Wisdom From the Earth
The Sacred Turning Points &
Lunations of Winter Season

by Deborah Knighton Tallarico

-Winter Solstice/Yule-
Monday, December 21st, 12:47pm (EST)

Winter Season begins every year at the exact moment that the Sun enters Capricorn, marking the time of the Winter Solstice. Winter Solstice or Yule (derived from the word Yul which means Wheel) marks the longest night and the shortest day of the year. It is a “sacred turning point” as the “Sun stands still” (which is what the word Solstice means) for about four days at its Southern most point, and then makes its turn Northward again. In the Northern hemisphere, it is the time when the Earth is tilted the furthest from the Sun. In the Southern Hemisphere it is their Summer Solstice and their longest day of the year.

Winter Solstice is the day of greatest darkness just before the Birth of the Light. Symbolically, it is the time when we mystically enter the Dark Womb of Mother Earth, and when the Great Mother, from the void of darkness, from the cauldron of death, gives birth to the Sun, to the Divine Child Sun, who is the bringer of hope, peace and light. Light is born from the darkness, from the fecund womb of Mother Earth. Mystically this marks the birth of the Christ light from the womb of the Universal Mother Mary. It is the time when Christ Consciousness is re-born again this year.

The Solstice is celebrated through rituals of birth and rebirth, renewal and hope. Much like the energy of the New Moon, it is a time to bring forth new ideas and visions for the New Year ahead, a time to bring forth New Life and Light from the womb of darkness. It is a time of deep feeling and healing. At this time of year we also have Hanukkah, the Hebrew Festival of Lights, Advent and Christmas celebrating the birth of the Christ and the symbolism of the birth of the Light and the Sun/Son.

Solstice, Christmas, The Mystic Night of the Sun
& The Ephiphany

In the ancient mystery traditions, it is believed that at this most sacred and holy of times, the Celestial, Angelic and Devic realms are more perceivable and these energies pour forth upon the Earth, bringing an abundance of Light and Love to all humanity. At this time it is important to cultivate physical, mental, emotional and spiritual purity so that you will be more able to perceive these Celestial beings and energies. The birth of the Christ Child can be viewed symbolically as the birth of the Divine Child within each one of us, that pure, innocent, holy being of our Higher nature that is birthed forth from the darkness of our lower self. “The Holy Birth………This is symbolic of lifting the Holy Child within each of us from the manger of the lower self to its rightful place within our lives. On another level, it is the raising of energies along the channel of the spine to the heart and up to the head….to the third ventricle of the brain where the higher birth of illumination occurs. It is the mystery of learning to follow the star seeds of our own higher nature.” ~ by Ted Andrews from Nature-Speak.

Winter Solstice is also known as the “Mystic Midnight Sun”, and in the ancient Persian and Egyptian Mystery schools, at midnight the monks would gather and speak of the victory of the Sun over darkness, symbolic of the Souls victory over the animal forces of nature and the rising of their consciousness to the Higher Realms. At this point the floodgates open to infuse the whole earth with the energies and love of the Angelic realm. It is known that this flood of celestial energies reaches its highest point on Christmas Eve. and continues to pour forth for 13 days, until January 6th, which is the Day of Epiphany, which in the ancient mystery traditions was a time of initiation and new life. At this time it is most important to spend time in Nature to connect with the subtle light and vibration, and to listen very closely to your dreams. This can also be a time when the soul passes through deep emotional experiences and feelings as part of this initiation to new life. Often visions and guidance will come forth, so make sure you take time to really be quiet, to listen to the subtle whispers of your Soul.

In the Native American, Celtic, Nature-Based and other indigenous traditions Winter Solstice marks the beginning of a new cycle, and is celebrated as their New Year. It is a time to light candles, renew vows, consecrate sacred objects, create prayer arrows imbued with your prayers for the incoming light and the new cycle of life. It is a time to pray for the Earth, your Self and humanity. To honor this moment, create altars of red and white candles, greens, holy and evergreens, which symbolize rebirth and eternal life. Begin your ceremony in the dark, feeling the depth of darkness within and all around you. Then find some way to create an awakening or birth before lighting the candles, which will represent the birth of light. The focus of the ceremony is on the birth of light and hope from the womb of darkness.

At this time are celebrations of the yin peak of the year and the Shen (Taosist) time of Earth, and the North. The Yin time of year is the time of greatest receptivity, darkness, stillness and waiting. It is the time of Earth Renewal and thus also a time when we can find deep renewal from slowing down, resting and going within. In the Medicine Wheel teachings, the Winter Season is the Northern Direction on the Medicine Wheel of Life, the place of Gratitude, Wisdom, Humility and The Great Mystery. During this winter season creating an altar facing North can assist your alignment with the powerful yet subtle energies of this season.

