In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice occurs on 21st or 22nd of December. Ireland’s largest Neolithic tomb, Newgrange, Co. Meath, is aligned with the sunrise of the Winter Solstice. At sunrise on the shortest day of the year, for 17 minutes, direct sunlight can enter the Newgrange monument to illuminate the Chamber. This year again the Winter Solstice is being live streamed at https://heritageireland.ie/winter-solstice/ at 8:45am on the 20th, 21st and 22nd of December 2021.
In the dark harsh winter, the Winter Solstice was a time of great celebration for our ancestors. It is the shortest day of the year, the longest night. The earth is tilted as far as possible, away from the sun. These days are for resting and dreaming.
For those that came before us, the return of the sun signified growth and life. It marked with some certainty that Spring and Summer would return. Solstice means “sun stands still" - the seasonal movement of the Sun's daily path pauses at a northern limit before reversing direction. At the Winter Solstice or Grianstad an Gheimhridh as gaelige, it is a turning point, when light shines through the darkness. This is what we celebrate at the Winter Solstice - the return of the light. I take great hope from that during the darkness of winter.
The nourishment of the mid-Winter quiet darkness, rest and drawing inwards to reflect. There is great renewal in the quiet emptiness of mid-Winter. If we are willing to surrender to the darkness of deepest Winter, we will be nourished and renewed. It also makes it an ideal time for dreaming. As well as the great celebrations of the Solstice and Christmas, it is a potent time to pause, reflect and wonder.
Reflections:
Wintertime in nature is a period of rest and fallow. It is necessary for nature to restore, to draw her energy inwards so that she is ready to bud new life in Spring. Spend time outdoors, notice how Winter has a very special stillness about it, on the surface everything appears dead and quiet. But deep within, new life is quietly unfolding. We are part of nature, this is our natural way too.
In Katherine May’s book ‘Wintering’ she points out that “Plants and animals don’t fight the winter; they don’t pretend it’s not happening and attempt to carry on living the same lives they lived in the summer. They prepare. They adapt…..Wintering is a time of withdrawing from the world, maximizing scant resources, carrying out acts of brutal efficiency and vanishing from sight; but that’s where the transformation occurs. Winter is not the death of the life cycle, but its crucible.
It’s a time for reflection and recuperation, for slow replenishment, for putting your house in order. Doing these deeply unfashionable things — slowing down, letting your spare time expand, getting enough sleep, resting — is a radical act now, but it’s essential. ”
Katherine May refers to wintering as a metaphor too, for those phases in our life when we feel frozen out or unable to make the next step, and that that can come at any time, in any season, in any weather. Wintering calls us, not only to live with it, but to wrest from it what it can teach each of us. Katherine believes “We must learn to invite them (our winterings) in”.
In line with this time of reflection, I invite you to settle in by the fire, dim the lights, spark up some candles and with your journal in hand consider the following…….
1) How do I recognise and honour the potential of darkness to offer healing and restoration?
2) How easy or how challenging is it for me to practice stopping, hibernating, resting more, releasing and embracing the darkness?
3) What new life, ideas and plans am I dreaming about?
Personal Practice Invite:
Light a fire and spend the evening outdoors watching the waning gibbous moon.
‘Waning’ means that the illuminated portion of the Moon is decreasing. As the light of the Moon wanes, energy is slowing down and bathing us in her light – stand around the fire and say what or whom you are grateful for.
The next morning, rise early to greet the dawn and a time of light as turn the page on a new chapter of the year.
If you’d like to try other Winter Solstice rituals, check out this good article online at https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/winter-solstice-2021-rituals
Grianstad Geimhridh Shona Daoibh! Happy Winter Solstice!