Winter Solstice
Published December 2024
A solstice happens twice a year, signifying the longest or shortest daylight hours - Summer and Winter. Winter Solstice occurred in the Northern hemisphere on December 21 this year. While it signifies the beginning of winter, it also is the start of more and more light coming, with space gradually lengthening between sunrise and sunset.
Understanding Winter Solstice
This is a time to go internal and reflect. Take stock of the light and dark within yourself and your life this past year - acknowledging and honoring all of the dark moments you’ve experienced, the wisdom gained; while also turning sights towards and paying tribute to every glimmer of hope, bright or joyful feeling, and kind gesture that lifted your spirits. We do not need to turn away or be frightened of the darkness in ourselves or the world. The darkness has it’s place, just as light does, and it needs to be loved too. Recognize harmony doesn’t necessarily mean perfectly balanced. Mother Nature and Father Sky each bowing to the other in reverence and gratitude, both getting their moment.
Newgrange
Image from Irish Central
Cultural Significance
It is believed that people celebrated solstice as early as 10,200 BC. Neolithic monuments, such as Newgrange in Ireland is aligned with sunrise on the winter solstice. Newgrange was construction 1,000 years before Stonehenge!
“Newgrange, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a prehistoric monument dating back over 5,000 years. The tomb features a 62ft long passage leading to a central chamber which is adorned with megalithic art. during the sunrise on the mornings around the winter solstice, a breathtaking alignment takes place. The sun's first rays pierce through a specially designed opening above the entrance called a roof-box, gradually illuminating the narrow passage. As the sun ascends, it bathes the central chamber in a warm glow, lasting for just 17 minutes.” - Newgrange.com
Even today there is many gatherings and celebrations that happen all over the world to honor and rejoice during this time. The Denver Colorado Iranian Community gather at Red Rocks before sunrise to ‘drum the Sun up’ in celebration of Yalda, the day Mithra, an angel of light, was thought to have been born.
Below is a video link of the 2024 celebration:
Intention Setting
Similar to New Moons, Winter Solstice is a wonderful time to plant new seeds of intention. What do you want your next three months of winter to look like? Feel like? Honoring the colder and darker days as a germination period for your seeds to grow roots, so when Spring Equinox happens in March you feel prepared to grow and expand. What do you want your next year to bring? Give yourself some time to reflect and then complete the actions needed for your plans to come to fruition. The solstice energy is potent for the following weeks, so you still have time to reflect and set your intentions!
Newgrange
Image from Our Irish Heritage