Weaving the Ancient Ways into the Winter Holidays through story, ritual & self-care.
Light after darkness. The return of the Sun. Magic and mystery.
Tantalizing spices enveloped in the scent of woodsmoke fill the air. Wisdom Keepers lead the village in a procession to a grove of Ancient Oak trees. These Ancient Sentinels thrum with power, raising gooseflesh on the skin. Offerings are made. Ceremony performed.
When complete, the procession flows back to the village, and then the revelry begins. They’d done it– survived the year and all its challenges. Now with the return of the Sun, comes the promise of new growth, new adventures, deeper magic.
Winter Solstice and the season of Mid-Winter invites us not into busyness, but into ritual and reflection:
- Asking bigger questions
- Connection to Deep Mystery
- Following the natural rhythms of Nature
- Learning from the symbolism in the old tales
- Keeping the old ways
- Honoring the journey of the past and invoking magic for the future
The Mid-Winter holidays (before Christianity) involved weeks of personal and family rituals, storytelling, and crafting offerings and gifts. This weaves the magic that culminates in feasting, celebrations, and the ceremonies of Winter Solstice. It is a time for both simplicity and lavishness; deeply contemplative stillness alongside joyous revelry. Inviting Nature Spirits. Leaning into the natural cycles of the earth. Celebrating the move from the dark into the light as both a personal deepening into magic and a community honoring of the power of the Gods.
In our current time, a phrase I hear often is “I’m just trying to get through the holidays.”
For those who observe Christmas, spending to excess, catering to others’ expectations, busyness and the stress that follows, overwhelm the months that lead up to the “one big day.”
This is an invitation to:
- self-care and nurturing
- deepen and soften
- feast, and not just with food
- reclaim the old ways and take back what was co-opted
- go deep into the Ancient Ways of the Sacred Spiritual
And- in this time of a Global Pandemic, where many in-person gatherings have been halted and communities feel distant, finding connection to self and to personal celebration feels all the more important. This journey can also be a touchstone– a way to stay anchored in personal beliefs when culture, work environments, and family can be inundated in Christian culture.
Over the course of 21 days, you’ll engage with a daily ritual of self-care to prepare for Winter Solstice ceremony and Yule. You’ll be introduced to stories and myths rich with symbolism. You’ll be able to create in many different ways, which will literally weave the magic of this time into your daily life. There will be journaling prompts and magic to work.
As with the old ways, we will begin mid-December and end January 1. There will be activities that take only moments and some that will ask for a few hours of your time.
You’ll receive your bundle before December 1. Stories, myths, songs and magic will be found inside along with the bones for Mid-Winter Creations ( you’ll need to do a little gathering to bring them to life). This will include the link to join us in a live, virtual Winter Solstice Ceremony on December 19th.
$95 (which includes shipping anywhere in the continental US) is your cost to bring your bundle and this sacred Mid-Winter experience to you.
So that I can make sure you have your magic bundle by December 1, the deadline to purchase is November 10, 2021. These are limited edition (50 bundles total) so grab them while they last.
***Please note. Bundles are still available. Once you fill in your address, the error message below will go away.***