Many of us are taught that Winter Solstice celebrates the return of the light and yes, this is true. But/and Winter Solstice is also the longest night of the year in many places, the night of deepest and most complete darkness.
In cold countries where at this time of the year sunlight is already at a much cherished premium, think about and feel into what this period of longest night is like.
Longest night to feast, to make love, to look at stars and moon, to sleep and dream deeply. Longest night of liminal space and liminal time. And then the rising of the sun, returning of the light and how good and glorious those warming rays feel against face, shoulder, and skin.
But of course the sun does not return in full force on Winter Solstice or the days following. The ground in many places is still frozen hard and solid and will not begin to thaw for many months yet. Snow still lies in thick icing blankets on the ground and tree branches and roof tops, or here, where I live and it is not so very cold, the skies continue on in their leaden gray state and the buds and blossoms for the most part stay hidden and curled up tight while the deer roam about nosing in the dirt for still-tender-from-autumn-acorns.
All of this is to say that we celebrate not so much or not simply a return on Winter Solstice but rather a nascent re-emergence paired with great endurance – for the sun teaches us endurance as it grows and waxes and strengthens throughout these bitter months and into its springtime adolescence and its summer time maturity.
That endurance: new beginning followed by long periods of growth and strengthening is really what arcs across and through the land – a reminder, a returning if you will, we see painted in solar shine across the sky.
Winter Solstice is a time of honoring, remembering, and acknowledging what you have endured throughout the year, what nights you have stood vigil within, and what lights illuminated your path. Take the time to celebrate – and to say thank you.
Hoodoo Psychic Miss Bri teaches the spiritual arts and is a popular author. Her latest is Making Tarot Magic.
orange and placing them on an oven sheet at 200 degrees for 3 to 4 hrs. Flip them halfway through, and they will be ready to hang. This will bring protection and prosperity to your home.
Stay safe. Stay warm. We’re here when you need us…
This one is for your fur babies, your animal companions, your beloved creature allies, and all that is feral and free.
Lilac: The Lilac is a hardy, fragrant Spring-flowering shrub native to Europe and Eurasia. In the Victorian Language of Flowers, it symbolizes the first emotions of love; however, it also holds the meaning of an old love or a lost love and for that reason it was once considered a flower appropriate for widows to grow in the front yard and bring into the home as a cut flower. Its fragrance is strong, beautiful, and inspirational to most people, so a large bunch of home-grown lilacs, while not a dainty bouquet, is a magnificent gift when calling on a friend for a day’s visit.
