Holly and the Winter Solstice

Blessed Yule and Winter Solstice to everyone in the northern hemisphere. This is the day of maximum darkness and tomorrow, the light will slowly start to seep back into our world. The Oak King has claimed back his crown from the Holly King and so, in honour, I would like to share some holly folklore with you.

It is considered beneficial to bring Holly into the home before the onset of winter as the fae sheltering within would be benign and capable of living in harmony with the human occupants (theoretically more inclined to therefore bestow luck and positive energy). However, this Holly had to be removed by the 31st January as after this date, the fae would turn wrathful.

Holly is considered to be a lucky tree for men and masculine energy and by carrying a leaf or berry, would make one irresistible to women and those with female energy. It is also spiritually associated with tenacity and is highly protective against negative entities and angry elementals such as thunder and lightning. Wreaths of Holly were also hung around the necks of cattle to protect them from the baneful influences of witches. An easy way to bring some of this protective power into your home is to infuse some leaves in water and then use this water to spray or asperge around your home.

Finally, I leave you with a rather interesting tradition from Scotland, in which young boys, on New Year’s Day, would thrash each other with Holly leaves and branches. The recipient of the thrashing would be hoping that he spill as much blood as possible, as each drop spilt would ensure an extra year of life.

Wishing you all a bright and happy year🎄