Winter can be a dark and gloomy time of year. Incorporate some fun Winter Solstice Rituals to add new spiritual meaning to this nature-based event. Read the post for some ideas and hopefully a new tradition!
Winter Solstice 101
The winter solstice occurs when the Earth’s axis is tipped the furthest away from the Sun. For those in the Northern Hemisphere, this is around December 21st. Since clocks don’t align precisely with our orbit around the Sun, it varies slightly from year to year.
We talk about the Winter Solstice as if it’s a day but it is an astrological event that occurs the moment the Sun is precisely over the Tropic of Capricorn. That feels so magical to me!
However, it is so much easier to celebrate within a 24-hour period than a precise moment.
The Winter Solstice marks the beginning of Winter. It also is the shortest day and longest night of the year.
Winter Solstice Meaning
The Winter Solstice marks a time in the natural cycle between the Earth and the Sun. Because the Sun is farthest from the Northern Hemisphere, the Earth becomes dark and cold. We head indoors for the safety and warmth of our homes.
This is a time of retreat. Take this as an opportunity for self-reflection and introspection.
Without extensive Sunlight, there are fewer plants and food to eat. All the hard work of planting and harvesting is over. This allows for a time of rest and gratitude for all the Earth provided for us during the Summer and Fall. Winter is associated with death and endings.
The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day of the year, so the days will begin to get longer. The Sun is returning and there is a feeling of hope. Light and the firey Sun are celebrated.
The Sun is in the sign of Capricorn at this time. Capricorn has a very productive, goal-oriented energy. It’s not a coincidence that we start thinking of New Year Resolutions.
I know I find this time very energizing and exciting but let’s stay in true Capricorn nature and keep those resolutions practical!
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Winter Soltice Rituals
So what do you do on the Winter Solstice? Now you know when it is and what it is. Take one or more of its themes (Rest, Introspection, Graditue, Endings, Light, Hope, and Practical New Beginnings) and incorporate it into one of these Easy Rituals.
Embrace Nature for the Winter Solstice
Bring in natural elements to spruce up your space.
Pinecones, wreaths made with evergreen branches, Holly, and Poinsettias! With the weather cold and wet it’s nice to bring a little of the outside in. Regardless of whether you celebrate Christmas, a Christmas or Yule tree is a wonderful way to decorate your home.
While walking our dog, I ran across bags of Holly bush clippings one year. In the spirit of giving the homeowner bagged up their extra clippings for others to use! I used them for a table centerpiece and for our buffet. It was a lovely gesture and a lovely decoration.
Decorate with Oranges
Oranges are associated with the Sun. Not only due to the color and roundness but they are thought to bring Luck and Vitality as well.
I love to dry orange slices and turn them into garlands or ornaments for the tree. It’s a simple project that costs very little. Your house will smell amazing too! If you have a food dehydrater you can use that but you can do it simply enough in the oven.
Make Pomanders
These lovely and fragrant decorations only require an orange and whole cloves. Puncture the orange with the clove in the design of your choice and they’ll dry and scent your home with the fresh scent of citrus and the warm inviting scent of cloves.
I had everyone at home get involved and make one last year. It was a fun time that we got to spend as a family.
Share food and Drink with Loved Ones
We all have certain dishes or treats that come to mind. Without them, it just wouldn’t be the holidays. The same goes for beverages. Whatever dish comes to mind, double the recipe and have some people over! It can be all too easy to stay inside and forget about others until spring, However, now more than ever is when we need to get together and share the joys of community.
If the idea of having company over gives you more anxiety than you can handle, I have another suggestion. Make something for a friend or neighbor and drop it off. My neighbor makes me a cheese ball every year and I love it! It’s a simple act of love but it feels so much bigger.
Incorporate Fire and Lights on the Winter Solstice
With all the darkness a little twinkle makes a space so much cozier. Hang up some extra string lights or light some candles in the evening.
Have a Bonfire
On the Winter Solstice have a bonfire. As the sunsets, you know that the light will grow stronger and stronger until it’s Spring and the harshness of Winter is over. For an extra element, write down things you want to let go of and burn the piece of paper in the fire.
Create a Candle Spell around the energy of this time of year.
Select oils to anoint your spell candle with, carve words or sigils into it, write a petition, and let that candle burn! If you don’t know how to do a Candle Spell, read “The Book of Candle Magic: Candle Spell Secrets to Change Your Life” by Madame Pamita.
Journal about your Shadow Side
Look up some journal prompts or create your own and dig down deep into some aspects of yourself that need to be pulled out of the shadows of your subconscious. This is the perfect time of year to reflect on your life. where you are and where you want to be.
Give Yourself a Tarot Reading
Find a tarot spread or create your own around the themes of the Winter Solstice. It’s a magical practice that helps you go inward. Find time when you can be alone, pull your cards, reflect on them, and journal your interpretations.
Do Sun Salutations
If you know me you know how much I love Yoga philosophy and incorporating yoga into my spiritual practice. As this is a time to celebrate the promised return of the Sun, I encourage you to perform a series of Sun Salutations. It’s a series of postures that are commonly used to warm up the body. Do enough of these and you will be warm, trust me. Pick a number that has significance to you and devote your practice to the Sun. (If you are really feeling energetic 108 is considered an auspicious number.)
Prep Your Planners for the New Year!
It’s the end of the calendar year and I get so excited that I can break out my new planners! Harness all that Capricorn energy and prep and plan for a productive new year.
Jot down a few practical goals or set up a bullet journal for the whole year. I am a paper planner person so I have multiple planners that I use for different areas of my life.
You can do whatever works for you but I highly recommend getting some way to organize your appointments and to-do lists. Just, don’t go overboard. If it’s too hard to keep up with you won’t and you’ll feel defeated.
One of the Planners I use is the Magic of I Planner. It’s not only beautiful but it is full of astrological events and has the moon phases for the whole year. It’s chalked full of tarot and astrology reference material. I’ve used it for three years and plan on using it again. This is my 2023 pocket-sized edition. My 2024 Magic of I Planner is on its way as I am writing this! Buy a Magic of I Planner here.
Conclusion for Winter Solstice Rituals
So, as we approach the Winter Solstice, consider embracing some of these ideas and let them enrich your life with a sense of wonder, purpose, and togetherness. Start a new tradition that resonates with your spirit and your surroundings, and make the Winter Solstice a time of spiritual significance.
