A Creative Contemplative Offering for Solstice

Sponsored Content from JourneyPath Institute.

Seekers, dreamers, life-long learners, we who are visionary bring balance to our experiences when we connect to the symbolic cycles of the seasons. Darkness rises early as we in the Northern Hemisphere move toward the longest night of Winter Solstice. This rising reminds us to pay attention to the inner expression of seasonal change, exploring the darkness, and the light that is held within.

2017 has been a difficult year—between political unrest, global tragedies, natural disasters, and the simple challenges of daily life, we have all been deeply affected. As the year ends, many of us are reflecting on what has been as well as what is to come. The Winter Solstice is the natural time and space for contemplation and celebration, and so has been celebrated in many ways, in all cultures, throughout time.

The Solstice is a time of celebration in anticipation of Light’s return and the rebirth of the Sun. Here in the North, on the longest night of the year, the cycle of light is suspended in time, darkness comes as the night stretches and extends. It is a time of honoring, reverence, deep reflection, connection and celebration.

Solstice energy connects us to the cycles of the earth, inspiring us to deepen our understanding of Self, Sacred Place, and Spirit. Recognizing one’s own relationship to nature’s cycle will offer new sources of healing, and activate wisdom, as you make space for connection and celebration in this season.

Every year I mark the Winter Solstice with a creative journey process I developed many years ago. I have also gifted it to thousands of people over this time. Twelve Nights of Solstice is a simple daily practice to connect you to spirit and nature, nurture the whole self, and explore the myth and magic that can be found within this season.

During Twelve Nights of Solstice, you will receive a short, guided audio or video as well as a quote, poem, image or symbol to guide you on your journey. Through this contemplative, creative practice, you will experience the season through the lens of a journey, seeking the expressive, while exploring and honoring the sacred. A few minutes each evening will allow you to connect with Solstice as the ancients did, marking the start of each new day at moonrise.

As the year comes to a close, it is important to reflect on all that has passed, allowing healing, honoring, and the holding of space. The Winter Solstice is nature’s invitation to journey within in preparation for life’s next cycle—the coming of Light; rebirthing that brings us through the deep of midwinter and when it is time, into spring.

I invite you to join me and a global community of “artists of life” for the Twelve Nights of Solstice practice. Together, we will join a contemplative dance with the deep nurturing elements of the season. Click here to join.