Celebrating the Winter Solstice (also known as Yule) is a tradition from pretty much every culture, tradition, and continent around the world. The Winter Solstices takes place in the Northern Hemisphere from December 20-23 and in the Southern Hemisphere from June 20-23. This event marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, and celebrates the sun’s growing strength and the eventual return of spring and summer.

In European tradition, it was customary to decorate the home with symbols of life, light, and abundance. People would bring plants into their homes that would bloom or remain green during the coldest months of winter, such as fir trees, evergreens, holly, mistletoe, and poinsettias. These would be a reminder of the green that is to come in the spring and summer, and that life prevails—even during the darkest time of the year. Candles were lit to symbolize light and its eventual return, and presents were handed out as symbols of abundance.

Wreaths have become very common decorations today, and symbolize the pagan Wheel of the Year. The Wheel of the Year has no beginning and no end, but reminds us of the cycles of life that exist with the changing of the seasons.

The main focus of this holiday, as it is with nearly every other pagan holiday, is the sun. The solstices mark the longest and shortest days of sunlight, and the equinoxes mark the even points of daylight and nighttime in between. The sun helps plants grow, gives humans nutrients such as Vitamin D, and sustains all life as we know it.

In the winter time, the Sun hangs low in the sky and has its weakest amount of energy. Even though the coldest months are often yet to come after the Winter Solstice, the sun continues to gain its strength.

Following this theme of life and rebirth, this can be a great time to do some pre-spring cleaning (winter cleaning?). This solstice marks a fresh start and new beginnings to come, so cleaning space, donating or throwing away items you no longer use, and reorganizing spaces, can help prepare you for what comes next. Even though this may seem like cosmetic changes, moving energy around can feel invigorating. This can make a difference, since the winter season can make one feel lethargic and the embodiment of The Hermit tarot card: wanting to hole up at home alone.

Recently I realized why Christmas movies often come across as so cheesy: they bring messages of hope. It’s something that we all keep close to us, in one way or another, at this time of year. Winter can bring seasonal depression, working on internal issues, thinking about family or lack thereof, and thinking about romantic relationships or lack thereof.

This is a time of year where we want to feel loved and supported, to know we have special people in our lives who make us feel good and remind us that even when it’s dark and cold outside, we still have a warm hearth where we can rest and feel that supportive love around us.

That’s one reason why so many Christmas movies are about love and relationships—we want to believe in love that lasts, that sustains us, that gives us endorphins and adrenaline. We have hope that just like the sun’s growing strength, things will get better in the new year, and the areas of our life that seem lacking will become whole or reach the expectations we have of them.

If you feel this way, you can do a grounding meditation and imagine running roots deep into the Earth, where you release any and all negative feelings you may be having. Then, you can follow the time-honored tradition (if you like) of lighting candles and stating your hopes (intentions) for the year ahead.

If you need some guidance, I’m offering a Winter Solstice Tarot Reading that answers the following questions:

What is something lurking in the darkness that needs to be addressed?

How can you bring more light and hope into your life?

What is something you can look forward to in the coming year?

This tarot reading is $70, and your custom reading can be emailed straight to your inbox. Simply email me at kajoralovely@gmail.com, and prepay on Venmo to @Kajora-Lovely.

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