Winter Activities
Wassail:
Traditional wassail warms the insides, especially when a get together has been held outdoors. Participants are offered a non alcoholic warm wassail drink (the ale or cider based drink is not suitable when folk are driving). It comprises spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg), honey, apples and fruit juice. Although probably not Irish in origin, Anglo-Saxon 'wael hael' means good health, it is a great drink to share in friendship and for luck. Some is also tipped in libation towards the earth.
Mindful Eating:
Winter Solstice is the time for relaxed gatherings sharing food. We have so much to share, to catch up on with rarely seen family and friends, that the table is usually buzzing with conversation. Sometimes there is an opportunity to add another dimension to these get togethers. With like minded people we share a meal, eating with intention and attention.
Firstly we lay the
table to look especially attractive, with beautiful china and
decorations. Everyone has a space to sit down... no eating standing
up.
The food may be soup and rolls, cinnamon stars, mince pies, there are so many resources for wonderful Winter Solstice dishes. The more delicious the better, as you are eating with all senses in full awareness.
Once all are seated,
choose a piece of food and look at it. You are not rationalising
what it is, but connecting to the colour, whether it is smooth or
lumpy, dry or moist. Like a fine wine smell it, take in the aroma.
And now it is time to eat. Taste buds sense sweet or sourness, but
there is more...
What is the texture like? Is it chewy or melt in
the mouth?
It is not always necessary to eat slowly, for many tastes and flavours are ephemeral, but do all with conscious awareness.
Secret Santy:
Kris Kringle or Kris Kindle and Christ Kindl (Christ-child) are all names for giving and receiving anonymously. You may know who you are giving to, but your identity is never revealed, or all presents are put together and chosen randomly.
You need a Santy bag (something like a linen bag decorated with holly and stars or a large colourful sock) and each participant brings a small inexpensive gift. The gift should have a large clear label on it with a single word such as Love, Peace, Joy, Hope, etc. etc. This is not a demonstration of richness, generosity, power or prestige, so put thought into your offering so that it carries that energy. Your token gift should be the embodiment of the sentiment on the label.
The intention is that you will bring the gift of “Joy” to the group and say:
“I give the gift of “Joy” (or whatever) to the group” and put it into the Santy bag.
When all is collected each will reach into the Santy bag and draw out a gift saying:
“ I accept the gift of “Joy” (or whatever) on behalf of the group”.
Whatever you take out is yours to keep on behalf of the group.
Generosity:
Giving and receiving involves exposing true feelings that you care for another and detachment, not expecting a thank you. St Nicholas gave his gifts anonymously and became a saint. Are we saints also?
Gifting:
Three gifts to a friend, a listening ear, an open door, a full glass,
Three gifts to an enemy, a closed mouth, a hand in a pocket, a smile,
Three gifts to a child, the word yes, the word no, the word sweetie,
Three gifts to the elderly, warm slippers, a slow walk, a nearby toilet.
Three gifts to yourself.
Spirit of the stones:Light a candle in the dark, as a reminder of spirit in your life, remembering that the Solstice is a time of the rebirth of the longer days and a promise of more benign conditions. Light some incense (Frankincense) allowing it to carry your prayer for life into the heavens. Recite a poem or verse that inspires you about hope, love and light.
Pause, like the sun pauses at the Solstice, and acknowledge what is. Meditate on this: The obstacles and problems in our lives are like the great megaliths. Solid hulking stone, massive and unmovable. However, in the moment of sunrise when the sun is aligned with the megaliths the fresh light reveals the stones in an astonishingly beautiful way. We will one day see that it is these stones, these obstacles and problems, that add the extraordinary beauty to our lives. Consider Newgrange and how the light goes within, illuminating but changing nothing physically. Visit the inner sanctum of your inner Newgrange. Be with yourself. Bask in your own ever present inner light. Know that this is a turning point. Snowflakes, stars and angels:
Offer up a prayer for life, a poem, an inspiration, extinguish the candle and clap your hands. Or you may hang the snowflake somewhere you will notice it over the winter season, and burn on 6th January. |
Welcome the Light:
Create a symbolic yellow sun of your own light. Energise this 'sun' with a short meditation, keeping in your mind's eye a vision of the outer sun. Then hold above your head your own light, the symbolic 'sun', to send out a seasonal welcome.
The elements blessing:
Another enjoyable experience on a cold night.
The intention is to perform a blessing on each other in accordance with the seasonal energies.
A bowl of water, from a holy well, is heated by stones from the fire, combining those two elements. The bowl is passed from one to another. As it is handed over to the person next to you, you wish them a short, meaningful heart felt blessing.... something along the lines of wishing them....
“a warm Winter, peace, comfort and joy”.
Candle in the Window:
Lighted candles, placed in windows, especially on Christmas Eve, guide and welcome Joseph and Mary looking for shelter. Often they are lit by the youngest in the house. A sign of hospitality, they are a welcome to visitors travelling after dark. You do not want to echo the Innkeeper's shame of 'No room in the Inn'.
