Honouring the Winter Solstice: A Ritual for the Year Ahead

It feels much longer than 6 months since I snapped this photo of the sunrise on the Summer Solstice this year.

My Uncle, my Dad and I climbed the Waseley Hills in Birmingham at 3.30am to observe it - the sun didn't make it's magnificent entrance until about an hour later, so we were a bit eager. But we are returning to the Hills to witness the sunrise at a more sociable hour of 8am! This time to honour the Winter Solstice.

What is the Winter Solstice?

The word Solstice comes from the Latin roots of 'Sol' (meaning the Sun) and 'sistere' (meaning to stand still), signifying the Sun's apparent stillness in sky before changing direction.

Astronomically, the Winter Solstice occurs when the North Pole of the Earth reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun and results in the Northern Hemisphere experiencing the Shortest Day/Longest Night of the Year.

Whilst we typically think of the Solstice as the whole day, it is actually a specific moment halfway through the Shortest Day where the Sun appears to stand still - this when the Sun is directly above the Tropic of Capricorn (and welcoming in both Winter and Capricorn Season), the most Southernly latitude that it reaches throughout the year. The actual day this occurs varies but this year, this will occur at 15:03 on Sunday 21st December.

Symbolically, the Winter Solstice indicates the Return of the Light. We have experienced the gradual decline of daily sunlight since the Summer Solstice. But, as the Sun stands still in December, the days grow longer again.

The Significance of the Solstice

The Solstices have been observed by ancient civilisations for thousands of years. In many cultures, the Solstice symbolises the death and rebirth of the Sun. It is a time to celebrate the Light's victory of darkness.

There is a tale from Celtic and Pagan myth, the battle of the Oak King and the Holly King that personifies the Solstice cycle. The Oak King (sometimes represented as a Wren) embodies the fertile, growing and light half the year at Summer, whilst the Holly King (depicted as a Robin) represents the dark, waning half of the year at Winter. They are in an eternal battle for supremacy. During the Winter Solstice, the Holly King is defeated by the Oak King, symbolising the rebirth of light as we move towards Spring and Summer once more.

Pagan Anglo-Saxons and ancient Germanic civilisations observed Modraniht or 'Mother's Night' at the Winter Solstice, which occurred during the months of December or January, which they called Giuli or Yule. Mother's Night celebrates the divine feminine, honouring female ancestors and goddesses to welcome the return of the Sun, emphasising rituals of protection, connection and fertility such as lighting candles, baking and reciting poems. In modern times, Modraniht is celebrated the night before the Winter Solstice.

Ancient Romans marked the Winter Solstice as Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, the celebration of the Sun's rebirth. This also coincided with Saturnalia, a week-long festival in late December to honour the god Saturn. Saturn was an agricultural deity who ruled over a lost mythical age when humans could enjoy the bounty of Earth without labour, and involved gathering for large feasts, the liberty of slaves and gift-giving.

As such, the many celebrations of the Winter Solstice have been passed across cultures and gradually merged with the Christian festival of Christmas. Whilst Christmas is the overarching modern festival that is celebrated this time of year in our British culture, it is refreshing to see more and more people wanting to step away from the loud, bright and expensive celebration of Capitalistic Christmas and instead embrace the simplicity of this time of Year through observing the Winter Solstice.

Lessons of the Winter Solstice

In nature, we see animals and plants in hibernation to protect their energy. As natural beings, humans are recognising the need to slow down, nurture and restore themselves during the cold months. Now is the time to embrace rest, reflect on your year and nourish yourself for a new year ahead.

The Return of the Light tells us a new cycle is beginning, yet we need not rush towards Spring. Having just experienced Sagittarius season, there is a buzz of hope and excitement for our future. But as Capricorn season begins, we are invited to cultivate discipline and stay grounded. You don't reach the mountain top by running at full force - instead, practicing patience and commitment to your goals.

Ways to honour the Winter Solstice

The joy of honouring seasonal celebrations in the Wheel of the Year is that there is always something to celebrate. The problem with honouring seasonal celebrations is that there is always something to celebrate.

