Choosing the perfect Yule cards

It's that time of year again when I start looking for lovely cards to give my friends and family in the festive season. And, as a pagan, it isn't easy to pick the right ones.

There are always so many lovely cards that say Happy Christmas, but witches don't call our midwinter celebration "Christmas". We honour Yule, the Winter Solstice, the rebirth of the Sun or perhaps the feast of Frau Holle, rather than the Christian religious festival to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Of course, many of my friends aren't pagans - or Christians either for that matter - and I prefer to give them cards that simply wish them Season's Greetings. But all this means choosing the perfect cards can take a while. Not that I really mind, as shopping is one of my favourite things.

And this year there are some lovely cards around.

I'm not normally that keen on cutesy fantasy creatures, but the Yule card above with a baby dragon in a stocking, from online pagan store Pagan Magic did make me go "Oooh".

Called Magical Arrival, it is designed by artist Anne Stokes and comes with a decorated envelope. Inside has a faded image of a candle with a dragon curled round its base, and the text "Yuletide Greetings" over the candle's flame. The card costs £1.99 and can be ordered at pagan-magic.co.uk

Also from Pagan Magic is this midwinter card that says Bright Blessings. Reproduced from an original painting by visionary artist Briar, the card is blank inside for your own message. It also costs £1.99 and can be ordered at pagan-magic.co.uk

Another dilemma I face when buying Yule cards is whether to support a pagan retailer, such as Pagan Magic, or a charity. One of my favourite charities is the RSPB, which has some lovely cards this year featuring British birds, which simply say "Season's Greetings".

An example is this card showing a wreath and wren by Sarah Adams. A pack of 10 costs £4.99 and a pack of 30 costs £12.97. You can order over the phone on 0845 1200501 or online at shopping.rspb.org.uk

Children's charity Barnado's has a lovely range of winter festival cards that say "Season's Greetings" or are blank inside for your own message. I particularly like this design called Deer in Moonlight, which comes with silver envelopes. A pack of 10 costs £3.49. You can order online at greetingcards.barnardos.org.uk.

Don't forget that after the festive season is over, you can reuse beautiful cards you have been sent by turning them into your own personalised divination deck. For more details on how to do that, see The Bad Witch's Guide to Fortune Telling

Links:
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/12/what-to-do-at-yule-if-youre-pagan.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2007/12/bad-witchs-guide-to-fortune-telling.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/12/finding-right-cards-for-yule.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/12/call-for-yule-cards.html