It’s the shortest day of the year, so of course it’s raining here in Wales, meaning we can’t see the sun anyway.

The winter solstice, or Yule as it’s sometimes called, is a great time to take stock of where you are now and where you want to be this time next year. We’re at the end of one cycle, and every day grows a little longer as we welcome back the sun.

Perhaps you’d like to do a little ritual to say goodbye to the old and hello to the new. This is the time when I burn the greenery I brought into my little garden retreat for last Yule and decorate with new foliage for the coming year. Perhaps you might like to start this tradition or something similar for yourself.

A ritual doesn’t have to be grandiose. Sometimes simple is best, particularly if you work solitary.

If you’re making any goals or resolutions for 2020, today’s a good opportunity to sit in quiet contemplation and reflect on what you’d like to welcome more of into your life for the coming months.

Take a moment to look back on 2019. Maybe it’s been a good year for you, or maybe it’s been tough. See if you can think of five things you’re grateful for, even if they’re only small things, and give thanks to the Universe or whatever deities you work with.

What lessons have you learned? What can you do differently in the future? What have you loved and want to see more of in your life?

What do you need to release and say goodbye to, so that you have space in your world to invite in your deepest desires and make them manifest?

If you make only one promise to yourself for 2020, let it be to be kinder to yourself. No one knows you better than you, so when you accept who you are, all the glorious shades of light and darkness, and recognize that you were born with everything you need, you begin to reclaim who you are and honour your highest self.

Fill a candle with your energy, your commitment to yourself to stay true to your intentions for the next twelve months. We’d advise you to keep them simple and achievable, so you can build trust with yourself. (This is part of the practice of being kind to yourself!)

When you are ready, light the candle, saying:

I welcome back the sun and as the light returns, let it always remind me of my promise to myself.

And now you can celebrate! Eat, drink and be merry, for the festive season is here. Even on the darkest night, there are still things to be thankful for and the knowledge that the wheel is always turning; the sun will always return.

Blessed Yule, everyone!