Winter Solstice is known as 'Yule' on the Celtic Wheel - a sacred festival of rebirth. Ancient cultures believed that this was not a time to fear the dark, but to honour Yule as a 'womb of possibility'. We're being invited inward to reflect, release, and prepare for the slow return of the sun. Before the sun returns, we rest and intent to what we want to birth, create, give life to at Spring Equinox, hence this Winter space being known for the 'Winter Womb'.
Marking the beginning of a new cycle, Winter Solstice marks the moment when the sun reaches its lowest point in the sky, creating the longest night and the shortest day. It is a threshold moment, meaning a pause between death and rebirth - a moment to pause between worlds, a time when the veil to our ancestors is thin.
This time of the year can bring up a lot of darkness within ourselves, where we might be forced to meet our shadows and deal with things that we've shoved deep down and keep in the dark. The practice is trauma-informed.
If you attended the Samhain ceremony in October, you'll have met the Cailleach. She remains with us throughout Winter also. In Celtic mythology, this is the time of the Cailleach, the Winter Goddess—the ancient crone who rules over the cold months. She teaches us the wisdom of stillness, the power of surrender, and the beauty of rest before renewal. Through connecting with her energy, we honour the deeper rhythms of nature and the cyclical turning of our own inner seasons.
Expect folklore, storytelling, a serving of cacao, a sharing circle, connection with other like minded women, journaling, gentle movement and mudras, meditation and relaxation.
Cacao is ceremonial grade and it's a heart opening plant medicine.
Speak to Carla if you are pregnant, have any heart contradictions or are on anti-depressants.
What to bring:
Comfortable clothing that will allow you to move freely - for the somatic part of the gathering.
Extra layers and an optional blanket for comfort/relaxation. You could bring an eye pillow also.
Bring anything you want to offer to the altar: jewelry, crystals etc. Please remember to take them with you when you leave.
YOUR OWN MUG for cacao - MUGS FOR CACAO WILL NOT BE PROVIDED.
A journal and a pen/pencil.
Investment: £25