Winter Solstice

Welcome to the second of eight celebrations of the solar festivals in Ireland.

Grian stadan Geimhreadh sásta díobh! A chairde, beannachtaí geal sa bhlian nua! Nollaig shona dhuit!

The Light is reborn at Winter Solstice.

At Samhain we entered the dark winter season and now we are mid-way through that part of our journey together. On these grey, cloudy, overcast days of winter, in the depths of the darkness, summer seems a lifetime away. The days when the earth warmed and seeds sprung forth with new growth are a distant memory. Yet, we are secure in the knowledge the proof of their survival to flowering and fruiting is laid aside in our cupboards and store places.

And yet, there is an apprehension that the cycle may break down. Maybe this year the sun will rise and never set. Maybe this year the sun will not rise at all. Maybe this time we have to call for our companion, this cosmic traveller, to return.

Perhaps we can encourage it. Perhaps by our having an intention of welcoming the universal light it will again grow in brightness each day.

At mid-winter (lár-gheimhridh), or Samhain Solstice, the sun reaches its most southern rising point roughly in the same position for a week on the horizon, looking like it is standing still – Sol-stice.

However, after this interruption, this death, the sun starts to move again in a northerly direction and every day it reaches a little higher into the sky giving us more light and warmth. It is a cause for celebrating the reemergence of the light both as a practical reality but also on an inner level, where we can realise that all tides turn, all situations change and nothing oppressive lasts for ever, it has its season and moves on.

Winter is here and it is brutally cold. For inspiration we look to see how nature adapts to harsh conditions. For instance, shy birds that don’t normally come close to the house will have to face their fears to eat from the window sill. Plants drop their leaves and live off reserves they have stored. Some even require a deathly cold snap to stir their seed into life. Several animals go into hibernation to conserve energy. Those that depend on the plants and insects of summer for food migrate to distant grounds or have flown to warmer lands.

So it seems that nature has survival strategies to cope with harsh conditions by choosing a suitable course of action. So who do you choose to be in the face of winter, in the face of chaos? You may react to winter by acknowledging what is, dressing warm, driving carefully, walking slowly and planning ahead. We can rant and rave or we can recognise ”what is” and choose to be innovative, creative or resourceful . We can adopt strategies that will allow us to weather the storm. Like certain plants and animals we can draw on our reserves and on the wisdom of our past. We may then realise that the problems in the world are not problems, they are challenges that we may choose to deal with.

It is of course our shortest day and longest night. This is the Dark Night of the Soul when on the surface all appears dead.

However, profound, within, life energy is gone deep and the tide of darkness is turning. Our ancestors started the day at sunset, in the darkness of night, personified by the babe in the womb and the seed rooting underground. It is a productive time for being the silent observer, watching what is going on and where things are headed. We are settling the foundations for the coming cycle, whatever that may hold.

Birth and Renewal:

Christians identify 25th December as the birthday of the Christ light, born of the Virgin Mary. Mythically, in many cultures, this is the time of the birth of the Sun God, from the dark womb of the Goddess, or from a cave actually identified in the landscape. During these long night hours we have an opportunity to rekindle our lives, as we gather around our hearths igniting the flames of this fire festival. Pause. Just as the sun pauses at it's rising place we hesitate in the darkness then joyously mirror the cosmic event and bring the radiant light flooding back with our fires and candles.

Intention setting: With anticipation we look forward to Spring, to the light gaining strength and days lengthening. We are familiar with spring - warm, sunny, colourful, 'better times', - and we hope for reflection of that in our own lives. We have time in winter to consider our inner condition and our situations, and then plan and design, in general terms, what we wish to attract into our lives. Intentions might be to act in a more loving way, hold less anger, have more fun, and these attributes will lead us to achieving our long term goals. In this season we do not need the details, we are putting in the foundations, and a good place to start is yourself. Evaluating our attitudes and actions in the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual realms reveals what we wish to keep and what we would hope to transform.

Trust: Our New Year resolutions are written down, then released and burnt in a fire, knowing that we cannot be attached to outcomes, and that we only have the full story in hindsight. When we burn our New Year resolutions we hand them over to the Universe. We leave space for the unexpected.

