Looking for a fun and festive Halloween crochet project? Look no further! Here, we have a free crochet pattern for a Halloween witch hat that is sure to add a spooky touch to your celebrations. To begin, gather your materials. You will need a suitable crochet hook size and black yarn. You may also want additional yarn colors for embellishments such as a purple band or green ribbon. Start by creating a magic ring, or if you prefer, you can chain 4 and join with a slip stitch to form a ring. This will serve as the base for your hat.

Yule wiccan festival

Winter Solstice Dec. 20, 21st or 22nd

T he solstice occurs when the sun reaches its most southerly declination of -23.5 degrees.

In other words, it is when the North Pole has tilted 23.5 degrees away from the sun

When the wheel has turned to Yule,

light the log the Horned One rules.

Yule is celebrated at the Midwinter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. The word Yule comes from the Germanic “Jul” and means “Wheel.” At Yule, we celebrate winter and the rebirth of the Sun. At Samhain, the Goddess followed the God into the Underworld and the Earth began its long winter slumber. As the Wheel turns to Yule, the Goddess is with child and gives birth to the tiny Oak King, God of the waxing Sun. The Old God or Holly King is defeated and returns to the Underworld to rest until Summer Solstice when he will again be reborn as Lord of the waning Sun.

At Yule, we mourn the passing of the Old God who is the Lord of Winter. This ancient God has many names besides the Holly King, including Cernunnos, Odin, Harlequin, and of course Santa Claus. This God is portrayed as an old man, majestic and often jolly. Sometimes He is shown as a King in ermine-trimmed robes, other times He is shown as a Jester and called the King of Fools. The Old God is the Lord of Death and of the Spirit World and magic. He is the God of the forest, of animals, and of the hunt. Often He is shown with antlers or horns.

Yule is also a celebration of the birth of the Sun King and nature’s renewal. We practice sympathetic magick by lighting fires or candles to encourage the sun to grow stronger. This is a time of new beginnings both physically and spiritually, the wheel of the year has made a complete circle. The darkest night of winter is a good time for self-examination and discovering the “seeds” of spiritual growth or hindrance which are lying dormant within us. The Winter Solstice is the turning point in the natural cycle of the year, this darkest night in all the year is followed by a day that will dawn just a little earlier!

Altar and ritual space decorations include evergreen wreaths and boughs, pine cones, red and green candles, pine-scented incense and essential oils of myrrh and frankincense. Peppermint leaf and mistletoe are the herbs of Yule. The colour scheme of white and gold and Solar images are also very appropriate.

This will serve as the base for your hat. Next, work in rounds to create the shape of the hat. Begin by single crocheting 6 stitches into the magic ring.

Yule Sabbat Printables 8 pages

Yule Correspondences

Animals: Bear, Boar, Squirrel, Stag, Sow, Tiger

Birds: Eagle, Kingfisher, Lapwing, Owl, Robin, Snow Goose, Wren

Colors: Gold, Green, Red, Silver, White

Goddesses: Aphrodite, Fortuna, Gaia, Hel, Holle, Ishtar, Isis

Gods: Apollo, Attis, Balder, Dionysus, the Green Man, Lugh, Odin, Ra

Herbs: Blessed Thistle, Chamomile, Ivy, Mistletoe, Rosemary, Sage

Incense: Cedar, Frankincense, Juniper, Myrrh, Pine

Metals: Gold, Silver

Stones: Bloodstone, Clear Quartz, Diamond, Emerald, Garnet, Ruby

Trees: Apple, Birch, Cedar, Chestnut, Fir, Holly, Juniper, Oak, Pine, Yew

Zodiac: Capricorn, Sagittarius

Yule Traditions and Symbols

Bells – ancient pagans would ring bells to drive away demons that surfaced during the cold dark winter.

Candles – burned to help melt winter’s chill and to encourage the sun to shine.

Peppermint leaf and tea – the coolness of peppermint symbolizes winter and the heat of peppermint symbolizes the Sun.

Elves – Alfaheimr, the land of Elves, was inhabited by spirits who created the Sun. Including Elves in the Yule ritual encourages them to rejuvenate the Sun and make it shine again.

