Winter Solstice 2008:
Dec 21, 12:04 pm Universal Time
EST: Dec 21, 7:04 am
CST: Dec 21, 6:04 am
MST: Dec 21, 5:04 am
PST: Dec 21, 4:04 am
Each year druids, pagans and a wizard or two head to Stonehenge.* A solstice candle, lit at sundown and allowed to burn in a safe place through the night, is a simple tradition deeply connected to ancient ways.
* Nighttime wishing ritual: Go outside and settle into the night. Listen. Think about the night as if it were an island. Have in mind what is important to you — what you want to release from your life and what you want to welcome into your life in the coming year. Breathe each thing you want gone, one at a time, into the palm of your hand, then blow them away into the winter sky. Do the same with each desire you wish to enter your life. When you are finished, go inside and light a red candle. Put it in a safe place to burn out completely. The candle is a symbolic guiding light to draw your desires to you.
* Honoring the directions: Many ancient cultures acknowledge and use the four compass points in their rituals. Here are some qualities for each direction in the Northern Hemisphere. These come from the wonderful book, The Winter Solstice:
* For a simple family ritual on Winter Solstice, you can pass around an orange. Each person peels off a portion of the rind, while thinking about one thing in their lives they would like to "peel away." Once it's fully peeled, the orange is passed around again. Each person eats a section, while thinking about one new wish or intention for the new year. If it's a mandarin orange, save the peel to make
mandarin peel tea! (
via)
* Don't miss this link by
Dr Judith Rich - Winter Solstice: A Paean To The Pregnant Darkness. She is truly a blessing.
Hope you have a scintillating Solstice
A delightful Yule
May your mirth be multi-orgasmic
Your visions vibrant
Your glee glorious
Your festivities fulfilling
And your halls decked with Love and Peace.
xoxo,
Susan
