Winter Solstice is the moment the Sun is born again.

Ever since last year’s Winter Solstice the Sun has grown: from birth to its height at the Summer Solstice, then declined through autumn, until its light finally died on the darkest night. When, simultaneously, it is born again. And a new cycle of life for the Sun begins.

In Winter, life slows down, and we naturally go within, Winter is the dreaming time of year, and in that sense the Winter Solstice is also a time of gestation and labor for the dreams we will birth in Spring, work to cultivate in Summer, and harvest in Fall.

However, will we dream unconsciously or consciously in the dark of Winter?  If we let our unconscious take the reins, its compulsion is to replay the thoughts, emotions, and impressions that we have encountered in waking life, especially that material which is harder for us to digest. 

Like bears, we feel the need to curl up, stay inside, stay warm, fatten up and SLEEP. Despite our inclination to withdraw and go within, many of us fight this urge, staying busy and working extra hard to make the holidays special for our families.

This makes the Winter Solstice an ideal time for cleansing ourselves on both conscious and unconscious levels.

But what if we gave in to our natural inclination for rest and regeneration? What would be possible for us if we let ourselves sit and reflect over the past year, to gather up our lessons and strength and make new plans for the year to come? Our inner guru should be listened to and heeded during this whole winter season.

During the winter months, we tend to sleep more deeply; When we sleep more deeply we have the chance to uncover a level of our psyche not usually available to us.

The brightness of the Full Moon can disrupt our sleep patterns, causing us to regularly wake up throughout the night. However, darkness makes the body more able to rest as it encourages the production of melatonin, a natural hormone that regulates our circadian rhythms.

During the New Moon and Solstice, it is said that the veil between the spiritual world and our human one becomes thinner. Dreams that arrive at this time often carry important symbolism and can serve as meaningful clues for the direction we are being called to go in.

The New Moon and the coming of light after Solstice traditionally represent new beginnings. We can use our dreams to navigate towards a fresh start, releasing old unconscious patterns in the process.

Many ancient cultures, including pagan culture, indigenous and Native American tribes, honored the deep wisdom of dreams during specific winter nights.

Traditionally dreams would be shared amongst families and communities each morning. Together the group would draw out the significance of each dream through acting them out, discussion, and interpretation. The wisdom found in the dreams of the people were then applied through ritual and occasionally via direct action for the good of the community or the person/people involved.

If you feel the need for change in your life, paying attention to your dreams during the winter solstice may provide clues of where to direct your attention.  What changes would you like to see in the new year and the return of the light?