Winter Solstice

[Geila]

Years ago I found a Winter Solstice ritual online and somehow I lost track of it through computer changes and whatnot. Now I can't find it. I really enjoyed it and would like to do it again. I'm hoping someone here can help.

All I remember is this:

There was the use of three candles in red, silver and gold.
There was a spoken ritual of saying goodbye to the current/past year and welcoming the new one.

I've tried googling for it several times without success. Any help finding it would be greatly appreciated.

:thankyou:

[iris lilies]

Years ago I found a Winter Solstice ritual online and somehow I lost track of it through computer changes and whatnot. Now I can't find it. I really enjoyed it and would like to do it again. I'm hoping someone here can help.

All I remember is this:

There was the use of three candles in red, silver and gold.
There was a spoken ritual of saying goodbye to the current/past year and welcoming the new one.

I've tried googling for it several times without success. Any help finding it would be greatly appreciated.

:thankyou:

This sounds cool. In the right frame of mind, I might do something similar. Our year of activity is so driven by mother Nature and seasons.

[SteveinMN]

Would it be something like this Samhain ritual (http://www.witchesandpagans.com/pagan-culture-blogs/everyday-witchcraft/magical-mondays-a-samhain-ritual.html)? Or this Nordic take (https://nordicwiccan.blogspot.com/2014/12/12-days-of-yule.html) on it?

[LDAHL]

In my neighborhood, the winter solstice ritual is to test start our snow blowers.

[nswef]

My husband did that today, ahead of time...it's 55 degrees!!! Here in Piedmont Maryland- the hope is that starting it means it won't need to be used at all!!!

[Geila]

Would it be something like this Samhain ritual (http://www.witchesandpagans.com/pagan-culture-blogs/everyday-witchcraft/magical-mondays-a-samhain-ritual.html)? Or this Nordic take (https://nordicwiccan.blogspot.com/2014/12/12-days-of-yule.html) on it?

Thanks Steve. Unfortunately, neither one of these is it. I remember it being a simple ceremony (or else I just picked the sections that I liked and ignored the rest). And I don't remember any witch references, mostly seasonal stuff. I'm so bummed. I've been looking for days.

[Geila]

I think being in California makes this more meaningful because we don't have the seasons to dramatically mark the changes in the year. I just watched La La Land and had to laugh at the lack of change when they identified each of the seasons.

[Tybee]

This seems kind of similar?

https://wicca.com/celtic/akasha/yulerit.htm

(Ex daughter in law was Wiccan, and I am mostly Celtic)

[SteveinMN]

In my neighborhood, the winter solstice ritual is to test start our snow blowers.
Around here if we wait until Winter Solstice for that, we're running far behind. That's more of a Fall Equinox thing this far north.

[Float On]

I like how this one is worded and that it takes an activity of writing and burning. https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-16508/celebrate-the-winter-solstice-with-a-sunset-ceremony.html

Growing up my family did something similar on New Year's Eve. We'd talk about the past year and the things we wanted to put behind us as we carved the year on a log. We'd burn the log in the fireplace while we talked about the things we hoped for in the New Year. Then we'd clean up the fireplace and make our lists/calendar for the New Year. A clean slate so to speak.

I'm not finding anything specific to red, silver, and gold candles. I'll keep looking.

[Geila]

You guys, I found it! Some parts of it I don't remember and the whole candle colors thing is missing (maybe I made that up or got it from somewhere else). But the parts I really liked are there. Here is the website: http://greenhaventradition.weebly.com/yule.html

Ritual for Yule 2003 is the one I liked the best, although the other ones have some parts that I like as well. The colors that are traditional (at the top where the decorations are listed) are green, red, deep blue, gold, and silver so I'll go with that. I have to see if I have something in deep blue. I'm also going to see if I can pick up a sun mirror. And we don't have a fireplace so I'll use the small log idea with a birch branch from our tree.

Thank you so much for helping me look. I read the ones you guys found quickly, looking for the sections I remembered, but I'm going to go back and read them slowly for ideas on other things I can incorporate.

I'll post updates on how the preparations are coming along. If anyone wants to join in we can make this into a Winter Solstice thread and post the rituals and celebrations that we want to do.

Thanks again!

[Tybee]

I think a thread is a nice idea. I just hung my wreath and I guess that means I am observing the old ways!

[Geila]

Tybee - I was at Costco earlier in the week and marveled at their gorgeous wreaths, both natural and synthetic. What does yours look like? Maybe a pic? :)

I'm excited to go to Ross and see what they have for my ceremony. We haven't done xmas in ages so the shopping thing is a rare experience this time of year.

Debating whether I want to have it be just DH and I or if we should invite a couple of people. I'll wait and see, play it by ear I guess.


We'll be taking a birch tree out this winter and I'm going to see if DH can make me one of these:
Birch Winter Wonderland: https://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod2770034&categoryId=search

[Geila]

Mods - can we change the name of the thread to just read "Winter Solstice"?

Thanks!

[Alan]

Mods - can we change the name of the thread to just read "Winter Solstice"?

Thanks!
Done!

[Geila]

Done!

Thank you!

