6 Modern Ways to Celebrate Winter Solstice

Without the dark, we’d never know what light was…

At Samhain (October 31st), we celebrate a descent into darkness as the days get shorter and colder and we’re given a sort of energetic permission to go inwards and explore our shadow sides.

Winter Solstice, or Yule, marks the return of the light.  Many call it the return of the Sun King, or the celebration of the birth of the Sun King… Sound familiar?

The roots of this day go back to a time before rituals and religions were recorded. A time when the slow, steady return of spring wasn’t just something people looked forward to – their lives depended on it. This recognition of the turn of the cosmic wheel was celebrated and honored by cultures and traditions around the globe —from the ancient Norse people who lit the first Yule log, to the Egyptians, who celebrated the return of Ra.

Whether you’re lighting candles or plugging in of strings of lights, be sure to say a prayer of gratitude for this time of joy, blessings, and possibilities. 

6 Modern Ways to Celebrate Yule

Create a Yule Altar

If you already have an altar, you’re already more than halfway there. If not, you can check out this post to get started. For a Yule-specific altar, simply use colors, fabrics, herbs, flowers, fruits, and other decorations that honor the winter season. I would probably keep this up about a week, then switch things up to represent my visions for the year ahead.

Yule Colors

Go with your gut here, but some common Yule colors are:

• Reds

• Whites

• Greens

• Blues

• Silvers

Yule Crystals

• Clear Quartz

• Moss Agate

• Garnet

• Blue Calcite

Yule Symbols

You might use a lot of the same symbolism here that you associate with Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever other religious tradition you’re used to celebrating at this time. Here are just a few ideas:

• Candles and lights to celebrate the return of the sun

• Yellow or gold candles, coins, or disks symbolize abundance

• Evergreen sprigs and twigs, like pine, spruce, fir, and juniper

• Holly, pinecones, mistletoe, and chestnuts

• A bowl or cup of melted snow

• Fruits and nuts

• Bells

Gather Around The Fire

The Solstice is a festival of light, celebrating the return of the sun. What better way to honor this time than by sitting next to a sacred fire? You may have heard of the Yule log – an age-old Solstice tradition. This is usually a piece of oak, representing strength and longevity for the winter season, but you can use any natural wood. Many people make it a tradition to find and prep their Yule log the winter before so it’s all dried and ready by the time you’re ready to burn it.

Go on a nature walk and collect sticks and leaves to throw in as well. Think of these as sweet offerings from the Earth and symbols of abundance.

Tradition suggests that you gather friends and family in front of the fire and keep it stoked as long as possible to keep the light alive. You can also bring old journals, papers, photos, or anything else you can safely burn. Write lists of the things you don’t plan on taking forward with you into the New Year and throw those into the fire.

When the fire burns down and the ashes cool, feel free to collect some of these for future spell work. 

Take a Ritual Bath

Ritual baths combine the magic of plants, fruits, salts, and stones to help your intention come to life. I prepare these baths just like tea – only you’re soaking in the nutrients and medicine of the plant spirits through your skin and your auric field instead of through your digestive tract. Here’s a powerful blend specifically for the Solstice to bring light, nourishment and abundance for the New Year:

• Apple, sliced or dried

• Orange, sliced or dried

• Handful of cranberries

• Handful of pomegranate arils

• Dried hibiscus (about 1 tbsp.)

• Rose petals (about 1 tbsp.)

• A sprinkle of star anise

• A sprinkle of cinnamon

• 2-3 cups epsom salts

Draw your bath, while steeping your herbs in 4-5 cups of water. Strain your herbs into the bath and add your larger chunks of fruit (be mindful of herbs and fruit clogging the drain). Light a candle and put on relaxing music or meditate in silence.

As you soak, think of the past year, taking note on everything you learned and accomplished. Then meditate on your year ahead, really sinking into the feeling you want to conjure.

Drink Mulled Wine, Cider, or Pine Needle Tea

You can make any drink into a potion with the right intention. Mulled wine, cider, and pine needle tea are just a few traditional Yule blends that bring about fertility (in the symbolic sense) and abundance.

Mulled wine and ciders are usually made with fresh orange and mulling spices like clove, cinnamon, star anise, and cardamom —all potent prosperity herbs and spices. 

Pine needle tea made with tasty eastern white pine or noble fir is a pleasant, almost citrusy brew that’s actually packed with antioxidants and vitamins A and C. Add a bit of lemon and honey for added flavor and magic. 

Do be careful when harvesting pine yourself. There are trees that look like pine but are actually toxic to humans. 

Whip up a batch of either and sip it around the fire while you think about everything you’re looking forward to bringing into the light.

Make a Yule Charm or Pomander

Crafting, but make it magical. A Yule charm or spell ball is a fun craft that doubles as a spell. First, get a clear, glass ball and add a mixture of yule herbs and crystals (refer to the altar recommendations above). On a small piece of paper, write your intention or a short petition to the sun gods/goddesses for all that you desire. Add it to the ball and replace the top (you may need to glue this on).

Once sealed, you can hang it from your tree or place it on your altar. Next Yule, feel free to crack it open and read your note to see what came true.

Another popular Yuletime craft, the pomander, is an orange decorated in cloves and sometimes rolled in other ground spices like cinnamon and cardamom. 

Pomanders are more than decorative oranges that smell good. They represent abundance, fertility, and prosperity. Transform the making of them into a magical practice by focusing on your intentions as you poke the cloves through the skin. 

You can keep these for a while, hanging from the tree or sitting in a nice bowl on your altar; or you can cut them up after a few days and simmer them on the stove for a makeshift magical potpourri.

Dream of the Year Ahead

Winter Solstice is the perfect time of year to reflect on the past year and dream of the year ahead. You don’t have to get dogmatic about setting intentions and making plans, but do make plenty of time to process what you’ve been through.

I like taking some time every morning for the last few weeks of the year to journal, vision, meditate, and reflect. Then I begin mapping out my dreams for the new year, first in my journal, then on large poster boards. I have two – one visual (a literal vision board), and one actual map of my goals.

Make this process your own. There’s certainly no right or wrong way to do it.

Blessed Solstice, my loves! Wishing you the most love and light for this new year.