I conjured up peppermint bark. My dark pagan gods, I never tasted anything so divine in my life. This post will show you how to make your own amazing peppermint bark!
You will need cocoa butter or coconut oil, peppermint extract, white chocolate chips, honey, fennel seeds, and candy canes. I used organic coconut oil. Cocoa butter is expensive and hard to find outside of regular grocery stores. First, make your toppings. Candy the fennel seeds. Add two tablespoons of water and two tablespoons of sugar to a pan. When it sizzles, and the sugar has dissolved, add the fennel seeds. Set it aside. Crumble the candy canes in a blender. I used six candy canes for a topping.
While you are making the bark, your kitchen will smell great. Melt the cocoa butter or cocoa powder and coconut oil together in a double boiler. When it has thoroughly softened and melted, add the peppermint extract. Then pour the chocolate onto parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Let it cool in the fridge.
Clean the bowl you used for the dark chocolate to melt the white chocolate chips. I used coconut oil again. The white chocolate chips weren’t melting the way I would like. Do not let any water get in the bowl or it will seize. Add more peppermint extract to the white chocolate and pour it on top of the dark chocolate. It is tricky. You don’t want the white chocolate and the dark chocolate to blend. Quickly add the toppings – the fennel seeds and the crumbled candy cane. Let the chocolate harden and dry overnight.
Now you have a true divine treat to enjoy and share with your loved ones over the holiday season. Store the peppermint bark in an airtight container in the fridge or the freezer. You will never have to buy it again. You will never want to buy it again. Homemade peppermint bark is far more delicious.
It is optional but not necessary to add the honey. I totally forgot. I was using two different recipes for the bark. It is so quick to make and affordable I just might a second batch. To give as gifts, break the pieces apart and tuck into small cellophane plastic bags and tie with a holiday string or bow.
I have a bottle of cider in the fridge for the holidays. I also have a bottle of brandy to enjoy with the cider or a hot toddy. I made a beautiful gift for my Mom. I just can’t wait for this holiday. I scored a lovely silver table cloth and I decorated my goth tree. I don’t have much money but I am determined to enjoy the holidays.
Winter Solstice is the time when the astrological moment when the sun reaches the Tropic of Capricorn. It’s the shortest day of the year and the first day of winter. During the solstice, the sun rises in the lowest part of the sky. It appears to remain in the same spot for a few days leading to and after this astronomical event.
After the Solstice, the days begin getting longer again. Many cultures view this day as a rebirth. The Winter Solstice occurs annually on December 21st. The Solstice celebrates the beginning of the winter season, the time of the Cailleach.
Winter solstice traditions, meaning and rituals for the shortest day of the year
The Winter Solstice is observed with celebrations at Stonehenge by Druids and PagansCredit: Alamy Live News
What is the Winter Solstice?
The shortest day falls on December 22.
It is known as the winter solstice, marking the day of the year with the fewest sunlight hours.
The solstice always falls between December 19 and 22.
Most years, it falls on the 21st in the UK, but sometimes it lands a little bit off-kilter, because it takes the Earth 365 and a quarter days to go around the sun.
This extra quarter day is why we add a day to the calendar every four years with a leap year – to stop the dates drifting gradually through the seasons.
It is worth noting that December 22 is the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere – those south of the equator will be marking the Summer Solstice tonight.
What is the meaning behind the Winter Solstice?
The word “solstice” comes from the Latin solstitium meaning “sun stands still”.
It refers to the point when the apparent movement of the sun’s path seems to stop briefly.
The event is one of the oldest winter celebrations, and it is still marked by a number of different cultures around the world.
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument which is carefully aligned on a sight-line that points to the winter solstice sunsetCredit: Getty – Contributor
Why is Winter Solstice so important?
Winter solstice is an important time for cultures across the globe.
Under the old Julian calendar, the winter solstice occurred on December 25.
With the introduction of the Gregorian calendar the solstice slipped to the 21st, but the Christian celebration of Jesus’s birth continued to be held on 25 December.
The day is primarily observed by Pagans and Druids who descend on Stonehenge to mark the occasion.
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in Wiltshire, which is carefully aligned on a sight-line that points to the winter solstice sunset.
Archaeologists believe it was constructed from 3000 BC to 2000 BC and it is thought that the winter solstice was actually more important to the people who constructed Stonehenge than the Summer solstice.
The winter solstice was historically a time when cattle was slaughtered (so the animals would not have to be fed during the winter) and the majority of wine and beer was finally fermented.
