Winter Solstice: stillness
Connecting with the ancient Solstice celebration in the modern-day world.
The farther North we go now, the lower dips the Sun and the less the light day lasts. Beyond the Arctic Circle, the day of Winter Solstice is marked by almost no light hours, while at the North Pole, the Sun does not come up at all.
Darkness. We are in the primordial waters, where Chaos rules, but the spark of Life and order will be birthed as the Sun, Mithra, Horus, Apollo, or Jesus. There are probably many more names that did not get to be written down but the story is the same and it is as old as this world: a new Light is born.
The Wheel turns in the endless cycle of Life-Death-Rebirth.
During the season of long nights, our ancestors would follow nature’s suit and hibernate. Going to sleep earlier meant saving candles and oil which was used as a fuel for lamps. And leaving a warm bed later meant saving firewood. The days were spent mostly inside, eating what was preserved from the harvests, telling stories by the hearth fire, making crafts, and hoping that the food they had would last them long enough to survive.
Today, we can regulate the temperature in our homes, the rooms we dwell in can be lit up brightly with a switch on the wall, and if we are ready to pay the extra price, we can have fresh fruits on our plate on the coldest, darkest night of winter. The rhythm of our lives, our diets, our mindsets – none of this changes, none of this ebbs and flows with nature and the larger world we inhabit.
The question I always ask in this newsletter:
How can we use the wisdom of the Old Ways to live in the New Ways?
If between meeting the end-of-the-year deadlines and preparing for Christmas you find yourself craving something different, this essay is for you.
If your body longs for slowness and introspection but your mind is overwhelmed by FOMO, this essay and this space are for you.
If you geek out over mythology, old traditions, cyclical living, and how it is all connected, this newsletter is for you.
Let’s slow down our pace, take a deep breath, and find ways to connect to Winter Solstice and the ebb and flow of life.
The energy of Winter Solstice:
slow, retrospective, quiet
I’m the kind of person who loves to know the why not just the what. That’s why in my essays dedicated to the Seasonal Celebrations, I focus on sharing foundational understandings of the dynamics and the energetics at play in any given season. When you know the underlying ideas, you can come up with your own ways of celebrating them, highlighting them in your life, and attuning to them in your unique way.
To find the basic dynamics of any given season we need to look to nature and pay attention.
Winter Solstice is both the darkest point of winter and a promise of light. As the midwinter day passes, we will not notice any obvious changes on the surface: the dark still prevails, the days feel short, cold weather reigns, and most trees and animals hibernate or fight for survival. Yet, the shift has happened. The days slowly but surely grow longer. The light of hope that we have managed to keep alive is now giving us more warmth. Life is not yet expressed in blooming spring or fruitful summer but we know it’s there: in the roots, in the ground, in the beating hearts.
It’s not the time to do, do, do. It is the time to be, be, be. To tend to fire. To make nourishing meals. To gather and to share your warmth and light with others. Or to curl up with a book or a journal and prioritise keeping your inner fire going. It’s time to notice what’s stirring inside – and give it space. Don’t rush the seeds to grow for they know when their spring comes.
At the point when the Sun stands still can you, too, find a moment to be still?
Besides wanting to know the why, I also love learning about mythology, folklore, and old traditions of our ancestors. There is always so much to say, so recently I came up with the idea of a “Breadcrumbs” section, which is like a short overview of different things that are associated with, for example, Winter Solstice. Following the breadcrumbs can lead my fellow nerds down many rabbit holes. Rejoice! 🤓
Breadcrumbs: Winter Solstice
Date: 22nd of December 2023
Other names: Yule in Celtic tradition, Dies Natalis Solis Invicti and Saturnalia in Roman tradition, Koliada or koleda and specifically Korochun in Slavic tradition, Alban Arthuan in modern Druidic lore, and many more.
Goddesses: Frigg, Isis, and Maya who birth the new Sun in their respective mythologies; Skadi, Morena (or Mara), and Cailleach who rule over the harsh winter months, and others.