Evergreens – because evergreen trees remained green throughout the winter, they were thought to have power over death and could defeat winter demons roaming the earth and urge the coming of the Sun.

Holly – the vibrant green leaves and bright red berries that appear during the winter symbolize rebirth.

Lights – homes and holiday trees were decorated with candles to frighten away unwanted spirits and to encourage the Sun to shine.

Mistletoe – To the Druids, the white berries symbolized the semen of the Gods and were used to bring fertility and abundance. Hung over the doorway, it protects from thunder, lightning, and malicious evil.

The Norse Goddess Frigg loved Her son Baldur so much that She couldn’t bear the thought of any harm coming to Him. She made a pact with the Four Elements that nothing in Their realms would do Him harm. Loki fashioned an arrow from mistletoe, and the arrow killed Baldur. Frigg’s tears restored her Son to life, and She was so happy that She declared mistletoe a plant of luck, love, and promise. To kiss under the mistletoe is to receive Frigg’s blessing.

Ornaments – Germanic people originally decorated their trees with fruit, candy, cookies and flowers to symbolize the abundance to come when the Sun begins to warm the Earth once again.

Plum Pudding – was prepared as a form of divination rather than a dish to be eaten. As the pudding was prepared, each family member stirred the pot and made a wish. Then a ring, a coin, a button, and a thimble were added to the pot. The ring stood for marriage, the coin for wealth, the button and the thimble were symbols of the eternal bachelor or spinster. If one of these items turned up in your serving of pudding, it foretold your personal status during the coming year.

Reindeer – May represent the stags that drew the chariot of the Norse Goddess Freya. Stags also represent the Celtic horned God Cernunnos.

Santa Claus – May have originated from legends of Odin the Lord of Winds, who was capable of flying through the stormiest nights or with the Norse Sun-God Kris Kringle.

Sleigh – Freya spent the twelve days after Solstice being transported in a sleigh, giving gifts to the nice and misery offerings to the naughty.

Snowflake – the snowflake was formed from the tears that Demeter cried after Persephone’s descent into the Underworld. Snowflakes have 6 sides, and six is the numerological number associated with love.

Tree – Saint Boniface, during the 8th century, was trying to convert a group of Druids to Christianity. He could not convince them that the oak tree was neither sacred nor invincible, so he cut one down, and when it fell, it crushed everything in its path but a single evergreen sapling. Boniface declared it a miracle and proclaimed that the fir tree belonged to the Christ-child. After that, they were brought into homes as holiday decorations.

Twelve Days of Christmas – Began with the ancient Egyptian Sun celebration, and is thought that the twelve-day celebration may have been designed to honor the zodiacal wheel.

Wassail – is the original name of an apple orchard fertility ritual and means hail or salute. Apple trees were saluted and then sprinkled with a mixture of eggs, apples, wine, ale or cider. Consecrating the trees this way ensured a good harvest for the coming year.

Wreath – The circular shape of a wreath symbolizes life everlasting, the never-ending cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

Yule Log – to the Celts, the Yule Log was symbolic of the Oak King and was adorned with evergreens symbolic of the Holly King.

Yule Divination

Yuletide Pinecone Charm

I love this Yuletide pine cone charm, it doubles as a decoration and centerpiece while the magick is quietly doing its work! Go ahead and add other items to the basket to personalize the spell.

You will need the following supplies:

• glitter
• a basket (size, colour, and decoration are your choice)
• a square piece of felt or fabric measured to fit into the bottom of the basket (This keeps the glitter in place.)
• a dozen pinecones any other decorative or symbolic items you'd like to add (holly, ivy, oak leaves, birch twigs,or evergreen are great winter choices)

1. If desired, decorate the basket.
2. Place the felt in the bottom of the basket
3. Arrange the pinecones (and anything else you want to include) in the basket
4. Hold your hands over the pinecones and imagine the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water swirling around you. Picture this energy being funnelled through your hands into the basket.
5. Sprinkle the glitter onto the pinecones as you repeat this charm 3 times:

Pinecones are a natural symbol of fertility,
I enchant these to bring us good luck and prosperity,
By the winter winds that blow, and the sparkling snow that falls,
I call for joy and abundance to come bless us, one and all.

from Cottage Witchery by Ellen Dugan

Who is Santa Claus?

