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My first fire ritual, Winter Solstice 1996
By Flora Ware | Blog
I remember my first fire ritual. It was December 21st, 1996, and I was at a house party with my Dad and his new circle of friends.
My parent’s separation had happened less than a year before, and in many ways still felt fresh. I had finished my first year of college, recently turned 19, and would be moving to “the big city” (Vancouver, BC) for the first time 10 days later.
I was still getting used to feeling more like an adult, and socializing with my Dad and his friends in a different way than when I was a teenager tagging along with my parents to an event.
The hostess greeted us as we arrived. I had received my first ever astrology natal chart reading from her that previous summer. She told us where to put our jackets, and then showed us slips of paper where we could “write down what we are letting go of from the past year to throw in the fire.”
She said it so casually, like this is what everyone did for Winter Solstice. I played it cool, even though it was a brand-new concept to me.
I had already been attending women’s circles for 3 years at that point, so ceremony was a part of my life. But we’d never done a fire ritual like this before!
Everyone at that party was twice my age or more. Not that I couldn’t hold my own in conversations with adults, but I was drawn to the fire to be in solitude.
I scribbled down a few things that I wanted to let go of. Burned them. Wrote down some more. Burned them. It felt… really good.
I continued to gaze into the flames while I imagined what my new life was going to be like in the city. I didn’t realize at the time that I was doing a manifestation visualization technique.
Standing on the cusp of my adulthood and greater independence, I couldn’t understand the significance of it all in that moment.
Do we ever fully grasp the magic and meaning of the present?
Today is the New Moon in Sagittarius. The last one of 2020.
The next 7 days are powerful ones for clearing and manifestation.
Sagittarius is the adventurer. Where are you aiming your arrow? What are you wanting to create for yourself, and for the world?
We also have the extra boost to help us shift OUT of old thinking and patterns with the Solar eclipse that also happened today.
In the northern hemisphere, we are in the most YIN time of year. Long nights. Darkness. Lunar energy. Receptivity and potential.
The Winter Solstice, coming up on Monday December 21, is the solar equivalent of a New Moon.
With the “Great Conjunction” of Saturn and Jupiter also occurring on Solstice, this is really feeling like a potent and auspicious time for us all to be conscious of what we are calling in and creating— no matter what your take is on the talk about this ushering in the long foretold “Age of Aquarius”.
Have you been journaling or doing ritual around this for yourself, for humanity, for the year ahead?
What seeds are you planting in the fertile darkness?
Rituals, solo and as part of a group, have remained a beloved part of my spiritual practice. And on the holy-days of the Celtic Wheel of the Year, I hold free online ceremonies for us to come together in community.
You are invited to Midwinter Magic
Monday December 21
11am Pacific/ 2pm Eastern/ 7pm GMT
In this free online ceremony we will:
️❄️ honour this point of the seasonal cycle
️❄️ connect with the beauty of this “Yin” time of year
️❄️ meditate together and pray for peace
️❄️ share poetry, song and ritual celebration
RSVP here: https://strengthandsoul.com/winter-solstice/
YES, there will be a replay that you can watch later if you cannot attend at this time.
I hope you see you there!
As well, I recently created a video slideshow for my Yuletide Comes song. Go here to watch on YouTube.
May the peace, beauty, and magic of the season fill your hearts and homes.
Bright blessings,
Flora