Generosity: Giving and receiving involves exposing true feelings that you care for another and detachment, not expecting a thank you. St Nicholas gave his gifts anonymously and became a saint. Are we saints also?

Star: Above Navan, the seven stars of King David's Chariot (aka The Plough) gleam in the Northern sky. The top right, Dubhe, guides to the Pole Star.

The Bethlehem Star guided the Three Kings to the Nativity scene.

We are reminded to follow our own star.

Yule log: Yule, from the Norse, jõl, or the Anglo-Saxon Iul, meaning wheel.

It is a tradition that the new fire be seeded by a spark from the old, to maintain a continuity down the years.

We burn last year's Yule log and light a new one to mark the season.

The log is decorated with candles and evergreens.

It is a symbol of life and emphasising life’s existence at this time of the year when Nature seems most barren. It is a symbol of enduringness and hope, as is the candle symbolic of light, spirit and hope.

Incense: The Three Kings bring gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The last two are incenses useful in our homes and ritual space. Frankincense a sweet smelling fragrance representing the infant divinity within and the Myrrh, a bitter smelling resin, reminds of the fact that life is often painful.

Candle in the window: Lighted candles, placed in windows, especially on Christmas Eve, guide and welcome Joseph and Mary looking for shelter. Often they are lit by the youngest in the house. A sign of hospitality, they are a welcome to visitors travelling after dark. You do not want to echo the Innkeeper's shame of 'No room in the Inn'.

Drombeg stone circle, Glandore, Co Cork: Looking through the entrance stones westwards the sun sets in a notch in the hills.

Winter Solstice Alignment at 5 Stone Rows: Many ancient monuments appear to have been viewing points and marking stones for diverse solar phenomena. Identified from various modern sources the list below is not definitive and only suppositions of the original builder's intentions.

Baltray, Louth – sunrise Currakeal/Canrooska, Co Cork – sunrise in a nearby hillside notch and sunset on a pointed hilltop Derreengreanagh, Bantry, Co. Cork – sunrise in a notch and sunset at Knockaughna hilltop Ardmore, Lispole, Co Kerry – sunset Killadangan, Co Mayo – sunset sighted in a notch on the side of Croagh Patrick Piper Stones of Athgreney, Co Wicklow: Achadh Greine means Field of the Sun. This name adds weight to recognising that stones in this circle are aligned to the Winter Solstice setting sun.

Hill of Tara Solstice sunrise: On the shortest, darkest day of the year, many people visit Tara to stand on the hill at sunrise and welcome the light back into their lives, aware of the return of lengthening days and the promise of spring.

Gathering on the high hill for sunrise, connecting to the landscape and to the ancestors, we share in the camaraderie of friendship and community.

Dowth: Hill of Tara and Newgrange monument are visible from this site. Two chambers in the mound are named North and South with possible alignments to Solstice setting sun and moonset. The southernmost is often opened by OPW at sunset on 21st December and you may enter the chamber.

Just before 9am Dec 21st, dawn at Newgrange (Bru na Boinne), the general public are welcome to stand outside the chamber and watch the sun come up. A magical experience. In 2010 the sun rose, but not to the eyes of the watching humans, its visibility cloaked in a swathe of snow and mist.

When it does appear within the mound, known locally as 'the cave', a sunbeam enters the passageway through an entrance roof-box. Gradually moving into the chamber, this honey coloured pathway, magical and mystical, lights up rock art and faces of those present.

An alignment of the roof box with the vertical line on K1 (entrance stone), a standing stone near the ditch, and Fourknocks passage grave 13 miles away, is continued through the back of the mound through stone K52.

White quartz stones on the outer facade were sourced in Wicklow to the southeast, the larger stones from the area of Clogherhead to the northeast in Louth.

Angel: If there is snow make snow angels, but snow is rare in Ireland.

We look to angels for protection and as guardians, sending blessing messages in Christmas cards: May God grant you always...

A sunbeam to warm you, a moonbeam to charm you, a sheltering angel, so nothing can harm you.

