Winter Solstice is upon us. We’re at a turning level as our planet Earth makes its annual rotation across the solar. For these of us who stay within the Northern Hemisphere, the following 24 hours will probably be the place we get the shortest quantity of daylight as a result of the solar is lowest within the sky. In actual fact, the solar seems so low within the sky (due to the lean of the Earth on its axis) that it appears to set in the identical place because it got here up—an phantasm that makes it appear like the solar isn’t transferring in any respect.
That’s the place the time period “solstice” comes from. The Latin solstitium interprets as “the Solar stands nonetheless.” Solstice has been a particular second in time even through the Neolithic period, as seen in historical websites like Newgrange in Eire, which is aligned with the winter solstice dawn, and Stonehenge in England, which is aligned to the winter solstice sundown. Again then it was a time for feasting earlier than the famine months of deep winter set in. Cattle have been slaughtered so that they wouldn’t must be fed through the winter; the wine and beer brewed from summer time’s harvest have been now fermented and able to drink. So, the center of Solstice was household and associates getting collectively to feast and trade presents, simply as we do at present.
And since the occasion heralded the start of the return of the solar, it was the time to have fun the beginning of the solar god in cultures all over the world. The beginning of Jesus was set as December twenty fifth as a result of it was the date of the competition of Sol Invictus, the solar god of the Roman Empire, and to include indigenous Yuletide traditions right into a Christian framework.
The Romans did it up in grand type, honoring the god Saturn with the competition of Saturnalia within the days of solstice. Companies would shut down and there can be massive banquets, music, gift-giving, and nonstop events—with an abundance of candles symbolizing the returning energy of the solar’s mild.
What does Saturn must do with solstice? Solstice begins on the primary day of the astrological signal of Capricorn, which is dominated by Saturn. That heavy planet is called a non secular trainer, getting ready you for the obstacles you must surmount on the trail to liberation—like getting by means of the lengthy darkish evening of the soul.
Within the Vedic custom, the winter solstice is named the daybreak of the 12 months, realizing that the budding flower of time will unfold over the next 12 months. In accordance with Vedic Astrology, the Solar offers entry to exploring your future with energy and braveness. The solar is the everlasting atman, the non secular life precept of the universe, and the supply of a lot of your power. It sustains and empowers life by means of the stability of the seasons.
Similar to the primary two hours of the morning are whenever you obtain the seed precept of the day, the returning mild of the solar at solstice will assist you to obtain the seeds you’ll want to plant for brand new development over the approaching 12 months. It’s proper now, and never January 1st, for the time for New 12 months’s resolutions.
Be a part of me at present in a Vedic hearth ceremony for winter solstice to revisit the previous 12 months and replicate, with out judgment, on what you’ll want to solid off, and to ask in a spotlight for setting new targets that may assist you to transfer within the course of your goals. The power of the solstice helps you in letting go of previous habits and beliefs and opening up a recent chapter in your life. The Solar God begins to rise once more, and your soul ascends to spirit.
On the winter solstice, the solar reaches the darkish zenith of the underworld, the place true mild is reborn stronger than earlier than. It factors to reaching peace, prosperity, and knowledge.
For the reason that begin of the photo voltaic 12 months celebrates the rebirth of the Solar, it’s a beautiful time to meditate on darkness and lightweight, and what they imply for you.
So shut your eyes, and soak up a deep breath and exhale any stress in your physique, then let your respiratory turn out to be gradual, deep, and simple. It’s the darkish of the longest evening of the 12 months. The darkish of deep house between the celebrities and planets. The darkish of the depths of the seas. The darkish of the womb.
Think about you’re strolling alone in a darkish forest. It’s nightfall and there’s no moon. You stroll slowly on a barely seen path, previous bushes shrouded in gloom. Your coronary heart is heavy.
You have got been by means of a difficult 12 months and you are worried about what could be coming within the subsequent 12 months. You made errors, you suffered loss, you had ache. You are typically arduous on your self, and all you possibly can see are your failures—the instances you closed your coronary heart, the instances you reacted in anger, the instances you noticed somebody in want and turned the opposite method. A brand new 12 months lies forward, and you already know there will probably be new challenges and new uncertainties.
Not far-off from the darkish woods you already know that persons are caught up in a whirlwind of exercise. They could have overlooked the that means behind the vacations—the rebirth of the Gentle.
It’s a time of melancholy for a lot of. Possibly you’re coping with a tough analysis, otherwise you went by means of a traumatic occasion this previous 12 months that you just’re nonetheless reeling from. Or, like so many, you might be feeling the ache of the world—there are such a lot of in determined conditions who’re coping with poverty or struggle or persecution. Or you might be feeling the ache of the earth as mankind continues to deplete her assets.
You retain strolling as evening takes maintain of the grim fantastic thing about the wintry forest. The darkness grows deeper.
The darkness holds your unseen worries, the anxious ideas that circle endlessly in your head and don’t allow you to relaxation, the fears for your self and people you’re keen on. Will you be secure? Will you be wholesome? Will you might have sufficient sustenance—not solely bodily, but additionally emotionally and spiritually?
