Winter Solstice — celebrating death

Yesterday, I celebrated death, my own.

Photo by Joshua Newton on Unsplash

Yesterday was the shortest day of the year, which means it was the longest night too. And what a dark night.

2020 has been for me, and I’m sure for many, a year of darkness. In my experience, it’s been a year of spending time alone, even if it’s something I abhor. But it’s what I needed, so I did it.

So when December 21st came around, I knew I had to celebrate it. The winter solstice this year felt like Christmas for me.

I know this is quite an uncommon statement. All around me, I heard the opposite: many were happy to jump into a new cycle, the age of Aquarius, new year, and so on. In other words, many of us are impatiently making their way to a new year and a new time. It is understandable.

In my contradictory spirit (I am a Moon and Rising Aquarius after all, I take great pleasure in swimming against the main stream ;) ), and because it is what felt right, I dedicated my ritual yesterday to the dark night. In other words, I stayed in the dark of the night while many rushed into the coming light.

Here’s the thing: yes, it is a fact that starting from today, 22nd December, days are starting to get longer. So, technically, the longest night is behind us. But dark nights are still here as we…