A Winter Solstice Ritual

At the winter solstice, the face of the goddess, Gaia, hides from the sun to allow deep rest and introversion to replenish her spirit. It is a time of deep wintering, the longest night of the year. As creatures of the earth, we are guided to go within our body temple for silent reflection and contemplation. It is a time of profound revelation, deep healing and spiritual transformation. In goddess devotion, winter is personified by the crone archetype – the wise old mystic. She is the epitome of the darkness, death and rebirth, and this is the time of the year when her energy can be felt most strongly.

The pagan Wheel of the Year symbolises the continuous turning of time and mirrors nature’s cycles of death and rebirth. As a wildling, a gardener, and a lover of all things folklore and magic, I have found that living in tune with this natural calendar helps me feel like I’m one with nature herself. It has been healing to live my life in accordance with these rhythms; it feels joyful and creative (and utterly enchanted!) to celebrate the turning of the wheel and acknowledge the passage of time with reverence and wonder.

Wildlings and witches in the Southern Hemisphere will celebrate the Winter Solstice today – on June 21. This date also marks the beginning of the Midwinter, or Yule, celebrations for those of us in the lands ‘down under’. The origin of the name ‘Yule’, some say, comes courtesy of the Norse god Odin, for this was the time of his ‘Wild Hunt’ when he would fly through the night sky on his magical flying horse Sleipnir. The 12 days of Yule festivities begin tonight and celebrate the lengthening days and the return of the light. It is a time for flickering candles, mesmerising bonfires and twinkling stars on a clear winter’s night.

I felt this Winter Solstice was the perfect time to begin a series of posts on simple spell casting and rituals centred around The Wheel of The Year. I do hope you’ll delight in these posts throughout the year as we take this magical journey together, and I dare say, your ancestors will be thrilled to see that you are returning to the old ways; to know that we haven’t forgotten our sacred roots.

So, for all you beginner witches out there, here’s a simple ritual you can do to celebrate this year’s midwinter festival and call in the most wonderful, enchanted year.

• Cleanse yourself by taking a salt bath and burn rosemary to cleanse the air

• Build an altar – place natural objects found on walks in nature, like pine cones (symbolising the spiral dance of life), seashells with a spiral pattern (if you’re a sea witch), crystals like moss agate (to symbolise the new growth of living things) and citrine (to call back in the blessed light of the sun)

• Burn a white candle and as your candle burns, meditate on the year that has passed and set your intentions for the new year and the return of the sun

• Take your favourite oracle or tarot deck and lay out a 3-card spread. Ask the cards what to leave behind from the year that has passed, to reveal a gift hidden in plain sight, and what will grow in the new year

If it’s your first time ever celebrating solstice, know that your first time is your rebirth. You are stepping onto the wheel, and you’re stepping into that liminal space between time, between worlds. Let this be the beginning of your rebirth and let it be meaningful. Blessed be, dear souls xx

A Sacred Cacao Ceremony

Apart from being a superfood with a wealth of health properties, cacao (or raw “chocolate”) is a powerful plant medicine that has been used for centuries for her spiritual and energetic properties. Cacao’s scientific name (Theobroma cacao) translates to ‘food of the Gods’. And it has been used as a ritualistic medicine by the ancient Aztecs and Mayans for centuries. In the mythologies of these people, cacao is said to have come from the heavens and contain the spirit of the Goddess Cacao. Because cacao is a ‘heart opening’ medicine, she aids in any transformational shift you are working towards.

The full moon is a time when energy peaks, then releases, similar to that of a huge, cosmic sigh. So it’s the perfect time for a cacao ceremony. A ceremony is a declaration, which involves creating a sacred environment, setting an intention, and allowing an energetic process to unfold around that intention. Setting an intention is the most important part of cacao ceremony preparation. To identify your intention, answer one of the following questions: What do I want to release? What do I want to attract? What aspect of my healing journey am I honouring tonight? Sometimes the intention can be as general as ‘open my heart to feel what it needs to feel’. Sometimes the intention can be catered towards a specific goal such as expressing your soul through movement or healing a past trauma.

Create a Sacred Space

Your sacred space can be anywhere – in nature, in a quiet room in your home or any place you feel safe and able to connect with sacred energy. Start by clearing any residual energy. You may burn palo santo, sage, or any of the other sacred herbs. Next, you can increase the vibration of the space by chanting a mantra or playing music. Other ideas to promote the vibration of your intention within the space can include lighting candles, setting up an altar, placing crystals or misting the room with essential oil. Be creative and most importantly, trust your intuition and create your own definition of “sacred space”.

Prepare The Cacao

Take care to prepare your cacao mindfully, with loving intention. Play music, recite a mantra, and reflect on your intention for the ceremony as you make the sacred mixture.

Ingredients:
½ cup dessert tea (chocolate, almond or even chai)
4 tbsp raw cacao powder
3 tbsp coconut palm sugar
½ cup coconut milk
a few drops of vanilla
a pinch of cinnamon

Give Gratitude & Declare Your Intention

Giving gratitude is one of the most effective and immediate ways to enter the heart-space. It is also perhaps, the most powerful healer. Before drinking cacao I like to take the time to thank the rain and soil that cultivated the cacao plant, the hands that picked and dried the beans, the clean water which we have to drink, and so on. You could give gratitude for these things also and/or that which you are grateful for. After giving gratitude, reaffirm your intention by asking cacao to help you. For example: “Cacao, allow me to work through the deep pain I am holding onto in my heart” “Cacao, help me express myself authentically in my yoga practice“. Practice affirming your intentions out loud. Our voices are extremely powerful tools and you may notice energetic shifts as your words echo through your sacred space.

Drink The Cacao

Smell the aroma of the cacao before drinking it and then indulge in each sip, allowing the medicine to permeate through your body. You may feel the cacao immediately, or it may take around 20 minutes to begin feeling a buzz within your body. You will experience more blood flowing to your brain and your heart, and focus may become easier. Release expectations and listen to your body as energies begin to shift.

Activate Your Intention

Allow the energy of cacao and your intuition to take you where you need to go. If your intention is inner processing, you may find that you want to meditate, journal, or simply contemplate the clouds passing over the moon. If your intention is self-expression, you may want to sing, dance or go for a walk in the moonlight. There is no right way to access your soul. Allow cacao to enhance the experience that is meant for you.

What happens in my body when I drink Cacao?

Serotonin: induces the production in the brain of a substance called tryptophan linked to serotonin, creating sensations of tranquility and happiness.

Magnesium: helps improve your mood, especially during pre-menstrual depression.

Theobromine: acts as a diuretic and stimulates the renal system and central nervous system.

Carbohydrates and fats: induces various chemical processes after the amount of oxygen reaching the brain increases, which then results in greater mental fluency.

Anandamide: activates certain brain receptors, inducing a pleasant wellness feeling. Polyphenols: protect against heart disease and help prevent degenerative diseases and slow ageing.