Some thoughts on the start of winter.
(Image description: A photo of a lit white candle reflecting in a window lined in frost. Other flames can also be seen reflecting in the window.) Credit: Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash
At the time of writing this post, I’m preparing to celebrate the winter solstice. It’s a holiday with varied feelings, and that’s okay. In fact, it might even be seasonally “normal”.
On the one hand, the anticipation and festive nature in the approach of the sun’s return and longer days is definitely worth celebrating. On the other hand, the lengthening days are still long and dark. It’s the official day of winter on the secular calendar, but it feels like winter has already been here since Samhain.
Autumn and the coming winter have so far been mild, oscillating between chilly and warm days. It feels like spring is constantly popping in to say hello. I wouldn’t mind more consistently cool days, but I also don’t want the Cailleach to pay a visit with unbearable freezing weather. I guess I should consider it a mixed bag of blessings and moderate days.
The season has a strong theme of ancestors to it, given how close death is to this time of year. It’s all too easy to assume that you’ll be fine if you have an ample food supply and dependable electricity. As long as you have your health, it’s feasible to get through winter with few ordeals. However, there’s always the chance of something unexpected happening.
When we think of the ancestors celebrating winter, there’s the common image of them gathered around a fire, clad in their warmest apparel. Storytelling, drinking, and feasting would come after decorating the home or other lodging with greenery and candles.
As a side note, I think humans instinctively use sympathetic magic to increase the chances of something positive happening in their favor. In the case of the winter solstice, we did those traditions to ensure the sun would return and the ground would regain its fertility for future crops and livestock. I personally think we do this on a subconscious level, even if some would deny doing so. It might even serve as a psychological aid to get our minds through dark days that stretch on for a while.
Besides surviving frigid temperatures and limited food supplies, there was the psychological aspect of winter. I don’t think our ancestors were that different from us with the uncertainties they would face. Familial difficulties, health matters, and even just existing in the that weird stretch of time was of concern.
Winter’s a time of preparation. While everything seems paused, there’s plenty of activity happening in nature. Baby animals are gestating in their mothers’ bellies, while plants either die, become dormant, or stay verdant. For humans, it can be a good time to prepare for the coming year ahead, but that goal shouldn’t be seen as mandatory.
The winter solstice is a minor, albeit important time for me. I prefer quiet celebrations over complicated festivities. It makes the themes of the season even more prominent and relevant.
I will be doing an impromptu flamekeeping shift of sorts, a vigil to mark the sun’s official return in the morning. It’s my way of honoring the lengthening days to come and a nod to the approach of Imbolc. I will likely do a meditation with a spiral finger labyrinth, enjoy some seasonal feasting with family, and relax the rest of the day.
I wish you a merry winter season, however you wish to celebrate!
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