Sun in Capricorn

As the Sun traverses through the sign of Capricorn for four weeks, we feel a natural pull to retreat, to withdraw from outer activities, to go inward, to rest and rejuvenate for the winter season. The trees are bare, the cold air surrounds us, inner fires burn to warm us, and plants have withdrawn back to the dark womb of the Mother Earth. We become aware of the subtle beauty and the simple form of the earth around us. At times it feels stark and we are aware of the bare bones of what we need and what matters most to us in our lives. We begin to reflect, to review our lives, and find that silent place deep within. We enter our own “inner earth”, our own inner cave, beginning our Souls hibernation. During Capricorn time we also begin to sense once more the inner and outer structures and forms that create the foundation for our life. We reflect, we adjust, we set new goals, and we surrender to what is with the cold winter days ahead. This is a wonderful time for introspection and there is a greater seriousness and discipline about one’s meditation and spiritual practices, a time to make a deeper commitment to your spiritual path. The symbol of Capricorn is the Goat, and mystically the Unicorn, which is a deeper spiritual energy of this time of year, to climb to the mountaintop of your own inner Self.

Full Moon in Cancer-Lunar Eclipse
December 31st at 2:13pm (EST)

This full moon is often referred to as the Black Death/Crone Moon as the energies of the Hermit/Crone are alive. With the Sun in Capricorn opposite the Moon in Cancer, it is like the perfect balance of the Great Father and Mother, the Wise Man and Woman/Crone. It is through the joining of the Father and Mother that the Universe was first created. This is a time to feel the fullness of the Moon Mother (Cancer), to invite these energies to deeply nourish your soul, awaken your dream-time, and assist your connection to God/Goddess, All-That-Is. With the Moon in Cancer, the feminine energies will be particularly strong, as will your own intuition. So listen to your inner voice and the flow of intuitive knowing coming through you. It may be good to do a ceremony under the Full Moon, asking Her for guidance and wisdom, and to visualize bringing together the energies of the earth and moon. Since this is an eclipse the energies will be more powerful than ever. Please visit Leo’s Article for more details about this eclipse.

New Moon Eclipse in Capricorn
January 15th at 2:06am (EST)

This is a time symbolic of New Beginnings as it is the First New Moon of the year (since in this context the Winter Solstice marks the beginning of the New Year), referred to by some as the Cold Moon/Winter Moon. “The Cold Moon of Capricorn sails across the southern sky. Her pure light shines on fields white with snow or fields bare and brown, on waters that move slowly with cold or hide beneath an icy covering. The winter world guards its secrets well, but the Cold Moon knows them all. This stillness is not death but sleep, in which the world renews itself, awaiting spring. The Cold Moon knows where every secret seed is resting. This is her wisdom.” -Zsuzsanna Budapest, from Grandmother Moon: Lunar magic in our lives.

Take time to be with the energy of the white mountains, the renewal of the cold and resting Earth, and remember to reflect on the Higher Wisdom of Divine Father. During this time you may feel a particularly strong desire to retreat inward in search of the wisdom that comes from solitude and introspection. With the Sun and Moon in Capricorn, take the time to set new intentions, reflect on your goals for the year and initiate any new structures and forms you want to create in your life. How can you create new forms to hold and house the energies you cherish? How can you bring Spirit into form? How can you more deeply honor the beautiful form of the barren Father/Mother Earth and your own sacred body? Is your foundation strong? What do you need to strengthen your Self? What are your plans for the year ahead?

Sun in Aquarius

January 19th at 11:28pm (EST) the Sun moves into Aquarius, the Water Bearer, the Sign of the New Age we are moving into. With the Sun in Aquarius the energies will feel a bit more electric and ethereal, and at times unusual and eccentric. This is often a difficult time for many, as we find ourselves in the depth of Winter Season. If you can shift your awareness to developing your inner sight and to your spiritual path you will find this to be actually a deep time of initiation. In fact during Aquarius time, we have the mid-winter festival of St. Brighid’s Day and Imbolc, when priests and priestesses take their sacred vows and pass through gates of initiation. So open yourself to the possibility of spiritual initiation during this time. According to Maia Christianne Nartoomid, “In Lemuria and Atlantis, Aquarius was known as the “Gateway” because it was seen to be the opening for humanity to re-enter it’s Divine State.” So use this time to delve even deeper, and to open yourself to the Divine energies pouring forth and to your own Divinity. This is reassuring to remember as we enter the Aquarian Age!!

