Winter Solstice - Things you can do to mark this day

December is a month that comes with a lot of promise - the new is beckoning and you might be burdened with all the baggage from the past year and it gives you the perfect opportunity to let it all go. It is the portal, the in-between and a very potent month indeed. The winter solstice is a great time to look back at the year gone by and introspect as you prepare to move into the New Year. Spiritually, the winter solstice is like a rebirth, it marks the longest night - the end of a challenging phase, the awakening, the triumph of the light.

Here are a few simple things you can do on the winter solstice day

Releasing the Old

Find some quiet time; review your year and all that it brought you. Jot down your challenges, your triggers, your disappointments, things you feel have ended, behavior patterns you want to let go of, the things, people, patterns, thinking that you are DONE with. Observe what stands out and what does not serve you anymore. Once you have it all written down, you may either tear up the papers and throw them or burn them with the intention of releasing them completely from your life.

Forgiveness Inventory

Take a piece of paper and pen, jot down the names of all the people who hurt you or harmed you or wronged you. Look back at the year and see what stands out. Names and instances from the past could come up. Anything that comes up is ready to go, ready to be released from your life experience. Make a list of all the names. It could be a big thing like betrayed trust or small disappointments that still linger. Once you have the names down, look at each name, bring that person to mind and say – “I forgive you. I set you free. I am free, you are free.” You can send love and light to the person. After you finish, tear the paper and throw it.

Gratitude Ritual

Make a list of all the things that the year brought into your life – the blessings, the goodness, the gifts, the opportunities, the accomplishments, the accolades – and offer gratitude for all the Goodness. You can write thank you notes to all the people who contributed to the successes and the goodness in your life. Create a simple ritual – Choose a gratitude prayer that resonates with you. Light a candle and read out your prayer with gratitude for all your blessings. Let the candle burn out.

Mark this day in some way and acknowledge that the old must make way for the new. Perfectly poised before Christmas, make this day a wonderful reminder of the power of transformation - transforming the old into the new, transforming lack into abundance and transforming fear and doubt into hope and gratitude. The longest night must also eventually give way to the dawn.