How to Make Pagan Yule Greeting Cards

Easy Ideas for the Artistically Talented and Those Who Can’t Draw

Nov 22, 2008
Jill Stefko

Evergreens: eternity - http://www.morguefile.com/archive/?display=231679&

Be it called Yuletide or Christmas time, the holiday season is filled with joy and magick. Many current traditions have Pagan roots. One of the joys is exchanging cards.

The colors of the Pagan Solar Festival, Yule, are red, green, gold and white. Plants, animals, crystals, incense and mythical creatures are included in the Sabbat’s symbolism. Cards can be made with construction paper with the holiday’s colors. The artwork is the symbols: plants, animals, herbs, crystals, the Yule log, the mythical Phoenix, the eight-spoked wheel representing the cycle of the year and the wreath, representing eternal life. One can draw the symbols, paste these on the cards or both.

Yuletide Animals and Their Keynotes

Stag: independence, pride and purification
Squirrel: gathering, preparedness and activity
Wolf: spirit, loyalty, teacher
Hawk: guardian and the power of vision
Robin: renewal and joy
Wren: greatness and resourcefulness
Phoenix: immortality and love

Plants of Yule

Holly: winter magic, repels evil and protects people and homes from lightning bolts.
Ivy: immortality and eternal life
Evergreens: eternal life and eternity
Mistletoe: fertility, cures diseases, protection from evil
Bayberry: good fortune and wealth

Yule Herbs

Cloves: repels negativity and hostility
Ginger: love, wealth, success and power
Myrrh: protection and purification
Nutmeg: clairvoyance
Rosemary: love, purification, protection and intellectualism
Saffron: healing, clairvoyance and purification
Valerian: harmony and love
Wintergreen: healing, breaking hexes and protection

Crystals of Yuletide

Bloodstone: victory, courage, wealth, strength, and healing
Cat's eye: beauty, protection, healing, wealth and luck
Crystal quartz: can substitute for all other crystals
Garnet: strength, healing and protection
Ruby: joy, banishes nightmares, power, protection and wealth
Topaz: love, wealth, healing and protection

Creating Greeting Cards

This is a great family project. Imagine creating Yuletide cards on a cold, snowy or rainy late fall or early winter evening by the fire in the hearth or flames in a space heater. Hot chocolate, cocoa, tea and cookies are on the table. Reminiscences of Yuletides past, legends and, perhaps, as in the song, ghost stories are exchanged. The animal family members are dozing in front of the fire. Or imagine one of those days when children are restive and bored, looking for something to do. Children can create their own cards, especially making them by hand. In addition to the “goodies on the table, the aroma of homemade soup, stew or pasta sauce permeates the air. It’s a welcome greeting to those coming home after work, school or running errands.

Once the paper is selected, one can draw or paste pictures on the paper. Hand-written notes with the desired greetings are added. Writing about the symbols and their meanings is a pleasant touch.

For those who want to use computers, the cards can be saved as a Word document, then printed out on heavy paper. There are copyright free pictures and borders on the Internet that can be used or one can take pictures of chosen symbols.

Combining both methods to create the cards is another option.

Sample Card Created in Word Document

Pictures on front cover and greeting, second page of card’s interior if using traditional greeting card format or using non-traditional card format. These can be printed out to add to a traditional card.