He has been called by many names, Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, and the Jolly Old Elf of Yule. He is a blend of Paganism, Christianity and modern myth-making in the form of stories, poems, songs and advertisements. He is Santa Claus, the white-haired, red-suited, gift-giving, the spirit of winter.

The legend of Santa was strongly influenced by the Norse God Odin, who was the Germanic God of Mid-Winter (Yule). During the long nights of winter, it was believed that activity from the spirit world, increased. The “Wild Hunt” led by Odin riding an eight-legged grey horse, would stream across the winter sky with hunters, horses and hounds in mad pursuit. Odin’s horse Slepnir was capable of leaping great distances in a single bound and may be the origin of the Santa Claus reindeer legend. Odin’s Norse names are Jolnir (yule figure) and Langbaror (long beard). It’s very possible that the Old God Odin was influential in the way that the modern Santa was conceptualized. Odin, like our present-day Santa Claus, is depicted with a long white beard and is frequently wearing a hooded cloak. The flying horses of the “Wild Hunt” could have morphed into the present-day reindeer that pull Santa’s sleigh. To appease Odin and the hunters, children would place their shoes filled with carrots or hay for Slepnir near the chimney. Odin rewarded the children for their kindness to his horse by leaving gifts in their shoes. This may have been the origin of gift-giving and receiving at Yuletide.

The Christianized legend of Santa Claus started with Saint Nicholas in the 4th century. He was a Bishop of Myra in southwestern Turkey who gave generous gifts to the poor. He also performed miracles involving sailors and children. After he died he was made the patron saint of children and sailors and was given a feast day on December 6 th . At around the same time, Pope Julius 1 decided to create a date for the birth of Jesus and decided to pick December 25 th as it was close to the pagan midwinter solstice celebration. He hoped that because the dates were so close together that it would Christianize the pagan Yule celebration. Eventually, the Saint Nicholas feast day of December 6 became associated with December 25 th and his association with Christmas was established. As much of Europe changed from Catholic to Protestant, Saint Nicholas lost popularity and was eventually replaced by the Dutch Sinterklaas.

Sinterklaas is often called The Good Saint. He is depicted as elderly, with white hair and a long full beard wearing a long red cape. Sinterklaas has a book in which contains notes on all children that indicate whether they've been good or bad. He rides a white/grey horse, has magickal helpers and brings gifts of chocolates and nuts to “good” children beginning on December 6. During the following three weeks, Sinterklaas rides his horse over the rooftops at night delivering gifts through the chimney to the good children. The hearth was held sacred and the chimney was the portal through which supernatural gifts from elves and faeries arrived. Naughty children were told that they risked being caught and punished by the magickal helpers of Sinterklaas. When the Dutch immigrated to the new world they brought Sinterklaas and the tradition of leaving out shoes to be filled with gifts with them. Eventually, Sinterklass’s name was Americanized into the modern Santa Claus.

In the 16 th century, during the reign of Henry VIII, Father Christmas gained popularity as the English spirit of good cheer bringing peace, joy, good food, wine and gifts. Father Christmas was seen as a plump man wearing green or red robes lined with fur.

The modern Santa Claus was arguably invented by Washington Irving who wrote a satirical article about the Dutch tradition of Sinter Claes on December 6, 1809. In the article, he refers to an impish pipe-smoking Saint Nicholas who brings gifts down the chimney. The article was accepted as fact and the ideas and traditions were eventually adopted into the Christmas lore.

The beloved poem “Twas the Night before Christmas” by Clement Moore (1844) added to the lore of how Santa Claus looks and what he does. There is some controversy over the true authorship of the poem, which is said to have been published anonymously in 1823. The poem borrows heavily from Washington Irving and follows some of the Nordic and German myths. Interestingly there is not one religious reference or symbol found anywhere in the poem.

The popular image of Santa Claus was created by the drawings of Thomas Nast during the latter half of the 19 th century. Nast added to Santa’s lore by depicting him reading letters from children, monitoring their behavior, and writing their names in the Naughty and Nice books. Nast also placed Santa in the North Pole with a toy workshop.