Santy: aka Father Christmas or Santa Claus, DaidĂ­ na Nollag, rests in Newtown Jerpoint. Two Norman Crusader knights are said to have brought the remains of St. Nicholas of Myra to Kilkenny about 800 years ago. St Nicholas visits on Christmas Eve, secretly, leaving his gifts. Expecting him, mince pie and a drink are left out, and carrots for the reindeer.

Santa Claus who shares characteristics with - the Holly King, Celtic God of the dying year, Father Ice, a Russian winter God, Odin, Scandinavian all father who rides on an 8 legged horse, Great Mother, who gave birth to the sun child, Ops who is the Roman goddess of plenty, wife of Saturn, Holda, the earth goddess of good fortune.

Cailleach Bhéara: The ancient winter goddess. She is connected to the high places, such as Slieve Gullion in Armagh and Loughcrew in Meath. Her staff freezes the rocks and stones and she brings the snow and cold winter nights. It is she who decides when Spring will arrive.

Dagda: Dagda Mór, a face on a carving by Michael Quirke, Sligo.

He depicts the good god of abundance giving his all around Solstice. The Holly leaf over the mouth is a warning against excess consumption at this time. The Solstice fire behind him reflects his warmth at this time of year. He lights us up. There are 3 other faces on this carving , each one representing a face of the seasons.

The Good God, Father of the Gods, Dagda is linked to Newgrange.

He is said to have owned a richly decorated magical harp called Uaithne. Also called Dur da Blá, The Oak of Two Blossoms, and sometimes Coir cethar chuin, the Four Angled Music. It was made of oak which, when the Dagda played it, put the seasons in their correct order.

Undry, his magical cauldron, always contained food and was a great asset in the depths of winter.

Wrenboys: Young lads dancing through the streets in straw and masks carrying a dead wren (they had previously hunted and killed it). Held high on a decorated pole or carried in a box, celebrating a wren seems an odd custom for 26th December. It is said they were doing this to raise money for a community dance, or food, often exchanging a lucky feather from the bird for a gift from a generous householder. The wren may have symbolised the old year (sometimes called the Devil's bird), while the robin guards the new one. Nowadays, of course, the wren will be a crafted symbol not real bird.

Traditional Irish Wren song: The wren, the wren, the king of all birds, On St. Stephen's Day was caught in the furze; Up with the kettle and down with the pan, Pray give us a penny to bury the wran.

Women (Nollaig na mBan): 6th January is Little Christmas, the Feast of the Epiphany or Women's Christmas. After all the feasting and ensuring everyone is enjoying the celebrations the ladies now have a holiday while the men take over household duties and cooking. Christmas decorations are also taken down on this day as taking them down before, or leaving them up brings bad luck. The party finishes and life returns to normal.

Brigid: Beloved by pagans as a Goddess and by Christians as a saint, Brigid is commonly celebrated at Imbolc in February. Yet she has a strange link to Christmas and the Nativity story.

The tale goes that she was working at the Inn and when Mary and Joseph arrive. She serves them brack (fruit loaf) and water, which they eat. They leave for their stable beds and now one of the miraculous events of the night, as she discovers the bread is still whole and water jug full. Investigating she sees a golden light glowing in the dark stable. She is just in time to be midwife to Mary and the new baby son. At this miraculous birth she blesses him with three drops of water on his forehead. This all seems to be a fantasy of medieval monks or story tellers, yet it is a good narrative to illustrate that when in service to others we are also a servant to Jesus.

Aengus: Newgrange, known in the old legends as Sí in Bhrú, Fairy Mound of the Brú, belonged to Elcmar of the Tuatha da Danaan and, according to the Yellow Book of Lecan, steward to Dagda. Elcmar was married to Boann (the River Boyne). However, he was duped by Dagda, who sent him away on an errand, allowing Boann and Dagda to have a son, Aengus. Although Elcmar was gone for nearly a year it was as if it was only one day and it is said that Dagda held the sun still for the nine months of the pregnancy. Aengus, like Jesus, is identified as the god of love. An example of ancient legend echoing Christian story in a singular conception and birth.

These suggestions can be adapted and used as visionary imaginings in meditation, as solo events in our own homes or as group activities when we come together as community. At Winter Solstice the ancient and Christian traditions merge together complementing each other in a festive extravaganza of sacred merriment.