If you are finding the current Festive Season overwhelming, it may be adding fuel to the fire if you are feeling pressure to mark the Winter Solstice with a grand gesture. I'm including a ritual below that honours the Solstice, the New Moon in Sag and the upcoming New Year - but if you want to give a nod to the Passage of Time without the faff, you might want to incorporate the following into your day:

1. Light candles, incense or a fire - what better way to celebrate the return of sunlight (the Sun being a big ball of fire) than to embrace its element with a simple act. Light a candle to invite warmth and cosiness to your home, burn incense to remember your ancestors or burn an outdoor fire with loved ones to celebrate survival through the darkest days of the year.
   

2. Clear your space - consider all you have accumulated over the year in your physical spaces. What is taking up space that could be let go of ahead of the New Year? Deep clean a cupboard, a drawer, or a whole room to revive energy. You could also burn White Sage to clear negativity energy, and burn Palo Santo to draw positive energy into your home.
   

3. Reflect on the Year Gone By - journal on your 2025: the lessons you have learnt, the achievements you have made and the hopes you have for the future. Make sure to practice gratitude for the good in your life - during the colder, darker months, this is especially important.
   

4. Watch the Sunrise or Sunset - find a peaceful spot to observe the Sun rise or set on the day of the Winter Solstice. For the best spot, make sure you will be facing the Sun unobstructed in the East for the sunrise, or West for the sunset. I use a compass app to determine which way to face. Despite the lower temperatures, the sky usually offers a myriad of colour at dawn and dusk during December. Take a few minutes to pause and be mindful of this beautiful event (that will pass us by most days!). Resist the urge to be on your phone whilst witnessing the transition of day to night, or vice versa.

Summer Solstice 2025 on the Waseley Hills with my Uncle and my Dad.

A Winter Solstice Ritual for the Year Ahead: Twelve Magical Nights

This ritual takes inspiration from the Pagan observation of Mother's Night (Modraniht), which initiates the 12 Days of Yule.

1. On the night before the Winter Solstice, take a piece of paper, draw lines so you have enough square-ish sections (or use post-it notes or bay leaves) to list 13 obtainable wishes you wish to see happen in 2026 - these should be things that you can achieve given the appropriate actions. Make sure they are in the present tense. It is also worth making a note of your wishes elsewhere (perhaps in a journal) so you can review if they came true at the end of the year!
   

2. Tear around the wishes in a clockwise direction thinking about how it would feel to obtain the wish, then fold them up clockwise and towards you (to symbolise attracting the wishes in your direction).
   

3. Place all 13 folded-up wishes in a bowl, with the intention of burning one each night, starting from the night of the Winter Solstice.
   

4. Take one folded wish each night and burn it in a candle. Don't open them before you burn them, as this will keep the wish a mystery! Make sure to practice proper fire safety, I have seen someone online using metals tongs to hold their wish over a candle to avoid getting burnt. Alternatively, you could chuck it in a fireplace if you have one. As well as burning your wish, you could pull a tarot or oracle card each night, and let the card give meaning to each month of 2026. For example, on night one, the card is for January, on night two the card is for February, etc.
   

5. On the 13th night, instead of burning your last wish, open it up. Whilst your first 12 wishes have been burnt and offered to the universe to take care of, this final wish is your responsibility to bring into effect. Take inspired action to make this wish come true! This is why it's important your wishes are obtainable.
   

6. Trust that the universe will conspire to make your wishes come true. In December 2026, come back to your wishlist to see when the wishes came true! If you feel the wishes didn't come true over the year, consider whether the wishes were fully obtainable, or if elements of them did align with your goals if the wish didn't fully come into fruition. It's important to remember any of the 13 wishes could be the one you pick to action on the 13th day. You can wish to the win the lottery, but you'd still need to buy a ticket for that to happen!
   

Whatever you ending up doing to honour the Winter Solstice, just know that recognising the seasonal cycles of nature allows us to recognise them within ourselves. Embrace the urge to pause and reflect at this time of year, so that you can acknowledge all you have endured and prepare for what comes next.

Solstice Blessings and Happy Yule,

Kat xoxo

During the sunrise, a herd of cows came by for a morning stroll. It felt like they had joined us for the main event!

Looking to embrace the cyclical seasons of nature? I host Full Moon Circles every month with my friend Beth. Join us for mindful movement, meditation and ritual to honour the peak of the Lunar Cycle.

Full Moon Circle with Beth and Kat

£22.00

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