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Winter Solstice (December 21)
Winter Solstice, or Yule, is the night of longest dark, the point of deepest night and winter before the returning of new life. . .the rebirth of the sun. This time of year signifies enlightenment, when the light is reborn within the womb of darkness. It is the time of the turning sun.
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End the Year
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"The seasons and all their changes are in me."
- Henry David Thoreau
Just as the Earth has its seasons, so do we . . . Earth's children. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter then spring once again. These are our cycles: Birth, Life, Death, Rebirth.
Winter is when the earth rests and we slow down. The seeds dream. We go inward and prepare for the nurturing power of the dark. Dark is not something we fear. It is the comfort of the womb where a baby awaits rebirth. Dark is the nurturing soil of the Earth Mother.
We courageously descend into winter. We embrace the long nights where we nurture our own dream seeds. Like the great bears shuffling off toward the sleep of hibernation and the sap in the trees as it begins to slow, the seasons are in us too and we slow down and descend into the nurturing dark of winter.
Slow Down, Seek The Within, Dream Healing Dreams
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Love, Pride and Tradition that we pass on to new generations. Let's Celebrate.
A Pagan Winter Solstice card by Nancy Ann Jones.
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The Miracle of Winter
"Plants die after producing their seeds,
which are buried in the ground, storing precious energy. During the darkest days of winter, these seeds begin to germinate, thus completing Nature's cycle. So, too, this dark night of the soul will produce new growth in
time. At no other moment are you more
deeply in touch with your will to survive. The darkness of night can be terrifying, but it can also bring blessed sleep and relief from the day's troubles. Perhaps the most
peaceful time of life is experienced in the
darkness of the womb as life's potential begins to take form. The winter solstice, the darkest day of the year, brings hope and the return of the Sun's life. Likewise, your
darkest moments hold the power of healing.
Conserve your energies. Sink deep into your inner Self to find that seed of new life." (M.E. Warlick)
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WINTER SOLSTICE RITUAL
Within the dark, winter womb of Mother
Earth rest many seeds awaiting the Turning of the Sun to coax them into the light. So, too, within each of us are countless "Seeds of Potentialities" awaiting the warm
Sun of our own Self-Love to bring them to
the surface of our consciousness, and into the world as the living fruit of our lives.
To enact this ritual you need one tangerine
or orange that has seeds. Find a quiet time and place where you will be undisturbed. You may light a candle, burn incense, play music, whatever you wish to do to "create sacred space." Begin by looking back at
2010. What was the year like for you? What good things came to you? What lessons did you learn? What did you accomplish? (Remember, there are no
small accomplishments.) Reflect on all areas of your life. Give thanks to the Divine, your guides, whomever you include as an ally in your life process, for their support in the past year. Then take a deep, heartfelt
moment to honor yourself for the "Living
Light" that you are.
Hold the orange, or tangerine, to your heart
and think about the seeds lying dormant inside the fruit. Begin to contemplate the Seeds inside you that want to come to Life in the coming year. What do you want to do . . . create . . . accomplish in 2011? Where do
you want to be a year from now, and what
must you do to get there? Think about all aspects of your life, and trust that Spirit will spark and guide you on your path.
Peel the fruit. While the peelings drop away,
imagine them as any, and all obstacles, limitations and fears holding you back. As you let the pieces of rind fall away, know that they have protected and served you . . . until now. Thank them and release them.
While eating the fruit, visualize the sweet
juice and pulp as the inner love, strength, and boundless resources you have inside you. As you discover the seeds within the fruit, take a moment to envision, and name, what each "Seed of Potentiality" will represent in your life in the coming year. Set
the seeds aside until you have finished the
entire fruit. Then take all the seeds into your hands. These represent your goals, wishes and dreams for 2009. Endow them with your life essence by breathing into them, singing or sounding into them, dancing with them, or anointing them with your kisses or tears. Let
Spirit guide you in this energy-exchange.
(You might want to write about your wishes, dreams and goals in a journal, as well.)
Finally, offer your Life-Seeds back to Mother
Earth, or put them in a sacred space until you are ready to give them to Her for safe-keeping. When it feels appropriate for you, bury the seeds with prayer, thankfulness and a commitment to yourself
to do all that is necessary to grow these "Seeds-of-Life" into their complete form. Trust that you have all the resources you need to nurture your goals, wishes and
dreams into full manifestation.
This personal rite also works well at the
New Year. © 1997 Xia
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