Winter Solstice 2023 - Stoking the creative fire
The Winter Solstice was official on Jupiter’s Day, December 21st, at 7:27 PM PT when the Sun moved into the sign of Capricorn. And in case you missed it, I wrote a cheeky seven-post series with the Queen of Wands to celebrate the longest night and the wheel turning on my Substack, The Nature of Invisible Things (TNIT). Public posts are available without a paid subscription for about six weeks, so don’t wait to check it out!
Please note this series was intended for your enjoyment only, so there was no pressure to complete any activities; you are wonderful and perfect, just as you are now. And if you are inspired to join in, always follow your own intuition; if you do something completely different than I do, that is beautiful, and I love that for you! And if it feels good, please share it with me in the comments because I’d love to learn more.
Day One: Surprisingly Simple Devotion
In this post, I share how cleaning is my favorite way to connect with my ancestors and my home's sweet spirit. And I include several methods to cleanse the home from unwanted energy including smoke cleansing, spiritual sweeping, and sound cleansing. A clean environment allows new life to flow both energetically and spiritually.
Day Two: Alchemical Storytelling
On this day, I wrote about the cycle of our creative life. And how telling ourselves and others our stories helps us to alchemize our experiences by letting those outdated tales become compost for the new life that wants to come forward. Your story wants to be told!
Day Three: Oracular Wisdom for the Waxing Year
This was especially fun; using an oracle deck, I shared the energetic roots growing between the Winter Solstice 2023 and the Summer Solstice 2024. The Queen of Wands and I consulted the Green Woman, the Empress herself, on this one! And learn how to get a copy of the companion ritual guide, The Waxing Year: Six Months of Integrative Ritual for Connecting to the Heart’s Desire, on January 2nd, 2024.
Day Four: Be Your Own Time Lord
This day was all about the different calendars, journals, and digital tools that will help you not only track the spirits of the sky but also assist you in learning astrology if that interests you. There are various options, everything from free tools to subscription-based apps, and I’ve personally worked with all of these.
Day Five: Ritualize a Happy Ending
Friend, before we can welcome the new, it is helpful to say farewell to beliefs, habits, thoughts, and anything else we no longer need. And for that, we’ve got a tarot spread and assistance from the Judgement card in the major arcana and the Queen of Wands. And then the Sweetest Goodbye Ritual, which you can do anytime you feel the need to close a chapter of your life with loving kindness.
Day Six: Answering the Call to Adventure
I loved sharing how to keep your magick alive and your inner fire stoked by creating a record of your magickal or spiritual practice. And while seemingly a bit ho-hum, it does two things and a secret third thing if you are ready for it.
Day Seven: The Wisdom in Stillness
And finally, on this day, I share the simple and sweet ways I typically honor the Winter Solstice. Remember, there is no wrong way to do this. What matters most is that it has meaning and significance to you.
I hope you enjoy and I wish you and yours the very best this holiday season!
Erin