“May the long time sun shine upon you,
All love surround you,
And the pure light within you,
Guide your way on.” ~ Mike Heron

~

Solstice, December 21st, is a powerful day to watch the sun rise.

The ancients marked it as a time for gratitude to the cosmic being, which sustained humanity and the whole of the planet Earth.

Do you have a favorite hill from which to greet the sun? This may be the beginning of a new tradition for you and yours.

The numeric value at this Solstice is the vibration and mystery of nine. This is truly a perfect number to celebrate what needs decomposing and transforming. Nine is pure magic, a threshold, the energy of crossing over or through the womb into new potential. Nine is the conduit between the physical world and that of spirit; it calls us forth. If you are born with the number nine as your life path as I am, you are the humanitarian, developing creativity, wisdom, integrity, and spirituality.

This is the exact imprint available to all of us at Solstice 2019.

Under a waning moon in Libra (justice, balance, diplomacy, control), we tie up loose ends, release old patterns, disseminate, and allow ourselves to lose form in preparation of the coming dark moon and solar eclipse on the 26th of December.

Prepare the ground for the new cycle of 2020 and the birth of another decade. As the world rushes around you, stop and take pause. Silence is always available to us, despite the perceived madness of the outer world.

Wild Ones, no matter which hemisphere you live in, whether the Goddess is at the height of her journey or beginning her ascent, whether she is birthing the sun, or bringing us into a cycle of shadows, at Solstice (sun stands still), we celebrate the relationship between our own light and darkness.

It is so important to understand that we are intimately connected to the cycles of the planets, moon, and stars, that we are not only in nature but we are Her, the Goddess and Great Mother. This is not dependent on identifying as male or female, but on our internal masculine/feminine balance. Our lives become infinitely richer when we understand the complexity, magic, and beauty of being one with all that is, instead of imagining ourselves as being separate from the mystery.

So while we observe yet another summer or winter, while we begin our journey to the underworld or rise with the sun toward the light, let us feel it in our bones, taste it on our tongues, hear it in our souls.

So often we say, oh, it’s this or that season and observe momentarily. But what if we became the seasons, what if we knew that we were part of the matrix and opened fully to where the sun tugged us? What if we became conscious of the movement of our cells and our DNA within this matrix, and created a world whose heartbeat was our heartbeat, our song her song, our peace her peace, our compassion her compassion?

What if we knew ourselves as holy? What if at solstice, we remembered who we were?

Somewhere deep down, you remember yourself as the Priestess, the bringer of magic and medicine for your tribe. Before they made you walk the long road to the village pyre, before they claimed your power and sneered at your intuition, you were the one whom they came to when their children were dying, when their crops were failing, when war came to their door.

You were the one who spoke to the spirits, who called upon ancestors, who made balm for their wounds from the gifts of the forest floor.

Remember now that your magic is in the marrow of your bones, in your blood, in the spells you still know how to cast. Remember now, Wild One, because the world is awakening and will need your ancestral wisdom.

Remember now that you once walked this earth as wild as the dragon that sleeps beneath the earth until you call upon his fire and transformation. You will be the one who will speak to the wind, who will shake angels from the stars. It’s you, woman, you.

Feel that awakening coursing through your veins. Don’t look behind you, to see if I am calling someone else. It’s you.

Ritual (for one or more)

Preparation: music you love to move to. Build a mandala on the floor or coffee table using natural elements appropriate for the Solstice you are celebrating (winter: items from the deep forest perhaps; summer: shells, flower petals). Add candles, tarot cards, crystals, runes. What calls to you? Make it personal.

At Solstice, light the candles and let your eyes and soul sink into the flame. Do you see anything in the flickering light, or are reminded of someone?

Calm your breath, find an evenness. Bring your attention to the beating of your heart. Feel the magic of your heartbeat and the blood pumping through your veins. Feel gratitude for the life force within you.

Think of several things you are grateful for that you would normally take for granted. Allow yourself to fully know the miracle of your body and the journey you’ve been on.

Visit several memories from this quickly dusking year. All memories are precious, even the ones with bitter tones. Acknowledge how each event shaped you, evoked your courage, joy, or tears.

Bring your attention back to your breath and heartbeat. Find that evenness once more.

Rise to your feet, music on, and begin to move. Feel your body warming to the knowledge that you are a sensual, sovereign, ecstatic being. Get into your body. It’s just like the earth, a shifting, evolving landscape. Dance clothed or sky clad.

Let everything dissolve. Let your body guide you into a relaxed state. Slow down. Turn the music off or alternate to meditative sounds. Lie down when you are ready.

Rest. Stay here. Just be.

Solstice blessings. The journey continues.