[Geila]

I had a successful Ross trip to complete my solstice preparations. I've decided to do three color pairing: green & red, gold & silver, and midnight blue & orange. Orange was not listed as a traditional color but here we have persimmons and oranges in season and they're just too gorgeous not to include.

What I bought:
silver & gold sparkly candles - 2 of each
2 mismatched midnight blue candles - very limited selection
3 small sunburst glittery decorations that look enough like suns to serve the purpose - these can probably go up on the wall year round
20" cone with lots of silver, gold and midnight blue sparkly things on it
a midnight blue tablecloth - I'm kinda wishing I'd bought the gold table runner instead... I don't think I'll have much use for the tablecloth. I mainly bought it because I have hardly any midnight blue stuff.

Most of this stuff can probably stay out year-round, but I might pack it up in a small bin to make it more special when I bring it out each year for the ceremony.

What I already have:
Lots of small candles to set up around the house.
Lots of red and green plants - pepper plant with small red peppers in bloom, camellias with red blooms and blossoms, nandina with orange and scarlet foliage and red berries, orange and red fall color on the trees.
Birch branches for the yule log
Persimmons, oranges and gorgeous orange glass orbs
6 or so small midnight blue round ornaments
A long string of red beads
2 red berry wreaths
A green Christmas tree decorated with red, silver and gold ornaments

Oh, shoot! I forgot a string of bells! I'll pick that up next week. Since I need to get that, I might exchange the tablecloth for the runner. I'll test the cloth out this weekend.

For food, I won't be making much of a fuss. We'll have soup or stew for an early dinner and I'll put out nuts, fresh fruit, spiced chai cinnamon tea, maybe hot chocolate, and this persimmon cake that I've been making for 15 years: http://www.foodlibrarian.com/2009/11/persimmon-bundt-from-sunset-magazine.html

Eggnog is traditional and I bought some spiked with rum at Costco. But it's so strong! I tried it and couldn't drink it.

I think that's it. I might pick up some pinecones when I'm about if I see them on the ground. But other than that, I'm done. I won't set everything up till that day or a bit before because I don't want the house to look cluttered.

[Geila]

Well, I put the stuff out to see how I would like it. And it was way too much. So. I'm returning all the navy stuff I bought and I will not be buying a table runner. I'll see if I can borrow a bell instead of buying one. And what I'm keeping will be spread out rather than having it all in one room.

Dining room- silver and gold, and small birch log
Kitchen - oranges, persimmons and chili plant
Family room & living room - already have potted plants so will just add a couple of candles.

The day of, I will cut a few small camellia branches with buds on them to represent new life. And that's it.

I'm also removing some things to keep the house from feeling cluttered and crowded with the new additions. I'm boxing up a red berry wreath, a medium round basket, a few tabletop decorations, a couple of framed photos, etc. This will restore the energy balance in the house.

I was surprised at how overwhelming the addition of just a few things felt after having Kondo'd my house.

The food is also being taken down a notch. Hot tea and persimmon cake will be plenty.

Now I know why last time all I did was place a few candles on the table and called it good. Less is definitely more for me.

[Zoe Girl]

Very cool everyone, I don't know exactly when I will be getting together with my kids however I want to do a more solstice type celebration. My parents won't be coming this year and all my kids are open to the idea, so I am following with interest.

[Chicken lady]

As the actual solstice was just before noon today, I am having an extended celebration. We went to the Festival of Lights at the zoo last night with my daughters (dd1’s treat) and I splurged on fried food for dinner. We opened gifts from my mother when we got home last night, and I was up this morning to watch the sun rise.

dh and I spent the day cleaning for the new year and the next round of holiday visits - bleaching, and mopping and dusting and vacuuming, laundry and dishes and the rearranging of furniture, and I have a pretty good sized pile of things that can leave my life. I wanted to actually take them today, but it will have to be tomorrow.

i was supposed to go to a party tonight, but I couldn’t face it. So I made a small fire outside just before sunset and kept it going until full dark. Now I am back in the house with a cozy wood stove fire and ready to spend some reflective time with my journal. Dh is out late and I have a gift for him when he gets home.

[mamalatte]

I went to a Blue Christmas/Longest Night service at church, which I had never heard of before. Has anyone else heard of it? It was billed as "a time of silence, meditation and music where those who find themselves with heavy hearts may find space to remember, to grieve and to find Hope." There were lots of candles involved. I cried through the whole thing -- hadn't realized I really needed a good cry, or maybe I had an inkling and that's why I went.

Afterward I went to a big solstice party that was very cheery. Earlier, I went on a long walk at sunset. So it was a great night, a little bit of everything.

[HappyHiker]

I wrote this poem for my solstice ritual with my friends a few years back...feel free to use if you like:

Circle Women

Circle women, gather closer,
draw near, gain comfort.
On this eve of deep dark
this night of velvet black
we push back the shadows

When daylight seems so slender,
and nightfall comes too swiftly
Draw this circle snug around you
Pull its compassion up to your chin
Chase away chill with our warmth

Soon, soon, comes again the warm light
Dry grass of brown sends new shoots
Thank you Mother for the tender green
Even the hard furled buds will flower
And so...circle women...will you

Circle women, gather closer
Dream now deeply until Spring
Dream of your juices flowing
Your creativity gleaming
Your woman light shining.

--Patricia Frank, Solstice 2013