Happy Solstice!

Happy Solstice!

 Today marks the longest night of the year, and the ingress of the Sun into the sign of Capricorn. The seasonal turning point of Winter Solstice, the rebirth of the sun, was a numinous event so important that it symbolized life or death for our forebears. It provided hope at the darkest time of the year, and assurance that life would continue. The Sun symbolizes the divine masculine, the fertilizing creative potential, and this year, in line with all of the other astrological events that happen on this date, there is an interesting twist. The Sun is conjunct Pluto, the planet of deep transformation and endings followed by new beginnings. It is tempting and exciting to ponder the implications. For, along with the re-awakening of the divine feminine and Goddess energy, we also have the potential for the masculine not to be overthrown or subsumed, but metamorphosed into its higher octave. No matter what the outer effect, this December 21^st could well prove to be a turning point, a crossroads for us. However, its energies could transpire in a much more subtle way than what might be expected; on an inner landscape, that eventually radiates outwards until the changes take hold in the topside world. Whatever happens, we must be ready to remain as grounded and centered as possible, so we can help midwife the birth of a new collective consciousness.

 

On the Wheel of the Year, we are now at the opposite polarity of the Summer Solstice, the time of the Longest Day, and the peak/decline of the Sun/God.  He, and the sun, have been slowly diminishing in power since Summer Solstice, and it is now time for his rebirth.  In the Celtic traditions, there is an old story about the Holly King and the Oak King that do battle for supremacy over the light and dark half of the year.  Countless standing stones and other Neolithic structures were built to honor and mark the return of the sun, two of the most famous being Stonehenge in England, and Newgrange in Northern Ireland. In Welsh myth, the Mother/Crone goddess Cerridwen stirs her cauldron of inspiration and rebirth, providing us with another motif that illustrates the mystical nature of transformation and renewal at this time of year.

Vestiges of the Holly King

 

In ancient times, winter was not always as easy as it is now in the northern hemisphere, with our heat on demand, light at the tips of our fingers, and an array of exotic fruits and vegetables from the far flung reaches of the earth for the asking.  The Winter Solstice: the Sacred Traditions of Christmas,      explains that the people of the old world did not even have fresh milk to drink for the entire winter, as sheep and cows only lactate after giving birth (February 2^nd is known as “Imbolc” on the Celtic wheel of the year, and literally means “the time when ewe’s milk comes in”) (Matthews).  This is a highly recommended book that explains the origins of many of the modern day Christmas traditions that have their origins in much older pre-Christian northern lands. It is chalk full of fascinating lore and even recipes that will restore our feeling of the sacred at this pivotal time of year, which many of us have    become quite understandably jaded by in the consumer culture we live in.

I invite you to close your eyes for a moment and imagine what it was like at this time of year for countless generations whose blood still flows through us. 

It is the longest night of the year, and the long awaited rebirth of the sun is almost upon us. Outside the wind howls fiercely as it cuts through the trees, and snow covers everything in a blanket of white as far as the eye can see.  It is though the Cailleach has always reigned and the golden warmth of the sun just a distant memory, or maybe even a dream.  Caught in this seemingly endless winter, we don’t know for sure if it will ever come again.  So we wait. Our stomachs are growling for fresh meat or a bowl of sweet milk, but all we have had for weeks has been the last of the smoked meat and the bits of dried barley cakes saved for just this time during the last harvest.  The weather has been too inclement even for the hunters to brave the cold and bring us fresh meat, but tonight they are out, they have no choice.  Many of us are silent, deep within our own thoughts, gazing into the flames of the hearth fire and dreaming our private dreams.  In this profound silence, with the fire crackling, and the forces of nature driving against our warm and protected cocoon, it is easy to slip between the worlds and to see into the heart of the mysteries.  The crunching of heavy footfalls in deep snow and the jovial shouts of the hunters stir us from our reverie. 

NewGrange Tomb Spirals - Winter Solstice

 A weak shaft of light illuminates our space, highlighting sacred symbols and spirals etched into the walls, marking the end of the Longest Night.  We will celebrate and feast this day, the God has been reborn and spring is just another turn of the wheel away.

Every Solstice I am reminded of those wise words indelibly etched into my childhood memory from The Grinch who Stole Christmas: “It came. Somehow or other it came just the same!”  For no matter how deep and dark and endless, or bereft of hope winter can sometimes seem, it is always followed by the return of the sun, and eventually a glorious spring.