Winter Solstice Witchcraft Winter solstice, also known as Yule, is a significant and sacred time for witches and pagans alike. It marks the longest night of the year and the rebirth of the sun, signaling the return of light and warmth. This is a time of celebration, reflection, and intention-setting for many practitioners. In winter solstice witchcraft, the main focus is on embracing the darkness and harnessing its transformative power. It is a time to release what no longer serves us and make space for new beginnings. Many witches engage in rituals and spells to honor the solstice energy and set their intentions for the coming year.

Winter Solstice: the myths and cultural celebrations surrounding it

Throughout the ages, the sun, an essential factor in our survival, has played a prominent role in our way of life, beliefs and celebrations.

Our days, months and years are defined by the warmth and light it provides. As such, it’s not surprising that there are so many legends and festivals about the star that many ancient communities believed to be a goddess.

Meteorologically, we equate colder days and darker evenings with winter’s arrival. But astronomically, the season doesn’t start until the Winter Solstice.

The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. This year, it falls on Wednesday, December 21.

It is named after the Latin words “sol” and “sistere”, which mean “sun” and “to stand”, referring to the day the sun stands still.

Many witches engage in rituals and spells to honor the solstice energy and set their intentions for the coming year. One common practice during the winter solstice is to create a Yule altar or sacred space. This can be adorned with symbols of the season such as evergreen boughs, candles, and ornaments.

Myths and legends about the Winter Solstice

In ancient times, tribes of people in the northern hemisphere knew that winter meant dying crops, freezing temperatures and short days.

However, without the necessary scientific knowledge, they weren’t able to decipher what was causing the sun to appear less. As such, they created their own legends and beliefs around it.

The sun was always seen as a feminine figure. The pre-Islamic southern Arabians called her Atthar. In Mesopotamia, she was Arinna, the Queen of Heaven. To the Vikings, she was Sol, to the Inuit the sun was Sun Sister — and the list goes on.

Some Nordic communities believed that the Winter Solstice was when their goddesses would give birth, bringing more light into our darkened world. That is why they called it “mothers’ night”.

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The belief was prominent in other ancient nations, too. According to myths, the Egyptian goddess Isis’s son Horas and the Greek goddess’s son Apollo were both born on the Winter Solstice.

In Finnish mythology, the legend explained that Louhi, the witch goddess of the North, kidnapped the sun and moon, and held them captive inside a mountain, causing the dark days of winter.

In the Scottish Highlands, they called the Winter Solstice “Grian-stad Geamhraidh”, meaning “sun-stop winter”. They believed that the winter was brought on by a hag-goddess named Cailleach.

She was described as a scary woman with long, white hair who was so much bigger than humans that the waters of the Sound of Mull would come up to only her knees.

To get rid of her and the cold weather she brought, Scots would carve her likeness into a wooden log and burn it, hoping it would banish her and lead to brighter times ahead.

According to Greek legends, however, the hairy, gnome-like creatures called Kallikantzaros, who live underground, love the winter and don’t want it to come to an end.

These beings can’t be exposed to sunlight as it kills them. Therefore, for most of the year, they are busy sawing the trunk of the world tree underground, hoping to collapse it with our planet.

But during winter, for a few days, it is dark enough for them to come out and cause mischief, making them forget all about their evil plan to end life as we know it.

As such, the myth says they wreak havoc until Epiphany in early January, when the sun starts moving again and they must go back into hiding.

This is when they realise that the world tree has healed itself during their absence, so they start their sawing all over again until the same cycle occurs next winter.

People come together at special sites such as Newgrange in Ireland and Stonehenge in England to mark the day each year

The altar serves as a focal point for rituals and spellwork, helping to connect with the energy of the solstice. Candle magic is often incorporated into winter solstice witchcraft. Lighting candles represents the return of light and warmth, and can be used to symbolize the manifestation of intentions. Some witches may perform candle spells to release old patterns or manifest their desires for the coming year. Divination is another popular activity during the winter solstice. Many witches use tarot cards, runes, or other forms of divination to gain insight and guidance for the year ahead. They may also take time to reflect on the past year and set goals or intentions for personal growth. The winter solstice is also associated with the element of fire. Bonfires or small hearth fires are often lit to honor the returning light. These fires are considered sacred and can be used in rituals for purification, transformation, and manifestation. Overall, winter solstice witchcraft revolves around embracing the dark and the light, releasing the old and welcoming the new. It is a time of deep reflection, intention-setting, and spiritual growth. By connecting with the energy of the solstice, witches are able to align themselves with the rhythms of nature and harness its power for personal transformation..

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The role of fire in winter solstice witchcraft rituals