Yule Journal Prompts: Intentions for the New Cycle

BY NICOLE LAU

The Power of Yule Journaling

Winter Solstice marks the solar new year—the moment when the sun is reborn and the wheel turns toward light. This makes Yule the perfect time for reflection, release, and intention-setting. Journaling during this threshold period creates a written record of your transformation, captures insights from the turning year, and clarifies what you're leaving behind and what you're calling forward. The act of writing itself is magical: it moves energy from internal to external, from unconscious to conscious, from possibility to commitment.

The solstice creates optimal conditions for journaling. The Earth itself pauses at the turning point, and in that stillness, clarity becomes possible. Insights flow more freely, buried truths surface more easily, and the writing process itself can become a form of divination. Your hand may write things your conscious mind didn't know it knew. The returning sun may speak through your pen. Your intentions for the solar year ahead may reveal themselves on the page.

This comprehensive guide provides journal prompts for every aspect of Yule work—reflection on the dark half of the year, gratitude for the harvest, release of what no longer serves, honoring the returning sun, and intention-setting for the light half ahead. Use them all or choose the ones that resonate. There's no wrong way to journal at Yule.

Creating Your Yule Journaling Practice

Setting Up Your Space

Physical environment:

• Choose quiet, comfortable space
• Light candles (gold for sun, green for growth, red for vitality)
• Burn incense or herbs (cinnamon for success, pine for clarity)
• Have tea or spiced cider nearby
• Wrap in cozy blanket
• Place crystals nearby (citrine for clarity, garnet for manifestation)
• Eliminate distractions (turn off phone)

Energetic preparation:

1. Ground yourself with deep breaths
2. Set intention: \"I write to understand, to release, to create\"
3. Call on solar energy or guides if desired
4. Give yourself permission to write honestly
5. Release expectation of \"good\" writing—this is for you alone

Choosing Your Journal

Your Yule journal can be:

• Dedicated solar year journal (Yule to Yule)
• Section of your regular journal
• Loose pages you'll later burn or keep
• Digital document (though handwriting often accesses deeper knowing)
• Voice recording transcribed later

Choose what feels right. The medium matters less than the practice.

Timing Your Practice

Intensive approach:

• Dedicate December 21-23 to deep journaling
• Work through multiple prompt categories
• Spend 1-3 hours writing each day

Extended approach:

• Journal throughout the Twelve Days of Yule (Dec 21 - Jan 1)
• One prompt per day
• 15-30 minutes daily

Single session:

• Choose 5-10 prompts that resonate
• Dedicate solstice evening to writing
• 2-4 hours of focused journaling

How to Use These Prompts

• Read through all prompts first, mark ones that resonate
• Don't force yourself through prompts that feel wrong
• Write without editing or censoring
• Let answers be messy, incomplete, or contradictory
• Follow tangents—they often lead to important insights
• If a prompt brings up strong emotion, that's where the work is
• Take breaks when needed
• Return to prompts multiple times—answers deepen with revisiting

Reflection Prompts: Honoring the Dark Half

Harvest and Gratitude

1. What did I harvest from the dark half of the year (Samhain to Yule)?
2. What grew in the darkness that I didn't expect?
3. What lessons did winter teach me?
4. What am I most grateful for from the past six months?
5. Who or what supported me through the dark time?
6. What unexpected gifts did the darkness bring?
7. What challenges taught me the most?
8. How am I different now than I was at Samhain?
9. What strengths did I discover in the darkness?
10. What brought me comfort during the dark months?

Lessons from Darkness

11. What did the darkness teach me about rest?
12. What did I learn about myself in the quiet?
13. What pattern finally became visible in the dark?
14. What belief did I outgrow during the dark half?
15. What fear did I face in the darkness?
16. What did I learn about letting go?
17. How did I grow through difficulty?
18. What wisdom emerged from the shadows?
19. What would I tell myself from six months ago?
20. How has the darkness prepared me for the light?

Release Prompts: Letting Go

What Must End

21. What am I ready to release as the sun is reborn?
22. What belief no longer serves my growth?
23. What habit is holding me back from the light?
24. What relationship has run its course?
25. What version of myself am I outgrowing?
26. What expectation do I need to let go of?
27. What am I holding onto out of fear rather than love?
28. What story about myself is no longer true?
29. What do I need to forgive (in myself or others)?
30. What am I ready to grieve and release?

Clearing Space

31. What physical items need to leave my space?
32. What mental clutter needs clearing?
33. What emotional baggage am I ready to put down?
34. What commitment no longer aligns with my path?
35. What \"should\" can I release?
36. What comparison or competition can I let go?
37. What perfectionism needs to die?
38. What scarcity mindset am I releasing?
39. What old wound is ready to heal?
40. What am I making space for by releasing these things?

