How to make Solstice magic

On December 16, 2024By Littum

When: 21 December 2024 at 1:20 a.m. PT

What: The Sun enters Capricorn and signals the seasonal solstice.

Takeaway: This sacred turn of light invites you to release the old from 2024 and set new intentions for 2025.

First things first: What is a solstice?

When the sun enters Capricorn the December 21it signals the seasonal solstice. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, this is the shortest day of the year when darkness dominates most of our waking hours. If you’re in the southern hemisphere, it’s the opposite: the sun shines longer on this day than on any other day.

The word “solstice” combines the Latin words sun (the sun) and sister (to stand still). Symbolically, this is a time of silence and peace, but also celebration. In the northern hemisphere, the December solstice is a symbolic rebirth; The light of the sun has reached its lowest point, and from this day it begins to rise again. In the southern hemisphere, the light has reached its glorious climax. Both events are threshold moments and transitions to glory.

A time for you to reflect and reset

Like the equinoxes, the solstices are entangled in cycles of sowing, harvesting and regeneration. Light is life for all agricultural cultures, so this turning point in the Earth’s orbit around the Sun has profound consequences for human survival. In the Northern Hemisphere, the December Solstice marks a time of hope, miracles and reverence as we anticipate the resurgence of the Sun’s light.

Borrowing this agricultural language, we can consider the “growing seasons” of our own lives. Because the December solstice occurs so close to the Gregorian New Year, it is a potent moment to reflect on what you want to take with you into 2025 and what you want to leave behind in 2024. If there are memories, ideas, situations or relationships that you will no longer stick to, put them down.

Wherever you are in the world, this solstice is a sacred culmination before the days begin to grow longer or shorter. To celebrate the occasion, here are 10 rituals in honor of the December solstice:

10 Rituals in Honor of the December Solstice

Immerse yourself in nature. Visit your favorite park, garden, farm, body of water, or other natural location. Sync with the rhythms of the seasons and consider what these cycles can teach you.
Recognize all that culminates in your own life. Recognize the efforts that have reached a critical threshold at this point. Consider all that you have accomplished and the challenges that still lie ahead. Celebrate your works in progress and boost your morale to the last stretch.
Release the idea that you have to get it right, and embrace the reality of being in an ongoing process. Refuse to carry unrealistic expectations into the new year. Hold a release ceremony where you write down all the unreasonable standards you want to say goodbye to, then tear up the list. Recycle the strips or bury them outside.
Set intentions for 2025. Whether you want to learn a new skill, commit more fully to your aspirations, develop a budding connection, or plumb unknown depths in an existing relationship, cast your spells. To realize your dreams, it helps to identify what you want in the first place. If your goals feel daunting, break them down into doable steps, then write them on your calendar or ours 2025 Astro Planner.
Invite heat into your home, especially if you live in the northern hemisphere. Light candles on your altar. Light up your room with lamps, balls, stars or golden garlands. Get cozy. By doing so, you are cheering on the rebirth that is unfolding in your life and all around you.
Jewelry your home and/or altar with local foliage such as cedar boughs, ripe fruit, dried oranges, mistletoe, pine cones, flowers, gingerbread, or anything seasonal in your region. Convert your space into a sanctuary that reflects the season. In this way you can connect to the spirit and beauty of this sacred moment.
Collect with friends, family and selected relatives. Hold an office party, a secret elf swap or a celebratory dinner with your inner circle. Spend time with the people who keep your faith burning.
Meditateor commit to a practice that helps you go deeper within. If you need some ideas, check out the abundance of guided meditations in CHANI app.
Learn about the big astrological moments affecting your life in 2025 and plan accordingly with guidance from our Yearbook 2025.

Looking for more information? Read your daily horoscope:

The Scorpion | Sagittarius | Capricorn | Aquarius | The fishes

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