Journal Practice - Prompts for Winter Solstice Reflection
What is Winter Solstice?
Winter Solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year and usually falls on 21st or 22nd of December and is the exact moment when half of earth is tilted the farthest away from the sun.
Solstice comes from the Latin Sol meaning sun, and Sistere meaning to stand still. It marks the moment the sun ‘stands still’, pauses for a moment at its lowest, before turning back to lengthening the days again. The moment between what is ending and what is beginning.
In the Wheel of the Year Winter Solstice is known as Yule, It is one of 8 quarter festivals that celebrate the change of the seasons as part of the Wheel of the Year. This can be traced back to the neolithic era 10,000 BC and was used by Pagans and Celts to celebrate nature and the turning points of the year as it cycles around.
The Wheel of the Year has 8 quarter festivals - 2 solstices, Winter (Yule) and Summer (Litha), and 2 equinoxes, Spring (Ostara) and Autumn ( Mabon) and 4 cross quarter mid-points - Imbolc, Beltane, Laughnasadh and Samhein.
“The winter solstice marks the turning of the year, the return of the light and end of the long, dark nights. It evokes the start or perhaps hope for something new. ”
What does Winter Solstice Celebrate?
Originally Yule is thought to have been an ancient Norse holiday celebrated across Northern Europe. Celebrations included feasting and drinking, hanging mistletoe, singing carols, and lighting fires. The Juul/Yule log was lit and burned to ashes to symbolize the return of the earth’s Northern Hemisphere toward the sun . Christianity replaced Yule with Christmas (although many of its elements carried over)
Ancient Stone Circles and Standing Stones around the country were aligned to catch the sunrise at the solstice, the sun is returning.
In Celtic Traditions the Oak King triumphs over the Holly King signalling the return of the light.
Winter Solstice is a threshold or liminal time - both an ending and a beginning.
Whilst Winter Solstice brings with it a return of the light and of hope, the days are still short and cold. It is important that at this time of year we follow nature's lead to slow down, rest and hibernate. It’s a time to turn inwards just like nature. Nature’s energies return to the earth, and we might turn inwards towards our inner selves, and our intuition, to give ourselves space to re-energise and reset for the coming year.
Nature has a still and quiet presence at this time. But as is our Western Culture we tend to have one of the busiest periods of our year as we celebrate Christmas. Try to balance the busyness of the season with stillness and rest.
Where can you find a few minutes to pause, rest and gather yourself for a moment? Mindful pauses and intentional rest will give you more space and energy for those special moments, and help make your festivities brighter ...
Let this lovely poem help you to take a pause and mark this mid-way point in the year…
Winter Solstice
By James A Pearson
It happens in a moment—
this tiny, imperceptible turning
when all at once the night
ceases its imperial advance
and the next morning promises
to dawn just a sigh earlier
than the one before.
The world still goes on dying
around it, and trying to keep itself alive.
This is not yet the spring.
But huddled in their dens,
their nests, their thick forest groves,
the creatures of the world
put all their wordless faith in this
quiet shift, dreaming songs of hope
that maybe, even now,
it’s already happened.
Qualities of Winter
Darkness– embrace the cosier darker days
Quiet Stillness – nature hibernates and saves energy for the year ahead
Hope – looking towards the light and a positive year ahead
How to celebrate Winter Solstice
Light a candle or if you have a fireplace light a fire
Snuggle up with blankets, hot chocolate or a cup of tea and your favourite film or a good book
Turn inwards – yoga, meditation, journaling - some journal prompts to help you are below.
Take some time out to give yourself space to reveal what you need and what you might want to manifest in coming weeks and months.
Journal Prompts for Winter Solstice
Journal prompts for Winter Solstice
- Thinking about the year as it comes towards its end, what were your highlights, what are you grateful for?
- If you made intentions at the beginning of the year which ones are complete?
- Which intentions no longer serve, can you let them go?
- How can you find time for more rest or pause and turn back towards yourself?
- How can you enjoy the festivities without burnout?