Connect with the energy of Yule and the Winter Solstice: foraged wreath making and folklore workshop in Stirchley

Get ready for Yule and the Winter Solstice as our ancestors would have! I’m excited to be jointly hosting this exploration and celebration of some of our most ancient folklore and winter traditions on the 17th December from 2pm - 5:30pm. Join me and Stirchley’s resident Druid, Alex Lilly for a cosy afternoon of foraging, folklore and wreath making. Greet the solstice and connect with festive cheer on one of the longest and darkest nights of the year.

While the nights are long the Winter Solstice is a celebration of the Sun’s Rebirth. At the Solstice sun appears to stand still in the sky for three days. Historically this liminal time was marked with celebration, games and feasting. On the fourth day, which often coincides with Christmas Day, the sun begins its journey back to us, bringing us longer, brighter days. If that’s not worth celebrating, I don’t know what is!

What’s included in Folklore and Foraging winter solstice wreath workshop?

A 3.5 hour experience where you’ll create your own wreath to take away
Guided mindful foraging for wreath materials
Additional wreath materials and instruction
Learn about folklore, stories and the ancient traditions of Yule and the Winter Solstice from a
Druidic Bard and a Pagan Priestess
Enjoy artisan mince pies and mulled apple juice from Verbena Kitchen

Foraging for evergreens and a mindful exploration of Stirchley’s green spaces

Join us under the light of the winter sun, for a mindful exploration of Stirchley’s green spaces, where we’ll forage for evergreens as our ancestors did. Bring your secateurs and tote bags as we forage for winter foliage to adorn our wreaths. We‘ll search for the traditional and decorative red berries of the Holly tree and other seasonal staples, as well as ivy and variegated foliage to bring some lovely accents to our wreaths. As we forage and explore the winter landscape, we’ll learn about the ancient significance that winter evergreens held for the ancestors of this land.

Once we’ve collected our bounty, we’ll give thanks to the land and return to the warmth of The Old Post Office in Stirchley. As the night draws in, Alex will guide you as you create your wreath. You can also expect merry making, feasting and stories.

Creating our traditional winter wreaths and exploring folklore and pagan traditions from across Europe

Get cosy against the backdrop of twinkling lights and enjoy the warmth of community, festive mulled apple juice and artisant mince pies from Verbena Kitchen. As we feast and create our wreaths we’ll explore tales of winters past and learn how pagan traditions from across Europe and beyond have impacted the way we celebrate the festive season today.

You’ll be provided with everything you need, including your wreath-ring, moss, spruce and all the fixings. You only need to bring a bag, some secateurs or sturdy scissors and yourself.

Honouring our ancestors and the land at Yule and Winter Solstice

At the very heart of this workshop lies the desire to connect with, explore and honour ancestral traditions in community. Alex and I will share reflections about seeking ancestral connection through ritual and reciprocity as the wheel turns from season to season. If the idea of ancestry and connection to land feels complicated or alien, I’ve shared some thoughts about Ancestry beyond bloodlines here.

Alex was taught how to forage and decorate their home with winter evergreens by their mother, Elaine. They’re now sharing their knowledge and wisdom and passing this ancestral tradition onto you so they can become a part of your own traditions, if they aren’t already. We also invite you to share share your own winter traditions with us, in community. You are also invited to bring a small offering of thanks to place on our Ancestral Altar.

As the darkness draws in, we often bring our thoughts to those who have come before us. no coincidence that at Christmas and New Year we often toast to absent friends before the light slowly returns to us. Join us in a toast to the ancestors and to a merry winter solstice for all.

Join us on the 17th December from 2pm - 5:30pm for Folklore and Foraging

If you’d like to join us on the 17th December from 2pm - 5:30pm for Folklore and Foraging, a winter solstice wreath workshop in Birmingham with The Clear Space and Alex Lilly, you can book below. All ticket sales are non refundable and non transferable. Please refer to the terms and conditions found here.

Tickets are available on a sliding scale to support accessibility.

Sliding scale pricing:

£45/£55/£60

Abundant ticket purchases support the financial provision of lower-income tickets. Thank you in advance to anyone who is financially able to pay it forward!

Standard tickets: use the code WREATHSTANDARD to take £5 off the stated ticket price

Lower-income tickets: for anyone who is unwaged or on a minimum/living wage income - use the code WREATHLOWER to take £10 off the stated ticket price.

Please note that an email with joining instructions will be sent out the week before the session. Emails often go to spam, so please make sure you have opted in to my mailing list.