The only other megalithic monuments in the British Isles which clearly align with the sun are Newgrange in County Meath, Ireland and Maeshowe situated on Mainland, Orkney, Scotland.
Both monuments famously face the winter solstice sunrise.
Druids, pagans and revelers gather at Stonehenge annually to celebrate the first sunrise after the solstice Credit: Getty Images – Getty
How is the Winter Solstice celebrated in the UK?
While many associate December 21 with the solstice, in the pagan and druid communities the celebration comes the following day.
These communities will dress in traditional costumes and mark the first sunrise after the astronomical event.
What are some other Winter Solstice celebrations like?
Celebrations of the lighter days to come have been common throughout history with feasts, festivals and holidays around the December solstice celebrated by cultures across the globe.
Saturnalia:
The winter solstice festival Saturnalia began on December 17 and lasted for seven days in In Ancient Rome.
These Saturnalian banquets were held from as far back as around 217 BCE to honor Saturn, the father of the gods.
The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn, in the Roman Forum, and a public banquet, followed by private gift-giving, continual partying, and a carnival atmosphere that overturned Roman social norms.
The festival was characterized as a free-for-all when all discipline and orderly behavior was ignored.
Wars were interrupted or postponed, gambling was permitted, slaves were served by their masters and all grudges and quarrels were forgotten.
It was traditional to offer gifts of imitation fruit (a symbol of fertility), dolls (symbolic of the custom of human sacrifice), and candles (reminiscent of the bonfires traditionally associated with pagan solstice celebrations).
The Saturnalia would degenerate into a week-long orgy of debauchery and crime – giving rise to the modern use of the term ‘saturnalia’, meaning a period of unrestrained license and revelry.
Saturnalia would degenerate into a week-long orgy of debauchery and crime and gave rise to the modern use of the term ‘saturnalia’, which means a period of unrestrained license and revelry.
The event is one of the oldest winter celebrations and it is marked by a number of different cultures around the world Credit: Alamy
Feast of Juul:
The Feast of Juul (where we get the term ‘Yule’ from at this time of year) was a pre-Christian (Pagan) festival observed in Scandinavia at the time of the December solstice.
People would light fires to symbolize the heat and light of the returning sun and a Juul (or Yule) log was brought in and dropped in the hearth as a tribute the Norse god Thor.
The Yule Log was often an entire tree that was carefully chosen and brought into the house with great ceremony.
The largest end of the log would be placed into the fire hearth, while the rest of the tree stuck out into the room.
The log was burned until nothing but ash remained, and this was collected and either strewn on the fields as fertilizer every night until Twelfth Night or kept as a charm and or as medicine.
A piece of the log was kept as both a token of good luck and as kindling for the following year’s log.
Yalda:
Yalda or Shab-e Chelleh (‘night of forty’) is an Iranian festival celebrated on the “longest and darkest night of the year”.
Every year, on December 21, Iranians celebrate the arrival of winter, the renewal of the sun and the victory of light over darkness.
Pomegranate, watermelon and dried nuts are served as a tradition and classic poetry and old mythologies are read in a family gathering, led by an elder member of the household.
It is believed that eating watermelons on the night of Chelleh will ensure the health and well-being of the individual during the months of summer by protecting him from falling victim to excessive heat or disease.
Santo Tomas in Guatemala:
December 21 is observed as St Thomas’s Day in the Christian calendar.
In Guatemala, this day sees Mayan Indians indulge in the ritual known as the Palo Volador, or “flying pole dance”.
Three men climb on top of a 50-foot pole as one of them beats a drum and plays a flute.
The other two men wind a rope attached to the pole around one foot and jump.
If they land on their feet, it is believed that the sun god will be pleased and that the days will start getting longer.
I hope you enjoyed this post. It’s cool to see how other cultures all celebrate the Solstice. Let me know you celebrate the longest night of the year.
As Witches, we celebrate the Winter solstice. Let’s decorate for the Winter solstice and celebrate with a joyful heart! It can be done in the midst of this covid craze.
Let’s get started!
Save all of your orange peels! I baked my first ever Yuletide bread. I had saved all of my orange peels. I made candied orange peel (mmm) with the saved peels. You can grind them in your blender to use in simmering potpourri and incense. It releases the most delicious scent ever. I will include a link on how to make delicious candied orange peel. It’s easy to do. I will also include links on how to make Yuletide bread.
Go out for a long nature walk. Gather pine needles and pinecones. Bring them in and clean them up. You can even burn them a little in the oven on low heat to kill the mites or germs. You can then paint them, roll them in glitter, and glue ribbons on them to make a garland. Pine needles have that famous earthy minty scent we all love.