Solar Rebirth Prompts: Honoring the Returning Sun

The Sun Within

41. What does the returning sun mean to me?
42. Where is my inner light right now?
43. What makes my inner sun shine brightest?
44. How do I nurture my own light?
45. What dims my light, and how can I protect it?
46. What would it mean to be \"reborn\" like the sun?
47. How am I like the sun—constant, life-giving, radiant?
48. What part of me is being reborn at this solstice?
49. How can I embody solar energy in my daily life?
50. What does it feel like to be the returning light?

Hope and Renewal

51. What gives me hope as the light returns?
52. What am I looking forward to in the growing light?
53. How does the promise of spring feel in my body?
54. What renewal am I experiencing?
55. What feels fresh and new right now?
56. How am I different from last Yule?
57. What transformation is happening in me?
58. What does rebirth feel like?
59. How can I honor the sun's return in my life?
60. What does the light half of the year promise?

Intention Prompts: Calling In the Light

Vision for the Light Half

61. What do I want to create as the sun grows stronger?
62. What do I want to experience in the light half of the year?
63. What do I want to learn between now and Summer Solstice?
64. Who do I want to become as the light returns?
65. What quality do I want to embody?
66. What relationship do I want to cultivate?
67. What practice do I want to establish?
68. What adventure calls to me?
69. What risk am I ready to take in the light?
70. What would make the light half feel successful?

Specific Intentions

71. What is my primary intention for the solar year ahead?
72. What do I want to focus on from Yule to Imbolc?
73. What seed am I planting now to harvest next year?
74. What support do I need to manifest my intentions?
75. What first step can I take toward my vision?
76. What obstacle might I face and how will I navigate it?
77. What will I say yes to as the light grows?
78. What will I say no to?
79. How will I know I'm on the right path?
80. What does my soul most want for me this year?

Monthly Intentions

81. January intention: What do I want to initiate?
82. February intention: What do I want to purify?
83. March intention: What do I want to grow?
84. April intention: What do I want to manifest?
85. May intention: What do I want to celebrate?
86. June intention: What do I want to peak?
87. July intention: What do I want to harvest?
88. August intention: What do I want to gather?
89. September intention: What do I want to balance?
90. October intention: What do I want to prepare?
91. November intention: What do I want to release?
92. December intention: What do I want to rest?

Growth and Transformation Prompts

Personal Evolution

93. How do I want to grow as the sun grows?
94. What skill or knowledge do I want to develop?
95. What aspect of myself wants more attention?
96. What part of me is ready to emerge?
97. What would my highest self do this year?
98. How can I align more fully with my purpose?
99. What does my soul want me to know?
100. What transformation is calling me?
101. What would it look like to fully step into my power?
102. Who am I becoming?

Challenges and Opportunities

103. What challenge am I ready to face?
104. What opportunity am I ready to seize?
105. What fear am I ready to move through?
106. What comfort zone am I ready to leave?
107. What new territory am I ready to explore?
108. What would I do if I knew I couldn't fail?
109. What would I do if I weren't afraid of judgment?
110. What bold action is calling me?
111. What leap of faith am I ready to take?
112. What becomes possible when I say yes to growth?

Prosperity and Abundance Prompts

Material Manifestation

113. What prosperity am I calling in with the returning sun?
114. What does abundance look like for me?
115. What financial goals do I have for the solar year?
116. What resources do I need to manifest my vision?
117. How can I align my work with my values?
118. What would financial freedom allow me to do?
119. What limiting beliefs about money am I releasing?
120. What abundance mindset am I cultivating?
121. How can I be a better steward of my resources?
122. What does true prosperity mean to me?

Non-Material Abundance

123. What abundance do I already have?
124. What richness exists in my relationships?
125. What wealth of experience have I gathered?
126. What abundance of time, energy, or creativity do I want?
127. How can I cultivate abundance consciousness?
128. What would it feel like to live in overflow?
129. How can I share my abundance with others?
130. What does generosity look like for me?
131. How can I receive abundance more fully?
132. What gratitude practice will I maintain?

Relationship and Connection Prompts

Connections to Nurture

133. What relationships do I want to deepen?
134. How can I be more present with loved ones?
135. What boundaries do I need to set or maintain?
136. What kind of friend/partner/family member do I want to be?
137. How can I communicate more authentically?
138. What relationship patterns am I ready to change?
139. How can I love more fully?
140. What does healthy relationship look like for me?
141. How can I better support those I care about?
142. What community do I want to build or join?

