I like having a tree up in my house in December; the greenery and the pine smell is nice. Now that I am here in Dallas, I'm on my own to do that - and I'm starting fresh with decorations.

Based on a message that Diane Paxson wrote on The Troth's mailing list, I decided to put up a Yule tree. This is Heathen, rather than specifically Druidic, but the Norse hearth culture is perfectly acceptable within ADF, I'm especially interested in it, so why not?

I started with a tabletop "Christmas Tree" from Central Market. I strung it with mini lights - just because I like lights. On top, I put a plush eagle. Around the base, I coiled a rubber snake. Up near the eagle, I put a small plastic stag and a small plastic she-goat. In the branches, I put two ravens and a squirrel. And, hung all around the tree, is a set of 24 runes that I created myself from white and red Sculpey.

I have one additional plan: I have a set of nine clear, undecorated glass ornaments, acrylic paints, and brushes. I would like to paint each of them with symbols and images to represent one of the nine worlds. I've put off doing this because I don't think I know enough lore, yet, to choose appropriate imagery.

Here is what Diana Paxson told me about the symbolism of the various animals:

The zoo comes from the description of Asgard in the Younger Edda (Gylfaginning 38-9) The goat is called Heidhrun, and from her udders comes the mead the heroes drink in Valhal. The stag is called Eikthyrnir, and from his horns drip the waters that become the world's rivers (don't ask me how or why). In Gylfaginning 15-16 we find an eagle sitting in the top of the Tree. The squirrel Ratatosk runs up and down the trunk carrying insults back and forth from the eagle to the serpent Nidhogg at the base of the tree. There are also four stags at the top who feed on the branches. Nobody seems to know what their function is. Adding the steeds of the various gods could also work.

The ravens are Huginn and Muninn, Odin's "eyes" in Midgard.

To the right are are a few photos of the tree: one of the whole tree before I got my ravens, one of the middle after I installed the ravens, and a close-up of the base.