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Lighthouse:
Winter Solstice is about light and the lighthouse guides the traveller to a safe harbour. Expressing individual recognition of our own spirit and light, each can shine forth, taking community responsibility as a symbolic lighthouse.
Start by meditating on and tuning into your own inner light, strength and resilience. What is found is then expressed physically by creating and setting up a spiral lighthouse. Firstly, using twine, paper, bowls, anything, create a figure of eight eternity shape. At the junction of the two circles set the spiral. Now decorate it with bright shiny colourful baubles and glitter and paper spirals to symbolise your own spirit and light.
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Anchoring the Light:
Place seven candles in a line with a larger
eighth at one end. As you light each one recall memories of the
festivals, starting at Imbolc and ending with the larger
representing Winter Solstice and now.
You may like to add symbols
mapping out the calendar year and then stand back and look at the
Big Picture of the previous year.
You can adapt this to imagining standing at the entrance to Newgrange and be part of what is happening as the sun rises and enters the mound, simultaneously along the alignment line and in the chamber.
| Thanks to Kathy Banegas for this idea. The Healing Gem |  |
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A Day of Light:On the shortest, darkest day of the year, at sunrise, welcome the light back into your life by lighting a long life candle in a lantern. When doing this be aware of the promise of spring and of lengthening days to come. At the end of the day, after the sun sets, put out the lantern candle and stand in the darkness of night. |
Rebirth
Light a candle in the dark, as a reminder of spirit in your life remembering that the Solstice is a time of the rebirth of the longer days and a promise of more benign conditions.
Our beliefs:
Over 2000 years ago the
Celts observed the dance of the Holly and the Oak waltzing from one
season to another. The Christians chose the date of Christmas to be
the Birth of the Son of God while the Pagans may have seen it as the
rebirth of the sun god.
Morning after morning the weakening suns’ rising position moves south east and it appears to get lower and slower until it looks as though it can not continue any more. It reaches its southern limit and seems to stagnate and die.
Then when we hit the 21st December the, sun is reborn from its ashes in the fiery cauldron of solstice. It manages to rise on the following mornings a little further north and it travels a little bit higher in the sky. The energy of this rebirth can be thought of as a phoenix rising from the ashes. Archive.taracelebrations.org/winter-solstice
Intention setting:
With
anticipation we look forward to Spring, to the light gaining strength
and days lengthening. We are familiar with spring - warm, sunny,
colourful, 'better times', - and we hope for reflection of that in
our own lives.
We have time in winter to consider our inner
condition and our situations, and then plan and design, in general
terms, what we wish to attract into our lives. Intentions might be
to act in a more loving way, hold less anger, have more fun, and
these attributes will lead us to achieving our long term goals.
In
this season we do not need the details, we are putting in the
foundations, and a good place to start is yourself. Evaluating our
attitudes and actions in the physical, mental, emotional and
spiritual realms reveals what we wish to keep and what we would hope
to transform.
Time of Bleakness... We hug.We wish each other joy. Remembering our blessings, watching our innocent infant boy. Look forward, hopefully journey, escape the shortest night. Your fears are hidden, but do not forget my love, the rose of red and white. Remember best, as we flee west, toward the setting sun, the days of peace, not your terror, not your fright. Quit your curtained room, to sunrise promise. Trees, skeletal, guard your way, to wonderful adventure, on the darkest day. |  |
Crossing the threshold:
Using branches of holly
(woodland's Winter king) and oak (Summer king) create an entrance
archway into your home or any space you wish to hold as sacred space.
This symbolises the turning of the year. Traditionally, the holly is
quitting its dominance to the oak and the oak beginning to increase
its powers for summer. If you cannot access large amounts of oak or
holly, create a circle of evergreens to hang on the doorway, placing
tokens of oak, such as an acorn, and a few red berries, amongst the
foliage.
Another entrance plant is the magical mistletoe. Rarely seen growing in Ireland, it is possibly attributed as mystical because it lives in tree branches, e.g. apple, off the ground. Any excuse for a kiss!
Halifax Bloggers - Noticed in Nova Scotia - Christmas trees remembered
Images of Winter Darkness:
Darkness brings an opportunity for quiet. And so at this time we do not celebrate with song, candle, dance or any activity. We celebrate the land in quiet.
Take a dark coloured or black sheet of paper. On it with chalk, probably white, draw the outline of your hand.
In the area of the palm of your hand draw a winter scene with the chalk.
Whatever comes to you, a woodland scene, a starry night sky, a seed lying deep in the earth, maybe a bed with a figure lying under warm blankets. Bring to your drawing the peace, quiet and calm of winter.
Celebrate
with your artistry the earth in the winter darkness.
Solstice Blessing Ball
Buy a crafters plain clear Christmas tree bauble that you can open. Put in symbols of the season, to bless the house, carry good intentions for yourself and loved ones, make your festive decorations personal, etc. Write your intentions on a slip of paper and add to your bauble. Depending on the size of your items it might be a help to use the lucky numbers of 3 or 7 as the total number of contents.
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