At exactly 2:22 pm on Friday December 21st, 2018... it will officially be Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere... and Summer Solstice in the Souther Hemisphere!! So let me be the 1st to officially say to you....
Blessed Yule & Happy Winter Solstice!!!
Some people might also refer to it as the 1st day of Winter or Yule... what ever you call it's... it's totally here!
The History behind Winter Solstice...
You will notice that today will be one of the longest nights and the shortest days. The Earth is at greatest distance from the sun on the celestial equator. The Winter Solstice is the time of the longest night, when the sun is at it's lowest point on the horizon.
The word Solstice come from the Latin word sol steatite, which translates into "sun stands still."
The Ancients were scared during this time as they counted on the sunlight to light up their world. With less sun, meant less light! They feared that one day there would be No more Sunlight!! As time grew on , they came to realized that seasons changed and which made the Sun in a different direction and with time and season changes... the Sun would light up for longer in different seasons.
With this new found knowledge, the Ancients started celebrating Winter Solstice celebrating the return of the Sun yet again. Many holidays that we know of were actually borrowed from these ancient traditions of Winter Solstice... one of which is Christmas.
The intentions behind these celebrations during Winter Solstice was to release the dark in favor of light... or the old in favor of the new. They did this to welcome back the light as each new day begins to grow longer and longer.
What is Winter Solstice???
Winter Solstice happens the same across the globe, of course it depends on which side of the equator you live on as to when these season takes place for you. It's all about the tilt of the Sun! Earth is tilted about 23.5 degrees.... this means at different times of the year, either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere is closer to the Sun. When the Northern Hemisphere is titled away from the Sun, we experience the shorter colder days of Winter. As for the Southern Hemisphere they are enjoying the longer warmer days of Summer.
What is Yule???
During the Winter Solstice, the Norse people would use this time to celebrate by making merry which included much feasting. Traditional customs were that of burning the Yule Log, decorate tress, and wassailing. Other ways of celebrating was to spread mistletoe to celebrate. The Festival of Yule lasted for 12 days, celebrating the rebirth of the Sun... which is why the burning of Yule Log started.
Ways to Celebrate...
There are many ways to Celebrate Yule/Winter Solstice! Here are a few ideas for you!
1. Spend the Evening By Candlelight:
Have a feast, eat drink and enjoy some merriment as you join together with family and friends to welcome the longest and darkest night of the year!
2. Burn a Yule Log:
A Yule Log is a special log that is burned on the night of the Winter Solstice. Traditionally the fire is kept burning all night long to bring light to the darkest night of the year and to help re-ignite the Sun. Traditionally, a piece of last year’s Yule Log was often saved to help ignite the next years.
3. Decorate a Winter Solstice Tree:
Make some ornaments out of gingerbread, string some popcorn and add some candy canes to add a little old world tradition to your tree.
4. Meditate:
Take time to yourself to release anything that you wish to let go of that you might have felt held you back from achieving your dreams and wishes. Do a grounding meditation to help you be sturdy and ready to move into the new year on a solid foundation. Guided Mediations here!
I also did a new Guided Meditation that will not only give you more of a connection with Yule, but will also allow you to tap into your Unique purpose in this life time!
Check out "Stars & Snow"
5. Redecorate your Alter:
Add some Winter Solstice cheer by adding some holly leaves, mistletoe and bringing into your alter things that remind you of the holidays.
6. Star Gazing:
December is the month full of celestial events!! It's the purrrfect time to bundle up, go outside (with a telescope preferably) and enjoy so star gazing. You might have noticed up in our Winter sky, that the starts seem brighter than normal. This is not an illusion my friend, the stars of Winter appear brighter because they are in fact brighter!! Almost half of the most luminous stars in the sky are visible during the long Winter nights.
Some dates to catch some awesome Celestial Events:
Friday December 14th, 2018: Geminids meteor shower. Best seen @2am.
Saturday December 15th, 2018: Comet 49P/Wirtanen. Best seen @ 10:10 pm.
Friday December 21st, 2018: Mercury & Jupiter: Conjunctions aka Close Encounters. Best seen @6:24 am.
Saturday December 22nd, 2018: Ursids meteor shower. Best seen @5 am .
As we end 2018... I appreciate you following my journey, being supportive and reading my posts!! It fills me with joy and love to be able to share what I've learned with you!! All the best in 2019!!
Sending you...
Light, Loves & Lunar Hugs,
Bridget M. Shoup, CMP
"The Crystal Healing Gypsy"
(909) 851-4305