How To Have A Transformative Winter Solstice

Our guest blogger today is Anna Toonk, a spiritual worker based in New York City. She enjoys using her intuitive and psychic gifts to connect you to yours, acting as spiritual support in the pursuit of person growth and self-acceptance. To do this Anna facilitates several forms of intuitive channeling, including Tarot reading, Akashic Records reading, and Reiki. She can be found at Annatoonk.com or on IG @annatoonk.

Oh winter. It lacks the sexiness of summer, thanks to one key missing element. The sun.

For thousands of years the Winter Solstice has been a cause of celebration to mitigate the fear of the night and express hopes for the return of the sun. The word solstice comes from Latin word solstitium, which translates to “sun standstill”. Ancient cultures marked the longest night with parties to encourage the sun’s return. The Roman celebration of Saturnalia marked the night with revelry and feasting, whilst ancient Germanic cultures gathered together keeping Yule logs burning, where they would meet the sunrise in community. These ancient celebrations were major influences of what’s known today as Christmas. Regardless of what you celebrate, the solstices and equinoxes invite us to check in with the energy of the season, and set intentions for how we would like to weather it.

In the northern hemisphere, the Winter Solstice is December 21st, but anytime around then take a moment to pause and think about your intentions for the winter. Do you want to slow down and honor your needs? Take care of your body? Prioritize your mental health? Get super focused on the year ahead?

Using the energy of the Winter Solstice, celebrate and honor these intentions with fire and light. Write down what you would like to leave behind and not cocoon yourself with in winter hibernation (things like self doubt, playing small, questioning your intuition) and also jot down what you’re ready to really bring light to. Light a candle, and safely burn the list of what you’re leaving behind and not bringing with you this season. Next, blow out the candle and in darkness think of life without these things. Finally, light the candle again, and say aloud what you’re ready to allow to shine.

Light and fire not your thing? Salt is a great tool for energetic cleansing. Make yourself an intention-infused salt scrub. Sea salt and coconut oil works and you can feel free to infuse it with essential oils and herbs that call to you. While mixing your salt scrub, focus your energy on infusing it with something you want to slough off each time you use it. Working on body image? Select a body oil to use with the intention of honoring the body you’re in. Label the container with the intention and scrub away whatever you’re surrendering. Taking the time to lovingly massage your body, daily if you can swing it, imbues your self-care routines with magic and intention, giving them more power to shift your consciousness.

During the winter we have to have faith that the sun will shine again; that it won’t be all snow and brutal temperatures. Apply this to yourself: where can you have faith? What now must be allowed to shine? What qualities in you bring beautiful, sparkly light? Tend to yourself like a flame, remembering we need care and attention to thrive. Clear your energy regularly with salt baths or scrubs to soothe aching muscles. Allow enough time to grieve and let go. Bring evergreens into your home to ground and feel connected to the earth. Once a week pause to set your intention for the week and light a candle to mark it and bring it to light. Winter gives us stillness and quiet to listen to what we need and ourselves.

Trust your intuition to cocoon yourself with what soothes and bolsters your spirit and believe in the energetic support you have to slow down during the season. If nothing else it is absolutely okay to say no to obligations to have quiet time. No one needs to know if it’s just to exfoliate off 2018 and prepare for 2019.