And Now, In Stonehenge News . . .

During this year's Winter Solstice celebration at Stonehenge (when pagans are allowed to freely congregate among the Stones because of their right to freedom of religion), a black cat named Moon also showed up and stole the show! His appearance was taken to be a good omen for the coming year.

[fan art by christiannegg]

Advent of the Sun Altar: Winter Solstice, Fifth Candle

[Background info about this series of posts found here]

The Winter Solstice arrives today at dawn, following the longest night of the year which started at sundown yesterday. The Sun has been reborn and the shortest day of the year commences! From today forward, sunlight will increase each day as darkness recedes. This Solstice was a moment of great significance and celebration to our ancestors, and to modern pagans honouring the Old Ways.

Night of long darkness.

Candles burn.

Songs call the light:

"Return, touch our hearts"

--Antonia Matthew

Today the centre candle is lit to conclude the 5-week-long ritual of waiting. My centre candle is a slim, hand-dipped beeswax taper which I made probably around 20 years ago at a witchy crafting circle. The beeswax had been gathered from a hollow forest tree which wild bees had turned into their hive. I never lit the candle until now because I knew it would not take long to be consumed. I was saving it for a special occasion, and I guess this is it!

Thank you for joining me over the past 5 weeks of conducting this ritual. I hope you found some meaning in it as well. The Winter Solstice marks the start of the pagan festival of Yule and so here are my Yuletide wishes for you all --

[Photos #1 and #2 © Debra She Who Seeks, 2025;

the memes are courtesy of the internet]

Advent of the Sun Altar: Fourth Week, Fourth Candle

[Background info about this series of posts found here]

This is my favourite Winter Solstice chant. We sang and drummed it every December at my Women's Drumming and Goddess Chanting Circle. The chant honours the sacred and deep interconnectedness of the Winter, the Earth, the Divine Feminine, and our Souls. At the centre of existence, there is only One Song and we all share in it --

Deep, deep, deep into the heart of the winter.

Deep, deep, deep into the womb of the Mother.

Deep, deep, deep where there is no other

Song but the song of my soul!

--Anne Hill

As we light the Fourth Candle, may we grasp the Unity of All as we await the Sun's imminent rebirth.

You are welcome to join me again next Sunday for the fifth and final candle marking the Winter Solstice!

[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, 2025]

Advent of the Sun Altar: Third Week, Third Candle

[Background info about this series of posts found here]

Each night brings growing darkness as the days become shorter. May we use this time to look inside, be introspective, and listen to our souls --

Darkness deserves gratitude.

It is the alleluia point at which

we learn to understand that

all growth does not take place in the sunlight.

--Joan Chittister, Uncommon Gratitude

You are welcome to join me again next Sunday!

[Photos #1 and #2 © Debra She Who Seeks, 2025]

Advent of the Sun Altar: Second Week, Second Candle

[Background info about this series of posts found here]

A meditation on the interplay of Darkness and Light in this time of waiting before the Winter Solstice:

We honour the growing Darkness.

We do not fear, avoid or fight it.

Without the dark, there are no dreams,

no healing sleep to refresh us,

no deep growth necessary for life.

We arise with the returning Light.

No matter how deep the descent,

the Light does return.

--paraphrased from Joanna Powell Colbert

You are welcome to join me again next Sunday!

[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, 2025]

Advent of the Sun Altar: First Week, First Candle

Many Christians observe Advent with a wreath and candle-lighting ritual over the course of 5 weeks leading up to the birth of Jesus on Christmas. By way of one example, blogging buddy Willym always marks Advent with special posts on his blog every year.

The pagan equivalent is an Advent of the Sun Altar with a wreath and candle-lighting ritual over the course of 5 weeks leading up to the rebirth of the Sun on the Winter Solstice. For the first time, I'm trying my hand at creating such an altar.

My evergreen wreath and candles are flanked by Sankta Lucia, the Goddess of the Winter Solstice (given to me by my sister in 2019) and a charming Canadian Angel (given to me by blogging buddy Robyn Alana Engel a few years ago). There are 4 candles in the centre of the wreath which will be cumulatively lit one at a time each Sunday night leading up to the Winter Solstice on December 21, when the 5th and final candle will be lit.

This countdown to the Winter Solstice is a meditative and contemplative act. In darkness, the candle(s) are lit, their light celebrated in a way that is meaningful to the celebrant and then extinguished. Time is also taken to experience the full darkness. Both holy light and sacred darkness bring blessings and healing.

Here is the First Candle --

You are welcome to join me again next Sunday!

[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, 2025]

Party Time!

HRH the Cat and I wish you

a Happy Winter Solstice!

Come by and say "Hi!"

There will be snacks

and a cup of cheer!

Holy Darkness, Holy Light

Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere when the longest night gives way to the returning light of the shortest day. But the Winter Solstice is not best interpreted as the badness of darkness being overcome by the goodness of light. Both darkness and light are sacred, numinous states of being. Holy Darkness is where rest, rejuvenation, healing and transformation occur so that we may benefit more fully from acts of growth and creation in the Holy Light. 

Once again, the artist and mystic Joanna Powell Colbert has caught this deeper meaning and connection in her latest artistic work in progress called Mother of Night. She holds the centre of the Wheel of the Year close to her heart, nurturing in the darkness the transformation of the Samhain Crone into the Child of Wonder preparing to be born again at the Winter Solstice.

Joanna is currently creating an oracle deck and book based on the Wheel of the Year, the lunar cycle, and the seasons of our lives. I'm looking forward to getting a copy when it is ready!

Winter Solstice Blessings

To All Who Celebrate!

Longest Night, Shortest Day

The Winter Solstice is always a time of contemplation and reflection. The Wheel turns, the Seasons change, the Light returns. So what better time to consult the tarot or an oracle deck for a little wisdom and guidance? 

For that purpose, here's a special Winter Solstice Spread by wise woman and tarot artist Joanna Powell Colbert --

Pull a tarot or oracle card to spark a response, then finish the following sentences:

1. The gift of the nurturing darkness is ...
2. The promise of the returning sun is ...
3. I find potential or hope for my personal life through ...
4. One action I can take to offer hope and renewal to the larger community is ...
5. Today, my Holy Helpers most want me to know ...

If you make use of this Spread, I hope it enhances the beauty and wonder of this special day for you!

Winter Solstice Blessings!

Winter Solstice Blessings

You know, I wasn't even going 

to bother decorating for 

the holidays this year. 

But getting out my Sankta Lucia statue 

to photograph her for this earlier post 

inspired me to dig through a few 

drawers and cupboards and 

LO AND BEHOLD

all of a sudden I had put together 

a nice little Winter Solstice 

altar arrangement on my sideboard.

So now on this, the shortest day

following the longest night,

I WISH YOU ALL --

[First photo © Debra She Who Seeks, December 2020;

Second image comes from the internet]

Happy Winter Solstice!

Singing Through the Darkest Night

Night of long darkness

Candles burn

Songs call the light:

"Return, touch our hearts"

The Winter Solstice is here -- the longest night and shortest day of the year.

When Darkness and Light spiral together . . . 

. . . in the Eternal Dance.

Winter Solstice blessings to you all!

[All photos from the Internet]

Winter Solstice Blessings to You All!