During this time it may feel quite natural to explore your path of individuation, your own unique identity and its’ relationship to the greater whole of humanity. Where is your unique place in the larger human family? What is it that you have to give that is unique? The Aquarian time of year helps us see how connected we all are, and yet with our own respectable paths. It is truly a sign of brotherhood and sisterhood, a time to bring out the best of our humanity. During this time let us receive visions and set our sacred intentions for the New Age of Aquarius dawning.

Cold/Seed Full Moon in Leo
January 30th at 1:18am (EST)

At the full moon in Leo you may feel particularly creative and expressive and may want to put some of your creative ideas into form. It is a good time to gather around the fire, to honor the sun, to express yourself freely, a time to nurture the sacred flame of the heart and to share this fiery Love with others in your life and in this world. It is a time to allow your Self to truly shine, to sing a song out loud, to unleash your free-spirit and honor the Divine Child within. Be playful and allow your creative fires to radiate outward. Goddess Brigit’s energies are also felt in the Full Moon.

“The Quickening”
Mid-Winter Festivals; January 31st-February 2nd
Imbolc (Imbolg)/St. Brigid’s Day, Candelmas

During the mid-point of Winter Season, around the first week of February, we begin to naturally feel a quickening inside, just as the seeds hidden deep beneath the cold fallow Earth slowly begin to stir. At this time we begin to ponder these seeds and begin to get glimmers of Spring that is just around the corner.

This is a very subtle yet powerful time of the year, marking the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, and is considered one of the 8 sacred turning points of the year. This is the time that truly marks the transition from death to Life once more as the light of day grows significantly longer, you can be assured that spring is right around the corner. What was birthed at the Winter Solstice begins to take form. “This is the time of individuation: within the measures of the spiral, we each light our own light, and become uniquely ourselves. It is the time of initiation, of beginning, when seeds that will later sprout and grow begin to stir from their dark sleep. We meet to share the light of inspiration, that will grow with the growing year.” - The Spiral Dance, by Starhawk.

‘Candlemas’ is the Christianized name for this sacred holiday. The older Celtic/Pagan name is Imbolc, which literally means, ‘in the belly’ of the Mother and ‘Oimelc’ which means “in milk/’milk of ewes’, for it is also lambing season. At this time the animal world comes out of hibernation, the birds fly north again. At this time of year, in the womb of Mother Earth, hidden from our conscious awareness, but sensed when we are attuned to the subtleties, there are stirrings deep within. The seeds that were planted inside us in autumn and at the winter solstice are quickening, they are awakening as the light of the season grows. We begin to sense that the long winter is coming to a close and that the greening of the land is right around the corner. As the days begin to get longer, it is the Imbolc /Candlemas tradition, to celebrate the return of the sun by lighting every candle in your home to welcome the return of the Sun. At Candelmas, in churches all the candles are blessed and consecrated for the year. Reverence of the snow is also a part of this celebration. Candlemas is a time to welcome back the returnof the light, inspiration and creativity.

This time is also known as ‘Brigit’s Day’, and St. Brigit’s Day in honor of the great Irish/Celtic Goddess Brigit, Goddess of the Triple Flames of inspiration, poetry, and smithcraft, a healer, midwife and poet, as well as a Goddess and overseer of the sacred healing wells. Her elements are both Fire and Water. It is with her fiery rod that Brigit quickens the life lying dormant in the seeds, calling all back to life, calling us to be reborn once more. This holiday was marked through the kindling of sacred fires. In Irish tradition, they create a Brigit’s Straw Cross and bed with a phallic symbol over it to honor the union of the Sun God and the Goddess, and thus the return of the fertility of the Earth. Another tradition was to wear a crown of lights, to honor the growing light of the Sun. This was also the festival to honor Hestia/Vesta, Goddesses of the Hearth and a time to clean out your hearth, set new intentions for the center of your home and build a new fire.

Imbolc/Candelmas is a good time to cleanse, purify and bless your home and your hearth, attend to your health, pay old debts, and to burn any remnants of Solstice/Yule to make way for the New Life of Spring. This is a time to retreat and connect with the sacred inner flame, a time to honor your unique light, a time to do your own purification ritual and blessing, to tend to and honor the sacred flame of your heart and hearth once again.

This is a very holy time for initiations of the priests and priestesses and a day to devote yourself to Goddess/God and your own spiritual path. This is also a very powerful time for intuitive and visionary work and to seek inspiration, especially for healers, poets, and artists. At this time if you really tune in you can just begin to feel and sense the “inner stirrings”, the seeds beginning to stir, and the inner light growing stronger.

