the meaning of the winter solstice & 7 ways to honor it
As I gaze out my window on the second floor of our house and see the leafless, sturdy, snow covered branches of the apple tree in our backyard, I am reflecting on the December feels and this time of year in the wheel of the seasons…Winter is here.
In the Northern hemisphere where I currently live, there is a significant time of year that is very much worth celebrating, honoring and feeling into. It’s called the Winter Solstice or the December Solstice.
What is the Winter Solstice and its significance?
This year, the Winter Solstice arrives today, December 21st, 2022. The Winter Solstice marks the official start of the new year in Pagan traditions. It also marks the first day of winter. It feels more natural to me to begin the new year under the ushering in of a new Earth season versus the popular and traditional Gregorian calendar start of the new year on January 1st.
This is because my body feels the seasons more.
It anticipates the energy and every time around this year it also anticipates the new year. If you’re reading this, I’m guessing your body does too.
The Winter Solstice is the day of year that I start reviewing and reflecting on the past year - what my intention was that I set one year ago and how I followed its path for the last 365 days.
The Winter Solstice also marks the moment when half of the Earth is tilted farthest away from the sun. This makes it the one and only day of the year where there is the least amount of sunlight or the longest night of the year.
It might seem depressing, disappointing or a pain to be entering the long, harsh months of winter. But, I believe in the value of seeing nature as a beautiful teacher with bountiful lessons to be learned all year round.
Although the December Solstice and winter season tends to have darker months with less sun, I don’t see this day as the beginning of a darker time upon us. I see it as the beginning of the return of the light. Although it’s a slow journey to summer and the Summer Solstice, the midway point in the year ( I’ll post about in July 2023 ), it is the point in which sunlight begins to increase in a New Moon kind of way.
Just like the cycles of the moon, from this beginning point, a cycle has ended and also begun. The sunlight grows more and more just like a Dark/New Moon’s light grows to into Full Moon luminosity.
And because, from this point on we take the journey back into summer through the quality of the rest we give ourselves during winter. So how will you give yourself quality rest so you can sprout open this spring and bloom in the summer for the summer solstice?
Below are 7 ways I am honoring this December/Winter Solstice and leaning into the season of being in Winter.
7 Rituals for Honoring The Winter Solstice
Light a candle
I love lighting a candle ( or several! ) before I intentionally do anything. I light one before I create, before I meditate, before my Breathwork practice - I even lit one before writing this post.
Lighting a candle helps us work with our intentions - our mental state, our aim and our creative will on Earth. Intentions are our motivations and devotion in taking action for ourselves. This is very much associated with the element of fire and it’s momentum.There’s no better way to honor the Winter Solstice by lighting a candle to seal in your intention for the moment or upcoming year. You can light your candle as you say your intention out loud or to yourself and trust the flame is carrying it into fruition.
Get outside & spend time in nature
This one might be harder to do, depending on the temperatures. Solstice time ( and winter ) is a wonderful time to connect with nature. I love taking short walks around the neighborhood everyday. I like staying active throughout my days by walking, unless it’s too slippery like an ice rink or the temps dip so low it feels like -30 degrees F. Even today with a -10 degree F temperature, I still walked!
But even I have my limits on what I’ll put my body through. If it’s too cold to walk outside, I walk in place indoors for 10 minutes at a time, 3 times a day minimum while I gaze out the window and connect with nature. I think the Earth loves it when we acknowledge it and take care of it. Honor nature by spending quality time with it this Solstice. Express gratitude for all winter teaches you.
Enjoy the silent sounds of winter
One of my favorite things to do in the morning right after I wake up (or in the evening ) is to just sit in silence and listen to the nonexistent sounds of winter. If you have snowy winters in your area, you know the sound I’m speaking of. It’s that dead of winter sound where there’s no sound at all. Because everyone is indoors cozying up, staying warm and moving slower. The animals are moving about less frequently and cars are venturing down the road less often. The only sound you hear is the silence of winter. Or maybe a snowblower…Enjoying the silent sounds of winter is a pleasurable way to honor the solstice and a beautiful winter practice for implementing rest.
Watch the snowflakes gently fall around you
Along with enjoying the silent sounds of winter, I love sitting by the window and watching the snowflakes gently fall around our house. I just love the motion and visualization they bring - even in blizzards.
There is something nostalgic to me about falling snow. When I was little, I couldn’t wait for the first snowfall of the season because then it meant I could run outside and build snow people and make snow angels, one of my favorite winter pastimes.
As an adult, I still play in the snow. But, I absolutely love just watching the snowfall. Slow, steady yet somehow all at once. It shifts my energy into stillness. I often think about how each snowflake is unique falling from the sky, which always really amazes me. What an exercise in acknowledging abundance around us and in nature! And knowing that even in the slowest and quietest of times, abundance is still here. It’s the perfect way to honor the Winter Solstice and the season.
Relax by the fireplace
I don’t have a fireplace in my current home, but we do have a smart tv and love opening the YouTube app and putting on a fake one. I love the virtual campfires playlist by Beautiful Relaxation , which has the most beautiful cinematography of outdoor campfires near frozen lakes in sunsets. I also really enjoy this 12 hour indoor one which looks like an actual fireplace. I love letting the videos play out in the background, in the dark or by candlelight, with a cozy tea, hot apple cider or non - alcoholic egg nog. Sometimes I’ll cozy up under a lamp and read a book or just enjoy the peace and silence by closing my eyes and breathing gently while I listen to the crackling. A perfect way to honor the first day of winter and the solstice.
Reflect
In honor of the Winter Solstice as the start of the new year, on and around this day, I prioritize turning inward. Winter is notorious for allowing us ( and sometimes forcing us! ) to slow down, get quiet and attune to our inner selves. On the solstice, I like to take some genuine time to reflect on the lessons I’ve been blessed with this past year, my rebirth and what’s coming to a close. I also like to ruminate on what I want for myself in this upcoming new year, my intentions, goals for my personal life and business projects. I like to list it all out, without holding back. Consider the following prompts : What lessons have I been gifted this last year? What have I accomplished or followed through on? List them all out one by one! How has my stunning rebirth played out this past year? What does my heart desire for this upcoming new year? What does it look like visually? What does it feel like? What specific goals do I have for myself in my creative work? What talents am I itching to share with others this year?
This also leads me to my favorite Winter Solstice intention setting practice…
Pick a word of the year
In addition to the prompts in the last section, ask yourself : If I could pick a word as my focal point intention for 2023, what would that word be? Where do I feel it come alive in my body?
Then, use this word to set your intentions and goals for the new year. I love crafting a vision board with visuals on what living out my word of the year looks and feels like for me. Then I post the vision board in my planner or on my wall where I can see it everyday and check in with it throughout the year. I’ve been doing this annually for the last 5 years and I look forward to it every year. It’s a truly renewing practice!
Some of my past words were :
2022 - embody
2021 - attune
2020 - integrity
2019 - endure
and 2018 - free spirit
My 2023 word of the year is shaping and I can’t wait to share it with you ( maybe in a different post! ).
So, what will you be feeling into this winter? How will you honor the Winter Solstice and this moment of sacred pause as we slowly return to the season of the sun little by little?
Let me know! I’d love hear from you <3
And remember, no matter the season…
Keep planting.
Keep breathing.
*If you love feeling into new beginnings, setting intentions and creating space for peace…then join me for 3 weeks of embodied breathing, intentional rest and energetic care under the cyclical medicine of the moon.
We start breathing and setting our intentions for the New Moon in Aquarius on January 21st, 2023. Join here or learn more.