Chances are you’ll want for the darkness to dissipate, however the darkness is important. It’s the womb of your being, the place the seeds of your future germinate. What have you ever planted deep inside your self? What plans are being formulated on your future? Are you feeding your potential for non secular development? Is a want to serve others, to alleviate the struggling of others, able to emerge?
Let’s take a second to plant seeds of targeted intention. These seeds will develop to be the presents from the darkness for you. Success lies to find the answer to an issue. No matter situation involves your thoughts, know that there’s a resolution ready for you, that you will discover that resolution at present as you carry extra mild into your consciousness.
Create within the mild that arises from the darkness. Once you enable your self to go deep into the darkness, to discover its depths and its edges, you honor each the darkish evening of the soul and the rebirth of hope and imaginative and prescient.
An previous trainer of mine used to say, “It’s important to kneel earlier than you possibly can leap.” Give it some thought. If you wish to soar up within the air, you first must crouch right down to get the momentum you’ll want to spring up. The identical is true for non secular development. It’s important to cease fearing your personal interior darkness, the uncertainty of life, the depths of your feelings, the darkish evening of the soul. It’s important to embrace that which is hidden and honor all of the elements of your self—the excessive and the low, the highly effective and the weak, the sunshine and the darkish.
Are you able to launch no matter not works for you?
Are you able to shed no matter is taking over an excessive amount of of your inner house? Is adverse self-talk overriding your hopes and goals? Are you letting your mild shine brightly, or are you hiding it? Are you uninterested in not dwelling as much as your potential?
Set the intention you want proper now to launch no matter not serves you and prepare for rebirth and renewal.
Really feel how these good intentions are lifting the darkness a bit. Be a part of me as we breathe within the crisp evening air and inhale the invigorating scent of cedar and pine. The primary stars are breaking by means of the darkness of the evening and we will now stroll extra confidently by starlight. There are sounds of rustling within the forest, nevertheless it all appears so benign as we abruptly see by means of a spot within the bushes to a spot of sunshine within the distance.
We come to the sting of the clearing and we see somebody who beckons us ahead – we really feel welcomed. A faint glow appears to emanate from the fringes of her gown, it’s a girl, with a wrinkled weathered face peering out from the hood of her gown. She is tending the small hearth and invitations you to take a seat along with her on the blanket that’s laid out on the bottom. Be a part of her and heat your palms on the hearth, then sit and stare on the flames because the candy odor of burning cedar perfumes the air.
She tells you her title is Brigid, she is the early Celtic goddess of therapeutic, poetry, and hearth, from the traditional lineage of Druids. She has woven ribbons of crimson, inexperienced and white, the colours of the Druid vacation season, into her silver braided hair. She speaks to you gently, slowly, thoughtfully, as she continues to observe the fireplace, saying:
“You don’t have anything to worry from the darkness, for she is your mom and the mom of the Gentle. Overlook your burdens for some time. Take relaxation right here. The sunshine can not return till the darkness is full.”
You watch as she reaches right into a bag and takes out some herbs. She holds the vegetation to her lips and murmurs a delicate chant in a language you don’t acknowledge, then throws the herbs into the fireplace. Pungent smoke washes over you, and also you develop sleepy. The previous girl advises you to lie down and enter a dream state. You’re feeling your self pulled right into a semi-sleep. As if from a faraway land, you hear her voice.
“It’s time to be magical, my pricey, on this sacred clearing. You’re right here to honor the gods of the approaching mild, whose energy offers life to all the things which is alive. She says:
“All of us come from the Goddess
And to Her we return
As our ancestors worshiped Her
On air, land, and sea.
Mom, I really feel you underneath my toes.
Father, I see you the place the eagle flies.
You shall attain us, you shall train us
And reveal our destiny!
Burn shiny, flame inside me,
Kindled within the everlasting hearth.
In your dream-like state, you’re feeling that deep peace, the peace of spirit that passes all understanding. Information arises inside you of learn how to proceed in life. You acquire the knowledge that’s the present of the difficulties you might have encountered and overcome.
Slowly you get up. Trying up into the evening sky, you see the celebrities, twinkling at the hours of darkness sky. Brigid says, “See the turning of the wheel, the infinite cycle that connects us all. Might you be guided to the returning mild.” And say along with her: I’m each darkish and lightweight. I’m each darkish and lightweight.
Slowly you rise from the blanket and provide your honest thanks and gratitude to this historical girl who has gently given you such solace, such reduction from the sorrows you have been carrying alone at the hours of darkness. You have got obtained the blessing of the ancients and a spark of latest life and might stick with it. You’re feeling related to the Supply of all life and might sense the swirling nurturing power of the darkish.
You keep in mind the traditional Vedic prayer for illuminating your life, a well-known chant from the Upanishads.
From non-being, lead us to being
From darkness, lead us to mild
From dying, lead us to immortality
And should the infinite mild come up inside you.
The vedas maintain inside them life-changing, centuries-old knowledge. A number of the best thinkers in historical past (even these within the West) have referenced their energy. However what are they actually? If you’re curious about studying extra concerning the Vedas, we’ve got simply the weblog put up for you: What are the Vedas anyway?