Saint or Pagan God, Santa Claus embodies the spirit of Christmas and Yuletide. He brings hope and joy during the longest nights of winter with gifts that are both physical and spiritual. He fills our stockings and brings us presents that are given to us with love and in the spirit of peace. He fills our hearts with joy and goodwill towards all. As Santa rides across the sky in his chariot pulled by reindeer, he brings hope and joy to the world and heralds the birth of the Divine Sun Child of the Pagans and the Divine Son of the Christians.

© Rowan Morgana 2013

• Wikipedia
• The Museum of Unnatural History
• About.com –The Origins of Santa Claus
• About.com – what’s so Christian about Santa Claus?
• The Father of Santa Claus
• The Complete Book of Correspondences - Sandra Kynes

Meet the Yule Cat of Iceland called Jólakötturinn. He's a big scary monster that comes down from the mountains and eats you if you don't wear new clothes at Christmas.

Yule: A Celebration of Light and Warmth

There's just something magical about the Yuletide season, no matter where you live or who you are. As bright candlelight mingles with the smells of pine and warm cookies and we perform our yearly rituals of song and family gatherings, the spirit of peace and goodwill seems to reach the heart of even the most cynical Scrooge. In the pages of Yule , Dorothy Morrison presents a wonderful potpourri of holiday lore from around the world and throughout history, along with fun crafts, delicious recipe seven a calendar of celebrations for every day in December. Learn where the traditions of the season originated―for instance, did you know that the ringing of bells was meant to drive away the demons who inhabited the darkest days of the year? That leaving cookies for Santa mirrors the old tradition of leaving a loaf of bread on the table overnight to bring prosperity in the new year? That the Yule log can be traced back to the ancient Greeks? Need a recipe for wassail or plum pudding? Tips for your holiday party? Want to make the season special by making your own decorative crafts and gifts? That's just a sampling of what's inside. Best of all, Yule shows that the spirit of the season is universal and, however we chose to celebrate and worship, we can all join together in the spirit of peace, love, and harmony at this special time of year.

Genres NonfictionPaganismWiccaSpiritualityReligionChristmasWitchcraft

216 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2000

About the author

Dorothy Morrison

While some of you may know me as the author of Lucinda's Web, Everyday Magic, The Craft, Utterly Wicked and many other books, you probably don't know much else about me. And a good number of you probably have no earthly idea who I am at all. So, why not read a little further and let me introduce myself!

A native Texan, I now live in Virginia with my husband, Mark. I'm a Third Degree Wiccan High Priestess of the Georgian Tradition, founded the Coven of the Crystal Garden in 1986, and spent many years teaching the Craft to students in eight states and in Australia. Since I'm the eternal student, though - who isn't?! - I'm currently ensconced in studies of the RavenMyst Circle Tradition, and enjoy membership in the Coven of the Raven.

But that's just the stuff pertinent to the Craft. Outside of my religious practices and spiritual beliefs, I'm a pretty well-rounded person as well. I've worked as an accounts payable clerk, a legal secretary, an administrative assistant, an office manager, a commissioned sales person, a personnel consultant, and in the City of Houston's Civil Service and Housing Code & Dangerous Buildings departments. I've also held positions as a hospital ward clerk, an animal shelter administrator and am a licensed nail tech. So, the truth of the matter is that I really am a jack of all trades - although whether I'm a master of any is still up for debate. Chuckle! [Photograph courtesy of K.A. Varner Photography, Norfolk, VA]baby

Of course, all of those experiences - some absolutely delightful and others, just downright awful - helped to shape the person I am today. But they didn't do it alone. They had help. And while I won't bore you with all the details, I thought you might enjoy a brief journey through my life. So. grab a cup of coffee, relax, and let me tell you a story.

It all begin centuries ago with my ancestors. I'm a direct descendant of William the Conqueror (King of England), Robert the Bruce of Scotland, and various doctors, lawyers, ministers, and patriots, as well as the fourth Governor of Kentucky, the first Poet Laureate of Texas, and a charter member of the Texas Rangers - all of whom were spunky, opinionated, and tenacious. So when I'm accused of being sassy - an accusation that seems to be spouted on a regular basis - I can't help but grin. I do, after all, come by it honestly.