Blessing: Place a large rock in a hearth fire. This must be igneous (trapped air and water in rocks such as limestone cause it to explode). It is best to obtain one sold for fire pits. Once heated place the hot stone in a bowl of water. Now inwardly or out loud say a short meaningful heart felt blessing for yourself and for others. Something along the lines of 'May the sun shine warm upon your face. Peace, comfort and joy.'

Whitewashing and cleaning: In times of old, during the 4 weeks of Advent, the men whitewashed the outhouses while the women scoured the interiors. Nowadays, with less soot and dirt about, we have a thorough clean of the home.

Advent Candles: Nativity of Our Lady Roman Catholic Church, The Naul, Fingal The first candle of the Advent Wreath, the Prophecy Candle or Candle of Hope, is purple.

The second, called the Bethlehem Candle or the Candle of Preparation, is also purple in color.

Gaudete Sunday - Shepherd Candle or Candle of Joy, is pink - a shift in the season away from repentance and toward celebration.

The fourth is purple, called the Angel Candle or the Candle of Love.

Finally the white candle representing purity and light. Christ arrives, bringing the light into a dark world.

Lighthouse: Winter Solstice is about light and the lighthouse guides the traveller to a safe harbour.

Expressing individual recognition of our own spirit and light, each can shine forth, taking community responsibility as a symbolic lighthouse.

Start by meditating on and tuning into your own inner light, strength and resilience. What is found is then expressed physically by creating and setting up a spiral lighthouse.

Firstly, using twine, paper, bowls, anything, create a figure of eight eternity shape. At the junction of the two circles set the spiral. Now decorate it with bright shiny colourful baubles and glitter and paper spirals to symbolise your own spirit and light.

Anchoring the Light: Place seven candles in a line with a larger eighth at one end. As you light each one recall memories of the festivals, starting at Imbolc and ending with the larger representing Winter Solstice and now. You may like to add symbols mapping out the calendar year and then stand back and look at the Big Picture of the previous year. You can adapt this to imagining standing at the entrance to Newgrange and be part of what is happening simultaneously along the alignment line and in the chamber as described above.

Welcome the Light: Create a symbolic yellow sun of your own light.

Energise this 'sun' with a short meditation, keeping in your mind's eye a vision of the outer sun.

Then hold above your head your own light, the symbolic 'sun', to send out a seasonal welcome.

A Day of Light: On the shortest, darkest day of the year, at sunrise, welcome the light back into your life by lighting a long life candle in a lantern.

When doing this be aware of the promise of spring and of lengthening days to come. At the end of the day, after the sun sets, put out the lantern candle and stand in the darkness of night.

Crossing the threshold: Using branches of holly (woodland's Winter king) and oak (Summer king) create an entrance archway into your home or any space you wish to hold as sacred space. This symbolises the turning of the year. Traditionally, the holly is quitting its dominance to the oak and the oak beginning to increase its powers for summer. If you cannot access large amounts of oak or holly, create a circle of evergreens to hang on the doorway, placing tokens of oak, such as an acorn, and a few red berries, amongst the foliage.

Another entrance plant is the magical mistletoe. Rarely seen growing in Ireland, it is possibly attributed as mystical because it lives in tree branches, e.g. apple, off the ground. Any excuse for a kiss!

Carol singing: One of the oldest Irish songs is the Wexford carol, said to date back to the 12th century.

Recalling that we gather together in groups and families to celebrate it starts: 'Good people all this Christmas time', Another is Caroo Caroo, the Carol of the Birds.

'Full many a bird did wake and fly, to the manger bed with a wandering cry, on Christmas day in the morning, Curoo, curoo, curoo' Secret Santy: Kris Kringle or Kris Kindle and Christ Kindl (Christ-child) are all names for giving and receiving anonymously. You may know who you are giving to, but your identity is never revealed, or all presents are put together and chosen randomly.

In a gathering the Master of Ceremonies provides a Santy bag (something like a linen bag decorated with holly and stars or a large colourful sock) and each participant brings a small inexpensive gift.

