The Sacred Herbs of Yule and Christmas

Foreword by Lucya Starza

An Introduction to Yule and Herbal Magic

A Primer on Herbal Preparation

A Primer on Herb Magic

PART ONE
TRADITIONS, RITES, FOODS, AND DRINKS OF THE SEASON

The Gift Bringers, Spirits, and Mystical Figures of Winter
The Animals at Yule
Rituals and Rites of Solstice, Yule, and Christmas
A Rite for the Goddess at the Winter Solstice
Christmas Traditions and Recipes from around the World
Wassailing and Other Yuletide Libations

PART TWO
MAGICAL AND MEDICINAL HERBS OF WINTER

Allspice
Almond
Apple
Bayberry
Birch
Boxwood
Cacao
Cinnamon
Clove
Cranberry
Frankincense and Myrrh
Ginger
Hawthorn
Hibiscus
Holly
Hyssop
Ivy
Juniper
Laurel
Lemon
Licorice
Mint
Mistletoe
Nutmeg
Oak
Orange
Pine and Other Conifers
Poinsettia
Rosemary
Star of Bethlehem
Vanilla

Notes

Index of Recipes and Projects

Index of Plants by Common Name

Index of Plantsby Scientific Name

General Index

Ellen Evert Hopman is a master herbalist and lay homeopath, who has been a Druidic initiate since 1984. She is a founding member of the Order of the White Oak, the Archdruidess and founder of Tribe of the Oak, a former professor at the Grey School of Wizardry, and a member of the Grey Council of Mages and Sages. She is the author of Celtic herbals and Druid novels, including Secret Medicines from Your Garden, The Sacred Herbs of Samhain, and Once Around the Sun: Stories, Crafts, and Recipes to Celebrate the Sacred Earth Year. She lives in Massachusetts.

“This is so much more than an herbal book. Ellen has covered origins and meanings for this most wonderful time of year as well as including practical workings. Packed full with fascinating myth busters and a festive hamper brimming over with magical and medicinal herbs found and used at Yule. A comprehensive guide to working magic and connecting with the energy of the season. Highly recommended.” Rachel Patterson, author of A Witch for Every Season

“Amid the swirl of seasonal tastes, smells, and colors, Ellen Evert Hopman sprinkles elves and international lore in abundance. This is a delightful culinary and medicinal reference with Pagan sensibilities. Hopman’s culinary recipes call for unusual herbs blended with humor and cautions in equal measure. My personal favorite is Fallen Oak Leaf Broth. What a treat!” Lyrion ApTower, author of Musings & Miscellany

“Winter Solstice, Yule, the longest night, shortest day; it has for centuries been held by many as a central sacred point in time. Within it is the shared experience of coming together to share in the warmth of family and community, all yearning for the return of the light. Ellen’s book The Sacred Herbs of Yule and Christmas is stuffed full with bits of seasonal wisdom. It is a delightful gift to take with you into the dark and cold, to help warm the heart with stories and traditions, garnishing the anticipation and participation in the joy of the holiday.” Laura Wildman, author of What’s Your Wicca IQ?

“A mystical journey through a magical time of year, delving into traditions of old and magical rituals and rites to enrich the wonders of the winter season. The Sacred Herbs of Yule and Christmas is a highly recommended book that adds an extra sprinkling of magic and a depth of meaning to any Yuletide celebration, gathering, or personal observance.” Roxie J. Zwicker, author of Haunted Portsmouth and Maine Book of the Dead

“With beautiful illustrations and many recipes, The Sacred Herbs of Yule and Christmas is packed full of historical information about the origins of these traditions. It would be a fun project to work through this book, especially with children, being at the same time educational without the boredom or misery often associated with learning.” Luke Eastwood, author of The Druid’s Primer and coauthor of Kerry Folk Tales

“This is a very interesting book, and Ellen Evert Hopman sure knows her stuff. I recommend The Sacred Herbs of Yule and Christmas to anyone interested in the Yuletide traditions. I have a number of her books and am looking to add this one to my collection.” T. Sibley, Ph.D., traditional Norse practitioner and author of The Way of the Wise

“A well-developed, comprehensive, and logical presentation on the subject of herbs and seasonal celebrations for Yule and Christmas. The information is accessible for a beginner and insightful for the advanced practitioner. A well-illustrated book that can be used for both instructional and referential purposes.” Amoric, Third-Degree Alexandrian High Priest with more than 30 years of activity in the craft community Amoric, Third-Degree Alexandrian High Priest and contributor to The Real Witches of New England

SPIRITUALITY/PAGANISM

“A festive hamper brimming over with magical and medicinal herbs found and used at Yule. A comprehensive guide to working magic and connecting with the energy of the season. Highly recommended.” –Rachel Patterson, author of A Witch for Every Season

“This is a delightful culinary and medicinal reference with Pagan sensibilities. Hopman’s culinary recipes call for unusual herbs blended with humor and cautions in equal measure. . . . What a treat!” –Lyrion ApTower, author of Musings & Miscellany

For millennia cultures have taken time out to honor the darkest days of the year with lights, foods, and festivities.

In ancient Egypt, people decorated their homes with greenery at the festival of the rebirth of the God Horus. The ancient Romans shared gifts, especially candles, at the midwinter festival of Saturnalia. In Scandinavian and Germanic cultures, the Yule Log was burned in the hearth, fruit orchards were wassailed, and sheaves of wheat were displayed to carry luck into the New Year. In Celtic cultures, mummers and guisers went door to door, and European mistletoe (Viscum album) was gathered by Druids as a medicinal and magical aid.

Ellen Evert Hopman shares folklore, recipes, rituals, and crafts to enliven your Yuletide observance. She explores the origins of the Christmas tree and Santa Claus as well as holiday Spirits and Yuletide animals. She explains how to perform Winter Solstice divinations and make traditional foods and drinks such as Elizabethan gingerbread cookies and Wassail. And she looks in depth at the medicinal and magical properties of the many herbs, barks, and berries associated with the Christmas and Yuletide season such as Frankincense and Myrrh, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Hibiscus, Bayberry, and many more. This guide offers practical and magical ways to celebrate and honor the darkest days of the year.

Ellen Evert Hopman is a master herbalist and lay homeopath, who has been a Druidic initiate since 1984. She is a founding member of the Order of the White Oak, the Archdruidess and founder of Tribe of the Oak, a former professor at the Grey School of Wizardry, and a member of the Grey Council of Mages and Sages. She is the author of Celtic herbals and Druid novels, including Secret Medicines from Your Garden, The Sacred Herbs of Samhain, and Once Around the Sun: Stories, Crafts, and Recipes to Celebrate the Sacred Earth Year. She lives in Massachusetts.