New Moon in Aquarius
February 13th at 9:51pm (EST)

This day is also considered Lunar Imbolc. It is referred to as the Quickening New Moon, as the energies of the earth begin to quicken. With the Sun and Moon conjoined in Aquarius, take to heart issues of serving the larger human family and to finding your own unique and individualistic place in the larger scheme of things. This lunar cycle brings us closer to a selfless and impersonal love for humanity, for our fellow travelers on earth. What altruistic values can you bring to your friendships and relationships? It is a good time to reflect on the deeper energies of Aquarius since we are moving into the Aquarian Age. What do these energies feel like? How do you feel today at the New Moon? Allow your own experience of this moment and the New Moon guide you to a deeper understanding of Aquarian energies. Allow your compassion and respect for your earth brothers and sisters to grow.

Sun in Pisces
February 18th at 1:36pm (EDT)

The Sun moves into Mystical Pisces. With the Sun in Pisces expect still waters to run deep. The energies of Pisces are mystical and Soulful, compassionate and selfless as well as naturally psychic. There is a flow of artistic energy, and the subtle realms of music, art, song, dance and poetry will speak to your Soul. There is a misty cloud surrounding life. During the Pisces time of year allow yourself to connect to the depths of your unconscious, to the symbols and images of your dreams, to the deepest mysteries of life and death. Listen to your intuition, experience your Oneness with the Universe.

At this time the sap begins to flow and the seeds begin to break open once more. This is a time of deep healing on all levels, and a time to transmute our personal dreams into a larger vision that will be of service to the great humanity. “Within the sign of Pisces the purification of the soul is begun. The soul enters the Holy of Holies and stands before the Altar of the Lord. Here, it supplicates itself and submits to the purifying waters of Love to wash away the encrustation of the soul’s past sojourns in the karmic sphere of life. Long before Christians used the sign of the fish to represent Jesus Christ, the Vesica Pisces was the symbol for absolution of karma through the Greater Love which emanates from the Universal Christos into the human experience. The Vesica Pisces was the all-encompassing womb of holiness which embraced the ‘unborn’ (ignorant) and prepared them for an illumined birth.” ~ Maia Christianne Nartoomid

Leaf/Seedling Full Moon in Virgo
February 28th at 11:38am (EST)

Celebrate the healing aspect of the Earth. With the Sun in Pisces opposite Moon in Virgo you might want to focus your energies on issues around service and deepening your compassion for the suffering in our world. It is a good time to reflect on your role, your calling in the world. Where do you feel moved to serve? Virgo is an earth sign and a sign of healing, purity and sacred service. You may be particularly sensitive to your own health and healing concerns or may be drawn to learning about a new aspect of healing. This is a good time to invoke the compassion of your inner healer to help you heal inner and outer wounds.

New Moon in Pisces
March 15th at 12:14 PM (EST)

With the Sun and Moon in Pisces the energies of compassion for self and others may be particularly strong. Call in the energies of Kwan Yin, Boddhisatva of Compassion. Kwan Yin, who has attained enlightenment, was allowed to leave her incarnations on earth. Instead she decided to stay around the earth until every single person has attained enlightenment and there is no more suffering. This story touches me every time I think of it. The Truth is that until we are all liberated from suffering, none of us are really free, as we are truly ONE.

During this New Moon, pay particular attention to your dream life and the subtle spiritual, psychic and healing realms of consciousness. Also spend some time reflecting on ways you can bring more compassion into your life, for your Self and others. It’s also a great time to nurture the depths of your Soul with the beauty of the Arts, Music, Poetry and Theater. Enjoy the pleasures of life and let your deepest feelings flow. This moon is sometimes referred to as the Storm Moon, “the storm Moon views the world through a shifting sea of clouds, parting to reveal a world ready to burst into bloom. From everywhere comes the music of running water as snowmelt and rainfall gather themselves into rivers to seek their mother, the sea. This is a world in motion; everything is changing, but even as the peace of winter is destroyed, the new song of spring is growing in the air. “ -Z. Budapest from Grandmother Moon: Lunar Magic in our Lives.

May you find Light within the Darkness and May the seeds of your becoming be nourished in your own inner depths! May you have a most ENLIGHTENING winter season! Blessed Be! Blessed Be! Blessed Be!

Deborah Knighton Tallarico, MA, LCPC, is a transpersonal psychotherapist, counselor & energy worker, devoted planetary priestess, wayshower & a loving spiritual guide for the New Earth Consciousness, an emissary for the Golden Age.

She has dedicated her life to holding a sacred & loving space to help heal and empower other Souls during this profound transition on Earth. It is her
heartfelt prayer that all beings be free of suffering, that Love permeate the hearts of ALL Beings, and that Unity & Peace be restored on Earth. She can be reached at: 207-653-7823.