Winter Solstice, Long Night Moon and the Feminine

I love this time of year, the period of winter solstice. I am very much surrendered into the yin of my summer solstice yang – the period of bright sunny warmth, outward activities and participation. The sun, a masculine force, must be balanced by the feminine nature of the moon. We have now entered the feminine half of the year that counter balances the masculine half. In winter, we see a great deal more of the moon, making winter a predominantly feminine season.

Although the winter solstice is marked with a specific date and time, it is also an energy that is active before, during and after the actual physical event. Subconsciously, we naturally begin slowing down and shifting inward during the before phase of the winter solstice energy. Therefore, it is this time of year that I naturally slow down.

The temperatures are now colder here in Arizona and there is not a lot of visible progress on the desert or in my life. I am leaning into noticing the moments when my body wants to stop moving, when my mind drifts off into visions of what I am celebrating, what I am releasing and of what is wanting to birth through me come spring.  It is in these times of shorter days and as day gives way to night that I enter places deep within my feminine wisdom.

I deeply enjoy my life feeling a bit mysterious, even unsure, as I surrender into the dark womb of Mother Earth and long winter nights.  I sleep later and contemplate more. I allow for my emotions to flow and inform me from my subconscious mind as I reflect on what was and dream of what wants to be.

I love ceremony, ritual and travel with the feminine energy of the moon cycle.   Ceremony and ritual are crucial in my life. They deepen my connection to Spirit and the rhythms of Nature.  They empower the union of my feminine and masculine qualities.   A winter solstice full moon ceremony is a powerful way to reflect on the past year, release and make space for the new.

The winter solstice full moon energy, also referred to as December’s Full Cold Moon or the Long Night Moon, comes just ahead of the winter solstice which occurs this year on December 21st – the day that receives the least amount of daylight. This full moon received the name Long Night Moon, because it is visible above the horizon for the longest period of time compared to other full moons during the year. Powerful!

As I travel with the moon cycles and commune with the ancestors each month, I enjoy fire ceremonies. To do this, I have created a fire pit in a power spot on the property I reside. The pictures below are of my autumn equinox Harvest Moon ceremony.  As you can see, I am having a great time setting sacred circle, aligning with the Seven Directions and welcoming the spirit of my ancestors.

I am looking forward to celebrating the December Long Night Moon coming on December 13th in my area.  My preparation for this moon ceremony and ritual is nurturing of deep connection to my feminine essence.  I am spending time in the pleasures of turning in, listening, communing in nature, resting on the earth, wandering, journaling, sipping tea, feeling, dreaming – nurturing the needs of my deepest self and of those around me.

To learn more about a full moon ceremony visit Full Moon Ritual

Even if following the moon isn’t your thing, whether you are man or woman, the winter solstice is a perfect time to reflect and deepen connection to your feminine energy.  Why not take a moment to light a candle, reflect on the past year, journal and say a prayer of gratitude?
While you reflect, ask yourself…
What am I celebrating?
What am I releasing?
What am I consciously calling in for 2017?

Following is a simple prayer of gratitude that is one of my favorite prayers from the Iroquois people  http://nativeamericannetroots.net/diary/848

The indigenous Americans have been especially eloquent about voicing gratefulness. In this Iroquois prayer, the sense of gratitude is carefully transformed into the aspiration to be worthy of the gift of food by developing the virtues of wisdom and compassion:
We return thanks to our mother, the earth, which sustains us.
We return thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us with waters.
We return thanks to all herbs, which furnish medicine for the cure of our diseases.
We return thanks to the corn, and to her sisters, the beans and the squash, which give us life.
We return thanks to the wind, which moving the air has banished diseases.
We return thanks to the moon and the stars,
which have given us their light when the sun was gone.
We return thanks to the sun, that he has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye.
Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit, in whom is embodied all goodness, and who directs all things for the good of his children.

​In the Light of Love,
Cheryl