Winter Solstice Ritual

Nine more days till Winter Solstice! Are you all excited? I am. We have learned much of the ancient traditions and rituals performed by the ancient Druids, Norse, and Celts. Now it is time for how to bring those traditions to the modern day. Much of the lore and traditions is still done to this day. Here is a ritual you can try to honor the Winter Solstice.

DECORATING THE ALTAR

Clean your altar and put a fresh altar cloth on it. Use a cool color for an altar cloth to reflect the cool colors of winter, such as white, silver, deep blue. Use green and red candles and evergreen boughs. Place pinecones on your altar too. Use silver and gold colors.

SYMBOLS OF WINTER

Yule is a Sabbat about the returning of the sun. Use a solar symbol on the altar. Gold discs, yellow or gold candles can represent the sun. Add sprigs of holly, ivy, pinecones, a Yule log, reindeer, and other fertility symbols.

WELCOME BACK THE SUN RITUAL

Prepare a feast prior to the ritual. Cornbread, buttered rum, cranberry dressing, stew, and shortbread cookies would be appropriate. Put candles on your table or altar. Do not light the candles yet. Face all the candles and say:

The wheel of the year has turned,
the nights grow cold and long.
Tonight, the darkness is in retreat,
light glows over the earth again.
As the wheel continues to spin,
the sun returns to us once more.

Light the sun candle, and say:

Even in the darkest hours,
in the longest nights,
the spark of life flickers ever brightly.
The spark glows on Winter Solstice eve,
and the darkness retreats again.

Beginning with the candles closest to the sun candle, light each one and work your way outward. As you light each candle, say:

As the wheel turns, light returns.

Repeat this until all the candles are burning bright. Say:

The light of the sun shines now,
shadows wane, light returns.

Pause to consider what the return of the sun means to you. Enjoy the feast and celebrate with eggnog or other refreshments. Bask in the glow of your candles and extinguish the candles from the outside of your altar towards the center. Leave the sun candle for last.

Blessed Be,
Lady Spiderwitch