Winter Solstice Rituals 

Health & Wellness    |    Posted By Jenny Griffith

Are you feeling the excitement and new beginnings for the new year? I've already been celebrating all the beauty that unraveled in 2021 and planning what I want to call 2022. 

I place more importance on the winter solstice, Dec 21st, than Christmas and the new year, because I feel that seasonal transitions are more powerful for transformation than anything. It is also the date of the Yule holiday in the Pagan tradition (which I love by the way) - the darkest day of the year and the first day of winter. In Ayurveda, we morph into an accumulation of Kapha dosha. Where we experience more qualities; heavy, slow, steady, solid, cold, soft, and oily. 

Yule is the turning of welcoming longer days of sunshine. It is a time of deep reflection, gratitude, and prayer. It's a special day that should be ceremonial and ritualistic if you want to embrace the magic of this special day. 

The phase of the moon will be in waning gibbous, which means that it's time to go inward. It is the ultimate day of doing less, scheduling less, taking time to be quiet, reflective, and meditative. 

Here are some suggestions on how to have a beautiful winter solstice. 

1. Be with the darkness. Avoid artificial light and take a walk in the sunshine if possible. Light a candle all day and reduce screens and technology. 

2. Wear comfy clothes and bundle up. Enjoy feeling cozy and have a snuggle session if possible. Welcome the winter season with anything that makes you feel cuddly and warm. 

3. Commune with fire. It is a tradition in Yule to surround fire with loved ones. Journal or share what you want to let go of and release it into the fire. Here are some journal entries you can do 

• What do I wish to keep sacred? 
• What do I want to let go of? 
• What do I want to welcome in for winter? 

4. Eat grounding foods. Enjoy grounding foods like root vegetables, soups + stews, and avoid caffeine. 

5. Use these herbs. Cedar, ash, bay, blessed thistle, sage, chamomile, frankincense, holly, juniper, mistletoe, and pine. Adorn your altar with these calming and aromatic herbal medicines and meditate. Smudge your home with sage and clean your home to bring in the new season. 

Just like each month with the phase of the moon- we cleanse. When the season's transition is an even bigger cleanse. 

If you really want downloads of this solstice- get quiet and be intentional! 

Love, 

Jenny