Winter Solstice and the Alchemy of Self-Care

Transforming darkness into nourishment, rest, and renewal

The winter solstice arrives each year like a soft threshold — the longest night, the turning of the sun, the quiet pivot point of the natural world. In the Celtic wheel we are already well into the new year that began in darkness with Samhain. We are gestating with the earth, preparing for the return of the light. While much of the cultural noise around December urges speed, productivity, and brightness, the solstice invites us into something far older and wiser: the practice of resting deeply, listening inward, and discovering what alchemy becomes possible in the dark.