Star anise Store dry star anise in a dry jar. That prevents the anise from molding. Star anise smells like licorice. Cinnamon sticks correspond with fire and in my opinion, earth related matters. Nutmeg, clove and allspice also correspond to Winter Solstice. Allspice draws money toward you.
Bay leaves Write your wishes for the coming year on a bay leaf. You can either burn the bay leaf then to grant the wish faster. Or you can add it to the simmering potpourri. Or you can tie your bay leaf to a pinecone and burn the pinecone. Pinecones in the home bless and protect the home. Slice oranges and apples and add them to the potpourri.
All of these herbs, spices and barks can be enjoyed in a simmering potpourri. You can save the liquid from the potpourri in a labeled jar. You can share and give it as a gift to a loved one. You can let it all air dry and reuse as a potpourri. Put your intention into it and let the magic unfold.
I baked gingerbread cookies. I can’t wait to frost the cookies. It will be fun. It was fun and a lot of work to bake the Yuletide cake. If you are eager to try, I suggest taking 2-3 days to make it. The orange peels need to dry for several hours. I roasted the almonds and chopped them. I also cut the orange peel slices into smaller pieces. I blanched the cranberries and pierced the berries with a sharp knife. As the berries baked in the bread, they were dehydrated. It takes a while but the scent that will waft through your home is amazing. The same can be said for roasting the almonds myself. The store bought bread doesn’t compare. If you bake it now, you will be prepared for Yule! It can be sliced and stored in the freezer if you wrap the slices in wax paper.
I baked the bread in a tube pan. It worked just as well. The Yuletide bread is meant to be a tall bread but the dough still rises in the tube pan. I purchased mine at the dollar store.
For those of you who are like me and enjoy listening to music for the holiday season, I can’t recommend the Blackmore’s Night Christmas tunes enough. Subscribe and click like to get to enjoy the beautiful music as many times as you want. Play while you gift wrap or bake cookies!
Last night I attended the best pagan Winter Solsticeritual ever. I had the best time. I am here to tell you all about it.
Over 60 people attended the ritual. I was asked to call a quarter and to participate in the ritual. I was also asked to lend my green cape to a man. He acted out the battle between the Oak King and the Holly King with another man as part of the ritual. The battle they acted out was awesome. I had to help the guy I lent the cape to with his cloak during the ritual.
A picture of the cloak here: (Those are actual oak leaf patterns!!)
I was happy to be asked to be part of the ritual. I was nervous but we all rehearsed the ritual or rather, those participating in the ritual asked a million questions. We put a dark cloth and rope up and made a tunnel so we began the ritual in darkness. Everyone got a candle to represent the light. Of course, my hands and some other people ended up getting candle wax all over their hands. We were led into a heart meditation which began with a drumbeat or two beat near everyone’s heart chakra. The drumming was infectious and done by very talented drummers. I had to wear a green cape secured by a pin clasp. People tripped on it so I ended up carrying the train in my hand as I juggled a lit candle, a rune, a stone, my glasses, and my script- ungracefully. I enjoyed the drumming.
The altar was beautiful. A purple star altar cloth covered the altar. The one leading the ritual along with Loka contributed a cool athame/ sword for the ritual. He made the stones- mine said joy, and asked if we had anything to be grateful for. I thought the kids made the best statements of what they were grateful for. After that, we closed the circle. I called the west quarter and held the blue candle then extinguished it. I am glad I acted so calm and collected during the ritual. I felt the magick.
We sang songs and left the room. The kids’ activities followed after that. We all participated in a feast. The feast was a true feast. The one who helped with the ritual also made a lot of the decadent food with his 80-year old grandmother’s help. Wow. Oh the food. My meals at home which are pitiful and pathetic, pale in comparison.
I brought half a homemade gingerbread loaf and homemade cookies. I don’t know who ate them but I hope someone enjoyed food. I enjoyed the decadent chocolate Yule log. The food was amazing- and not only because I starved.
It was great to see familiar faces and meet new people. But like all good times, I eventually climbed on my broomstick and flew home. I got a gift from the gifting table which was a wooden pentagram and hangs now above my bedroom door. I also got a candy cane. I have memories to cherish for years.
Today, I suffered from ritual hangover this morning. I baked cookies and made some cool green goopy icing. I can only hope to be half as accomplished as the people who made that beautiful food for the feast. I admire those who washed 100s of dishes after the feast, too. It was an amazing night.
I had no green and red outfit so I wore my black cloak, white dress, beaded blouse, my gold crown, my silver leaf earrings and a smile – well, some of the time. I fought exhaustion, as did the organizers of the event.
