The Winter Solstice

A Winter Solstice Meditation

By Julie Peters and from Spirituality & Practice Magazine

A Winter Solstice Ritual

Here is an intuitive ritual that I like to practice around the winter solstice. It’s not associated with any tradition in particular, just something that feels right to me. You are welcome to try it in your own way. Add or subtract anything that feels more right to you if you would like to practice this ritual too. You’ll need: A candle; Pen and paper if you wish; A glass of water…

Any other cultural or spiritual items that are meaningful to you.

Take a moment to get centered. You might want to take a moment to call in some form of protection around you and offer a land acknowledgment, honoring the sacredness of the land beneath you and the Indigenous people who lived on it first.

When you’re ready, journal or reflect on the following questions:

How do you feel about the last solar year, the time that has passes since the last winter solstice?

What did you learn from this year? What did you lose this year? What are you grieving?

What did you gain? What aspect of yourself would you like to let go of in order to make space for this new beginning?

From here, you can write down a list of the things you would like to let go of to make space for the new beginning. Without burning it, cross this paper over the candle flame a few times to cleanse it.

Now place the glass of water in front of you. Journal or reflect on the following questions: What do you hope for yourself in the coming solar year?

What in you needs to be born or reborn to help you move into the next stage of your life?

What are your deepest wishes for the coming days and months for your body? Your mind? Your heart? Your home? Your work? Your relationships? Your country? The planet?

What do you truly, deeply, want? If you can, distill down your wishes into a few sentences, and speak them to the glass of water.

Drink the water as a symbolic act of taking these wishes and desires into your body to be processed. When this ritual feels complete, offer a thank you—to yourself, to the land beneath you, the protection around you, the earth, sky, water, and flame, and whatever else feels right. If you have a piece of paper with what you are grieving on it, you may like to safely burn or bury it to help yourself say goodbye.

All the best in this next year, and Happy Winter Solstice!

Also…

Solstice is a Time for Magic

Starhawk

“In the darkness that envelops us this time of year, the energies are ripe now for linking our intentions with symbols and images that channel energy to bring them about. Symbolically, the Great Mother goes into labor on Solstice night, to bring forth the Child of Light, the new sun, the new era, the new day.

We support her efforts with our chants, our songs, our dances, our ceremonies, and the real work we each do every day. In darkness, the seed takes root and the new sprout pushes toward the light. In the dark of the womb, the spark of life is kindled. Out of the longest night, the new day is born.

Some of you may already have plans to celebrate the Solstice. Others may be dusting off your altars, or looking for a ritual to join. Perhaps you are feeling that you want to do something, and don’t yet know what it might be.

For me, Solstice has traditionally been a time of vibrant gatherings and feasting with friends to chase off the darkness, but this year, many are being cautious and keeping gatherings small and intimate, so I thought I would share some ideas for how you can celebrate at home- whether with a small group of friends, with family, or on your own.”

Some Simple Ways To Celebrate Solstice:

Solstice can be a time for personal work, for letting go of inner pain, regrets, mistakes, blocks. Fire and water can both be good tools for doing this.

Stir some salt into a bowl of water. Sit with it, and let any painful or fearful feelings arise, and as they do, breathe them into the water, stirring counterclockwise.

When you feel the wave of emotion has passed, sit for a moment and allow yourself to believe that change is possible. Imagine it as a spark of light, that begins to grow as you stir clockwise.

You can sing or chant or breathe to raise the energy. When you feel the bowl is glowing, take a small sip and consciously take back the transformed energy. Look back at some of the situations that have been painful and imagine how you might do them differently, how you can transform them next time.

If you have a fireplace or wood stove or a way to make a fire outside, you can do a similar cleansing with fire: Sit by the unlit fire, draw or write your regrets on paper, then light the fire and let them burn up in the flames.

Solstice is also a time to honor the cycles, the seasons, and the elements. You don’t have to be in a large group ritual to watch the sunset, or to gather with friends at dawn and sing up the morning sun.

Let this Solstice be a time when we all put our intention towards the change we want to see in the world. We are creative, magical, radiant beings, and when we link our hearts, our vision and our actions together, as the Wheel of the Year turns, we can indeed turn the world around.

A blessed Solstice to you all!”