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Journey into the Spirit of Winter Solstice: Sacred Rituals Explained

Winter Solstice rituals are a wonderful way to honour the sacred passage of time, reconnect to ourselves and each other, find a beacon of light in the darkness, and move towards eventual renewal. Its spiritual significance is acknowledged and celebrated across the world.

Winter Solstice celebrations typically focus on this sense of gathering, preparing for the future, honouring the dark, and going within. Just like the growth of nature slows to a halt, so do we.

Read on for more about what the Solstices are and rituals you can perform to honour them.

What are the Solstices?

The Solstice (Summer and Winter) is a celestial event when the Sun is either visually at its highest or lowest from Earth, due to our elliptical orbit. In turn, they are either the longest day of the year in the case of the Summer Solstice, and our gradual descent into shorter days (in the Northern Hemisphere usually occurring around June 20th); or the shortest day of the year with the gradual return to light and longer days on the Winter Solstice (usually around December 21st in the Northern Hemisphere, these are flipped for the Southern Hemisphere).

The word Solstice is from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the Solstices it appears the Sun stands still.

The Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day of the year and signals the start of Capricorn Season. “Western” Astrology is seasonal, not constellational as is often thought. It starts on the Vernal (Spring) Equinox as the start of Aries Season and cycles through a Zodiac Sign every 30 days (as the Sun moves roughly 1º a day and there are 12 Zodiac Signs, 360º in an Astrological wheel / 12 Zodiac Signs = 30 days a Sign).

The Signs that fall on the Solstices and Equinoxes are known as Cardinal Signs because they initiate the Seasons. These are Aries and the Vernal Equinox, Cancer and the Summer Solstice, Libra aligning with the Autumnal Equinox, and Capricorn with the Winter Solstice.

These are days of the year when many ancient historical sites align with the Sun, for example Stonehenge, Macchu Picchu (Winter), the Pyramids of Giza, Chaco Canyon, Newgrange (Winter) etc.

In Ancient Rome, around the 17th December for up to a week long was the festival of Saturnalia, dedicated to Saturn, a time when societal norms were upturned and there was a time of general debauchery.

The Equinoxes and Solstices are also a part of the Celtic and Pagan Wheel of the Year, called quarter holidays. The Spring Equinox is Ostara, the Summer Solstice is Litha, the Autumn Equinox is Mabon, and the Winter Solstice is Yule.

The cross-quarter holidays fall in between the Equinoxes and Solstices— Beltane on May 1st, Lammas/Lughnasadh on August 1st, Samhain/All Hallows Day on November 1st, and Imbolc/Candlemas on February 1st).

On the Winter Solstice the Sun is at its weakest, the days are cold and short. It is a time of going within, literally and figuratively. The solace of hope is, of course, that as the shortest day of the year, although we are technically at the start of Winter here and there are still more days of cold to come, at least we are moving towards the return of light.

Winter Solstice Rituals

A Winter Solstice ceremony typically focus around hearth and home, tending to the sacred flames, introspecting within, and honouring the sacred passage of time, life, and death (and eventual rebirth with Spring next) during this longest night. Naturally, with the end of the year, we also start to dream about the new beginnings we wish to see in the coming year.

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Here are some Winter Solstice ritual ideas to honour this time:

1. Watch the sunrise and sunset — This is the simplest, yet most effective in my opinion, because by honouring the full cycle of sunrise to sunset, we are completely at one with it and able to reconnect back to the natural world— this is what it’s all about after all! Make sure to light lots of (non-toxic) candles after!

2. Composting/burial ritual — You can use something symbolic you would like to compost to regenerate, bones, plants, seeds, or anything that represents a goal you would like to come to fruition in the New Year. Take a moment to sit with the land before you dig a hole and plant your objects, cover it back up and water it, visualising it taking root and blossoming. Thank the Elements for their regenerative assistance.

4. Burning ritual — If you are a part of my Spirit Subscription you’ll know how much I love burning rituals! As this is a time of coldness and darkness, fire is often worked with to counteract it. Light a candle (or use your fireplace with the so-called Yule log!), write down what you wish to let go of, and safely burn it using tweezers— I like to keep a bowl of water nearby to drop the ash in. Flush it down the toilet once you’re done. You can also quickly (and carefully) “sain” any firesafe objects in the fire by moving them backwards and forwards quickly through the flame. You can also do a flame-gazing meditation (tataka) and see what visions come out.

5. Shadow work — Go within in the deepest way and befriend your shadow. Come to terms with all the parts of yourself you might normally hide away from or keep hidden. If you would like prompts, get my Introspection Journal.

6. Cook a nourishing feast with intention — As this is the time of year when many of us are celebrating Christmas or partaking in other festive celebrations, it already aligns well as a time of gathering and community. When it is too cold to go outside, hearth and home become in focus. Cooking a meal from scratch using local, seasonal ingredients, with presence and mindfulness is the perfect way to honour this time.

7. Make a wreath — If you haven’t already, building a wreath, Yule altar, or Christmas tree decorations using foraged items during this time is a great way to honour this moment. Offer any edible leftovers (such as seeds) back to the earth. Other festive activities such as making mulled wine, hot cider, a spiced simmer pot, hot chocolate, or baking ginger biscuits are also great!

8. Gather + celebrate — Generally this is already a time of gathering, celebrating, and gift giving, and this is just one more excuse to! Let ourselves keep each other warm. One tradition that is particularly sweet is Wassailing, a Pagan ritual of going out with spiced drinks and singing to the trees, making offerings for a plentiful harvest. In general, this is simply put a time for eating, drinking, and being merry together!

So that is what the Winter Solstice offers us and rituals you can do to befriend the darkness and honour this passage of time, I hope it’s insightful for you! Let me know in the comments section below if you have anything else to add or any questions.

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