The gift should have a large clear label on it with a single word such as Love, Peace, Joy, Hope, etc. etc. This is not a demonstration of richness, generosity, power or prestige, so put thought into your offering so that it carries that energy. Your token gift should be the embodiment of the sentiment on the label.

The intention is that you will bring the gift of “Joy” to the group and say: “I give the gift of “Joy” (or whatever) to the group” and put it into the Santy bag.

When all is collected each will reach into the Santy bag and draw out a gift saying: “ I accept the gift of “Joy” (or whatever) on behalf of the group”.

Whatever you take out is yours to keep on behalf of the group.

Spirit of the stones: Meditate on this: The obstacles and problems in our lives are like the great megaliths. Solid hulking stone, massive and unmovable. However, in the moment of sunrise when the sun is aligned with the megaliths the fresh light reveals the stones in an astonishingly beautiful way. We will one day see that it is these stones, these obstacles and problems, that add the extraordinary beauty to our lives.

Consider Newgrange and how the light goes within, illuminating but changing nothing physically. Visit the inner sanctum of your inner Newgrange. Be with yourself. Bask in your own ever present inner light.

Know that this is a turning point.

Light a candle in the dark, as a reminder of spirit in your life, remembering that the Solstice is a time of the rebirth of the longer days and a promise of more benign conditions. Light some incense (Frankincense) allowing it to carry your prayer for life into the heavens.

Snowflakes and stars:

Create a paper snowflake or star. Write a one word secret wish on your beautiful snowflake, something you would like to see transformed for the new year, and burn it carefully, releasing the wish into the world with the symbol of fire that transforms all it touches. Maybe you can play some inspirational music at this point or hum.

Offer up a prayer for life, a poem, an inspiration, extinguish the candle and clap your hands.

Or you may hang the snowflake somewhere you will notice it over the winter season, and burn on 6th January.

Walking the White Path of Wonder: As we have to walk the winter path we thought it would be better to do so remembering that we are doing it as a means to a new beginning. We are metaphorically moving through the dark womb of growth, heavy with the potential to arrive at a place we want to be rather than simply arrive at a place we didn’t expect or wish for.

To this end we create a conscious and pleasant pathway to arrive at our personal goal and let our light shine so we can see where we are going and when we get there we want to know we have arrived.

The incorporation and reflection on the five elements help us consider the different dynamics that each of us must engage with in order to move forward to our goal; air for inspiration and instigation, fire for activation, expansion and passion, water for adaptability and reflection, earth for practicality and support, and ether for overview, fusion and realisation. The room is be laid out as pictured, so anyone who can't attend in person is welcome to set up likewise and participate.

Silently Observant : At Newgrange the morning sunrise shines through the spirit window/roof box and enters the inner chamber, originally illuminating the tri-spiral in the back alcove. This narrow golden coloured beam of light is focused and appears in the chamber in a magical way that a privileged few witness every year. We feel that the light would have shone onto the ashes of the departed and acted as a cosmic portal for the souls of the ancestors.

With this in mind we came up with a ceremony in 3 parts that honours; the dark, the light, a Ship of Souls.

We are tying in the Dark Night of the Soul with the turning point of the year, with spirit release / healing and observance of all of this, with minimal input, simply observing.

Part 1 - Prelude - Solstice Eve – The Dark Our ancestors started the day at sunset, in the darkness of gestation. With that in mind we gather the materials and energies for the following day.

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Collect water from a river, sea, lake, rainwater from a butt. If you have ashes from a previous sacred fire place them in a bag or container.

For the original ceremony we went to the Curley Hole at Townley Hall, Nr Drogheda. This is a swirling deep pool of water within the River Boyne. The nearby road is an accident black spot which we think is a black ley sink for the Brú complex. Many people have died here and many have had accidents. The Battle of the Boyne took place near here in 1690 and the suffering and death energy still pervades the area.

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Imbue the water with the last rays of the setting sun, acknowledging the passing of the light.

The water, bound in the bottle, was brought to the great mound of Dowth where it was introduced to the passageway and chamber of our ancestors, then held up to the setting sun. Sealed in a dark cloth and placed in a black bag excluding all light, the Solstice eve energies permeated the water.

