Winter Solstice

What is the Winter Solstice?

It´s the shortest day of the year as this is the moment when half of Earth is tilted the farthest away from the sun. It usually happens on December 21 or 22, at the exact same second around the world.

The good news is that every day after the winter solstice will be a little longer, until we reach the day with the most hours of daylight – called Summer Solstice – which usually occurs between June 20 and 22.

What are we celebrating on the Winter Solstice?

THE BIRTH OF THE SUN, RETURN OF THE LIGHT AND BEGINNING OF A NEW YEAR:

For 6 months the days have been getting shorter as the darkness grew. But on the Winter Solstice, just when it feels like we could just descend completely into darkness - the Light returns.

The Winter Solstice is the moment the Sun is born again and therefore brings the promise of more daylight ahead. The days will continue to grow longer, brighter and warmer

A new cycle of life for the Sun begins.

At the Winter Solstice we celebrate the magnificent Sun: that on the darkest night it is born again – bringing a new year of life & growth with it.

SPIRITUAL MEANING

There´s a very special stillness about the season we are entering. Even though everything appears dead & frozen in the outside world, a new cycle is beginning.

BIRTH - GROWTH - DEATH - REBIRTH

You can sense there is magic brewing deep down in the dark.

ASTROLOGY

 In astrology, the winter and summer solstice always take place at the very moment  the sun enters a cardinal sign—Capricorn and Cancer respectively. And because cardinal signs are always motivators, movers and go-getters, the winter solstice can be a time of meaningful intention setting.

Questions to ask yourself:

What will come to life for you this year? What will you nurture & grow? What harvests will your work yield in the coming year?

THIS IS THE SEASON FOR DEEP REST

Winter is meant to nurture you, and restore you. It´s meant to ground you & to calm your nervous system – worn out from a long, hard year of life & growth & challenges.

Yes, we don´t have the luxury of just hibernating over winter, the ability to truly rest is a privilege.

But Winter is asking you – can you lean into rest, wherever you are right now in your life? Find small, simple places where you can embrace rest? Can resting receive just as much focus as your ´to do´ list ?

It´s like a butterfly´s transformation journey: You´re wrapped up in the quiet & dark cocoon. For the outside it doesn´t look like anything is happening. And this is what´s so challenging – it doesn´t seem like anything and your brain tells you “you´re not doing anything. You´re wasting your time” But actually, deep in the dark, a quiet transformation is happening.

This is the same transformation your spirit and all of nature, is undergoing this season.

THIS IS THE SEASON FOR DREAMING

You need to rest, so you can dream.

As we´re coming closer to the end of this year and the beginning of the new year, you´re dreaming up new plans, new ideas, new ways of being that will blossom & grow, and receive a bountiful harvest in the year ahead. The dreams of everything to come this year are being sparked in your winter´s rest.

This is the season of receiving – Embrace the quiet & the darkness, recognizing that you don´t need to do anything for the magic to unfold.

New information, ideas, dreams for the new year are revealing themselves by turning inward. Create opportunities to dream this season. Maybe consider keeping a dream journal by your bed and recording anything that comes into your mind & heart in the coming weeks. Even if you might not remember your exact dream, write down the feeling after you wake up.

A NEW LIGHT IS BEING LIT WITHIN YOU

The light of a brand-new year is being lit, deep within the darkness. And the same thing is happening within you.

The dreams you are dreaming in winter are the sparks of new life that will grow in the year ahead.

A new light is being lit within you, a new fire is beginning to burn.

This is a time of pure potential. And this is why it is important that you take this time of rest seriously.

Check out the blog article "Simple Winter solstice Rituals to spark up your inner light again" and let me know in the comments if you already have practiced those or which one is your favorite.