Are you getting prepared for the deepest and most reflective time of the entire year? Or are you sweating the small stuff; christmas shopping, too much santa cheer, gifts gone crazy, egg nog overdose, shopping mall burn out, overly eager relatives, the holiday crunch?

The New Year IS NOT January 1st! The new year occurs at the Spring Equinox - approximately March 21st every year. That is when the Sun enters zero degrees Aries according to geocentric astrology. "The Gregorian Calender abuses our sensibilities!" (quote by Barbara Hand Clow.)

December 21st to March 21st is the last quarter of the year and it is our completion time. The days surrounding the Winter Solstice, when the Sun moves into zero degrees Capricorn are the most magical and mystical time of the year. Meditation, long walks and deep contemplation are in order. The Sun will go through the signs of Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces until the Spring Equinox next March. Let your body, mind and soul deepen and reflect upon all that you have learned in the past nine months from the previous Spring Equinox to the current Winter Solstice.

CHILLIN:

Get ready to chill, enjoy the vibe, tune in, drop out, hibernate and stoke that fire of wisdom that lies burning in the very depths of your soul - you won't regret it.

Try and set aside a chunk of time to meditate, dream or contemplate at the exact moment (which may be a little difficult this year!) when the Winter Solstice occurs - this year it happens on December 21, Monday, - the Sun enters Capricorn at exactly 4:04 am PST.

Be prepared: bring along a summary of your accomplishments, trials and tribulations, resolutions and any questions you might have.

SOME QUESTIONS you might ask yourself:

What have I learned since the last Spring Equinox?
What values have informed my work and my life?
What has changed for me this year?
What challenges have I faced?
How have I been of service?
How better can I assist Mother Earth and her creatures?
What do I need to let go of?
What am I most proud of?
What am I least proud of?
What can I work on improving?
What seeds can I get ready to plant for the Spring Equinox based on what has and has not worked for me over the past 9 months?

MULLING SPICES:

Now is the time to mull over these thoughts and ponder the really big questions in preparation for the spring ahead when new seeds, new thoughts, new actions can be instated.

SWEET ELIXIR:

When the light returns once more at Winter Solstice, prepare to catch a spark, a glimpse, a revelation of soul and spirit so that when the true New Year occurs you will be ready to share your soul's wisdom with the world.

I use the We'Moon Datebook for all my astrology times and dates.

The artwork pictured above is titled "The Elder Moon" and is from my druidic tree alphabet book titled "The Celtic Tree Year" - I laminated my original silk paintings and wrote out the text on parchment.
More of my art can be viewed here at LuLu Design

I would love to hear from you about what makes a Solstice special or memorable for you - do you have any special memories or experiences to share?