The Winter Solstice
/
By Laura Michelle Powers: Celebrity Psychic, Author, and host of Healing Powers Podcast.
The winter solstice is the marks the shortest day of the year which is December 22nd in the northern hemisphere. It will occur at 3:23 pm Mountain Time. Those in the northern hemisphere will get anywhere from 3 hours to 10 and a half hours of light on this day.
Historically, this was a day in which people spent time with loved ones, celebrated, and exchanged gifts. The term yule refers to the solstice, and there are plenty of references to it in holiday songs! It was thought of as the end of the yearly cycle as it is the beginning of winter.
While this time can feel dark, it is an excellent opportunity to create your own light and explore and release our shadow side. It is not a coincidence that are traditions with the holidays during this time often involve lights, candles, and brightening the darkest of days. You may find that you are extra emotional or even sad during this time. It’s a great time for self-care and nurturing as well as setting intentions for what you would like to bring in and create as you go into the new year.
Lighting a candle and meditating on what is coming up for releasing can be helpful, as can journaling or creating a list of intentions. It’s a great time for reflection, to recognize what you have accomplished and experiences, and then decide where you’d like the next year to take you.
If you find yourself in a funk, remember that it is the darkest day of the year and you will most likely feel lighter and brighter soon. This year the full moon follows the winter solstice by one day, so the effects of the solstice are magnified. It may feel like a double whammy of clearing and intense releasing of the dark side.
Remember to breathe, that it will pass, and be gentle to yourself and others.
Sources
Refinery 29 – Winter Solstice Celebration Shadows