Hi beautiful souls,
How is everyone doing?
This is Srimanji Katagadda from Life is Magical podcast.
It's been a while I have been doing the podcast,
I think four weeks break.
So here I am back and I would like to share about winter solstice as it stands up tomorrow.
So few things would like to go through what it means,
What you can do and how it might help you.
So take in the points that help you through it and if something is too much don't be overwhelmed.
We can always do in the next day or in few weeks time.
It's all about celebrating the light within you is what I completely believe in and I'm sure you resonate it.
It's exactly that time of the stillness and the silence where we connect to our essence and find back to ourselves.
I don't know about you guys but definitely I feel I'm so ready for this hibernation at this time of the year.
It's like going into the cave and recharging ourselves like you know so you bring back yourself rather than burned out and you are clear with your guidelines what you want,
What your goals are.
So you create,
You manifest,
You allow that vision wisdom within you to flow and flourish.
So to begin guys,
The winter solstice is the shortest day and the longest night of the year and it marks the beginning of the winter in the northern hemisphere.
It occurs when the North Pole is tilted furthest away from the Sun resulting in the Sun appears as its lowest point in the sky and the shortest amount of daylight.
So it usually takes place around December 21st or 22nd and from year to year it varies.
So it is tomorrow the lines of it.
The winter solstice is not a new thing,
It's not a trend thing.
It has always been practiced by different cultures,
Different centuries or around the world like you know it's all about the renewal and celebrations coming together.
We usually mark it by lighting the candles,
Decorating our homes and also having some of the evergreen plants,
Gathering with friends,
Families to celebrate the return of the Sun and it also is seen as the time to honor our ancestors reflect the past year while in others it seems to be time to look towards the future with the hope and optimism.
I have been actually listening to some of these Netflix shows recently about the ancient epaulets and in that it does mention a lot about the Sun solstice,
Summer solstice and the winter solstice and how our ancestors have built these pyramids or these amazing places around the world in line with it like you know so that is a great way to connect back.
So some of the rituals that we can do to mark this beautiful winter solstice is creating a winter altar.
So set up a small altar in your home or outdoor space with items that represent the winter season for you.
What does that mean?
What do you have you got around you like pine cones,
Berries like you know evergreen branches or some candles and crystals and these are all around us.
We don't need to go for shopping at this moment.
Here we are having a snowstorm so that's the last thing I'll be thinking about but I'm just going to go into the garden and pick up some stuff that is around here and use this space as a focus for your solstice rituals and celebrations and then you can light a solstice candle.
So place a candle in the special spot in your home,
Light it on the evening of the winter solstice,
Let it burn for a few hours as a symbol of the returning light.
So it's all about like you know keeping it very simple is where you honor yourself and if you think about have I not got it candle I think majority of us do have it some sort of a lighting that we can put it on.
Go for a nature walk if possible where you are,
Take a walk nearby park or nearby area that is connecting you to the earth ral and pay attention to the signs of the winter so you're totally anchored,
You're totally been here and that's the most important thing.
So the next one is to perform a gratitude ritual.
Spending some time reflecting on the past year,
Writing down everything that you're grateful for,
Show your gratitude with others either in person or through a letter or card.
How wonderful is it to get a surprise isn't it or text message as well if you wanted to keep it short,
Simple and still connect with your loved ones and have a solstice feast,
Gather with friends,
Family to share a meal,
Exchange gifts,
Celebrate it in honoring each of you guys to be in your life and consider incorporating some traditional foods that your ancestors would have done or some activities that your culture represents who you are as well.
For sure I'm having a gathering tonight with my friends just to be there to connect to know deeply each other as well.
So remember these rituals can be as simple or as elaborative as you can if you're just beginning into rituals so keep it simple don't be overwhelmed that's the most important thing to be remembering and what makes it meaningful to you is authentic that's a most again important thing.
I also love reflecting not only the gratitude things but also some journaling and here are some of the journal prompts I would like to share with you guys is again which resonates with you at this moment of time take it in what does the winter solstice mean to you personally how are you feeling these days what is that you're reflecting where are your thoughts going in so that's a good point to stop by pause and reflect how do you typically celebrate or mark this occasion so far if you haven't done great begin a new chapter in your life if you have been doing it previously maybe do something different or if you enjoyed it continue the same way how has the past year been for you take some time to reflect on the highs and lows and consider how you have grown and changed over the course of the year what are you most looking forward to in the coming year what goals or intentions do you have for the next 12 months what are you grateful for this time of the year take some time to write down all these things that you appreciate no matter how big or small sometimes these smaller ones are so needed for us as a reminder what are your hopes and dreams for the future how can you take steps towards making them a reality how can you bring more light and positivity into your life during the darker days of the winter what actions can you take to make a difference in your life and in the lives of those around you remember that journaling is a personal and private activity there is no right and wrong way to do it and the most important thing is to take time to reflect on your thoughts and feelings and to use your journal as a tool for self-discovery and growth and by that I wish you all a peace and harmony in your lives and at the world large and understanding of the compassion for all beings I hope you enjoyed this podcast listening in and that is giving you some tips that you can connect and resonate with it and so with that a very happy celebrations and will connect to you soon so this is Srimanju if you enjoyed this please do leave a review or a star so others can also get benefited of it and please do share with your family and friends so thank you all for listening in tuning in loka samastha sukhino bhavantu namaste
