The Winter Solstice marks the time of the longest dark and the shortest light. Symbolically, it portrays, on this darkest of nights, the goddess as the ‘great mother’ giving birth to the young-hero god—the sun god. This is the symbolic birth of the messenger of light. It is the darkest time of the year, the time of the longest night, but there is always the everlasting promise and hope of the return of light. And watching over this eternal process of the virgin birth (Virgo on the eastern horizon) is the Sun Angel—the Archangel Mikael.

This is a time of holly and mistletoe. Both of these wondrous ‘greens’ symbolize fertility - the mistletoe berries are white, representing the semen of the god, and the holly berries are blood red, symbolizing the menstrual blood of the goddess.

This is also the season to honor the evergreen (ever—green) tree, symbolically the central axis of creation, the Tree of Life (Knowledge of Oneness) and to remember that this tree of fire and light is within us. Each of us is born with this central tree (axis mundi) of light/life (spine), which shortly after becomes the tree of knowledge—of duality—good and evil. Our ever-born quest is to return to our original tree of knowledge of oneness (light/life) within. This is the time to dedicate or re-dedicate one’s life to this divine quest of awakening.

Physiologically and spiritually, we each have a miniature sun within our hearts. Sadly, most individuals are metaphorically asleep encased in a mundane dream of materialistic reality. You must first awaken before you may begin the journey towards Divinehood/Feathered-Serpenthood. And there is no better time to ‘awaken’ than at the Winter Solstice.

At this exact period of time the ‘gate of god/goddess’ is opening allowing ones entrance into the honey-filled domain of a divine landscape. Interestingly enough, because of the precession of the equinoxes, this gateway has shifted out of the province of earthly (body) Capricorn into the realm of fiery (spirit) Sagittarius.

And the opposite gateway, the ‘gate of humanity,’ (open at the Summer Solstice) has moved from watery (emotion) Cancer into airy (mind) Gemini. These gateways now opening in Gemini and Sagittarius are a most interesting development as it foretells the anticipated Age of Aquarius and the Sixth Sun.

At this most important and very special and sacred time of the year, it is most appropriate to consider ones past year and the year to come. The following are some questions that you can ask yourself and include in your Winter Solstice honoring and celebration:

1. As the light returns what issues are blocking my lights expansion?
2. What patterns do I need to change to transform into a more loving and powerful divine human being?
3. What fears can I release over the next year?
4. What life lessons have I learned over the past year? And what do I need to do so that I do not repeat the mistakes of the past?
5. How best can I bring out the light to myself, to family, to others and to the earth and all its creatures?
6. What do I need to release that is hindering my spiritual power?
7. What spiritual/shamanic commitment do I need to make that will heal the past, empower the present and provide the achievement of Divinehood/Feathered-Serpenthood in the future?

At this time of the returning light, honor the silence, the darkness, and the mystery of life from which all new creation emerges. Rejoice in this time of love and cheer for the eternal renewal of all things.

Happy Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice 2005 Part 2