Winter Solstice Traditions: How Pagans Mark the Longest Night of the Year

The winter solstice is a significant celestial event that occurs every year in December. It marks the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, while in the Southern Hemisphere, it signifies the longest day and shortest night. In the pagan or Wiccan tradition, the winter solstice holds great spiritual importance. Paganism is a belief system that encompasses various earth-centered religions, including Wicca. Winter solstice, also known as Yule, is one of the eight Sabbats celebrated in the Wiccan Wheel of the Year. It is a time of rejoicing and honoring the cycles of nature.

Restricted Access

Roughly six weeks after the Cone of Power, Hitler abruptly canceled Operation Sea Lion, the proposed invasion of Britain, in favor of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. If you haven t read The Meaning of Witchcraft , it still stands up as basic Wiccan text, and if you are reading this book again after a long hiatus several decades perhaps you will be surprised how well it stands the test of time.

It is a time of rejoicing and honoring the cycles of nature. During the winter solstice, pagans celebrate the returning of the light. It symbolizes the rebirth of the sun and the gradual lengthening of daylight.

The Coven of Witches That Fought the Nazis During World War II

Gerald Gardner, known as "The Father of Witchcraft," led his coven in a spell that targeted Adolf Hitler in 1940.

These weren't the "double, double toil and trouble" kind of witches Shakespeare wrote about in "Macbeth." They were Wiccans, led by Gerald Gardner, the man whose writings would revive the pagan belief system to the modern era. In 1940s Britain, his beliefs were far from the mainstream, but like the rest of the country, he knew he might soon find himself under Nazi domination.

Gardner may have been 55 years old and leading a coven of witches, but he was still a patriotic Briton with a stiff upper lip. So the man who would be remembered as "The Father of Witchcraft" and his followers were going to do their part to defend the island, casting a spell that would target Adolf Hitler personally and end the threat of a Nazi invasion.

Gardner grew up in a wealthy English family that ran a timber company for the British Empire. He was a sickly boy who spent more time with his nursemaid than his parents. He spent much of his young life traveling and educating himself, eventually gaining a keen interest in spirituality, religious rituals and the occult. He would return to Britain as an older man, still sickly, but took up a career as a civil servant and amateur archeologist. Meanwhile, his interest in the occult only grew.

After Britain declared war on Germany in 1939, Garder settled in Highcliffe-on-Sea and joined the New Forest Coven, a group of pagan witches in southern England that he believed were continuing a pre-Christian religious order that had been kept secret for centuries. As 1939 turned to 1940, Gardner's affection for his coven grew, as did the coven itself. They practiced folk magic in tune with their beliefs and he began writing books that would later form the foundation for the brand of Wicca that still bears Gardner's name.

A Book of Shadows, a Wiccan religious text and instructions for magical rituals, owned by Gerald Gardner.

Meanwhile, in Europe, things weren't going quite as well for the British Expeditionary Force. Nazi Germany had captured its objectives in Poland, and had already conquered Denmark, Norway, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg. As the German Army pushed farther into France in May 1940, hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers had to be evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk. Paris was captured in June 1940, and France was forced to capitulate.

The Battle of Britain was about to begin. And when Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered Britons to "therefore brace ourselves to our duties," the aged Gardner and his band of witches dutifully complied. Gardner himself became an air raid warden and his home a headquarters for Air Raid Precautions, a civil defense organization. He also joined the local Home Guard as an armorer, providing locals with weapons from his own collection of firearms and preparing molotov cocktails for use in combat.

But Gardner wanted to do more, and believed he had the magical ability to take the fight to the Nazis. The lore of the New Forest Coven included a ritual that had been used twice to defend the British Isles from the threat of an invasion. By creating a "Cone of Power," he and his coven could affect real-world events from the security of the New Forest. British witches had purportedly used the Cone of Power in 1588 to help fight off the Spanish Armada and in 1805 to end Napoleon's threat to England. They were going to use it once more in 1940.

The Cone of Power would be directed toward Hitler's brain to cloud his judgment, weaken his resolve and hasten his downfall. It was Aug. 1, 1940, and Lammas Eve, an important harvest festival in the Wicca religion, when Gardner and his coven met in New Forest. Just north of Highcliffe, they met around an ancient hangman's tree called The Naked Man. From there, the coven walked to Ferny Knapp Inclosure, a wooded area where the ritual would take place.

