Wheel Of The Year Meditations: Yule/Winter Solstice

At the Winter Solstice, we reach the depth of that darkness with the longest night of the year. Darkness has reached its peak. The Pagan celebration of Winter Solstice (also known as Yule) is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world. Our Goddess at Yule-tide is the wise Danu - the ancient wise lady of the cold winds and the silent landscape, goddess of air.

Transcript

Welcome,

Friends,

To the season of Yule and the winter solstice.

This is a time of cozying up with crackling fires,

Fairy lights,

A deep silent rest,

As all of nature seems to sleep.

It is time to find stillness.

The seeds of our future resting somewhere in the rich earth need this time of stillness and reflection,

As do we.

So find your comfortable and cozy place to find warmth and rest for this meditation.

Allow the gentle rhythm of your breath to guide you into calm.

Every exhale,

A release of anything you wish to let go of.

Every exhale guiding us a little softer,

A little gentler into our relaxation.

Imagine yourself in a forest.

It is still and bright with the winter sun.

You have been drawn here inexplicably,

Feeling an urge for an unknown reason to enter this beautiful forest.

The trees are heavy with snow,

Their boughs hanging low around you.

The little warmth in the December sun melts the snow just a little around the edges,

And cool water gently drips into the earth around you,

Bringing up rich fragrance of earth,

Of life growing secretly underground.

You feel the gentle warmth of the sun,

Your nose chilly and your body warm,

Your heart glowing.

You make your way down a path that only you can see.

Somehow this path is for you alone.

And you feel as if it is simply opening before you and closing behind you as you go.

Knowing that on your return it will again open before you and close behind you,

Bringing you back exactly where you need to be.

You feel safe and you feel loved,

For this path is being created especially for you.

As you walk,

You can feel yourself being drawn towards someone – someone who lives deep in the forest,

Someone who has invited you for a special visit,

Who has special gifts for you.

Your excitement and anticipation grow as you feel this person more clearly as you approach.

This is an old friend,

Though perhaps you have never met.

You feel lucky,

You feel loved,

And you can feel that what you may gain from this meeting may change your life.

As you round a bend in the path,

The path suddenly opens into a clearing,

And in the centre of this clearing is a cottage,

Surrounded by snowdrifts and pine trees.

Smoke curls from the chimney,

And candles sparkle in the windows.

And even as you approach the door,

It swings open,

And you are greeted by your special guide.

Your guide welcomes you with open arms,

Excited to see you,

Having prepared gifts of wisdom and love,

And packages which hold exactly what you will need to flourish in the coming year.

Your guide welcomes you inside,

And you are met with a sensuous experience of warmth.

The smell of cinnamon,

Cloves and oranges hangs in the air.

Candles and lanterns flicker and dance on window ledges and mantelpieces.

Vowels of evergreens,

Fur,

Holly and mistletoe,

Wrapped around the beams of the cottage.

And a beautiful fir tree stands proud in the corner,

Decorated with candles and sparkling lights,

Underneath which sit presents wrapped in glorious rich colours,

Gold and purples.

Take your time to soak in the beauty of this place,

The cozy warmth,

The festive lights.

Simply being here in this place feels as though you are able to let anything that has not served you over the year simply slip away.

Wisdom and strength you've gained through the year are part of you now,

And you feel anything which has not served you sliding away shimmering into nothingness,

Taken back into the ether.

The guide beckons you to sit by the fire and hands you a warm drink,

And feeling like a treasure,

For you know that your guide is here only for you.

You feel an anticipation,

An excitement about seeing what the new year may hold for you,

And excited to be receiving the wisdom,

The capabilities and the nurturing with which you will create the year to come.

Your guide lays three beautifully wrapped packages before you.

Each flows with divine light,

Exquisite gold and bows wrap each one,

And you feel awed that these gifts have been prepared especially for you.

Your guide points to the first package.

This is the gift of enlightened dreams.

It holds the perfect dream of the next step which you wish to take in your life.

Look at it and feel that you truly do not know what it contains,

Not yet.

Feel how perfect the next step is.

Underneath the wrapping,

Feel what a gift the next step will be in your life.

