Go inward, the darkness will not consume you…….
The Winter Solstice (some celebrate as Yule) occurs once a year around the 21st of December. During this time, the sun is closer to the horizon than at any other time in the year, leading to shorter days and longer nights. This is a powerful time of change, going inward, and practicing rituals to celebrate the Winter Solstice. The Winter Solstice is a time of transition for mother earth, and our bodies shift along with it, many of us resisting winter as the chill in the air redirects attention to stillness, a space of often unexplored territory within our own being.
Stillness does not need to frighten you, there is nothing within your being, mind, psyche, ego, or subconscious that your soul does not already have awareness of on some level. Discover the depths within yourself through stillness is a sacred act, it is liberating, and filled with transformational power to shift and create new outcomes.
Do you fear or dread the onset of winter?
Practice Meditation- Deep reflection for what you have created in your life, the good the not so good…..all of it is important! Meditation can help you embrace the energy of the season, find ways to bring more balance (today’s theme) into your life, and help you release limitations. This is a time of reflection, stillness, moving your outer attention to your inner world.
Create a Ceremony & Celebrate- gather your friends and loved ones, give thanks for all that you have, practice gratitude for all that surfaces.
Bring the wisdom of nature indoors- Decorate, bring in pinecones, mistletoe, fragrances that remind you of the gifts of winter, colors, or symbols that bring you peace. There is no specific preference necessary to honor this time, winter and mother nature embrace all beings, cultures, and religions/spiritual practices.
Honor the Earth- Some cultures leave gifts for Mother Earth, such as sage, herbs, tobacco, as an offering and a prayer of gratitude for all that she offers to us. The onset of winter is no different, even if it is not your favorite season, give thanks for mother earth providing quiet down time to explore your inner world, there are buried treasures within you….now become still enough to discover them.
Nurture & Self Care- Hot sea salt baths, tea, warming herbs & spices, aromatherapy….think gentle, quiet, and self-reflective. Journaling is a beautiful activity to help you move energy out of your system, reflect upon the words you have written, then burn to transform the energy of it.
and listen……. to your spirit, to the stillness rising to greet you with wonder and possibility.
Do not fear the unknown, it is a blessing for the place our conscious creations can arise from deep within us. It’s okay to put down your own mask, to see yourself…. to be with yourself in this intimate, reflective, and honest way. You cannot be certain from what arises within you, you have the ability to move mountains and create worlds. Do not allow shadow within to blind you from your own divinity. If you have fear, be with that fear… If you have sorrow, be with that sorrow…. Learn to embrace it, as you receive these aspects of your being more deeply, they lose their power and begin to transform. Your rejection of parts of yourself will not heal you, ignoring your deepest most feelings and emotions we’ll not allow you to create a new outcome. You must be willing to explore, to get curious, and treat these parts of your being like you would’ve frightened, small child, who is deserving of love. Love yourself into the light….. and this longest of nights will no longer feel so dark.
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