Season’s Greetings from Venus Moon!
For those of you who are new to my page, WELCOME! My name is Krissy M. and I’m an experienced spiritual adviser/tarot reader. I created Venus Moon several years ago in hopes of giving guidance to others through messages from the spirit realm as well as tapping into universal energies. My metaphysical shop, also named Venus Moon, is located in Glendora, NJ where I sell crystals, incense, and other spiritual tools to help maneuver the physical realm.
The purpose of this article is to help you better understand what the 2020 Winter Solstice is and how to keep your inner light glowing its brightest during this time. There are also some cool astrological happenings on this date that we will touch on. So let’s get to it!
What Is The Winter Solstice?
This year the winter solstice starts on Monday, December 21st and marks the first official day of the season. Since ancient times, many cultures, civilizations and religions have honored the winter solstice as a significant time of year. It’s been marked by elegant festivities and rituals that celebrate the symbolic death and rebirth of the Sun. It is also the most powerful transition point between seasons. Most notably, the winter solstice is the last large harvest before the cold months, so many traditions celebrated with huge feasts and gatherings.
The winter solstice happens once in the northern hemisphere in December and once in the southern hemisphere in June. On these days, we experience the shortest period of daylight and longest span of night each year. It’s also when the Sun is at its lowest elevation in the sky over the equator.
For many of us in the northern hemisphere, this transitional date means a few long, cold, & dark months ahead of us. But don’t let the darkness discourage you! It isn’t bad at all and actually adds to the spiritual and energetic significance of the season.
This is a time of quiet energy where you get the opportunity to look within yourself and focus on what you want and need. It’s a time to set goals and intentions for the coming year. It is also a time to examine and let go of our past and make changes within ourselves. It’s the perfect time for a personal awakening and to take advantage of this spiritual hibernation!
It’s not a coincidence that the winter solstice falls so closely to Christmas and New Year’s Eve. In Pagan times, the winter solstice was referred to as Yule (a holiday that taps into the eternal cycle of life and death, light and dark). Yule was a celebration of the Goddess Moon energy, among other things. It was believed that on this day the moon would give birth to the sun. Going forward from the winter solstice, sunlight will be a little longer each day and the life cycle begins for our solar companion.
Winter is a time of darkness. One way to honor the solstice is to lean into that darkness by enjoying the silence it brings and going within yourself to find your own unique light. It’s easy to get caught up in that darkness during this time especially between the socially-distanced holidays and state of the world right now. Be aware of your thoughts and emotions because falling into that spiral is always a potential path for all of us. If you are naturally more extroverted, the introversion that winter requires may be extra frustrating. However, that darkness, isolation, quarantine, and hermit mode are exactly where we are meant to be in right now. This is the best time of the year to focus on self-reflection and go deep within you. Allow yourself to feel what you need to feel, its all valid, but then go deeper than those feelings and find the roots. Why are you feeling sad or anxious or lonely?
Since the winter solstice celebrates the rebirth of the sun, it is believed to hold a powerful energy for regeneration, renewal, and introspection. This self-work and introspective time can lead you to your next great thing and major a-ha moments. This is an opportune time to plan and plant the seeds for a successful spring! You’ve got this!
Things To Look Out For (i.e. warnings/signs/past lessons)
Last winter solstice marked the beginning of the last season before Covid-19 took over in the spring. Let that sink in for a second!
1……. OKAY!
Now, picture yourself in December of last year. During this time, we lived our lives like a regular, hectic, and crazy holiday season. We shopped in large crowds then celebrated with families and friends in large, carefree gatherings. Never in a million years would we have pictured the current social climate. A world full of people wearing protective face masks and social distancing from the ones we love. We were excited for all of the new beginnings 2020 promised to bring!
However, our parties ended, winter ended, and spring brought us this strange, new world. Now here we are, starting this cycle all over but this time it’s in 2020. We can’t predict what this next spring will bring but we can work on our personal recharge during this time and take advantage of the quietness to level up for whatever comes next.
There is so much going on right now. We are in a universal shift and the only thing in our control is the ability to take care of ourselves and the people in our homes. It’s important to put our energy towards love, gratitude and protecting ourselves from spreading the coronavirus. So the next part of this guide will focus on how to establish this foundation.
Expectations And Goals Of The Winter Solstice
Since the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, it will probably be black outside by 4pm. Take advantage of the light you are given on this important day!
Try to get outside and connect with nature while it’s still light. Take a walk, go for a hike, bundle up and enjoy your coffee or tea outside. Make sure to find a way to show your appreciation for the daylight. Even if it’s raining or snowing, if that sun peeks through make sure to say hi and thank it! Once the sun goes down, the winter officially begins and brings with it those dark & quiet days. Throughout the rest of the winter, nature asks us to continue this slow down. Enjoy the spiritual hibernation and quiet, listen rather than speak.
