The Winter Solstice: A Shamanic Journey of the Soul
1:27 PM
In the northern hemisphere, depending on the
elliptical path of the earth around the sun, the Winter Solstice falls on
December 20, 21, 22, or 23 (December 21, 2016). Also known as Yule, the Solstice marks the longest night and shortest
day. It is when the goddess, in her Dark
Mother aspect, gives birth through her night-sky womb to the Sun God and the
New Year.
Mid-winter
also denotes the season of the wolf, and the time of the hermit/shaman. Wolf totems help us develop our inner
strength and intuition. Like the shaman,
wolves can be powerful allies as we journey inward to face sadness or our
deepest fears.
According
to the shaman Jade Wah'oo Gigori[1],
shamanic journeying was a common motif among the Winter Solstice Ceremonies of
the Laplanders, Siberians, and other far northern Asiatic peoples. Through spirit flight, the shaman and his/her
reindeer would carry the burdens of each tribe member ‘s soul up a Sacred Tree
or Pole of Ascension to the North Star.
There, in what Grigori calls the “Compassionate Heart of Purification”
and the “Heart of the Eagle,” each soul’s burden was burned and purified.
The
release of the constrained Soul Essence would propel the shaman out onto the
Path of Souls, where he/she would receive a gift for the liberated Soul
Essence. The shaman would then return to the Heart of the Eagle and sing the
gift into the waiting Soul Essence. The
final step in the shaman’s journey was to bring the regenerated Soul Essence
back to earth as a gift for the person to whom it belonged.
As the
Longest Night approaches, ask yourself what inner darkness you need to
release. Imagine entering the New Year
with your Soul’s Essence transformed. If
you are already experienced in spirit flight, then make the journey. Ask Wolf or another spirit guide to aid
you. Or seek a shaman to make the
journey on your behalf. Purify and
liberate your Soul’s Essence so you may begin anew with ease and grace, with
dark and light in balance.
Honor the Dark
This
journey may be made in silence, or with drumming.
Sit in an
unlit room. Allow tension to leave your
muscles. Slowly exhale, releasing the
stress of the day. Then inhale a long
breath, drawing in healing light.
Exhale. Inhale. Your body grows heavy. Exhale.
Inhale. Your breath becomes slow
and steady, and your inner journey begins.
Envision
yourself diving through still, deep water.
A single shaft of sunlight provides dim illumination. Fast, insistent
drumming propels you downward, further and further through the semi-darkness. A forest green sack appears in your hand.
Continue diving downward. When you sense
the presence of your soul’s burden, your Soul’s Essence hidden in the dark
depths, open the green bag and drag it through the water. Capture your Soul’s Essence and the burden it
contains. Close your hand around the
sack so the burden cannot escape.
Rapid
drumming urges you upward with the sack.
Up, up, up, faster, and urgently.
You reach the Compassionate Heart of Purification, the Heart of the
Eagle. Open the sack and release your
soul’s burden. You become lighter as the
burden burns and purifies. The
purification frees your life force, compelling you out of the Heart of the
Eagle.
Tiny stars
at your feet spiral upward, loosely winding around your legs, spiraling upward
around your torso and arms, around your shoulders, and then your head. Your
skin tingles. You ascend, ecstatic, and
receive your gift.
Blessed,
you return to the Heart of the Eagle and reunite with your Soul’s Essence. Joyously you merge the Cosmic Blessing with
your Soul’s Essence. Regenerated, your
soul shows you who you truly are; who and what it longs to be. Return to earth with that vision. Return to the here and now. When you are ready, open your eyes. Be sure to journal or draw or paint what you
experienced.
Celebrate the Return of the Light
During the Winter Solstice, place a central candle or
several candles of varying heights on a mirror or silver tray. Arrange shiny sleigh bells or single-color
Christmas ornaments around the base of the candlesticks. When lit, the candlelight will reflect off
the bells, ornaments, and mirror or tray.
To further multiple the effect, place the candles in front of a
mirror. Be sure you do not leave the
candles unattended. Envision the light
you have created joining with other candles, Yule logs, and bonfires to help
turn the Wheel of the Year and bring back the warmth and light.
Copyright 2016 by Ariella Moon
[1]
Gigori, Jade Wah’oo. “Winter Solstice: A
Time of the Shaman’s Gift Bringing.” www.shamanic.netJade Wah'oo Gigori
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