According to the ancient Celtic tradition, Winter Solstice is the time of year when “light is born out of the womb of winter’s darkness.” It is the time of year when daylight is the shortest, and when night is the longest and darkest. Historically, this night was celebrated with bonfires and feasting, and with good reason – from here on out, the days start to get longer!!

Awareness of life as an unfolding spiral as as the Celts believed, is something that has slipped out of practice for most. But I like to consciously align myself with the natural flow of seasons, it helps me to know my place in the wheel of the year. Acknowledging the solstice is a profound way for me to tune into the natural magic and beauty of the season.

A good place to start for me is to make some conscious decisions to spend more time in nature, more time listening, to express my gratitude for my community of friends, co-workers and family.

Sharing food, is another important part of the Solstice celebration because it represents faith in the return of the sun and the harvest. Today I prepared a warm Wassail beverage for my co-workers at the end of the day, and at home I made a hearty root vegetable and pork pot pie for supper.

The Wassail was a crisp and spicy blend of apple cider, apple whiskey, and honey whiskey, with a packet of mulling spice and 4 rooibos teabags thrown into the crockpot for an hour. A nice way to relax into a Monday evening.

If you’d like to try my root vegetable and pork pot pie, you don’t have to wait until next year at this time. The recipe is below and all of the ingredients are readily available year round. Don’t forget to cut a smiley sun into the crust before you bake it!

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