I recently had read a beautiful excerpt by Ruth Barret, another lightworker, that I’d like to share.
“Under the ground the earth silently sleeps. Seeds rest in suspended animation, and the animals hibernate. In contrast, we humans rush frantically to the malls, stressing ourselves with activity when we really need to rest, dream and gather strength in our bodies for the coming season of renewal. For many people in the United States, taking the time to dream and rest is seen as a sign of laziness. However, nature teaches us that resting, drawing inward for a time, is present in all living things. Rest is necessary for growth that comes later in the season. The Sun will return.”
– Ruth Barret
So go into this season without that harsh judgment on yourself!
Here are some tips:
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Listen To Your Natural Instincts
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Put Your Self-Care First
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Nurture Yourself With Support And Understanding
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Nourish Your Body With The Highest Vibrational Food
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Focus On Your Energy During This Time
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It’s Fine To Cry When You Need To Cry
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Nap When You Need To Nap
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Don’t Hesitate To Ask For Help When You Need It
Enjoy the charge up and get ready for the spring to bring good things. As much damage as this last cycle may have done, it still brought forward a lot of magic. Now we are working toward an entire energetic shift!
Let’s all take a moment to reflect on the good things that have happened over this last year and put out gratitude and trust into the universe that the best is yet to come.
Rituals and Tools To Utilize
Once the sun goes down on the solstice, you will feel the powerful energetic shift. It’s the perfect time to choose a ritual that feels right to you. Focus on one that will help shift your personal energy and don’t forget to pay respect to the energy around you. There are so many rituals and traditions linked with the solstice that anyone can take part in. Listed below are just a few of my favorites. You can invite your family/friends to join along or simply enjoy the personal time and do them alone. These following rituals and tools we are going to talk about are not only great for this sacred night but also good to pull out any time during the winter when you feel like you need to boost your light.
Selecting The Right Tools
Something to keep in mind when you are working with any type of energetic tools, such as candles or crystals, is that the colors and scents play a big role in the intentions.
For scents, the different oils, for example, help with different energies.
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Wild Orange For Abundance
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Frankincense For Clarity
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Ginger is for empowerment
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Peppermint for motivation
***There is a scent or oil for anything! Just be sure to look into the toxicity beforehand and how they interact with pets when working with them. A lot are toxic to animals when diffused like cinnamon, peppermint, tea tree, pine, clove, thyme, juniper, ylang ylang, and so many more common ones. So definitely do your research!!!
As far as the colors go, I like to work with the chakras when I am choosing my tools. These colors can be represented by candles, flowers, crystals, fruits, or paint. Whatever feels right!
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Sacral Chakra – Our Inner Fire, Creativity, & Passion
Colors: Oranges & Ambers help amplify that fiery energy that winter can be lacking.
Crystals: Carnelian, Peach Moonstone, Goldstone, & Orange Calcite
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Root Chakra – Grounding & Protective Energy
Colors: Red & Black -
Solar Plexus Chakra– Strength, Confidence, Overall Health, & Motivation
Colors: Yellows & Golds -
Heart Chakra – Add Love, Healing & Abundance
Colors: Greens & Pinks -
Throat Chakra – Add Energy Of Clarity & Communication
Colors: Blue ***great for lung and throat health especially during Covid times. -
Third Eye Chakra – Psychic Connection & Intuition
Colors: Indigos & Purples -
Crown Chakra – Spirit & Angel Connection, Cleansing, Transitions, & New Beginnings
Colors: White/Clear
1. Candle Ritual
One of the most common themes throughout all of the cultures and easiest rituals to do is using candlelight on the solstice to help get through the extra darkness***. For this ritual, as the sun sets, try to spend some time with the lights off and honor the sun’s light in your mind. Once it is fully dark, light some candles on your own, or with loved ones, and as you light your candles send out gratitude and love while you think of your intentions for the winter months. That’s it! Just connecting with that fire will help connect your energy.
2. Winter Altar
For the next ritual, you can use the different colors and scents to make yourself a winter altar. Write down your intentions, connect to your ancestors or spiritual guides, find a safe space to set it up, and just let it flow. You can place pictures, totems, money, incense, small gift offerings, or any of the things we have mentioned earlier. There is no right or wrong way to make an altar. They’re great for amplifying the energy you are wanting to put out and to connect to when you are meditating.
3. Fire Ceremony
Another way to celebrate the solstice is with a fire releasing ceremony. This is a time of looking inward and getting rid of the past you don’t need to hold on to. To help you let go, you can make a fire (ie: light a candle, fire pit outside or fireplace), write down the things you want to get out, reflect on it, take some deep breaths, send gratitude and *safely* burn the paper into the fire as a symbol of release.
