Happy winter solstice! This time of year may be one of the most difficult for many, because of the dark days and long nights. It’s cold and people tend to spend more time indoors. But we do not want to forget about Mother Earth, and how she does so much for us on a daily basis. A great time to recognize and celebrate how much she does for us is during the solstice.
These are some ideas for winter solstice, for connecting to mother nature, as well as yourself on this cold and dark night. Here are some ideas for simple rituals for winter solstice.
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The winter solstice marks the halfway point between seasons, of warmth and sunlight to begin again. It’s the wheel of fortune, telling us life continues in cycles, the rune Jera, wherein we must start this new cycle with hard work. For without hard work, nothing meaningful will be accomplished, nor will we earn fruits from our labor in the coming days. It’s important to recognize this.
Below, you’ll be able to find 3 easy rituals for winter solstice, and some examples of mine from a previous winter solstice (I actually live in the Southern Hemisphere, so these examples are from June).
Ritual Ideas
1. Set a quiet moment after sunset on the winter solstice to light candles. Turn off all lights in the house and bask in the candle light, with reflections for the darkest day of the year.
2. Create a crystal grid. Follow your intuition for setting it up, and have it set out for at least the night of the winter solstice. This is created to honor the changing of days. (Find how to set up a crystal grid with your pendulum here)
3. Learn more about yourself, by doing a tarot, oracle, or rune reading (shop for those items here – tarot, oracle, runes, or I-Ching) [or any other divination of your choosing]. Focus on the changing of cycles and how you want to change and grow with it. Perhaps find the wheel of fortune card in your deck and look at the surrounding cards. Or follow this tarot spread for the winter solstice.
My intention for the winter solstice is to have a few minutes of darkness, only being surrounded by the light of flickering candles. This is when I will do a tarot spread for myself for the near future. I have also created a crystal grid, and performed an over-arching tarot spread for the general changes for the next 6 months in the world.
Example Rituals for Winter Solstice in Southern Hemisphere
Crystal Grid
I’ve created this crystal grid to honor the winter solstice. This crystal grid is from 2020. This crystal grid for the solstice is made to be calming, to remind us to find calm during the storm, as snow quiets the surroundings.
I will highlight a few of the main crystals (center row, from top to bottom), and why I’ve chosen them. I’ve created this crystal grid on a flower of life altar cloth for added symmetry.
The Crystals
- Sodalite is very soothing. I have it at the top of this crystal grid to create harmony. It brings us closer to those guiding us on our path, and allows for self-expression.
- Green Fluorite is meant to help with creativity and opening up the mind. It’s also a very soothing stone.
- Pink Calcite is at the center. During this time, we need to have empathy for everyone around us. Not sympathy, but empathy. If we don’t work with each other constructively, things will not be accomplished.
- Angelite is one of my favorite crystals right now. It brings us closer to our angels, and helps us stay grounded at the same time. So we can learn and grow without losing our roots and stability.
- Celestine is also a crystal for creating a connection to our spirit guides. Celestine cuts through the chaos surrounding and allows us to have clear vision.
Overall, this crystal grid is made of very calming crystals and colors, because there has been so much darkness, anger, and sadness in the world for 2020. Most of them are the colors to reflect the sky and stars. This grid is for clarity and compassion, for us to know what needs to be done while being guided by our angels.
Tarot Spread for Winter Solstice Southern Hemisphere 2021
2021 is another wild year, with the pandemic causing a lot of lack of travel and people to
And we’re only halfway through. The tarot spread I did reflects all of this and the future. If you would like to do your own tarot spread for the winter solstice, click here. I suggest asking these questions of yourself by candlelight on the night of the solstice.
I used my Healing Light Tarot deck, which I tend to use to see the bigger picture. Assisting me today, I’m using my rose quartz pendulum, amethyst, and rose quartz.
Card Meanings
- The Wheel of Fortune (X) is in the center. To remind us that life goes in a cycle, and we can only move forward by learning from our past.
- Held on too tightly (from the last 6 months): Temperance – temperance is the flow of water and fire. Of those two meeting, and clashing, and trying to work together. This is a card of trying to bring things together. Trying to combine fire and water is already problematic.
- The cause of those struggles: 2 of Pentacles. Of trying to decide which to choose, the path, the direction to go. You are able to juggle 2 items at once, or decide which to go with.
- How to let go of the past: 8 of Pentacles. This is a card of hard work, physical labor, and being almost there, but not quite finished. It’s time to put our energy to work and create the physical changes to move forward.
- How to feel fulfilled: King of Cups. Take control of your emotions. Allow them to have space, but not to control you. Your emotions are a part of you, but they are not the only thing to make decisions off of.
- What’s your intuition telling you: 6 of Cups. This card is of sharing between friends. It’s almost an innocent, childlike friendship where people can share and accept. It’s not one person holding something over the other, but an equal balance.
- Hope to accomplish over the next 6 months: The Tower. Breaking down walls. The tower isn’t a fun card, but sometimes it’s necessary. Sometimes you have to be broken free because the foundation wasn’t supportive. Think about rebuilding on a stronger foundation.
Overall Feelings
There’s a struggle in this tarot spread for the winter solstice between the cups and the pentacles. We are trying to have both – emotional stability and coin (physical) stability. But trying to keep the 2 balanced is what will ultimately be the demise.
It’s only with this downfall will there be change in the future. The king of cups is directly next to the 6 of cups, and that is trying to say that there’s this separation. Where some people are being overly controlling of emotions, or directing it a certain way, when others are trying to freely give to others and have a balance.
This is going to be another trying 6 months, where something has to change. Currently fire and water are trying to get along, with there being work that needs to go in.
Take time to start building a strong foundation, because whatever is currently there is going to get taken down soon.
Let me know what you did for rituals for winter solstice, or if you have any other favorite ways to celebrate this dark day by tagging me on Instagram @moonofgemini or #moonofgemini!
Looking for the summer solstice? Check out these 6 rituals for summer.
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