Part 2 - Silently Observant – Solstice Day - The Light •

Solstice sunrise, whether the sun is actually visible or not, uncover the water bottle and expose it (and ashes if you have them) to the returning light.

The highlight of the ceremony was to be quietly observing the sunrise shine onto the water collected from the Curley Hole the evening before. We looked on as the sun energised the water and ashes, from a previous ceremony, in this place of renewal.

Tiger Eye crystal to represent the sunbeams on the cloudy Solstice morning

The standing stone at which we did our ceremony at Newgrange

Part 3 - Silently Observant – Solstice Day - The Ship of Souls •

Go back to the source of your water, create a paper boat and float this with the ashes inside, and return the water.

To finalise this triduum of events we returned to the Curley Hole before mid day.

Returning the water was a symbolic act of returning to source and included our spirits returning to source as well as offering a healing medicine to the earth at this point, that is, water that was taken from a low energy environment returning energised and healed.

Then each participant placed some of the ashes in their spirit boat and set it floating on the energised water for the highest good of all. This symbolised the release into eternal time and place of all our spirits, allowing them and us to find the way back to God. The spirit boat symbolism revolves around the idea that the ancestors used a boat to cross the river to enter the heavenly realm.

Poems inspired by the word s.o.l.s.t.i.c.e:

Still...

One...

Love...

Sun...

Tipping...

Into...

Centre...

Eternally

Closing activities and ceremonies: Food and drink supports the grounding process.

With the understanding that we have been focussed on our spiritual selves, possibly in an altered state of being, it is obvious that we should end calmly, slowly and completely. Different people have different experiences and we need to make sure that all are back in their normal state, aware physically, intellectually and emotionally.

It is good to bring the experience into your consciousness of everyday life but not to be 'up in the air' with it.

We do this by 'grounding'. Often participants have become so accustomed to their spiritual space and detached from the mundane that they do not recognise this condition within themselves.

We thus send a message to the brain and body that we need to be able to react and respond to the world of everyday life by doing something physical. We may ring a bell, physically touch the floor, do an on the spot jump, rub our hands together and tap over the body to awaken our muscles and circulation.

Cinnamon stars

Clove infused orange

Zimtsterne (German Cinnamon Star biscuits) – Cloves are stuck into an orange to provide a delicious biscuits with a lots of ground almonds, cinnamon smell. You can set the cloves into spirals, letters or simple and ginger. symbols. A pomander that will last over Christmas.

Wassail: Traditional wassail warms the insides, especially when a get together has been held outdoors. Participants are offered a non alcoholic warm wassail drink (the ale or cider based drink is not suitable when folk are driving).

It comprises spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg), honey, apples and fruit juice. Although probably not Irish in origin, Anglo-Saxon 'wael hael' means good health, it is a great drink to share in friendship and for luck. Some is also tipped in libation towards the earth.

Mindful Eating: Winter Solstice is the time for relaxed gatherings sharing food. We have so much to share, to catch up on with rarely seen family and friends, that the table is usually buzzing with conversation. Sometimes there is an opportunity to add another dimension to these get togethers. With like minded people we share a meal, eating with intention and attention.

Firstly we lay the table to look especially attractive, with beautiful china and decorations.

Everyone has a space to sit down... no eating standing up.

The food may be soup and rolls, cinnamon stars, mince pies, there are so many resources for wonderful Winter Solstice dishes. The more delicious the better, as you are eating with all senses in full awareness.

Once all are seated, choose a piece of food and look at it.

You are not rationalising what it is, but connecting to the colour, whether it is smooth or lumpy, dry or moist.

Like a fine wine smell it, take in the aroma.

And now it is time to eat. Taste buds sense sweet or sourness, but there is more... what is the texture like? Is it chewy or melt in the mouth? It is not always necessary to eat slowly, for many tastes and flavours are ephemeral, but do all with conscious awareness.

