I tell you about the various solstice rituals I’ve created so you’ll know there’s no one “right” way. And I don’t benefit in any way from telling you about it – except the good karma! For those of you looking for the Earth-centered roots of the season, this CD is exceptional. You can find it on their website,, on CDBaby, and on Amazon. Right here on my desk is the gift I received that night: “Peace of mind and happiness in life.” As I help my husband through the fog of Alzheimer’s, the gift of peace of mind takes on new meaning for both of us.ĭuring some of the Winter Solstice rituals, I’ve played the song, Light is Returning, by Mother Tongue on their CD, This Winter’s Night. As often happens, the synchronicity between what the person needs and what the person chooses is amazing. Later in the ritual, each person went to the long table and chose a gift, sight unseen. This time, each person wrote down a blessing gift that someone else at the ritual would receive. We used the green paper holly leaves at another Winter Solstice. While Doug played the chimes and singing bowls, each person tucked their commitment into the 12-foot long bridge of Yule logs and lit one of the candles. On it, they wrote what they would give to their family, their neighborhood, their community and beyond to make the world a better place. I had cut holly leaves from green construction paper and gave one to each person. One year, we focused on a different kind of giving. Lighting candles at Winter Solstice ritual Local musician Doug Yager played chimes, singing bowls, and a giant gong. We talked about the old meaning of the word “Yule” to call out in song and how the Moon told the children to go to a high place and “Yule” their father home. One year, we shared a children’s story about Mother Earth going to sleep until Father Sun returned to warm the land. One year, we explored the meaning of light and the parallels between the return of the Sun celebrated around the world for centuries and the birth of the Son, Jesus, celebrated by Christians around the world for over 2,000 years. One year, we talked about the arduous climb of the Capricorn goat, about the emotional baggage each of us might need to release, and about who might help us along the way. During the ritual, each person lights one of the Yule log candles to represent lighting the way for the Sun’s return. After being sheathed with colorful ribbons woven by dancers celebrating the power of fertility, the pole would stand for months and then be cut into pieces so that each family could share the energy and good will of the community.įor the Winter Solstice, I usually arrange the logs on two banquet tables set end-to-end, with a sizeable candle at one end to represent the Sun. In the world of my Celtic ancestors, the Yule log would have come from the tree cut for the May pole earlier in the year. Meg adds freshly cut spruce, pine, and holly, along with a tea light or taper, depending on the log. Each time, Meg’s husband, Ed, makes enough Yule logs for every person to take one home. I’ve led this ritual at Meg’s for several years. It was held at Meg’s Inspirations, a gift shop and spiritual boutique in Manchester, CT. A few days ago, I led a public ritual to celebrate the Winter Solstice. The Ouroboros originates in ancient Egyptian iconography.I live in Connecticut. The Ouroboros is a snake, represented as a circle eating its tail or, more recently, as an infinity symbol. The infinity symbol is also said to be a simple representation of the Ouroboros, an ancient symbol that also represents the infinite. The infinity symbol was known as the Lemniscate by Greek philosophers and mathematicians in the 17th century. In 1655, John Wallis is credited with bringing the symbol to mathematics to represent a potentially infinite number. This symbol appeared within the ornaments on the cross of Saint Boniface, who was a missionary in the 8th century. Interested in the meaning behind more common yoga symbols? Read this. It has a long history and powerful meaning, especially when we connect it to yoga. The infinity symbol is represented as a number 8 lying on its side. You may have come across the infinity symbol during your yoga journey, so let’s dive in and demystify it! In yoga, symbols are used to quickly remind us of balance, focus, peace, oneness, and other disciplines to remember during the yoga practice. Symbols are important visual representations of larger concepts.
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