The Sun enters the sign of Capricorn as her rays shine directly at their southern extreme for the year. This is the shortest day and the longest night of the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere they celebrate the Summer Solstice at this time.
The great cosmic wheel of the year, the fiery hub of the universe, the symbolic Wheel of Time, is acknowledged here. Jul or Yule means wheel in Norwegian. Northern Europeans of our Celtic past believed this mystic wheel stopped turning briefly at this crucial point as one cycle ended and a new cycle of the Sun began. It was taboo to rotate any wheels at the Winter Solstice, from cartwheels to butter churns, as they waited for the return of the Sun. The Solstice was a moment to stop, to look backwards in inner reflection and to look forwards to a new active season as the Sun’s returning power brings increased daylight, growth and activity. From now on the days will lengthen and the warmth will come again. This was an important moment in our Celtic past. Megalithic monuments acknowledged this return of the Sun. The outer Sarsen ring of Stonehenge is orientated to the Midwinter Solstice sunset. Newgrange in Ireland is aligned to sunrise on the Winter Solstice when a shaft of light pierces a long tunnel deep into this burial mound to illuminate an inner chamber. It is possible still to be one of a handful of people who experience this moment standing deep inside this earth-womb chamber.
To understand this moment, it is important to realise that this festival is not the beginning, in a linear way of looking at things, but a rebirth within a cycle in which the starting point chosen here is part of a vibrant whole. Therefore it is necessary to make a connection to what has gone before. Since the last festival at Samhain, the Earth has been withdrawn within itself. The darkness of the receding daylight hours has been felt by all of nature and humankind. Root energy has been strengthened, the dream world explored, mysteries understood. The deep wisdom of the unconscious has brought spiritual insights. The old year has died and, through reflection and assimilation, the way is now prepared for rebirth of the active principle. The ‘Cauldron of Regeneration’, as this process was known, was central to Celtic and Pagan understanding. Something old must die in order for something new to be reborn. This period of rest and darkness is a vital link in the cycle of life.
Winter Solstice is traditionally a time for mystery plays and carnival. The Midwinter carnival of medieval times included the story of Saturnalia as King Carnival who was killed with the old year before the new Sun rose again. Consider performing a piece of drama, dance or masked play that helps to illuminate the message of the Winter Solstice. Look for old folk legends with richness of symbolism and imagery. Make the most use of colour, light and masks, exploring ways to go beyond words to conjure atmosphere and deep connections.
Clear the way for changes and new beginnings. Cleanse your self and your friends and family by burning dried sage in a small pottery dish and ‘bathing’ in the smoke. Visualise a spiral of rainbow light around you and visualise your aura bright and sparkling. Clean your room(s). Cleanse everything by washing it all in salt water. Give away as presents what you no longer need and is cluttering up your space. Create a sacred shrine area where you can light a candle, and keep a few things there that will help keep your spiritual focus.
Cleanse all your crystals by washing them in running water and putting them outside for a while. Let them bathe in the winter Sun, the moonlight, the rain, the frosts and the snow. Let them regenerate through the power of the elements. Any crystals that have been used a lot for healing and psychic work, bury in salt for twenty four hours before washing in running water and leaving outside.
Make a large Sun-creation out of basket maker’s willow or cane, creating a space inside for a night light in a jam jar. Use masking tape to hold the shape together by taping the joints to make them strong. Cover with yellow tissue paper leaving a hole top and bottom. Stiffen the tissue paper by giving it several light coats of watered-down PVA glue, letting it dry well between the coats. Use it during your celebrations. It can be hung from a stick or string.
Nothing beats watching the Solstice Sun break free of the horizon on the Solstice. Plan how and where you will do this. Being out early on the land will bring its own special gifts, even if the day is cloudy, so plan to go whatever the weather.
These are some suggestions for celebrating the Winter Solstice.
The eve of Winter Solstice is a special night to be out for a night walk. Walk in silence and connect to the mystical wild part of yourself which links with the Earth at this, one of the most ancient rites of transformation and rebirth.
Stay up all night, tell stories of power and reconnection to the mystical energies, the magical world, whose vibrant and vital dance is all around you. If you can’t stay up all night, then get up early before dawn. Go to a special high place and watch the Solstice sunrise or the lightening of the sky in the South East. These are magical moments you will always remember. Affirm your new dreams and wishes, and the changes you wish to bring into your life as the new cycle unfolds.
This is the time to celebrate friendships, family and sacred kin. Experience belonging to a tribe. Focus on your spirit of generosity and let your heart open in gratitude for all the good people in your life. By feeling thankful for what you have in the present, you open the channels for your own abundance. Invite friends to spend Solstice eve and/or Solstice day with you. In the heart of winter, when we can sometimes feel a bit isolated and low, celebrating the Winter Solstice will bring a real heart-warming connection to like-minded friends and our shared love for the Earth.
Find a venue that is large enough to bring your local like-minded community together to celebrate the Winter Solstice in true tribal fashion. A village hall can be hired for the day. Ask everyone to bring greenery and hangings to decorate the space, and special food to share to have a feast. Celebrate the Earth’s abundance and the friends and family with whom you can share it. Book a good band for dancing to. Ask everyone to bring a gift, a present – the same number of presents as there are in their family – labelled adult, teen or child. These can be put into adult, teen or child labelled baskets as people arrive. (It’s a good idea to have a few extra presents to save any disappointments.) These presents need not necessarily be bought, but something of yours that you no longer need or use. This is the spirit of the ‘give-away’. Later, after the feast, the presents can be distributed by the children or put in the centre of the circle so that each can go and choose a present from the basket.
Begin the gathering with an opening ceremony. Put out all the other lights beforehand and light one central candle. Each light a candle from this and make a wish. The candles can be pushed into a large bowl of sand. Hum and chant together. Be careful with naked flames. Keep quiet and focused while holding them. At the centre of the circle place a beautiful piece of cloth and on it place something to represent each element. Create elemental wall hangings, vessels or masks made of willow and tissue paper, which can be carried in and placed in each of the directions. Ask five people to speak for each element, invoking the qualities they bring to this time for the whole group, or encourage all to speak from the heart as the spirit moves them.
This is an extract from Glennie Kindred’s Sacred Earth Celebrations. Order your copy to learn more about the Earth’s seasonal changes and how you can celebrate her evolving cycles. Order HERE.
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Glennie Kindred is the author of twelve books on Earth wisdom, native plants and trees and celebrating the Earth’s cycles, and is a highly respected teacher and much loved expert on natural lore and Earth traditions.