Theme – Turning Solstice is usually taken linguistically to mean standstill, yet, the sun does not stand still. It is forever turning through space just as the earth is. However, from our viewpoints standing on earth, looking at the eastern horizon at sunrise each day, there is a time when it appears to reach the furthest south on its journey from rising in the north east in summer to the south east in winter. If we are watching at dawn every day the sun seems to rise in the same place for a few days and then reverse its journey, altering its course, changing direction, rising further towards the north every morning. The great turn of the season has taken place.

The hours of daylight had been getting shorter and shorter but after Solstice they lengthen again. We know we have many days of winter to come, that February is often the coldest month. We also know that summer is no longer a promise but a certainty. We shall have the sun longer in the sky each day and the land shall slowly warm again. In this part of the Northern Hemisphere the turning is a slow process, the turning from winter to summer has to involve the intermediary of Spring. Our transitions involve long time periods, wide liminal spaces in these intervals of transformation.

As always a turn involves a change. For a moment we are just letting the world swirl around us while we sit and watch what it does. After the turn we are looking in a different direction or we see a different aspect of the familiar. Something is ending and there is a new beginning. We turn the pages of a book. The book is still present but we are looking at a different part of it. Often we do someone a good turn, helping them, gifting them our time or a present that we hope will improve their condition We may turn our thoughts and attention to a something that has been concerning us, to a situation in our life perhaps, and we start thinking about it or discussing it. A turner places his seasoned wood on the lathe and as it turns he fashions it into something new, something beautiful, something useful, the design is in his imagination, brought into physicality by his hands.

Similarly from total darkness to sunrise each day is a slow turning process. As you prepare to move into the day's activities you might like to notice that there are three scientifically recognised stages to the appearance of the first beams of sunlight.

On the 20 December 2015 in Dublin they start: 6.27am - Astronomical twilight - Sun is between 12 degrees and 18 degrees below the horizon. The sky is completely dark before the onset of this astronomical twilight.

7.09am - Nautical twilight - Sun is between 6 degrees and 12 degrees below the horizon. As the atmosphere brightens artificial light is generally still required.

7.55am - Civil twilight - begins when the Sun is 6 degrees below the horizon and ends at sunrise.

Place – Drombeg Stone Circle, Co. Cork

Photos taken at sunset during Solstice week 2014.

Dated to about 3000BC these short yet substantial stones stand on a man made flattened area of a ridge, the sea visible to the south.

The western axial stone is said to be aligned to winter solstice sunset, the sun setting in a small notch on the horizon hillside. Looking through the portal stones, we see a beam of light enter the centre of the circle, lighting it in the dusky darkening of the surrounding landscape.

Time – 11.11 (Full moon on 25 December 2015) Long shadows created by a low Solstice sun. It is in these shadows, in their darkness, that we define light.

Centre A collage of the lights of Winter Solstice; lamps, candles, one floating in the Holy Well at Tara, and the sun, rising on Solstice morning. Reminding us to place a candle in every window of the house on Christmas Eve, traditionally for Christians to welcome the Holy Family, and also to welcome the returning sun.

Cardinal Directions Once in sacred space we call in the directions. Our ancestors understood that by creating a microcosm of the macrocosm that they would be more in tune with creation. We do this today by calling in the directions whereby we become centered and mindful of the different energies in the world.

North may be associated with elders, wisdom, earth, female, gnomes, darkness of night, winter, self discovery.

East connects to youth, air, masculine, sylphs, dawn and sunrise, springtime, beginnings, awakenings.

South recalls mother and fatherhood, fire, male, salamanders, midday and high sun, summer, love, trust.

West holds the energies of crone, water, feminine, undines, dusk and sunset, autumn, conclusions, foundations.

Wherever you are turn around slowly and your eyes will be drawn to certain aspects in your environment as you pass the north, east. south and west. Consider what you see and how it refers to the qualities of that direction. They are all interchangeable and each contains the other, as the yin / yang symbolically teaches us, yet often our attention is drawn to an image that is meaningful for the moment.

In this room I notice: A green Indian cushion in the north, representations of earth and rest time, and also with silver and golden threads bringing to mind the tinsel and glitter of Christmas decorations.

East is a door, half open, through which I may step, South is a lamp, an up-lighter looking towards the sky.

West is a clock, marking the time as it passes.

Turn around slowly, what do you see?

