Meditation for Winter Solstice
 

As Winter Solstice approaches
we come to the Longest Night.
The sun appears to wane and die.
Ancient peoples feared the sun would disappear
and never return
with its warmth and life-giving power.
People all around the world,
of all religious beliefs,
celebrate birth and renewal at this time of year.
 
 

Place a cauldron or bowl, 
with sand or kitty litter in it, in the center of your space, 
or on a table in front of you.
Have a candle, paper, and pen ready nearby.
If you wish, light incense.
Breathe deeply a few times to release all tension.
Feel deeply relaxed, 
all worries and concerns gone.
Sense a sphere of protective white light
surrounding you.
 
 

Visualize yourself walking through a woods 
in the dark of the longest night.
You are at peace and in harmony
with all around you.
As you walk you come to a small clearing
in the woods.
Within the clearing you see a stone circle,
about nine feet in diameter,
with eight spokes radiating from the center.
You see your own cauldron or bowl sitting
at the center of the circle.
 
 

Sit near the center of the circle,
along the north-south axis, 
the axis of the Solstices.
In this longest night of the year,
with distant memories of ancient fears
that the sun will never return,
think now of your own deepest fears.
Examine them gently, unhurriedly,
one by one.
As you do so, write each one on a piece of paper.
 
 

In the silence and dark, 
trust that the sun will return and grow stronger.
Light the candle 
and place it in your cauldron or bowl.
When you are ready,
take the pieces of paper, one by one,
and release your fears into the flames 
of the Cauldron.
As the paper burns, 
realize that your fears have no power over you,
unless you yourself allow it.
Listen for the wisdom of the Cauldron
to guide you.
Sit in silence and feel the rays of the newborn sun
warming you, filling you 
with strength and energy and power.
Sense the rising sun blessing you.
Celebrate the rebirth of the sun!
 
 

When you are ready, visualize yourself
leaving the stone circle,
and the Cauldron of Wisdom.
Return along the path through the woods.
Return to your own space, renewed.
May the blessings and wisdom
of the Cauldron
remain with you!

                               Blessed Be!