Relationship with Self

143. How is my relationship with myself?
144. What do I need to forgive myself for?
145. How can I be kinder to myself?
146. What self-care practices do I want to establish?
147. How can I honor my needs and desires?
148. What does self-love look like for me?
149. How can I trust myself more?
150. What parts of myself need integration?
151. How can I be my own best friend?
152. What would unconditional self-acceptance feel like?

Spiritual and Creative Prompts

Spiritual Practice

153. How do I want to deepen my spiritual practice?
154. What does the divine want me to know?
155. How can I strengthen my connection to the sacred?
156. What spiritual practice calls to me?
157. How can I honor the Wheel of the Year more fully?
158. What does my soul need?
159. How can I listen more deeply to my intuition?
160. What spiritual growth am I ready for?
161. How can I bring more magic into daily life?
162. What does spiritual maturity look like for me?

Creative Expression

163. What creative project wants to be born?
164. How can I express myself more authentically?
165. What art form calls to me?
166. What would I create if no one would see it?
167. How can I make space for creativity?
168. What does my creative self need?
169. What would I do if I weren't afraid of being \"bad\" at it?
170. How can creativity be part of my daily life?
171. What wants to be expressed through me?
172. What does creative freedom feel like?

Gratitude and Celebration Prompts

Appreciating the Journey

173. What am I grateful for in this exact moment?
174. What simple pleasure brings me joy?
175. Who am I grateful for and why?
176. What challenge am I grateful for in hindsight?
177. What part of my body am I grateful for?
178. What ability or skill am I grateful to have?
179. What place am I grateful to call home?
180. What season or weather am I grateful for?
181. What food nourishes me that I'm grateful for?
182. What am I taking for granted that deserves appreciation?

Celebrating Yourself

183. What am I proud of accomplishing this year?
184. What brave thing did I do?
185. What did I create?
186. How did I grow?
187. What kindness did I offer?
188. What boundary did I set?
189. What did I survive?
190. What did I learn to love about myself?
191. What makes me uniquely me?
192. Why am I worthy of love and belonging?

Integration and Action Prompts

From Intention to Action

193. What is one action I can take today toward my vision?
194. What habit will support my intentions?
195. What do I need to learn or acquire?
196. Who can support me on this journey?
197. What resources are available to me?
198. What's my timeline for these intentions?
199. How will I track my progress?
200. What will I do when I face obstacles?
201. How will I celebrate milestones?
202. What commitment am I making to myself?

Ritual Journaling Practices

Letter Writing

Write letters to:

• Your past self (from last Yule)
• Your future self (at next Yule)
• The sun (thanking it for returning)
• The darkness (honoring its gifts)
• Your highest self
• The year ahead
• Your intentions (as if they're already real)

Stream of Consciousness

Practice:

1. Set timer for 15-20 minutes
2. Write continuously without stopping
3. Don't edit, censor, or judge
4. Let hand move even if writing nonsense
5. Often profound insights emerge
6. This can become automatic writing—solar wisdom may come through

Dialogue Journaling

Have written conversations with:

• The returning sun
• Your higher self
• Your inner child
• Your future self
• Your intuition
• The Oak King

Format:

• You: [Write your question]
• Them: [Write their response without overthinking]
• Continue the dialogue
• Trust what comes through

After Your Journaling Practice

Integration

• Read through what you wrote
• Highlight key insights
• Notice patterns or themes
• Identify action steps
• Choose one thing to implement immediately

Honoring Your Work

• Thank yourself for showing up
• Thank the solar energy for guidance
• Ground yourself (eat, drink water, touch earth)
• Blow out candles mindfully
• Close your journal with gratitude

What to Do with Your Writing

Keep it:

• Store in special place
• Review monthly to track progress
• Revisit at each sabbat
• Read at next Yule to see how you've grown

Transform it:

• Turn insights into art
• Create vision board from intentions
• Share wisdom (not raw journaling) with others
• Use as foundation for goal-setting

Final Thoughts: Writing Your Way to the Light

Yule journaling is more than recording thoughts—it's a conversation with the turning year, a dialogue with the returning sun, and a commitment to your own becoming. The page becomes a mirror showing you what you need to see, a container holding what you need to release, and a map guiding you toward the light.

Your words matter. Your insights matter. Your intentions matter. Even if no one else ever reads what you write, the act of writing transforms you. It moves energy. It creates clarity. It honors the threshold you're crossing and the solar year you're entering.

The sun is reborn. The page is blank. Your intentions are waiting to be written. Pick up your pen and let it flow. The light is returning, and your words will help guide you through it. May your writing be deep, your insights be clear, and your intentions be powerful.

Blessed Yule. May your journaling illuminate your path. 📝✨☀️