I asked Moon Books for a copy of this seasonally appropriate book and it arrived yesterday. Since it was snowing and freezing yesterday, I went to bed early and had a read.
‘Have a cool Yule’, by Melusine Draco
Published By: Moon Books
Publication Date: 24th November 2017
I.S.B.N.: 9781785357114
Format: Paperback
Price: £6.99
Blurb
For the entire Pagan community Christmas should be one of the most sacred times of the year, but the lack of any formal written liturgy has consigned the festival to a minor observance in the Pagan calendar. Have a Cool Yule demonstrates that history proves the festival to be a wholly Pagan event, worthy of being acknowledged as one of the Great Festivals along with Beltaine and Samhain. With all the different strands of Pagan custom brought to the hearth-fire of the Mid-Winter Festival, we all have something to celebrate in time-honoured fashion, whether our ancestors are Briton, Celt, Norse or Anglo-Saxon.
My Review
Surviving this time of year hasn’t been a problem for me for several years. I spend most of it on my own, so it’s really not a problem. There’s only the family buffet on the 24th or 26th that I have to deal with, and it’s usually at either of my sisters’ houses. I find a nice warm corner and eat when food is provided. This year I’m hosting, but since I don’t have a cooker my sisters are providing most of the food. I will be slow-cooking a gammon joint and making a salad. Gifts have been pared down, because I have no money. I still have to get some bits and pieces for my own festive meals.
However, I’m not most people. For a lot of people, whatever their religious or spiritual proclivities, the Mid-Winter festivities are a hell-juggle of work, family and shopping. It’s expensive too.
Draco covers the history and cultural significance of midwinter festivals in Britain and Ireland, and Europe, and gives advice to pagans about enjoying the time. With a festival calendar starting with Saternalia on the 17th December to Old Twelfth Night (if using the Julian rather than Gregorian calendar) on the 17th January, carols, recipes and some simple rituals, Draco covers a variety of historical and pagan Midwinter festivals. The writing style is amusing, although on occasion somewhat strident, and I picked up the odd factual error (i.e. the naming of Anglo-Saxon months), but generally this is a fun little book to help you prepare for the festive season.
Everything Is Better With Dragons 