Winter Solstice Ft. Astrologer Janet Carrol
Hello & happy Sunday folks!
Do you know what time it is? Winter solstice time! The winter solstice this year is on December 21st, and being Solstice Interiors, we mean business around here. We’re pivoting from interiors for this special blog post and diving into the winter solstice, what it means, and takeaways for the New Year. I am SO excited to share a conversation I had with a wonderful human, astrologer, and source of wisdom surrounding the winter solstice, Janet Carrol. Fun fact: I am very, very into astrology and how that affects us day to day, and in the past/ present! I had an hour consultation with Janet diving into my personal birth chart and holy cow was that informative. Whether you’re into astrology or not, this Q&A is really geared towards defining the winter solstice and approachable takeaways for the New Year.
Let’s dive right in!
Janet Carrol: The Winter Solstice
Alright, give it to us! What exactly is the winter solstice?
The Winter Solstice is an astronomical phenomenon that marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The Winter Solstice occurs in the Northern Hemisphere in December (and for the Southern Hemisphere in June). The Winter Solstice happens every year when the Sun reaches its most southerly declination of degrees: this is when the North Pole is tilted farthest away from the Sun delivering the fewest hours of sunlight of the year. The Winter Solstice itself lasts only a moment in time, so other terms have been used for the day on which it occurs, such as ‘midwinter’, or the ‘shortest day’. Although the Winter Solstice isn’t until Saturday, December 21st at 8:19 pm PST, we are experiencing the earliest of sunsets right now. These long nights leading up to the solstice are wonderful for reflection and silence. We experience the solstice around this time every year when the Sun enters Capricorn.
Is there a backstory or origin to this winter solstice?
The ancients of many cultures celebrated the Winter Solstice as a time for honoring and welcoming the ‘re-birth of the Sun’, following several months of cooling temperatures and darkening skies. It is also a time of gratitude for ‘going within’ and ‘slowing down’ which is encouraged by the shorter days and cooling weather.
Different cultures around the world have long held feasts and celebrated holidays around the Winter Solstice. This time of the year is filled with multiple multi-faceted symbols: the marriage of solstice celebrations in northern hemisphere with Christian traditions overlaid with northern Paganism and with the commercialized magic that brings us, for example, Father Christmas. If you start to count up the number of symbols associated with this particular time of year it would take you a long time before you got to the end of the list. Did you know that Christmas trees only just arrived in the 19th century? Our ancestors revered evergreen plants mainly because, while other trees were seemingly dying and giving up their leaves, the evergreens remained green and healthy. Mistletoe, Holly and various pine trees were and are celebrated in the winter months due to the contrast they make with the barren landscape of winter (not always so apparent in San Diego!). These traditions were and still are to bring these evergreens into the home. Throughout time this practice evolved and is now the basis for most of our decorating themes. Fire and light are also traditional symbols of celebrations held on the darkest day of the year. In the ancient world, fire was of great importance because without it in cold climates the chances for survival were slim to none.
What can we takeaway from this upcoming winter solstice, and how can we apply it to the New Year?
The Winter Solstice is a good time to reflect on the passing year and to set intentions for the new year. Since we’re at the end of the decade it would be worthwhile to reflect on this passing decade and then ponder or even write some new intentions for the coming decade: the 2020’s.
From our hearts to yours, wishing you all the blessings of the Winter Solstice, great happiness and holiday celebrations!
Janet Carrol, MA:
Native Californian, 32 year resident of Carlsbad/ Rancho Santa Fe, now residing in St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach Janet at janetcarrol@gmail.com
I don’t know about you, but this info left me pretty dang inspired to sit down with myself and not only reflect on the past year/ the upcoming year, but really look at what I can do to set myself up for success day to day. In addition, how can we incorporate this information into our own home and interiors? With this in mind, we designed a mini-space we hope you can plug into some part of your home so that you have your own little haven to sit back, relax, and reflect in. I envision this cozy setup nestled in a corner of a bedroom, your office, or living room - anywhere you can fit it in your own home! I hope this Q&A and winter solstice-inspired design gets your wheels turning for the new year and what you can do to reflect and take care of YOU! We’re linking to every piece of this design below.
P.S. We’ll be collaborating on the blog quarterly with Janet in 2020. YIPPEE!! Have any questions for her?? Comment below and we’ll try to include them in the next guest feature with her.
Cheers & happy almost-winter solstice!!
Pillow // Corbyn Shelving Unit // Brass Incense Set // Femme Art Print // Vintage Rug // Striped Notebook // Lounge Chair // Stump Stools