Here is an essay I wrote for Eternal Haunted Summer Ezine. Enjoy.
The Crone of Winter Solstice
Winter Solstice celebrates the rebirth of the sun. The Norsemen of Northern Europe viewed the sun as a wheel that changed the seasons. The Celtic Druids cut mistletoe from oak trees and blessed the mistletoe. Many of the traditions we follow today were practiced by the Celts.
We honor the Crone during Yule, or the Winter Solstice. Yule is derived from the Norse word Jul, meaning ‘reborn’. The Crone is symbolic of life, death, and rebirth. She is the gatekeeper of death and transformation. The Crone’s cauldron is a vessel of rebirth. Winter brings rest to the earth and reminds us of mortality. What is born dies and what dies is reborn. We all return to the earth.
Here is a meditation to honor the Crone on Winter Solstice. You can do it inside but try to perform it outdoors if you can. Prepare your self and your space with a purification ritual. Smudge your meditation area with sandalwood, frankincense, rosemary or sage, all of which possess purifying qualities. Take three deep cleansing breaths for your mind, body, and spirit. Allow yourself to be open to any messages you may receive and to be open to meeting the Crone.
If you perform the ritual outdoors, make sure you will be safe and bring your ritual tools with you. Light a dark colored candle. The colors that represent the Crone are dark blue, purple, black and dark green.
Sit in a comfortable position either in a chair or on the floor, or ground. Wear a ritual robe and a crown of holly or ivy. Burn a Yule log during the ritual. Light some fragrant incense such as frankincense, cinnamon and myrrh, which are appropriate for Yule. Think of how our ancestors celebrated Yule. They knew the sun would bring back the light.
Close your eyes and visualize a mist showering over you until the light surrounds you. Relax your entire body. You are in a magical forest. You pass through a parted veil and enter the woods to meet the Crone. You can sit down on a tree stump or boulder. You hear animals around you. You are rooted to the cold earth and feel its energies around you.
Wind stirs the leaves on the fallen trees. Old rotted tree trunks surround you, covered in faded leaves. Small birds burrow through the tangled and aged tree branches to their nests. Sounds grow louder: birds’ cries, wind, and the creak of the boughs. The deep stillness fills your soul. Your feet grow cold and tingle. A peace fills you as you feel the pulse of this forest. The ground is matted in leaves and pinecones.
You see someone standing before you and recognize her as the Crone. She blends with Nature and yet you know she is the Goddess. Greet the Crone reverently. Leave an offering of mistletoe or apples. Ask for a message or a prayer for healing or something to aid you in your spiritual development. She will bless you with her wisdom. Before you walk away, thank her for her presence and guidance.
Leave the forest and return your awareness to the room you are in. When you are ready, open your eyes. Be sure to ground and center yourself. Visualize roots extending from the soles of your feet into the earth and draw up energy. If you are outdoors, relax before jumping to your feet to leave.
Pay attention to any messages or auspicious signs that you may encounter in dreams or a meditation. Sometimes, auspicious signs emerge in your daily life, like an image on a tarot card. Reflect on what the messages may mean and record them in your journal.
Ask yourself if you accomplished everything you wanted to and if you grew in your spiritual development in the past year. Think about what you might learn from the Crone. She is the great teacher of mysteries of life. The Crone reminds us we are all mortal and death is a natural fact of life. Winter is the ideal time for introspection, meditation, and prayer. We have much to learn from the Crone and to be aware of her cycles of life, death, and rebirth.
The chill in the air alerts us to winter’s arrival. Here are some suggestions on how to decorate your altar for Winter Solstice.
Use reds, whites and greens on your altar. Evergreen boughs lend a fresh woodsy feel to your altar. Add candles in silver and gold colours. I bought a beautiful meter of fabric that is reversible. The cloth has silvery snowflakes on one side and gold snowflakes on the other. Sometimes, fabric is not very expensive. It’s nice to get material that reflects the season or Sabbat.
Yule reflects the return of the Sun. Add solar symbols to your altar. Gold discs, gold or yellow candles, can reflect the Sun. Inscribe a candle with solar symbols and dedicate it as your solar candle. Sprinkle gold or silver on the candle. Use holly and ivy, and pinecones on the altar. Antlers would be appropriate too. Candy canes, bells, sun wheels or mistletoe reflect the season too.
With all of these suggestions, your altar will be beautiful!
Please do not steal or copy from this blog. If you do, be prepared to be stomped on by the Fates and karma for your bad character. I can be reached at :
heddyjohannesen @ gmail.com
