Emptying the Vessel: A Winter Solstice Ritual

The Winter Solstice is the time of ending and beginning, a powerful time — a time to contemplate your immortality. A time to forgive, to be forgiven, and to make a fresh start. A time to awaken.

Here in Northern Hemisphere, we are coming up on the Winter Solstice this Wednesday. Making it a perfect time to reflect on the past year as we prepare for the next. Take a moment away from the end-of-year activities to take stock of your journey. 

As we wind down this year, we can choose to release all that we have birthed, carried, and withstood this year so we may begin 2023 as an empty vessel ready to be filled with new adventures and love. 

In the stillness, let go of any disappointments, perceived failures, outmoded relationships, successful achievements, completed goals, abandoned goals (yes, sometimes we need to abandon a goal or two), and any other experience that no longer requires our energy. 

Take a moment to acknowledge our collective grief and frustration from all we have endured during the last 3+ years. Feel it and ask for it to be released.

The Empty Vessel Winter Solstice Ritual

  • Make a list, write down each experience or belief that you are ready to release on a piece of paper. In a safe place, light a match and let the page burn to free all of the energy that you have lovingly held for those dreams, beliefs, and/or disappointments.
  • Sleep, rest, nap, stare out the window or into the fire, at nothing at all. Don’t think or plan–just be empty for a while.
  • Light some candles and bathe in warm water with healing salt and essential oils. Soak until you are pruney fingered and your mind is relaxed.
  • Relax and attune your body-mind-spirit with this body scan meditation, Mind Body Attunement. Allow the experiences of this year to bubble up and move out of your energy field as you conduct this grounding and cleansing meditation.
  • Once you are empty — meditate. Do your favorite meditative activity–for once empty, you are ready to fill back up again with inspiration for the coming year.
  • Finally, you can do a card spread for the Winter Solstice.

We will now move ahead on our journey with greater focus and cleaner energy to put towards our existing commitments and new projects and with fewer attachments to the trials of 2023.

I wish you all a Happy Winter Solstice! 

Book a Quantum Alignment session for an in depth clearing of the year. I will email you a card spread for the New Year. Type Emptying the Vessel session in Appointment Focus

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About the Author

Laura Rowe is an Intuitive Strategist & Spiritual Seeker at The Vital Spirit. Living in Portland, Oregon, Laura founded The Vital Spirit in 2013. She has a background in business operations, a master’s degree in organizational management, and she has spent the last 35 years studying spiritual traditions and practices, and the last 12 years training in intuitive energy healing modalities.

Laura helps empaths and sensitives who have struggled their whole life with belonging. Explore How We Can Work Together