The Solstice Cave is a Celtic variation of the present day Christian nativity. In fact, visitors during the holiday season often mistake it for a traditional nativity scene when they see it; until they realize cougars, hawks, hummingbirds, and snakes surround the infamous mother and child! Yet the mother symbolized here is not Mary but Mother Earth, and the child is not Jesus her son, but the Sun returning to us. In my own heart, these symbols are one and the same. Mary and the Earth both offering a nurturing and safe feeling of being deeply loved and always protected. The bright positive energy of Jesus doubles as the Sun in my life, expanding outward into all areas it touches. This ritual is a way I integrate my nature roots with my Christian belief in God in my present life.
For your own special ritual, make a small cave-like structure in the garden or on the deck or patio table using large round stones and a flat piece of slate for the roof. A large clay flowerpot on its side also works well. Now it is time to make small figurines for the cave. There is always a mother, a child, and an angel. The rest of the clay is then used for making favorite totem animals, or other power symbols. (One year my husband made his red mustang convertible.) Try different types of mediums; from salt dough, to oven clay, to air-drying clay. Because these figurines are made new every year, they don’t have to be made of a permanent material.
On Solstice Eve turn off all the lights in the house and go outside to your cave. Place the figurines and animals in the cave, and light a small votive candle in a safe weatherproof container. Now is the time to say prayers of gratitude for the Light in the darkness, and what that symbolizes to you. Take turns speaking your wishes for the year ahead and then sing some of the older carols like Deck the Halls and Good King Wenceslas. This singing is a way of joyfully ushering in the longer and brighter days to come.
This ritual has helped me to touch in deep to my pagan roots and feel a connection with Nature during the holidays that I often felt was missing before. It also gives me time to reflect on the true meaning of the Solstice holiday and what these cycles teach us.
© Minnie Kansman 2011. All rights reserved.
Tags: Winter Solstice
