The Winter Solstice is a wonderful time for divination. People use divination in various ways, and there is no right or wrong way.
I tend to use divination as a healing tool rather than a predictive tool. For me, it is an invitation to get curious about myself and what the current situation is asking me to heal or become more aware of, helping me to grow.
I am less interested in predicting the future because many factors are at play that can change the outcome of any situation. I also feel our sense of personal agency is a key player in our personal healing and how we live our lives. Getting too attached to future possibilities can diminish our personal agency in accessing our power in this moment.
I see a tarot or oracle spread as a reflection of the present moment, holding the feelings and potential that we can access right then and there. I feel a reading loses its power as time goes on, because we can change moment to moment. This is mainly why I don’t record readings, but ask clients to take their own notes, trusting that they will hear what they need to hear in that moment, and what stands out to them will be most important and influential on their choices and actions.
At the Winter Solstice, we can often feel a bit ‘in the dark’ about our lives, as the increased darkness invites us to embrace the unknown as we journey into the deeper recesses of our psyches.
Divination can be like a little flashlight, showing us clues to follow, as we trust our intuition to lead us forward. There will be twists and turns on our path, and whilst we may not be meant to see whats ahead, divination helps us access the tools we need to be able to navigate the journey.
I would like to share with you my Winter Solstice Spread below. It shows us what we’ve learned from the past year and how that has influenced our present situation. It shows us the potential wisdom that we can now apply to the current situation and develop in the weeks to come. First, I give you the layout so you can do the reading with your own deck, then I give you a Solstice Goddess Oracle reading below!
Use any deck you feel comfortable with. Ground and centre yourself. Take a few deep breaths and connect with how you’re feeling. You may wish to bring the cards to your heart centre so they can attune to your energy.
Shuffle the deck however you normally do, taking your time to reflect on your past year and your current situation. Then when you feel ready, choose your first card and place it in the centre. This is the Present Situation. Then choose your second card, placing it to the left. This represents the Lessons/Gifts from the past year, which have influenced your situation. Choose your third card placing it on the right side of the centre card. This represents the Wisdom in Waiting, or potential energy you can apply to the current situation, that will also help tie in the lessons from the past year and bring you to a new place of growth.
Notice the thread that flows through the cards. Notice what resonates, what feels true and what feels interesting or inspiring. Write down anything that you wish to carry with you on your journey.
Below is a version of this reading that I have done for you. It is a general reading for all who are reading this, let me know if it resonates!
Here is what I pulled for you:
- Present Situation: In the present position, we have Lillith, Jewish goddess of independence in this deck. The experiences of 2021 have brought you to this new place in your life where you are finally living your life on your own terms, having moved away from or severed unhealthy, toxic ties or codependent habits. It can feel scary to go it alone sometimes, but it is only when we know who we are as an individual that we can attract the right people for us in our life. Through 2021 the planets Saturn and Jupiter have been in Aquarius, urging us to define what freedom and independence means to us and how to build the right foundations for it. You currently are creating that space for yourself or being called to do so at this time. More work in this area will continue through 2022, as the road can be bumpy with Saturn still in Aquarius. You must take responsibility for the choices you make in the name of independence and be prepared for the consequences. But you are much better equipped now than you were last year, knowing what feels true to you and what is worth the effort. Keep it up, knowing you have the power to blaze that trail and do your own thing!
- Lessons From the Past Year: Here, we have Benzai-Ten, Japanese goddess of beauty. Over the last year, you may have come up against insecurity, low self-worth, rejection or a sense of just being ‘not enough’. It may have been hard to see the beauty in life, due to a cloudy outlook, or feeling that you aren’t beautiful or have nothing to offer the world. You may have had to re-align with your true values rather than those imposed on you by the outside world. Those were the challenges, but there were also gifts. You maybe had to dig deep to find what was really holding you back, into past experiences in your childhood that fueled low self-esteem. This lead to some deep healing and courage to finally stand on your two feet and shine your beautiful, independent spirit. Or perhaps someone or something reflected your beauty back to you, reminding you of how beautiful and capable you really are. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder- perhaps a change in perspective was what we needed to see the beauty in yourself instead of through the lens of others. Perhaps you were inspired by something beautiful, which urged you to take a new path and express more beauty in your life now.
- Wisdom in Waiting: Here, we have the potential energy of Yhi, Aboriginal Australian Sun Goddess in this deck. How appropriate for this time of year, where we celebrate the hope of the increasing light. The advice for the present is to shine your light, and keep doing you! Find that warm spark of passion within you, and let it radiate through your being. What lights you up? What gets you excited? What brings you joy? When you live life from your centre, from that flame of truth inside of you, your path becomes clear, you attract new opportunities and people who are good for your health and wellbeing. Yes, sometimes when we shine brightly, we attract bugs, so be aware of this potential, but don’t let it get you down. You’ve got this, you are strong and capable. The world needs your unique light, so don’t be afraid to shine!
So, to sum it up- you’ve come a long way this year, and its been a journey of finding yourself and blazing a new trail of independence. Give yourself permission to be your uniquely beautiful self, embracing your quirks and all the weirdness that makes you who you are, and shine it out into the world. It gives others permission to do the same.
Let me know if any of this resonated with you. I wish you a warm and bright Solstice and please feel free to contact me for a reading!
xo Serena
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As a Witch who makes her home and practice in Tkaronto (Toronto) Ontario, I deeply thank the original stewards of this land: The Mississaugas of the Credit, Mississaugas of Scugog, Alderville, Hiawatha & Curve Lake; The Chippewas of Beausoleil, Rama & Georgina island, the Haudenosaunee and Wendat nations. I acknowledge the resilience of the First Nation, Inuit and Metis people who live and work here in the present, in a system of inequity and oppression. I am working on uncolonising my own practice, amplifying Indigenous voices and supporting Indigenous communities in whatever way I can.