Solstices are among the most interesting times of the year. Celebrated over the millennia as major power gates, their significance abides in the collective memory relating to the energies of the shifting seasons.

The celebration of Winter Solstice has survived beyond that of its Summer complement, in the form of Christmas and New Year's celebrations. Perennial foliage, light and the festive sharing of gifts and meals are some of the seasonally recurring themes dating hundreds of thousands of years. The Sun is born again as the daylight hours begin their slow increase from now until the Summer Solstice, and the Son and Daughter of God are reborn in our awareness with the symbolic Christ birth.

What is the fascination that continues to mesmerize the Western world in these darkest days of the year? Just after the season's yin energy reaches its most magnetic intensity during the longest night of winter, the Sun's electric light stirs into rebirth, beginning its slow return to prevalence in daylight hours. So the forces of mystery and clarity dance out the magical exchange between attraction and generation whose memory stirs the Alchemist within, with Its intuitive knowledge of magic, faith and love. The new being, conceived at Vernal Equinox, has now reached full gestation and is brought forth from the Womb of the Eternal Mother.

Such energies are emphasized at each Winter Solstice, with yearly variations according to the particular solstice chart, which I had the privilege of hearing about directly from Maya, as she interpreted it over the phone for me. This chart sets the tone for the entire New Year. Among its strongest features are Mercury and Saturn, both retrograde.

To quote Maya, "retrogrades throw us in on ourselves." In the case of the above-mentioned planetary pair, this means into reassessing our communication and sustained work efforts; "separating ourselves from the influence" of traditions "that worked in the past," as we put them in the perspective of "our real needs now."

The solstice opportunity to end one cycle as we make an entirely fresh start, is further empowered by the Capricorn New Moon cycle, which began one day after the exact Solstice, falling within its portal. Our Solstice-New Year prayers now are designed to maximize this potent lunar-astral combination, by overcoming obsolete mythologies and rewriting the stories of our lives.

NOTE: THE FOLLOWING BLESSING IS VERY POWERFUL IF DONE ALONE, AS WELL AS MAKING A DYNAMIC, EXCITING COMPLEMENT TO YOUR SHARED HOLIDAY OCCASSIONS.

Seasonal altarations.

Traditional décor: perennial foliage, candles, green, gold and red ornaments, a bottle of wine or water—preferably sparkling—serve to invoke earth, fire and water elements respectively, as they connect us with the Universal Sacred at this time. Timely ways to bring in the air element include burning pine needles or incense, or listening to chorals or harp music.

Synchronize with the Solstice Angels

This is a fascinating portal in which to call on two angels which always work as a pair: The Angel of Beginnings and the Angel of Endings. Invoke them as you light your candles and incense, and visualize them taking part in your ritual, as described during the following.

Blessing to create your own mythology in the New Year

According to the Webster Dictionary, "mythology" refers to a "body of myths." The meaning of "myth" covers quite a gamut, from high inspiration, to the most demoralizing. It is defined alternately as, "a story ... especially associated with religious rites and beliefs, ... a belief or concept that involves a visionary ideal," or at the other extreme, "a belief given uncritical acceptance by the members of a group, especially in support of a tradition or institution, ... a story, belief or notion commonly held to be true but utterly without factual basis."

Recover your mythological powers, by identifying those types of myths that you have accepted and promoted uncritically and absorbed involuntarily, and determining to leave behind in this New Year, freeing you to establish your own legendary expression of good.

Part I. Identify the mythology you would most like to overcome

What are the set of myths, of lies that you have inherited, absorbed or taught yourself as truth, which you would most like to overcome this year? We did this exercise with a group, and some example of chosen mythologies to overcome included:

"I want to overcome the mythology of procrastination, the myth that if I don't do it today, I'll do it tomorrow." (By the way, this is a great goal for the Capricorn New Moon cycle.)

"I want to overcome the mythology that it's dangerous or unfair to be outstanding, or to enjoy outstanding blessings."

".....that there is any person or situation that might keep me from being happy and successful."

".....the mythology of dependence, that other people will eventually do for me certain things I'm not doing for myself or for my family."

".....the mythology of unworthiness, that somehow I don't deserve to be alive, happy, successful in proportion to my capacity, and be surrounded by people who value me and love me unconditionally."

Write your own most deeply ingrained sets of untruths twice: once in a notebook or on a sheet of paper to keep and another to be disposed of as indicated a bit further on. If done with a group, some members may enjoy sharing what they've written aloud, after this step and those that follow.

PART II. Enter the Solstice Portal.

(Best done in nature, in your yard, on your patio or front step, or before a fireplace.) Envision a large, closed, majestic gate, upon a wide road or pathway. Choose the spot in your space where the gate is (either for yourself or the group you use this with). A great place for the gate is before a fireplace or bonfire, but if you don't have one, choose any place where you can burn the mythology pages. Sitting or standing before the gate, visualize two statuesque angels, one on either side. It's easier to see them if you close your eyes to concentrate on this momentarily. Say aloud, "I (We) call on the Angels of Beginnings and of Endings, as I leave behind these mythologies with the ending year."

PART III. Alchemize your mythologies.

Put your mythology page into the fire, or light it with a candle or match, place it into the gate, saying as you do so: "The Power that can finish anything is now assisting me in dissolving those beliefs that cannot accompany me into the new cycle of opulent good which awaits me in the year now beginning." If done in a group, each participant takes turns burning their pages as they repeat the prayers, and other's present affirm along with them: "The Power that can finish anything is now assisting you in dissolving those beliefs that cannot accompany you into the new cycle of opulent good which awaits me in the year now beginning."

PART IV. Write your new myth.

Marion Woodman has made the provocative suggestion that women write our own myths, to buy out of the consciousness of patriarchy's archetypes. This is something the spheres support both women and men in doing now, impressing our own chosen paradigms on the year—and our lives—ahead.

Some participants in our solstice ceremony chose to word their myths in the third person, others in the first; past and present tenses were used for greater metaphysical impact. To share a few examples:

"She felt worthy of living her potentially for wonderful success and happiness, and these manifested for her easily."

"I believe I can make a major contribution to protecting Earth's ecology."

"I overcame the habit of procrastination and learned to make the most of each day during 2004."

"He developed a clear and constant awareness of the love of the Divine Father-Mother for him and all creation, and overcame feelings of self-rejection that had hounded him since childhood."

"She developed a faith in a power over and above the challenging circumstances and personalities around her, and blossomed into the most amazing levels of achievement and joy."

PART V. Follow up.

List in writing some simple things you can on throughout the winter holiday (and beyond, if you choose) to support the power unleashed in this ritual. This could include meditating on the notes you took now, creating some sort of visualization or related tools, repeating affirmations which support your new paradigm, dedicating an predetermined time each day to a given endeavor, asking for help you need for same, or other measures. Keeping each daily commitment simple will help avoid procrastination.

PART VI. Free the planet from obsolete beliefs.

Repeat the following decree aloud for the entire planet:

"The Power that can finish anything is now assisting all peoples of all persuasions in dissolving those myths that cannot accompany us into the new cycle of opulent good which awaits humanity in the year now beginning."