We are definitely experiencing winter here in Minnesota and with Winter Solstice being today I thought I would share a few rituals that may help keep the Holiday frenzy and your stress levels at bay. Sound like a good idea?
As the commercial chaos can deplete us (or may already have), our natural instincts when the days grow darker are to become more quiet and introspective.. The first day of winter—winter solstice, on December 21—invites us to do just that. However with the pull of commercialism of the holiday season this challenges most of us to do just that.
For three days around the solstice points we experience the power of the standstill point and shift of direction because the Winter Solstice is one of the most powerful points of the year as the axis of the Earth pauses, shifts and moves in the opposite direction.
So for today see if you can let yourself rest in the peace of darkness, knowing the changing of the season and the return of brighter, longer, sun filled days are ahead.Yahoo!
And know you are always connected to Source, and your inter light never dims.
There has been traditions and meaningful rituals to nurture the soul and cultivate deeper relationships to friends and family during this time. Here are some ideas to create your own rituals around the shortest day and longest night of the year that I hope offers you quite reflection, deeper connection to your soul and peace to your inner being.
1. IIlluminate your shadow.
This is some of my most favorite work because it has given me and clients peace, contentment and acceptance. So I invite you to reflect on your whole self, including the parts that you keep hidden from others. Ask yourself, What am I ready to let go of and leave in the dark? What is coming up for me to clear? Bring it to light by journaling or opening up to loved ones in a sacred circle. “By inviting these unconscious, disowned parts into the conscious realm, we release the negative charge that wreaks havoc in our lives,” says spiritual counselor Abdi Assadi, author of Shadows on the Path.
I have found in my spiritual practice and Life Mastery Coaching the power of this simple act of acknowledgment is profound. It opens a door of communication between the conscious and unconscious mind. Working on your Shadows will help you explore how unconscious beliefs and energies manifest on the material plane and help you make different choices in the mental and emotional body to create what your soul desires.
2. Create a space for meditation and an altar with symbols of the season.
During the winter months, I learned, ancient cultures made offerings when the sun dipped below the horizon to ensure it would return each day, they created a yule altar to honor the return of the sun. You can light a golden, silver or yellow candle and reflect on your intentions. Create a shrine of objects found in nature such as pine cones or berries, and cleanse your space with sweet grass or sage. Make a wreath of evergreen boughs representing the continuity of life. If you have a tree, this is a good time to add ornaments shaped like a sunburst or garlands of shimmering stars.
Another idea is to find a meditation cushion or a nice pillow to sit on and set in on top of or among winter-colored fabric such as: white, considered the color of purification; red, the color of passion and prosperity; blue, representing depth and stability; and green, representing harmony and fertility. Sit and watch the sun set on December 21 and connect with everything around you.
3. Today take time to write in a journal. (This idea comes directly from Justine Amodeo)
Dedicate a journal to the winter solstice and make a list of loving wishes for friends, family, co-workers, perhaps the earth and all of living beings. Then write down intentions for the new year. In Richard Heinberg’s Celebrate the Solstice: Honoring the Earth’s Seasonal Rhythms through Festival and Ceremony, he writes that “wisdom consists in knowing one’s place in any given cycle, and what kinds of action (or restraint of action) are appropriate for that phase.”
4. One more….Create a circle of candlelight.
Gather friends and family for a solstice celebration and light one large pillar candle representing the sun to symbolize the power of oneness. Also light a candle for each guest and have them blow out their candle and offer gratitude to the warmth and light of the sun. Share some eggnog and cookies. When you’re finished, blow out the sun candle.
I hope you can take some time today or in the next few days to honor this energetic space that is here for you to make the most of it and whatever you choose to do to mark the end of the year, the coming of the new, know that all over the planet, there are many fires burning brightly.
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