Winter Solstice blessings and ritual

For thousands of years, people all around the world have been celebrating this time of year, especially the Winter Solstice: a time when the amount of daylight and the amount of darkness are equal…..balanced. A time when, after Dec. 21st, the amount of light grows, day to day.

This time of year is also a reminder of a time when people were deeply connected to the cycles and patterns of the Earth and Sky and matched their lives to the rhythms of nature. Taking cues from nature and aligning with nature connects us to a deeper, Divine thread that flows through all things.

In the fall and winter: drawing within, not unlike a drawing in of roots and energy that we see with plants.

In the spring and summer: bursting forth with new light and outwardly focused energy.

It’s powerful when we tap into this honoring of the rhythms of nature, and when we tap into the energy of thousands of years of ritual and ceremony around the Winter Solstice.

Interested in honoring this change in seasons? Below is a practice you do either on Wed eve Dec. 20 or in the days before the Solstice on Dec. 21. Find a quiet space for this practice on your own, or invite friends and family to join you.

Have some paper and pen handy to take notes afterwards.

Begin by calling in the directions of west, north, east and south; earth below, sky above and the spirit within. You can rattle or drum or simply stand with feet wider than hip width apart, rooted with the earth. Face each direction and call in the wisdom, love and protection of the directions, including the angels, saints, spirits and ancestors to create a sacred container in which to do your ceremony.

Next, sit quietly or lie down and deepen your breath. Follow breath as it flows in through your nose and out through your nose. Draw your attention inside and feel into your body. Feel you head, neck, shoulder, chest and abdomen. Feel your hips, thighs, knees, shins, ankles and feet. Bring your attention to your feet; feel your feet and imagine your feet feeling heavy and connected to the earth.

Bring your attention to the center of your chest, your heart center. Imagine you can breath in and out of your heart center. Now imagine you can dive into your heart. Imagine dropping into that space, like a drop of water falls into a pond and becomes one with that pond.

Keeping your focus on your heart center and set your intention to receive a message about what this solstice season is meant to offer you.

Ask the question to your heart: What am I meant to release that will open me up to a wonderful 2018? Allow the time and space for words or images to come to you. There is no right or wrong way to do this practice. Simply be quiet, ask the question of your heart and trust what you’ll receive is in your highest good. When you receive a message, which may not make complete sense to you or may be crystal clear, hold it in your heart one last time.

Deepen your breath and slowly feel into your body again: your feet, legs, torso, shoulders, neck and face. Take your time opening your eyes and sitting up if lying down. Write the message you received on a piece of paper. Hold that paper to your heart and then release that paper in some fashion. You can create an easy ceremony around it; Burn in a fire pit; burn in a fireplace, light a candle and let it burn in a metal bowl; let it dissolve in a bowl of water. Or, take a big inhale, honoring the path that took you through this burden and with an exhale, tear up the paper and release it into the garbage.

The “what” and “how” doesn’t matter as much as the intention behind this ritual: diving inside, listening, honoring and releasing.

May your Winter Solstice and holiday season be meaningful for your and yours.

May the days ahead glow with the light of the sun and slow down with the darkness of night,
Martha

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