Solstice Full Info

The Annual

Winter Solstice Ceremony 2018

An outdoor event

Sat. Dec. 22 from 12:30 – 3:00 pm

At America’s Stonehenge, Salem NH

Exact solstice moment Friday December 21 at 5:23 pm Sunrise 7:12 am – Sunset 4:14 pm, Full moon Dec 22 at 12.50 pm

There is some preparation involved that you want to be aware of and create in the weeks leading up to this ritual. Scroll down to what to prepare and bring.

The cooling winds sank their icy teeth into Mother’s unsuspecting skin, hardening her instantly. They brought with them the crystalline flurries to weave Mother’s first cloak of purity covering up Mother’s sad subdued fall dress of withered grey green leaves. All that this fall was not is now erased for a moment to feel the beauty of a pristine earth ready to dream a growing season anew in its own timing. Winter is making sure this time that it is not getting squeezed out of a longer growing season. An ally to help us to pace our rhythm to the rhythm of Mother Earth and slow us down to move to the source within and into presence, to sort and sift, cleanse and renew, to expand our inner light and dream our next conscious manifestation.

We turn our attention to the winter solstice, sun-stand-still and the point of light returning, and remember the continuation of the steady rhythms of the in-breath and out-breath of the earth and the sun as they dance together journeying through space. As long the earth and sun continue their dance the steady rhythm of inhale and exhale continues yet within the rhythm things shift and change. Season’s shorten and lengthen, cooling and warming trends reflect imbalances, droughts and floods get into a vicious cycle as temperatures rise and fall as all is connected. Shifting weather patterns bring apprehension to what this winter season may bring. We begin to realize that we are more affected and dependent on these cycles when suddenly the ease is no longer there and the future becomes uncertain and challenging. The winter season gives us pause and time for reflection as how we are going to navigate these changes and what that means for us personally and what are the opportunities to help us rise to the occasion to create the change and vision we have been wanting. What are we willing to do to keep our Mother Earth alive?

We are in a transition time, shifting into the Aquarian age does not happen overnight. Old patterns are still in place even when they no longer vibrate with the frequencies of the new earth and may therefore feel much more intense as they become obsolete and obstacles to the newly encoded patterns of love, harmony, and peace. It will take some time for all these patterns to surface and be transmuted into the light and it takes our conscious efforts and awareness to assist this process on behalf of everyone. When we pause our random thoughts we create space for us to remember who we truly are as the expression of the body of the Divine which allows us to awaken from the identification with our collective and personal painbody. We come at the choice point to look at what we are empowering with our words, feelings, thoughts, and actions. Are we willing to become acutely present and accept what is? Are we ready to truly nourish our greatness and enter that niche that the earth has been holding for us to deliver our particular experiences, gifts, and talents as a solution to a missing link? Are we ready to recognize our fear based ego mind and transmute its deception into the light and let our higher self take over to walk with Divine guidance and conscious thoughts, words, feelings, and actions? Are we willing to recognize that we are the change we have been waiting for and take responsibility to create this change within? And are we willing to accept where we are and forgive ourselves for what we can or cannot do? We are entering into a mineral year according to the Dagara people of West Africa, which is about remembering who we are and why we are here. Mineral is intimately connected to our purpose, communication, creative ideas, and storytelling. It is the realm of record keeping, conductivity, slow metamorphosis, density, crystallization, solidity, foundation, memory, and storage of information for the future. A perfect time to recognize our thought patterns and what we communicate to the world around us and from what belief patterns we operate. As the challenges mount, what will liberate us is our becoming conscious of our feelings and thoughts, do they rise from past or future or are they present now?

The intention

Our deep work lies within, tracking our random thoughts and feelings as to what keeps us in a place of crystallization and state of unconsciousness. How much do we still identify with the collective or personal painbody? What will it take to own our gifts, our divinity, and move into the manifestation of our greatness to add to the solutions and anchor the joy to keep our beloved Mother Earth and all her life alive? Are we willing to change our ways of how we have been doing things?

What to prepare and bring

– Please, get two 1 yard strips of 100% green cotton or compostable natural fabric between 1 and 2 inches wide. As you go through your day what percentage of your thoughts, words, actions, and feelings are you conscious of that move you towards your light, greatness, and divinity, through fun, play, joy, and exercising your gifts and talents no matter what circumstance you are in. Make knots for every way you do so in the one strip.

– With the second strip make knots for every thought or feeling around a situation or issue that you cannot accept or let go of that keeps you attached to your past and painbody. Notice how your body feels and what part of you this is feeding. Is it life-giving or is it hurting you and is it adding to your suffering and the collective suffering?

– Please, create on an about 10 inch square of 100% white cotton or other compostable natural fabric an image, symbol, or statement about your particular gifts you have been blessed with that contribute or could contribute a solution to a missing link that feels you have the ability to do, you feel passionate about, feels self rewarding and feels aligned with your soul’s desire. This could pertain to community, situations, places, family, or conditions.

– Please, bring a candle with safe holder that does not drip over you hands or blow out in the wind

– Please, bring flowers as part of the offering.

– Please, bring your crystals if you have them to charge as we will build a grid

– Please, bring your own water to drink and a wholesome non-gmo snack to share for after the ritual.

Katja Esser guides you through this very participatory ritual. In the spirit of co-creation, wherever your are in our own evolution, the ritual grows to new heights when you bring your items and participation to it. The rituals go deeper each year as they are built on each previous one. The unfolding of the ritual creates the sacred space, in which we give story and meaning to each sacred object we bring into it. What you bring creates the magnificence of this ritual as each contribution makes up the whole. Please make sure to do your best to bring your items and let the not fulfilling of these items deter you from coming. Some may bring some extra. Come early if you still need time to work on your items. I invite you to bring a friend and children are welcome as long as they are accompanied by an adult.

Donation and gathering time 12:15 pm:

America’s Stonehenge is privately owned but is open to the public and celebrates at the Summer Solstice its 60th anniversary of being in operation under the dedicated care of the Stone family. The entry fee is $12.50 for adults there is an additional suggested donation of $8 if you can or more at the ritual site to support this work. Make sure you leave enough time to hike/walk to the site so we can start the ritual in time. We will be at the main side near the oracle chamber.

Who to contact: Please contact Katja on Facebook or Email: katjacreates@ritualexpressions.com You can find more info on Katja by exploring this website. You find more info about America’s Stonehenge or if there are issues reading the full text on my website go to www.stonehengeusa.com and this info is also posted on Facebook.

Directions: From I 93, take exit 3 in NH, take Rte 111 East (app. 5 mi.,) to Island Pond and Haverhill Rds. (there will be a sign here for America’s Stonehenge on your right). Follow Haverhill Rd. south to entrance.