Gods: Mithra, Apollo, Saturn, Horus, the Holly King, and others.
The main themes: The darkest hour is before the dawn – reaching the depths of the winter in the promise of light returning – the birth of a new Sun – renewal.
Physiological metaphor: In our bodily cycles, Winter Solstice will be the bottom of an exhale – those brief moments before you begin to inhale, starting the next breath cycle.
Symbol: Sun as a circle with a dot in the middle.
Guiding questions:
❄️ How can I bring more slowness and introspection into my days this winter?
❄️ How can I sustain the literal and metaphorical light during the long dark days of midwinter?
❄️ What dreams and ideas are stirring inside me? How can I gently and carefully explore them in the coming month?
Your answer will be unique to you, framed by your particular life situation and your imagination. In case you need some inspiration, below I am sharing some ideas on what could help to align with the energy of this time of the year. These are also the things I am personally focusing on.
Take what you need, leave what you don’t and, please, do not turn this into another thing on your to-do list that will eventually stress you just by being on there. The most profound thing we can do now is to…
Rest.
Yes, in the middle of the pre-celebration’s mayhem and the end-of-year deadlines. It sounds almost impossible but striving to plan rest days (or hours) for yourself is a needed revolution: it’s about breaking the linear pattern and actually allowing yourself to ebb and flow.
Sharon Blackie is usually taking 2 weeks after the Winter Solstice off: no work emails and no internet as such. Instead, there is time to curl up with a good book, nurture her creative projects, and take stock of the year just gone. In many European cultures, the midwinter festivities lasted 12-14 days after the Solstice, so this idea is very much in line with the Old Ways.
Not many will have the same luxury but it’s something I am personally craving: slowing down after the Winter Solstice, doing some simple life-maintaining activities, and enjoying creative endeavours. If it can be a week, a day, or just a few hours – take it, savour it!
Most importantly, explore what rest means and looks like for you.
Ways to connect with the energy of this season:
Sleep
If you, like me, want to sleep more than usual during winter months, trust the wisdom of your body. It’s not the time to be extra productive and check 20 things off of your to-do list each day. Plan a sleep-in on a weekend or go to bed earlier on weekdays and see how that affects your mood and mindset.
Nourish yourself with food
If your body asks for more food, think how you can see wisdom in this too. “More” does not mean more sweets or bigger portions (but it’s your life and your rules). It may mean more nutritious foods, more warm meals, maybe more carbs… To make it fun, you can try making a dish with only the ingredients that are actually found in your region at this time of the year. For example, root vegetables, grains, and honey instead of broccoli, bananas, and fresh tomatoes.
Quiet, introspective time
I will repeat this question: at the point when the Sun stands still can you, too, find a moment to be still?
What does a quiet, introspective day look like for you? No social media and having no set plans? Spending time by yourself? Walking in nature? Or maybe wandering your city with no aim?
Let there be light!
The mornings are dark these days and a candlelit breakfast might be the cure for the winter blues 😉
Our ancestors made special hearth fires on Winter Solstice to support the returning power of the Sun and we can continue the tradition by adding more light into our days this winter with candles and fairy lights.
More ideas for your holidays (holy-days) season:
Simple, cosy Winter Solstice rituals curated by
A lovely Yule letter by the author of Slow Seasons,
And a thoughtful list of ways to slow down during the holidays by
If you are curious about Winter Solstice folklore and the roots of some of our modern Christmas traditions, you might enjoy my essay from last year:
The full archive of my essays about Seasonal Celebrations can be found here.
I would like to finish this letter with my translation of a quote by Russian painter, theosophist and philosopher Nicholas Roerich:
When the Armageddon rumbles, when so many arrows of hate, separation, destruction, and decay pierce the space, shouldn’t we then protect every spark of amicability? When noble ideas are barbarically denounced, shouldn’t we then gather all the sacred lanterns at the hearth of the Spirit?
I’m wishing you a restful, nourishing, and illuminated holiday season: in and out!
May we gather the lanterns and protect the light 🕯
Nika