And open your first gift.

Make a note of this gift in detail.

What is your soul's dream for this year?

Take as much time as you need to take it in,

To feel it,

To ask whatever questions you wish of your guide,

To feel and understand fully.

When your time at the first gift is complete,

Your guide points to the second gift.

This is the gift of all the tools you will need.

Emotional,

Mental and spiritual.

All you will need to make your dream a reality in the new year.

Open the second gift.

Take out the second gift.

Take out the second gift.

Take out your tools one by one.

Hold each one and bring them to your heart.

And understand that each tool is yours,

They have been given to you.

Feel and know that whenever you need this tool,

You can find it within yourself.

The universe has given it to you and it cannot be taken away.

Take as much time as you need to experience each tool in this box.

To ask any questions you wish about why it was given,

How it is to be used,

Until you understand them fully and know them to be yours.

Thank you for watching!

And when you are ready,

Your guide points to your third and final gift.

This is the gift of the plan.

Inside is the roadmap for the coming year.

It lays out the events and accomplishments to come,

Which create your soul's desires for you.

Your soul's desires in reality,

In your life.

Understand that you are fully capable,

That you are primed to put this plan into action.

This is the natural next step for you in your life.

There is nothing within this plan which you need fear is impossible.

Your soul has planned it perfectly and all that you need to set it into motion has been given to you already.

Open the third gift.

See the plan.

There will be a first goal.

See this goal and see when it is planned for accomplishment.

See which tools you will use.

See what you will need to put into action to make it so.

Ask any questions of your guide to understand it clearly.

Then see the next goal and the next and so on.

Until your year's plan is seen and understood in its entirety from the very beginning to the end of the year.

Take as much time as you need to do this.

When you feel ready.

Thank your guide for the love and gifts of this new season to carry into the new year.

For helping you plant the sparks and seeds of new life to nurture in the new year.

Thank your guide for the gift of feeling your dream deeply.

For the gift of the tools you need to make it a reality.

And for the gift of the plan with which you put it all into place.

Know that you can return to your guide in the forest whenever you wish for clarification,

Support and assistance.

As you create this brand new year that lays ahead of you.

Your guide will always be here ready to help.

And as you bid your guide the goddess Danu,

The goddess of the cold winter winds and of wisdom and reflection.

She bids you goodbye for now and you carry your gifts with you as you make your way out of the cottage through the forest and into a time of rest.

A planting seeds ready for a brand new year of dreams.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Reviews

As always, the perfect opportunity to explore the inner world of hopes and dreams.

Thank you for this beautiful meditation, really lovely visualisation

Such a beautiful and magical meditation. Thank you 🙏🏼

Love this one. I really felt connected to my guide and the year ahead is planned and I’m ready 🖤

Wonderful and perfect Winter Solstice meditation to let the past year go and prepare for the next.

A wonderful Yule time meditation to relax and float away too. Beautiful as always. Thank you Sarah. 🎄🙏🏼✨🌟

I so enjoy everything you create. Because of your beautiful and transformative stories, I find that I gain a new perspective and look for and find joy in each day and each season. Even the little things become special. Thank you so much. 🙏🏼

Beautiful! I was looking for a winter nurturing meditation and this was just what I needed.
Thank you 🙏

Absolutely perfect. Magical and calm and an amazing way to meditate on the winter solstice.

Lovely meditation. I feel in tune either the season and ready for the new year.

Amazing! Thank you for this beautiful gift for this Winter Solstice, as we embark on another year to be dreamed and created. Thank you!

Wonderful guided meditation to mark the winter solstice. Thank you for sharing it!

Beautiful and inspiring. Full of spirit 🙏

Loved it, thank you !

Just lovely and relaxing, especially for the solstice.

Sarah is always amazing—such a jungian storyteller

I loved this whole visualisation and meditation experience, great for a winter solstice. It was exactly what I was looking for: what I need to see me through my plan, or goals for the year, even if winter solstice in Australia is in June 🙂

Lovely ! Heart warming !

Utterly heart-warming and lovely. Thank you for helping me celebrate mid-winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

Gratitude 🙏🏽 🇧🇷✨