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Get ready to dive into Yule magic with Sara Haydon! Sara is an author and advocate for slow, intentional living.  Her debut book, Winter Magic: A Witch’s Yule (Atlantic Books, 2024), explores the intersection of nature, seasonal living and personal spirituality. With a background in Psychology and years of experience in mental health and offender rehabilitation, she now writes and supports others on their journeys of inner transformation. From her cabin in the Finnish woods or while wandering the English countryside with her family, Sara shares moments of everyday magic on her much-beloved Instagram platform, @HawthornHollows

Sara thought about how magic shows up in her everyday life and combined with her Finnish heritage shares it in her book to make her Yule magic accessible to everyone. We delve into Sara’s book: Winter Magic: A Witch’s Yule.  She felt inspired to create and foster a celebration for the Winter Solstice. She wanted to create a book that was gentle, grounding and enchanting for readers to navigate this season and sample different Witchcraft aspects while going through the journey of Yule. Since Sara grew up in Finland, she wrote her book from a unique Nordic perspective where the magic and mysticism of Yule mixes with nostalgia, coziness, folklore and a deep relationship with nature.

Yet there is the paradox between the darkness of December, the returning of the light at Winter Solstice as well as reconnecting with spirit(s) and old ways. Yule is very rich in mythology folklore and stories especially with elves, gnomes or “Tonttu” which act as guardian spirits of household and farm and are a huge art of the Nordic folklore. Nordic deities such as Freya and Odin are part of the interplay with darkness of winter. Sara includes rituals, spells, everyday magic with her book. Honoring the deities, archetypes and their symbology honors aspects of ourselves. These traditions are rooted in gratitude, respect, balance and the reciprocity of give and take from spirits. Sara believes this is the kind of quiet, gentle pagan magic doesn't scream Witchcraft. Sara mentions that Yule/Winter Solstice doesn’t need to be ritualistic; it can be comfortable and what feels aligned for you. Honoring nature and weaving your generosity into candles, food, good wishes.

Yule magic is about folding in those moments of intention into the life you are already living in. And it can be as simple as lighting a candle with a quick intention before you start the day or drinking something warm to ground yourself.  For creating some Yule magic, you can bring in certain scents and flavors such as pine, citrus or cinnamon which shifts the energy. It’s those tiny pauses and small pockets of seasonal reminders that create magic. The Nordic traditions of Yule/Winter Solstice with the sense of coziness are so beautiful, simple and adaptable for those of us who are city Pagans/Wiccans living in small spaces or places that do not have snow or forests.

Yuletide magic is not tied to any certain landscape, country, culture or aesthetic. The Yule season is a threshold time as we shift from one cycle that is ending as we live through the darkest time of the year and now move towards lighter days which is very magical ritual in itself. Its nature’s enchanted gift to us and brings us hope. Tune in and be enlightened! 

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