I was born on May 6, 1955 in a small Texas town to a deputy sheriff - who later became Chief of Police - and his wife. My mother wanted to name me Penelope, but my father nixed the idea. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with the name. Not at all. It was just that his criteria for naming anything - cats, dogs, horses, or children - was that he had to be able to remember it when he was mad. And sadly, Penelope just didn't fit the bill. That being the case, he opted for something he could remember and named me after his little sister.

Much to my father's delight, I was quite the tomboy; in fact, he put me on a horse before I could walk. [This guaranteed my first real photo op with Western Horseman magazine when I was only two years old. It seems that I was the youngest rider in the Texas Trail Ride Association who could truly handle her own horse - even though that horse was sixteen hands high.] But good equestrian skills were just the beginning of his lessons. He instilled in me a love for all animals - both domestic and wild - and in doing so, taught me about the balance of Nature and animal conservation. He taught me to fish - looking back, I'm sure all those "driveway casting lessons" really tested his patience, but he stuck with it anyway - and it's something I still love to do today. He even taught me how to swing a hammer. But, perhaps, the most important thing he ever taught me was how to spin a good tale - a lesson I've been putting into practice for most of my life.

Mama, however, had her own set of lessons to teach. A master gardener, she taught me the joys of digging in the dirt an

Then, increase the stitch count by working two single crochets into each stitch around. Continue this pattern, increasing the stitch count each round, until your desired hat circumference is reached. Once you have achieved the desired circumference, work even rounds without increasing until your hat measures the desired length. For a traditional witch hat look, aim for a sharp and pointed top. To finish off your hat, fasten off and weave in any loose ends. Try adding the suggested purple band or green ribbon for an extra festive touch. Feel free to get creative with additional embellishments such as crocheted spiders, bats, or a miniature broomstick. This free crochet pattern allows you to customize your Halloween witch hat to your liking. Whether you prefer a classic black hat or want to experiment with bold colors and unique details, the choice is yours! So gather your supplies, follow the pattern instructions, and create your very own Halloween witch hat. Embrace the spirit of the season and celebrate in style with this fun and easy crochet project. Happy Halloween!.

Reviews for "Get Festive for Halloween with a Free Crochet Pattern for a Witch Hat"

1. Samantha Smith - 2 stars

I found this crochet pattern for a Halloween witch hat to be extremely difficult to follow. The instructions were not well-explained and lacked clear illustrations. I consider myself to be an intermediate-level crocheter, but even I struggled with this pattern. Additionally, the sizing was way off. The finished hat came out too small and didn't fit properly on my head. It was a frustrating experience, and I would not recommend this pattern to others.

2. John Thompson - 1 star

I was really disappointed with this free crochet pattern for a Halloween witch hat. The instructions were confusing and poorly written. It felt like they were assuming the crafter had prior knowledge of certain techniques, which I did not. This made it impossible for me to complete the hat. I wasted so much time and yarn on this project, only to end up with something that looked nothing like a witch hat. I won't be using any patterns from this source again.

3. Emily Rodriguez - 2 stars

This crochet pattern for a Halloween witch hat was a huge letdown. While it claimed to be for beginners, it had some complicated stitches and techniques that I had never encountered before. The instructions were not detailed enough to guide me through the process, and I got stuck multiple times. The finished product also didn't turn out as expected. The shape was strange, and it didn't look like a proper witch hat. Overall, I was disappointed with the pattern's difficulty level and the final result.

4. Andrew Wilson - 3 stars

I had mixed feelings about this crochet pattern for a Halloween witch hat. On the one hand, the instructions were clear and easy to follow, which I appreciated as a beginner in crocheting. However, I found the design of the hat to be quite plain and uninteresting. It lacked the magic and flair that I was expecting from a Halloween-themed pattern. I ended up adding my own embellishments to make it more visually appealing. While it served its purpose, I can't say it exceeded my expectations.

Hauntingly Beautiful: Free Crochet Pattern for a Halloween Witch Hat