]

’normal’ isn’t the goal. you can’t be normal. it’s too late, but you know what, fuck normal. trying to be normal is going to kill you. ‘functional’ is the goal, and you can be functional. you can kick ass at functional. and that’s a lot better.

Reblogging for this bit. It’s okay to be functional.

[luna-and-mars]

Reblogging this again because I’ve started using 2 laundry bins and it’s working so well THANK YOU

(One is labeled “dirty” and the other “Schrödinger’s laundry”)

[willowofthehearth]

I stopped folding large parts of my laundry. I just have bins for them.

Camisoles, tanks, cardigans, just go in bins. They don’t crease and folding was a hurdle I could never seem to get over so I wound up with the mixed clean/dirty floordrobe situation and never knew what to wear.

I’ve started doing this with towels too.

Once you get past the idea that your life has to look “normal” and that to be “put together” means acting the same way neurotypicals do… It’s so freeing. Don’t berate yourself because something should be basic, or easy or whatever. Sit down, consider what is your specific hurdle, and then make allowances for yourself. This is self care, and self love.

[petalstofish-deactivated2022041]

[rainandyarn]

[wistfullycountry]

@mkovalevskaya_ru

[autumnhappinessandwarmth]

[arrghigiveup]

I need a 3D printer.

[arrghigiveup]

Edited to include the picture with lid XD

[ramenhaven]

Miso Ramen with Braised Pork Belly, White Mushrooms, Green Onion, and Soft-Boiled Egg

[ramenhaven]

Crispy pork ramen

[infpisme]

“In the end, you know that only yourself could heal you. You have to take time to figure it out. The choice is in your hands. My dear old friend, you love and you learn.”

— Chuck Akot

[chuckakot]

“When you touch me, I do not know what to say. I know silence, just a little of it. I know the beating of your heart in my chest, but you have kept me quiet.”

⁠— Chuck Akot, from Collected Poems, when you touch me

[ramenhaven]

First time tonkotsu ramen

[shrekfiona]

Actually I’m highly logical which allows me to look past extraneous detail and perceive clearly that which others overlook. (Happy Birthday, Hermione Granger)

[cat-cosplay]

"Nothing purrsonal."

[marvel-lexa]

I’m not the only one who gets excited to watch a storm.