Winter Solstice- The Sun Reborn
The Winter Solstice- which arrives on the 21st December in the Northern Hemisphere -is that wonderful time on the Wheel of the Year when The Sun returns to the world. From out of the darkest day of Winter comes the rebirth of the light.
Ancient cultures have always marked the Winter Solstice with rituals and celebrations. On this shortest day of the year our ancestors would gather to light fires and perform rituals to honour The Sun and welcome it’s return to us. Many of us continue to do so, often marking this point on the Wheel Of The Year at some of the most famous spiritual sites on Earth. Here in Britain, many will gather to greet the Winter Solstice at Stonehenge, Wiltshire as the sun rises.
This time of the year has always been celebrated
The birth of Jesus is celebrated on Dec. 25 or Christmas Day all around the world. One theory is that this date was chosen after early Christian scholars debated when it should best be marked to gain widespread attention The Romans held the week-long festival of Saturnalia around the time of the Winter Solstice. This was held to honour the god Saturn and involved extensive, lavish feasts and gift-giving. Ancient Egyptians honoured the rebirth of Ra, the god of the sun.
Some theories suggest that Christianity co-opted existing and already powerful times of the year to mark for their own religious needs. A has been previously written, the Romans were already celebrating Saturnalia on The Solstice and Northern Europeans celebrated the Winter Solstice itself. Yule the ancient name for Christmas, comes from the Scandinavian word Jol
Here in The British Isles, celebration of the solstice included Druidic traditions, like the gathering of mistletoe- the symbol of fertility and the seed of life. The ancient Druids believed mistletoe to be sacred. According to such figures as the 19th century Welsh cultural figure Iolo Morgannwg, on the Winter Solstice, the Chief Druid would cut the mistletoe from the sacred oak with a golden sickle. A cloth would be held below the tree to catch the sprigs of mistletoe as they fell, so that they would not be sullied by touching the ground.
Whilst it’s felt that Iolo Morgannwg’s 19th century telling is perhaps somewhat romanticised and embellished, this ritual was actually recorded by the Roman historian Pliny in his Natural History- not as part of a specific Winter Solstice ritual, but in the context of their sacrifice of two white bulls to invoke prosperity. Mistletoe was considered a fertility symbol, Hence the ‘kissing under the mistletoe’ tradition that is carried on right into the present day.
Christmas And Winter Solstice
Today’s ‘Santa Claus’ is a folk figure with multicultural roots. He embodies characteristics of Saturn- as I mentioned earlier in connection with the Roman celebration of Saturnalia. He has also has elements of Cronos – the Greek god, also known as Father Time.
We can see echoes of
- The Holly King (the Celtic god of the dying year),
- Grandfather Frost (a Russian winter folk figure)
- Thor (the Norse sky god who rides the sky in a chariot drawn by goats)
- Odin/Wotan (the Scandinavian ‘All-Father’ who rides the sky on Sleipnir, his eight-legged horse)
- The Tomte (Norse Land Spirits known for giving gifts to children at this time of year)
- ‘Santa’s reindeer’ can also be viewed as forms of Herne or Cernnunos, the Celtic Horned God
Evergreen plants are brought into the home in the form of trees, holly and mistletoe, to remind us that life grows and continues. Even a store-bought chocolate Yule Log is the modern- and edible- version of the dressed Oak or Birch log.
These logs would be carried or dragged into the home, with much celebration and then placed on the great fires of our forebears. As the old year burned away -symbolised by the Yule Log- a piece of it was kept and placed on the fire of the following year
A Solstice Ritual
This involves your wishes, your desires or your goals for the year ahead. Take some time over this and carefully consider all your reasons for them. Once you’ve finally decided, then write them one by one on very small pieces of paper – any colour will be fine, but yellow or white is good.
The next part of the ritual will require:
Spring bulbs- preferably snowdrop or crocus bulbs
Earth in which to to plant them – a garden or even just a pot.
As you plant your bulbs in the earth, add the very small pieces of paper into the soil under them one piece at a time. Visualise your desires. As you do this, imagine the warmth of the sun on the flowers as they emerge through the earth and into the light- along with the joy that you feel as your wishes manifest with them! Wishing you love, as we all celebrate the return of the light and wish for wellness in our world. Happy Winter Solstice.