When the darkest night of the year arrives, our ancestors didn't just wait it out. They lit fires, gathered together, and called the sun back. On this #ParanormalTuesday, Mike and Wendy welcome Zita Christian from the Ritual Recipes podcast (and Moon River Rituals) to share three Winter Solstice rituals, from beginner to expert, to help you use the energy and intention of the season to get ready for your best year ever.
Zita explains why the solstice mattered so much to people who depended on the harvest. If the sun didn't return, there would be no crops and no future, so the sun's path through the year became something sacred, and the darkest days were full of anxiety and hope.
The heart of the conversation is what turns an everyday action into a ritual: intention. Sweeping the porch is a chore, but sweeping away negative energy from your front door is a ritual. Zita walks through lighting a row of candles to light the way for the returning sun, then eating a bright orange as a symbol of the sun itself, which ties into the old tradition of finding an orange in your Christmas stocking. Mike remembers his uncle, born in 1921 to a Polish family in Milwaukee, getting oranges for Christmas.
Along the way they talk about family food traditions, the deeper meaning behind the gifts we give, and why scents like frankincense, palo santo, and sandalwood have been used for centuries to open the mind to something higher. Light a candle, settle in, and get ready to welcome back the light.