Today marks the first day of winter where the light of the Sun begins a new solar cycle which is known as Winter Solstice.
The Winter Solstice, or Yule, marks the longest night and the shortest day, when the sun is at its lowest point on the horizon.
We are in root time, when the energy of nature is withdrawn and all seems to sleep. We slow down and turn our energy inward, incubating our visions for the next cycle and replenishing our energy.
In winter everything lies dormant in the silent earth, it is a sacred time of rest and reflection before the awakening and the slow build toward brighter days. It can be a time to rest and reflect.
In the Northern Hemisphere this will be at 4:48pm Eastern Standard time and 10:47pm Central European time on Wednesday, December 21, marking the first day of winter.
The suns rays start to shine into the darkness, and begin to nurture the newborn life there to be cultivated this is the turning point where we can start to welcome back the light.
In Latin, solstice is made of two words: sol– meaning “the sun” and sistere meaning “to make stand.” Winter Solstice is one the most powerful points of the year as the axis of the Earth pauses, shifts and moves in the opposite direction.
For three days around the solstice points we experience the power of the standstill point and the shift of direction. The sun standing still is a powerful metaphor for the energy available to us at the Winter Solstice to change the direction of our lives with intention and build on this energy as we enter into the new year.
For today let yourself rest in the peace of darkness, knowing the changing of the season, and the return of brighter days is ahead, be reminded you are always connected to Source, and your inner light never dims.
Don’t pressure yourself to make changes right now, let the energies of new life and inspiration build slowly within you and by spring you’ll be bursting with new energy and ideas.
Nurture yourself with compassion, allowing for rest and reflection, great joy will be your harvest in 2023.
You may want to take time to honor and acknowledge the endings and new beginnings in your life in a ceremony or personal ritual that both honors your past and clears space to make room for what you wish for the coming year.
We will be celebrating the sacred dark at this time, but also celebrating the spark of new light as the sun is reborn and the days begin to lengthen by making an orange pomander.
It is a traditional craft for this time of year and done with intent. All you need is an orange and some cloves, a herb traditionally associated with good luck and prosperity, as well as protection and banishing negative energy.
Push your cloves into the orange, first in a vertical band encircling the fruit. Pushing the cloves in can take some effort, allowing you to raise power as you work and focus your mind on your intent. A second line of cloves horizontally around the fruit makes the shape of a cross within a circle, a traditional symbol of the wheel and the cycles of life.
Once you have completed your wheel, charge it fully with your intent, perhaps a new project for the new season, and hang it in your home to remind you of the growing energies of the sun.
Whatever you choose to do to mark the end of the year, the coming of the new, and the rebirth of the light - know that all over our planet, there are many fires burning brightly and we wish you abundant blessings for the coming year!