The Winter Solstice: Friday 21st December 2018

Many of us experience a sense of awe at the natural world, and want to mark our connectedness with nature, and express our thanks for its sustaining goodness. Different points in the turning year may be understood as corresponding with different stages of our lives – which may help us to make some sense of our life experiences, and to go onwards more cheerfully and trustingly.

The Winter Solstice occurs around 21 December in the Northern Hemisphere, and 21 June in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the time when, even though the sun appears to be abandoning us and daylight is at its briefest, the year is reborn and a new cycle begins. On this longest night of winter, and even in the dark nights of our souls, there springs the spark of hope that light will return and balance will be restored, so we gather to await that new light as the year and the earth turn again towards the sun.

The short responsive liturgy, below, is appropriate for use by any group of people, especially before sharing a meal together. If possible, sit in a circle. You will need a large candle, a piece of paper, a pen, and a length of string or ribbon for each person present, a sparge (small leafy twig), a taper, a large glass or cup of wine, matches, and a Yule log. The Yule log is a small branch or log, set in a place where it may burn safely. If you do not have an open fireplace, you could do this outside - please exercise common sense when lighting the candle and the log, and do not allow there to be any risk of fire: stay safe! Everyone is invited to join in saying the responsive words in bold type. There may be one leader to say the biddings, or you can take it in turns, round the circle.

I'm posting this well ahead of time, to allow for preparations to be made. This is the last of my liturgies for the traditional annual festivals. In my next-but-one post you will find suggestions for alternative celebrations, based on the practices of the ancient Northern people. 

The liturgies, celebrations, ceremonies, prayers, and reflections offered on this blog are the result of my thoughts, reflections, and experiences, woven together using my own words and sometimes adapting the words others have used: I am indebted to their wisdom. Please use these liturgies freely, adapting them as suits your own context. I am always pleased to hear from people who have used them.

The Welcome and Invocation (said as a candle is lit):

Welcome to you all, as we gather today to celebrate the Winter Solstice.

We light this light to honour the life that comes from death:

       We light this light to honour

       the warmth that comes from cold,

       the light that shines in darkness,

       and the balance of the turning year,

       which we seek in our own lives.

The Setting of Intentions:

Yuletide is the end of the old solar year,

and the beginning of the new one:

       This is a time to look back & reflect,

       a time to look ahead, to make plans and set goals,

       and a time to re-align our selves with our true self.

Each person takes a piece of paper,

writes down something they hope to accomplish during the coming year,

folds the paper and ties it to the Yule log.

The Consecration of the Yule Log:

We toast the coming of the new year, and, in token of its promise,

we consecrate this wood.

May it be a focus for the energies

through which we accomplish our tasks,

and manifest our true selves, our potential, and our unity

during the coming year.

       We toast the Yule Log!

       We toast the coming year!

Wine is sprinkled from the cup/glass onto the Yule Log using the sparge.

The wine is then passed round the circle for all to drink.

When everyone has had a sip of wine, the Yule Log is lit,

using the taper to light it from the candle flame.

The Closing Thanksgiving:

We offer thanks for the light given to us this night:

       May we carry it in our hearts and our actions

       throughout the coming year.

For home and hearth, for warmth and shelter,

for food and drink, for companionship, and for reasons to celebrate:

       We offer thanks!

For the sun which enables life, for the reflected light of the moon,

and for the stars which shine upon us:

       We offer thanks!

And that the light endures, even through the dark times,

and that the balance is restored:

       We offer thanks!

The candle is now extinguished.

If it is safe to do so, the Yule log may be left to burn out.

Otherwise extinguish it with sand or soil.

Food for the Feast:

Warming winter food is good for the soul as well as the body! This year our Winter Solstice Feast includes mushroom soup, parsnip roulade, Brussels sprouts stir fried with chestnuts, roast potatoes, chocolate log, and mince pies.

Decorative details:

Green, red and gold are my colours of choice for this season, and a wreath for the front door is a must, including at least some of the traditional evergreens: rosemary, bay, laurel, holly, ivy, and mistletoe. One of The William's ancestors was called 'Miseltoe' - and I think the name, however it's spelt, should be revived.

The most important Christmas tree for me is the one we do for the birds, laden with edible treats: feeders full of nuts and seeds, fat balls, small apples, pine cones liberally spread with natural peanut butter and seeds - but this year without the strings of popped corn, that went soggy and messy last year!

Down the centre of our dining table, placed safely on a chunky plank of wood, will be the Advent candles we've enjoyed lighting through the month, bedded into small terracotta flower pots with moss and berries.

And flowers? It has to be a pot of early hyacinths, planted back in September, kept in a cool dark place for 10 weeks, and then gradually brought into lighter and warmer conditions. It may sound a bit twee, but for me, with their fresh fragrance, they really do bring the promise of spring into the middle of winter.