Winter Solstice Ritual

December 21st – Winter Solstice on the Northern Hemisphere. The tipping point of darkness, the beginning of a new struggle towards the light.

Winter Solstice Offerings

I didn’t have time for so, so many things this year, but I knew I had to make time for a solstice ritual, if only to not let my personal darkness – all the troubles in life, all the worries – to win. Today is a good day to remind oneself that the tide can be turned, and obstacles can be overcome.

To do that, I chose noon as my ritual time. I prepared my offerings – a potion of milk and herbs, and pieces of dry bread, the odds and ends that dried up before I had the time to eat them. I took all this to my ritual spot, together with black and white candles. More black than white, to match the shortest day and longest night. I lit the black ones first, then the white one.  Poured the offering potion over the bread, and extinguished the black candles, keeping the white one lit. I took it in both hands and raised it to the sun, watching the air above it shimmer in heat, using that to connect to the idea of vitality, strength, perseverance.

At this point a dog that was being taken on a walk ran up to me and demanded to be pet. I choose to interpret this as a sign that all will be well.

I wish you the happiest, calmest, free-est Solstice you can possibly have. We have another year behind us. Let us use the long evenings to learn from it.

Safe Solstitial Offering Potion – Ingredients

• Milk – for nurturing
• Water – for vitality
• Cinnamon – for luck
• Dried rosemary – for health, protection and remembrance
• Turmeric powder – for prosperity, and for golden colour evocative of the sun.

All these ingredients are safe for animals and plants, so you don’t have to worry about pouring this out in the wild.