Instead of the traditional bonfire, the witches used a shuttered lantern (Gardner was still an air raid warden, after all) and danced in a spiral around it while naked (or "skyclad," in the Wiccan vernacular) to generate the magical energy needed to form the cone. As the coven chanted and danced, Gardner invoked the words of the spell and the assault on Hitler's brain began.

We only know the Cone of Power ritual actually happened because Gardner would write about it himself in one of the three books he wrote on witchcraft in the 1950s. J.L. Bracelin, a high priest of Gardnerian Wicca and a contemporary of Gardner's, also wrote about it in his book, "Gerald Gardner, Witch." But did the Cone of Power affect Hitler's brain?

Before August 1940, the Nazi war machine was virtually unstoppable, making few mistakes along the way. Hitler controlled or otherwise dominated most of Western Europe, and those not under Berlin's direct control (aside from Britain) were either too weak or too fearful to make any meaningful resistance. Roughly six weeks after the Cone of Power, Hitler abruptly canceled Operation Sea Lion, the proposed invasion of Britain, in favor of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union.

Less than a year later, Hitler would invade the USSR and declare war on the United States, neither of which he was bound to do. These were two critical miscalculations on the German leader's part that would have disastrous consequences for his regime. To Gerald Gardner and the New Forest Coven, it was proof positive that the Cone of Power had once again saved Britain.

-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at [email protected]. He can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, or on LinkedIn.

This day holds deep spiritual meaning as it represents the triumph of light over darkness and the renewal of life. Ceremonies and rituals conducted during the winter solstice often involve lighting fires or candles to symbolize the rekindling of the sun's energy. Many pagans also decorate their homes and altars with evergreen wreaths, holly, and mistletoe, representing the continuity of life and the promise of spring. Traditionally, the winter solstice is a time for reflection, introspection, and setting intentions for the upcoming year. Pagans may engage in meditation, divination, or spellwork to align themselves with the energy of this potent time and connect with the spiritual realm. Community gatherings and feasts are common during the winter solstice. Pagans come together to celebrate, exchange gifts, and share in the joy of the season. These events often incorporate music, singing, and dancing as a way to honor the earth and connect with one another. In conclusion, the winter solstice holds great significance in pagan traditions. It is a time of celebration, reflection, and renewal. Through rituals and ceremonies, pagans embrace the return of light and rejoice in the cycles of nature. The winter solstice serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of all living things and the spiritual power found within the natural world..

Reviews for "The Power of Intentions: Setting Goals for the Winter Solstice in Paganism"

1. Jane - 2 stars - The Winter Solstice 2022 pagan event was a disappointment for me. The organizers claimed it would be a unique and magical experience, but it fell short of my expectations. The event lacked structure and felt disorganized. The workshops and rituals were poorly executed, with little guidance provided to participants. Additionally, the advertised guest speakers were a letdown, as their talks were shallow and lacked substance. Overall, I left feeling underwhelmed and regretful of the money and time I spent attending this event.

2. Mark - 1 star - Attending the Winter Solstice 2022 pagan event was a waste of my time and money. The whole event was poorly planned and lacked any meaningful content. The workshops and rituals were mediocre at best, with inexperienced facilitators who seemed unprepared. The venue was also underwhelming, with cramped spaces and inadequate facilities. The advertised entertainment acts were lackluster and failed to capture the magical atmosphere that was promised. I left feeling cheated and unsatisfied, and I wouldn't recommend this event to anyone seeking a genuine pagan experience.

3. Sarah - 2 stars - I was excited to attend the Winter Solstice 2022 pagan event, but it turned out to be a letdown. The event was overcrowded, making it difficult to fully immerse oneself in the rituals and workshops. The organization was lacking, with long queues for activities and disorganized scheduling. The overall atmosphere felt chaotic and lacked the serene and magical ambiance I was hoping for. The quality of the workshops varied, with some being informative and engaging, but others were disappointing and poorly executed. I left feeling like I didn't get my money's worth and wouldn't attend another event organized by the same team.

Connecting with Ancestral Spirits: Pagan Perspectives on the Winter Solstice