4. Reflection Ritual
The most important ritual of this season is spending time reflecting and envisioning the recreation of yourself. Winter is the time to put in the self-work so we can all bloom in the spring. Schedule yourself at least an hour on the 21st where you can disconnect and get inside. This is a good time to have your crystals, candles, and alter setup to connect to your spiritual team. Don’t worry about focusing on spring just yet and what will bloom. Instead focus more on what you can do for your personal evolution this winter.
Turn off all electronics, take off your watch, turn all the lights off and embrace the darkness. Once you’ve had time to appreciate the darkness, like we talked about earlier, light your candles and take some time to breathe and think deeply. Your thoughts should be focused on yourself, the past, the future, what you need to let go of, and the good vibes you wish to put out for the new year coming.
Meditate however your mind and body feel called to during this time. Connect with spirit, your higher self, honor the directions, or just sit there and ground your physical being. I like to visualize the light within me shining as brightly as a star, filling the room and then filling the city, state, country, and world with this brilliantly divine glowing light. You can also listen to a guided meditation. There is no wrong way to do this, trust your intuition!
Choose one or combine as many of these techniques we have just gone over for your own sacred ceremony to honor the darkness. You can even pull some cards if that is something you like to do. Journaling afterwards can be very powerful as well.
One more common theme of this time worth mentioning is gathering and feasting. Even if we are limited this year on who we can be with, at the very least, you can connect to your ancient ancestors and divine spiritual team. Enjoy some feasting, dancing, and celebration in some way! There is plenty to be grateful for!
Jupiter & Saturn Conjunction
There is one more thing I want to touch on.
On the same night as the solstice we will have a very rare occurrence between Jupiter and Saturn! You may have heard about the “Christmas Star” coming. This means that these two planets will appear so close in the sky they will look like one giant double planet! Make sure to get out and see it that night. It should be visible about an hour after the sun sets!
Not only is this a cool thing to see but it has major astrological power as well! Jupiter and Saturn unite every 20 years like this, so the last time they did this was in Y2k!
This will be the closest they have been since the 1600s! The last time they were in conjunction was in Taurus, and for the last 200 years they have been in earth signs. However, on this night, it’s happening in airy Aquarius which hasn’t happened in 600 years. Back in 1405, when Byzantium finally fell and marked the beginning of the renaissance, a wave of art, architecture, literature, science, exploration,and culture exploded!
This 2020 Conjunction event marks a shift from the earthy practicality that the last 200 years of conjunctions brought to Aquarius’s airy intuition and spiritual connection. This Great Conjunction of the two biggest planets in our solar system is the beginning of a long cycle that could change the world as we know it.
Jupiter governs higher learning, religion, wealth, big business, and the law. It is the planet of luck, good fortune, spirituality, and intellect.
Saturn rules restrictions, limitations, discipline, karma, and reminds us of our boundaries. It is the planet of hard work, responsibility, and life’s major lessons. Saturn is also ruled by Aquarius, so it’s energies will be amplified.
Together, Jupiter and Saturn combine expansive and imaginative vision with the structure and discipline needed to both manifest results as well as strip away the inessential. All of these energies shifting into progressive Aquarius adds a social consciousness and humanitarian qualities. So while the last 20 years may have been more of a time of materialism and capitalism, the next 20 will hopefully progress in a more innovative and harmonious direction. We can expect some major scientific advances in the next few years.
These two planets coming together will bring both the intensity of the old forms dying, which we have been experiencing this past year as their cycle has come to an end, as well as the fertility of new growth beginning to take shape. This new era of air energy will bring disruption to established orders and dramatic changes in collective ideas and the way we communicate. This time will not only bring down old societal structures but will also encourage us to release old personal dreams and drama we have been attached to.
During the next few weeks, ask yourself what you need to leave behind and what you truly desire to carry forward. We are literally going into the age of Aquarius that people have been talking and singing about for decades now. These innovative and creative shifts will be rolling out over the next 20 years. This point brings a new beginning with infinite potential. Whatever happens, we just need to continue on focusing on ourselves and what is in our control to be the best we can be throughout these shifts.
In Conclusion,
Thank you all so much for joining me tonight and reading my blog! I appreciate you all sharing your beautiful energy and am here to support you all in any way I can during this next part of your journey! If you don’t already follow me, make sure to check out my Facebook page “Venus Moon.” That is the best way to reach me. I also have a website www.thevenusmoon.com where you can get more info about what I have for sale and services I offer.
Namaste, be light and be love. Have a great New Year and start setting those intentions/goals as soon as possible.