Embracing the Velvet Dark
Before we celebrate the returning sun, we must honor the womb of the night.
In our fast-paced world, darkness is often equated with evil, fear, or stagnation. But to the Witch, darkness is ripe; it is the fertile void, the cauldron of Cerridwen simmering with potential, the deep earth where the seed dreams of becoming a towering oak.
This solstice, I invite you to stop running from the shadows. Turn off the electric lights. Sit in the silence. What does the darkness have to teach you? What needs to be composted in your life so that something new can grow in the spring? This is the season of the Cailleach, the Crone who strips the trees bare not out of cruelty, but necessity. Without the fallow field, there can be no harvest.
Stand at the crossroads of your own soul and acknowledge the things you are ready to lay down in the snow.
The Spark at the Center of the Void
And then, just when it seems the darkness will swallow the world whole, the miracle happens. The Great Wheel creaks, pauses for a breath-taking second, and begins its slow turn back toward the light.
The Winter Solstice is not the high noon of summer; it is the faint, first cry of the newborn Sun Child. It is the promise that life is resilient, cyclic, and eternal. It is the lighting of the single candle that proves the darkness has not won.
At the crossroads, we choose hope over despair. We choose to believe that the warmth will return, even when we cannot yet feel it on our faces. Some celebrate the rebirth of the Oak King, the return of the unconquered sun, while others focus on kindling their our own inner fire that sustains us through the remaining cold months.
A Crossroads Ritual for the Turning Tide
How do we mark this profound shift? We perform acts of sympathetic magic, mirroring the macrocosm with our microcosm.
This Yule, find a quiet moment—preferably on the night of the Solstice itself—to perform a simple working at your personal crossroads.
-
The Gateway: Gather two dark candles (blue, black, or deep green) and one bright candle (gold, white, or red).
-
The Descent: Light the two dark candles. Sit between them. In a journal or on slips of paper, write down what you are leaving behind in this longest night. What habits, fears, or sorrows are no longer serving your journey?
-
The Release: Safely burn these papers in a cauldron or fireproof bowl, watching them turn to ash. Thank the darkness for its lessons. blow out the dark candles. Sit in complete darkness for a few moments. Feel the stillness.
-
The Return: In the center of that darkness, strike a match and light your single bright candle. As the flame takes hold, speak aloud your intention for the coming solar year. What are you inviting in? What seed are you watering with this returning light?
-
The Vigil: Let the candle burn down completely (safely), a beacon guiding the sun back to your world.
The road ahead is still cold, and winter has plenty of teeth left, but the corner has been turned. We have stood at the crossroads of the year, looked into the abyss, and lit a fire in its face.
May your Yule log burn bright, may your shadows be fertile, and may the returning light find you ready for the journey ahead.
A Blessed Solstice to you all.
Katrina Rasbold is a professional Witch, published author, priestess, and editor of Green Egg Magazine. She and her husband, Eric, are the creators of the CUSP spiritual path and owners of Crossroads Occult. You can reach her and access her Patreon with deeper classes and mentorship through www.katrinarasbold.com.
Want to join the conversation about this blog post? Go to the Green Egg Forum and scroll for the forum post that relates to this article: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1069823176940972
