Just like the cycles of the moon, the changing of the seasons gives us another opportunity to tune into the natural world. In all cultures there are rituals and ceremonies that celebrate the qualitities of the seasons, and the moments when they peak or change.
Midwinter is traditionally a reflective, inward time of year. But it’s also a season when we find ourselves rushing around between festive shopping and holiday parties.
We like to take the winter solstice as a time to retreat from some of the more hectic holiday season activities, and allow ourselves to sink into a moment of reflection and renewal.
Although it is the night of the longest darkness, the winter solstice has also traditionally been a celebration of the light that is returning to us from this point onwards in the year. In different cultures that might mean lighting a yule log or a menorah.