SPIRITUAL MEANING OF THE WINTER SOLSTICE:

The Winter Solstice arrives in the northern hemisphere on December 21. It is the shortest day of the year, and a very powerful time on the Wheel of the Year. Here’s a closer look at what we’re celebrating on this meaningful seasonal day & how its energy influences you on a deeper level.

WINTER SOLSTICE CELEBRATES:

• Birth of the sun ☀️

• Return of the light 💡

• A new year, new chapter & fresh start

• Spiritual meaning

• Deep Rest 🛌

• Personal Evolution

• Dreaming 💭

• New light lit 🔥 inside you

BIRTH OF THE SUN ☀️

The Winter Solstice is the moment the Sun ☀️ is born again. Ever since last year’s Winter Solstice the ☀️ has grown: from birth, to its height at the Summer Solstice, then declined through autumn, until its light finally died on the darkest night. When, simultaneously, it is born again, and a new cycle of life for the Sun begins.

At the Winter Solstice we celebrate the magnificent Sun ☀️ ... and that on the darkest night it is born again – bringing a new year of life & growth with it.

RETURN OF LIGHT 💡

What a miracle, that on this shortest day – when it feels like we could just descend completely into darkness – the Light returns with the birth of the Sun.

For 6 months the days have been getting shorter as the darkness grew. But on the Winter Solstice, the Light returns. From here the days will continue to grow longer, brighter, warmer until the Sun is strong enough to return life to everything in nature.

At the Winter Solstice we celebrate this tiny new light. We celebrate the hope it brings, knowing it will continue to grow & deliver us from the cold, dark days. We celebrate the potential this tiny light holds. Anything is possible in the coming months! What new life will this tiny light grow?

A NEW YEAR & NEW CHAPTER

This a really hopeful & exciting time. Anything is possible in the year that lies ahead. Anything can grow in your life, and it's a time of pure potential.

This new beginning is a gift we receive every year. It gives us a chance to go deep inside & emerge as a new version of ourselves.

INQUIRY 🧐

• What growth & transformation will the year ahead bring to you?

A NEW CHAPTER & FRESH START

A new cycle of everything in nature! The winter solstice is the beginning of a

• new chapter in your life

• new cycle of new birth

INQUIRY 🧐

• What will come to life for you this year?

• What will you nurture & grow?

• What harvests will your work yield in the coming year?

There is much hope & anticipation contained in the possibility of what those might be.

Often, this promise of a new beginning has us feeling inspired to set goals for ourselves, and make promises about all the things we’re going to do in the new year, and the changes we will make in our daily lives.

Caution:

• It's actually important you don’t put that kind of pressure on yourself right now.

• This is not a time for action, this is a time for deep rest.

• Setting new year’s resolutions based on actions we want to take in our lives is too much pressure right now.

We’re not meant to be accomplishing active goals right now, our job in winter is to rest.

WINTER SOLSTICE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE:

There’s a special stillness about the season we are about to enter. Even though everything appears dead & frozen in the outside world, a new cycle is beginning; a new year.

You can sense there is magic brewing deep down in the dark. Just like the spark of new life that appears deep in a mother’s womb. You can sense a quiet spark occurring within.

SEASON FOR DEEP REST.

Winter season ....

• deeply nourishing time in your life

• nurtures and restores you

• grounds & to calms your nervous-system (which is worn out from a long, hard year of life & growth & challenges)

I realize most of us don’t have the luxury of just hibernating over the winter months. The ability to truly rest is a privilege – one that many of us don’t have.

Even if you don’t have the privilege of an abundance of restful time in your life ....

INQUIRY 🧐

• Can you lean into rest wherever you are able?

• Can you find small, simple places where you can embrace rest?

• Can you give resting just as much focus as your ‘to do’ list?

Your spirit is tired - it's been a long, hard year. You’ve been through a lot, worked hard, and you’ve stretched & grown in many ways (it doesn't matter if you can see this growth or not).

Simply by living on the Earth through the past year 2023, you've grown, and you are tired.

It’s important you rest, to rejuvenate your weary spirit for the new year (2024) ahead.

WINTER: CHRYSALIS STAGE IN YOUR PERSONAL EVOLUTION 🦋

Winter is the chrysalis stage in the evolution of the butterfly .... it's the time when the caterpillar 🐛 is wrapped up quietly, in the dark of her cocoon. 

To the outside world it doesn’t look like anything is happening. And this is one of the most challenging things about embracing rest, because to the outside world it doesn’t look like anything is happening.

Our brains scream at us, tell us “you’re not doing anything. You’re wasting your time.” But actually, deep in the dark, a quiet transformation is happening ... the caterpillar 🐛 is evolving into a magnificent butterfly. 🦋

This is the same transformation your spirit, and all of nature, is undergoing this season. To the outside world life is still & quiet, there’s no movement. You don’t see anything meaningful happening. But in the darkness, hidden deep inside, a powerful transformation is occurring. 

You are evolving into a whole new place in your life. All the experiences & lessons learned over the past year are being integrated into your spirit & into your life, and you are now evolving.

Your only work right now is to be like the caterpillar. You don’t have to do anything. Just wrap yourself, all snug in your cocoon, and simply rest.

WINTER IS FOR DREAMING 💭

You need to rest, so you can dream. Right now you are dreaming up the dreams of everything that will grow in your life this year. You’re dreaming up new plans, new ideas, new ways of being that will blossom & grow, and become bountiful harvests in the year ahead. The dreams of everything to come this year are being sparked in your winter’s rest.

Winter is the season when things are revealed by turning deep within yourself. Embracing the quiet & the darkness – recognizing that you don’t need to do anything for the magic to unfold.

This is the season of receiving. New information, ideas, dreams for the new year are revealing themselves by turning inward.

Right now you are able to receive Divine downloads, and wisdom from deep within yourself. But, only if you're become still and quiet, and simply open your spirit & mind to receive them.

Create a lot of opportunities for yourself to dream this season. Consider keeping a dream journal by your bed, and recording anything that comes into your mind & heart in the coming weeks.

You may not be able to see it or feel it, but deep & profound growth is happening this season. You're receiving spiritual downloads & divine wisdom from deep within yourself. You're dreaming the dreams of everything to come this year. In order to receive them, you need rest and ample time to dream.

A NEW LIGHT IS BEING LIT WITHIN YOU.

Winter Solstice is the shortest day, and it’s the moment the Sun ☀️ begins to grow again.

The light of a brand new year is being lit, deep within the darkness.

The same thing is happening in you!

The dreams you're dreaming in winter are the sparks of new life that will grow in the year ahead.

A new light is being lit within you right now, a new fire is beginning to burn. It brings with it new hope – anything is possible in the coming months - this is a time of pure potential. This is why it's important you take this time of rest seriously.

Your work right now is to rest 😴 - so you can dream up the dreams of everything to come this year 2024!

Happy dreaming 😴

🙏 Rhoni