to ask, if you celebrate winter solstice what do you do?

[staryellow]

I always feel an urge to do something to celebrate winter solstice but then I always don't because it's so busy in the run up to Christmas it passes me by. This year I really want do something. But what? 🤔 I know this is weird but maybe a like minded soul can help

Did anyone manage to get a virgin in the end?

I did get down to the sea and have had a lovely morning watching the clouds change from very dark grey to very light grey.

It has still been lovely to be out though.

Just watched the livestream of the sun entering the ancient stone chamber at Newgrange. Wonderful!

The Newgrange livestream was wonderful, so much more explanation and atmosphere than the Stonehenge one. And the sun came out from the clouds!

Thank you for everyone sharing your solstice rituals on this thread, I've never marked the solstice before but you have all inspired me to this year. I'm taking some of my family to a local monument where a group are meeting to watch the sunset , we're taking lanterns for the walk back down.

Tonight I'm making a special meal of shepherd's pie and baked apples with ice cream, and we will light candles.

Happy Solstice all ❤️ The wheel turns and for this time we witness it 🌞 ☀️

We celebrate it! Always have from little bonfires to writing down our best things of the year and burning to going to local stone circles or the beach etc.
We celebrate in nature if we can.
Today we’re going to friends in Brighton where they have something called ‘Burning of the Clocks’ where lit paper lanterns are paraded through the lanes to the beach and a thrown in a big bonfire to celebrate it.
Can’t wait!
It’s not weird to celebrate IMHO, it’s one of our most ancient natural observations - and it’s why Christmas is at the time of year it is.

Same! New Grange is a very special place - deffo worth a trip, the whole site is amazing and really puts things in perspective.

Yes, I watched the Newgrange footage as well this morning, fabulous!
A friend of mine won the lottery to be in the chamber a few years ago, she was awestruck, sooo jealous!
wassail! 🌞🍻

Going day drinking with my cousin and friends! More celebrating our family connections than the solstice but nice to do it on an significant day

I’ve not done something before but I am going to make a Yule log and go foraging for some holly and ivy. I will also light candles and burn some regrets from the year. I had a lie in so missed the sunrise but should see sunset 😁 thanks for this thread, I really want to align my life more with nature and I feel like this is a good start to that 😊

The last couple of days I've cleaned the house so it's nice and fresh and today, when everyone's awake I'll sweep it top to bottom with my big broom ending at the back door to sweep everything out.

I got a big bunch of mistletoe at the florists this morning and have hung it along with some ivy from the garden.

I put a bumper serving and some extra special bits on the bird feeder.

I'm out drinking with friends this afternoon, and I'll pop some sort of mulled something in the slowcooker before I go for my DP and me this evening. We sometimes have a fire, but looking at the forecast, the fire bowl will be staying firmly in the shed!

Happy solstice x

No way! Thats on my bucket list! We visit most years and I always enter the lottery for it!

I was born on the winter solstice which has always felt quite special. I’ll be spending the day with friends and when I come home in the evening I’ll light two candles; one to burn everything I want to let go of and one for everything I want to bring in. Then I’ll let the release the ashes, and my intentions, into the wind. Followed by a slice of birthday cake and a glass of fizz, grateful for another year.

Happy solstice, everyone!

Just seen this post. Last night was Yalda in the Persian calendar if you are still wondering what to do next year. The idea is to get through the longest, darkest night to welcome the lengthening days after.

To celebrate winter solstice, we have had our first round of IVF ☺️ The frozen embryo was transferred yesterday, and I will try to spend the weekend creating new life 🙏

✨ After 8 years of trying, we need all of the luck we can get 🤞

https://www.youtube.com/live/776csdogJo0?feature=shared

Thanks to the PPs who recommended the Newgrange live stream. It was truly wonderful.

In fact, this whole thread has been joyous and I've been inspired by people's rituals and traditions.

Blessings for Solstice, all.

@Lil89 Wishing you the best of luck.
@unlikelywitch Happy birthday.

My husband plays Mr Blue Skies on the winter solstice in honour of the coming lighter days, and Autumn Tactics on the summer solstice as Autumn is coming…

Thanks for the replies, so many lovely ideas here🙂 In the end we went to the lake, no starlings but it was really choppy and brisk and lovely light, it all blew the cobwebs away. Later it was pelting down so no fire pit but I made everyone we wrote things we wanted to say goodbye to on paper and burned those in the fire, then lit candles for our wishes for the year ahead which we left in the porch. When i went out to bring them in it was all starry 🙂

Missed the live stream of newgrange though, sounds like it was worth catching.

The pagans were onto something, checking in with nature and yourself every few weeks it feels really hopeful or something I love it overexcited

Anyway, I really hope everyone has a good stretch to Imbolc

I burned my regrets at dawn on the beach and then drove across to my parents where, before I went to sleep, I wrote down 13 wishes for Rauhnächte, ready to burn the first one on Christmas Day: https://www.anjapoehlmann.com/the-magic-of-13-wishes/

I know I am mixing and matching different rituals, but for me it’s about doing what is right for you, and setting clear intentions for the year ahead is very empowering. Each night before bed for 13 nights from Christmas I am going to burn some incense, think about my wish, burn the wish and go to sleep to dream on the idea.

Sending all the best to everyone and bring on Imbolc.

I had a lovely solstice, my swim was cancelled due to weather warning. But among other things I burnt the small log that I took from the remnants of the Edinburgh Beltane fire and burnt that, whilst sharing our gratitude for all that has passed since then.

The Edinburgh Beltane celebrations look fabulous @Firesideblanket. I’m planning on going for the first time next year.

@unlikelywitch it was spectacular- very busy but that adds to the collective experience.