Elements When we walk the circular pathway with the elements we can then step forward to our goal supported by their energy. The incorporation and reflection on the five elements will help us consider the different dynamics that each of us must engage with in order to move forward to our goal;

AIR - air for inspiration and instigation. To communicate with Air we may chant Ohm, as air is the medium which propagates and carries sound acknowledge the initial idea, hearts desire.

WATER - water for adaptability and reflection. To nourish Water with love and in turn to be nourished by it, water may be placed into a bowl that may be struck to charge the water with an intent like peace or healing.

We can take this and later gift it to the earth.

FIRE - fire for activation, expansion and passion. To radiate the energy of Fire and to light our way we may light a candle or make paper lanterns to shine out symbols of radiance for ourselves and others - expand the outcome, image bigger, brighter, bolder, happier, more colourful.

EARTH - earth for practicality and support. To interact with Earth we may create colourful paper footsteps with words of inspiration which we step on. Thus we symbolically and energetically step forward using positives like joy and abundance - imagine helpful people, salt of the earth.

ETHER - ether for overview, fusion and realisation.

To commune with the fifth element, Ether, we may use meditation and incense. Ether, like light contains all vibrations and so is seen as omnipresent and perfect. It's energy is everywhere and is similar to the aroma of perfume or incense that invisibly fills the room.

Through meditation we can sometimes become more in tune with its presence - now that you have it how do you feel, how do you act.

Give thanks.

Activity At 11.11 on Christmas Day you might like to take a moment to physically turn around (twirl in the kitchen as you slurp the first sherry perhaps) acknowledging the winter solstice, the turn of the Seasons. This can be over in an instant, unnoticed by all, but you know you have recognised the ever turning cycles of life.

Lao Tzu - 'At the centre of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.'

Upanishads - 'There is a light that shines beyond the world, beyond everything, beyond all, beyond the highest heaven. This is the light that shines within your heart.'

To complete a strong turn you need to be aware of your core, and ensure your core muscles are prepared, this will maintain good alignment and balance during the turn. You spot a place in front of you, not looking at the floor, but looking forwards and push off with only enough force to get around, not so much that you will be thrown off balance or go too far. Before take off check your feet and ankles are firm, ensuring a foundation to give power to the turn. Mentally, make an intention to finish the turn, don’t allow an outside force, such as gravity, make the choice for you. Now visualise yourself making a beautiful pirouette.

Just as the reindeer fly into the sky pulling the sleigh and Santa, you may allow a moment for the imagination to fly into the Otherworld to renew and rejuvenate vitality, seeing the beauty in yourself and everything around you. The sleigh contains all the gifts that you will take into the light of Springtime.

Taking this to a deeper level you could imagine that you are creating a magic circle out of time and place, a sphere of quiet and peace amongst the noise and bustle of the seasonal festivities. You might like to flood it with colour, restful blue, invigorating red, earthly green. You are totally aware and totally present in your surroundings.

Open Heart The world tree, decorated to bring some colour and joy into the grey days of winter. We can now dance around the tree.

Circle Dance - meditation to slow down, stop and start again Pachelbel Cannon in D to tie in with slowing down like the sun and setting and being reborn to move on to our goal Step clockwise 4 beats Turn towards your goal (tree) 4 Bow and cross arms over chest 8 Arms out to hold hands with neighbours 4 Arms up 4 Hands to sides 4 Turn 4 Thanking, blessing and closing the connections Trees and humans are held on the earth by the mysterious action of gravity. This is a 'good thing' as it keeps us within the protective shield of the earth's atmosphere. And we need that to survive, for we are basically children of the air. Humans exist through the constant flow of breath in our bodies. If we floated off into outer space, with no oxygen tank on our backs, we would die. Yet we are also on a planet held by gravity in our spiralling galaxy, which is part of the unimaginable Universe. During meditation and ceremony we ensure our firm connection between these two, earth and the cosmos. We now stop moving through the rarefied etheric expansive spiritual atmospheres and become anchored, like a boat in safe harbour, at one physical place.

We close the circle, thank and bless our connections to all guides, guardians, beings, times and realms made during this ceremonial. ‘Sin é’, that's it.