“Let only what serves life enter here.”
Yule marks the threshold between dark and light—but the 8th Day draws us deeper into a different kind of magic: protection.
By now, the revelry of solstice has softened, the gifts have been exchanged, and we begin to feel the quiet hush that follows the peak.
This is the day to guard the gate—to tend the hearth and threshold. Because in the old stories, not all spirits who roam at Yule come bearing blessings.
Wild Men & Warding the Village
Across Europe, tales of Wild Men—covered in leaves, fur, bells, or soot—remind us of the primal forces that roam during midwinter.
They aren’t monsters. They are liminal protectors.
Figures like the Mamuthones of Sardinia or the Wodewose of medieval lore walk in festivals, bearing the weight of the community’s shadow—scaring off evil, absorbing chaos, restoring the balance.
Their message?
There are forces we must acknowledge to be free of them.
There is wildness we must face to find wholeness.
As they parade through towns, they ward the people.
We, too, can take part in this ritual by warding our homes and bodies—inviting in what sustains us and setting firm boundaries with what does not.
The Wild Hunt
On this day, we also listen for the sounds of wind in the trees—hoofbeats in the sky.
This is the time of the Wild Hunt.
Led by Odin (or other ancestral figures in different regions), the spectral procession of riders sweeps across the land in winter storms. They are not to be joined—or even witnessed, unless you want to join the souls of the dead and be taken to the next world.
“If you were still breathing and caught in the Hunt,”
the old stories warn,
“you’d be swept up all the same.”
~ A Guide to Celebrating the 12 Days of Yule by Jenn Campus
These legends are cautionary but not cruel. They tell us to tend the veils, to keep to the path, to mark sacred boundaries between the worlds. As the Wild Hunt rides, we offer prayers, tokens, and food to appease and honor them.
You might read the Wild Hunt Prayer (from A Guide to Celebrating the 12 Days of Yule) aloud on this night, leaving out milk or bread at your doorstep.
Image from A Guide to Celebrating the 12 Days of Yule by Jenn Campus
Rituals of Warding the Home
You can bless your home on this 8th day with a simple ritual of protection.
Threshold Blessing:
Light a candle and walk the perimeter of your home (inside or out).
Sprinkle salt, ash, or protective herbs like rosemary or juniper.
Whisper:
“From leaf to root, from flame to stone,
What harms the heart shall not make home.”
Create a Guardian:
Craft or place a symbol of protection at your doorway: a broom, a bundle of herbs, a protective rune, a stone.
Name it your threshold keeper.
Anoint with infused oil or water and speak a blessing over it.
Give it regular offerings
🍲 Warding the Body: Broths, Tonics, and Winter Elixirs
Protection isn’t just spiritual—it’s embodied.
On this day, prepare foods that ward off illness and fortify you for the cold months ahead.
This might include:
- Bone broth with garlic, onion, rosemary, and thyme (Make Soup Like an Italian)
- Fire cider or elderberry syrup
- Juniper and ginger tea for circulation and clarity
- A hot infusion of nettle and rose hips for iron and vitality
As you stir, whisper intentions.
Let the kitchen become your cauldron. Let nourishment be your shield.
If you want these recipes and other recipes that nourish both body and spirit, check out Witches’ Brews: Teas, Broths. Sauces and Other Potions
Krampusnacht Connection
Though celebrated earlier (on Dec. 5), the energy of Krampusnacht continues to echo through this day. You may wish to revisit shadow work, especially if something stirred during the first nights of Yule.
A brief reflection:
- What habits or thoughts do I need to banish before the new year?
- What am I allowing in that no longer belongs?
The Wild Men and the Hunt call us to be discerning. They remind us that we have the right to say no—to harm, to chaos, to depletion.
For more on the folkloric figure of Krampus check out my essay Not Just Naughty: The Horned, the Hairy, & the Holy. It’s free in the Old Ways for Modern Days Library.
🕯️ Closing Blessing
End your day with this simple incantation:
“Let winter come, let cold winds blow,
I am shielded from above and below.
May the Wild Ones walk on, but do me no harm.
I dwell in a circle of love and charm.”
Related Articles:
Check out my ever growing series of articles on all the 12 Days of Yule
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