By Carol Fisher Linn
Invite Mother Nature for a conversation at 10:03am…..
When I skied, I looked forward to the early morning snows when I’d send the kiddoes off to school and head to the hills. The untouched snow, the white fluff on the trees and the silence but for the singing of the birds was my opportunity for meditation. Not being a skier anymore, my winter anticipation now begins with the Winter Solstice on December 21. It marks our first day of Winter in the Northern Hemisphere. We often think of the winter solstice as an event that spans an entire calendar day but, truly, the solstice lasts only one single moment, this year at exactly at 10:03am., EST.
the exact moment when our northern hemisphere
is titled as far away from the Sun as
possible giving us the day with the fewest
hours of sunlight making it the shortest day
of the year. It also marks the exact time you
will cast your tallest shadow of the year.
The word solstice comes from the Latin “sol” or sun, and “sistere” meaning to stand still. Translated it means “the sun stands still.” Now, of course, the sun does not literally stand still but it does appear to freeze in its path for a few days before and after the solstice. The change in its noontime elevation is so slight that the Sun’s path appears to stand still. This information comes from the Farmer’s Almanac (FA). According to them, 10:03am on 2025 December 21, is the exact moment when our northern hemisphere is titled as far away from the Sun as possible giving us the day with the fewest hours of sunlight making it the shortest day of the year.
Aside from being on the slopes for some inspiring morning runs or taking a walk with your favorite friend of furbaby, take a moment to walk outside at noon and catch sight of your shadow. FA reminds us that it will be the longest shadow you will cast all year.
For some, the solstice is simply a time on the calendar that marks the beginning of a new season. For me solstice has a deep spiritual meaning. Across cultures and probably ever since living beings walked this earth, this moment of the sun standing still is a sacred time. It’s a time of reflection, a time for letting go of things holding you back, and a time of rebirth. Think of it, the light returns. It is truly a magical time. Light has always been a symbol of spiritual wakening and of hope across time, across cultures.
No longer able to go sit with the buffalo on Horn Hill as I had done in the past, I now grab a journal and pass on my usual glass of merlot. I will find a quiet spot, quietly meditate and invite Mother Nature to have a conversation with me, waiting for her to nudge me into thinking of things I’d rather bury and instead show me the lessons I might have missed. I will sit for a few moments inviting clarity and renewed purpose knowing that even in the darkest of moments, renewal (new beginnings) are always possible. HOPE! ‘Tis the season.
If it’s lovely outside I might grab my scarf and coat and meander to my beloved ancient apple tree in the back yard. In some cultures, the winter solstice is linked to the divine feminine and for me that aged tree is my connection to the nurturing, enduring energy of feminine nature. Touching her I feel more intuitive, more empathetic and so much more one with the spirituality of nature and humankind. I experience connection to ancestral wisdom and feel ancient reverence through her roots beneath my feet as I imagine those in the past who have found solace or inspiration in that same spot, or in the forest, by the sea or any other place of enchantment. Think of this for a moment: we are connected to far more than just our parents (1 generation). Let’s consider our DNA or our bloodline going back 300 years, or 12 generations. In winter solstice when we connect to those generations of direct ancestors, we have 4,094 ancestors. For you to have been born, you needed those 4,094 ancestors. You dear reader, are the dream of many of those ancestors and a result of the love, sacrifice, talents, strength and determination they had. In these moments of solitude and introspection, let’s give thanks for all those who came before and bequeathed each of us one little part of themselves.
“So the shortest day came, and the year died,
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.” – Mary Oliver