“This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year’s threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go of and becomes the future; the place of caught breath”

— MARGARET ATWOOD

Welcome to The Nudge | Winter Solstice 2024

This seasonal care package has been prepared by The Trailblazery team.

Dear anam chairde / soul friends,

We are honoured to prepare The Nudge, our final seasonal care package of 2024 for you as we approach the Winter Solstice on December 21. We will be hosting a free gathering to mark this special occasion in alignment with the exact moment of the Solstice.

At this darkest point we dream and await the returning of the light. As a human family we have been navigating some of the darkest times that will take many generations to heal. It is hard to dream when so much has been lost. We hope that some of the resources we have gathered for you in this care package will support you in the coming days and weeks. We can find some solace in the knowledge passed down by our ancestors which invites us to remember that everything starts in the dark. The Darkness (an dorchadas) holds an alchemical power - a deep presence that is pregnant with possibility. I hope that you can join me and Jenny Ní Ruiséil to welcome the returning of the light.
Grá mór millteach,
Kathy

Indigenous cultures understand the Solstices as turning points that provide potential for great change and transformation. The Winter Solstice is known in the Irish language as "Grianstad an Gheimhridh," or “sun stands still”. The procession of dwindling daylight reaches its nadir as the sun descends on this the longest night of the year. As we embrace the darkness of winter we also celebrate the beginning of the new cycle and the return to light as the days slowly start to become longer.

In Ireland, the echoes of this ancient wisdom resonate in monumental structures such as the Neolithic passage tomb at Newgrange, Brú na Bóinne. Here, the 5000-year-old dark and empty chamber is pierced by the light from the rising sun on the morning of the Winter Solstice. This moment of light emerging from the womb of winter is a powerful symbol of renewal and the continuing cycle of nature.

Our ancestors lived in alignment with the cycles and seasons honouring the opposing forces of darkness and light. Winter Solstice offers us an opportunity to navigate the intricate dance of light and darkness and harness this alchemical power as ancestors-in-training.

In this season, the life force (‘neart’) is being drawn deeper into the earth. The dominant movement is one of sinking, letting go and surrendering to the void and abyss that characterises mid-December in the northern hemisphere. As the earth sleeps and the animals hibernate, we find ourselves immersed deep in the cauldron, which is a central metaphor of transformation in our mythology.

May this Winter Solstice be a portal that offers the possibility for great change and transformation from the inside-out for all of us. Let this be a time of rest, reflection and dreaming for you and your loved ones. May the ancient wisdom embedded deep in our cultural heritage guide us through this season of transformation.

Some journal prompts to inspire you at Winter Solstice:

As the season changes, what are you noticing in your emotional body and with your internal clock and biorhythms?

How are you embracing this time of darkness within and without?

What have you been releasing since Samhain to create space for new growth and possibilities in the coming year?

What aspects of your life need attention so you can live in greater harmony with the wild world?

How are you meeting the practice of pausing, stillness, hibernation and rest?

What is this crucible moment teaching you?

Imagine the seeds of new life, ideas, and projects taking root during the "dream time" of winter. What dreams and aspirations are quietly germinating within you?

Who are your allies and what resources can you draw on for this season?

In the spirit of Winter Solstice, we are reminded of these words from Billy Mag Fhloinn, who was our guest at The Hedge School Global Winter Solstice gathering in 2020 and shared this wisdom with us:

What's happening at The Trailblazery

As the Great Wheel turns yet again, we are invited to pause and remember what we have traveled through together. We are excited to let you know what we have coming up for you over the next 6 weeks here at The Trailblazery:

moon medicine 2025

a new offering

We launched our much loved Moon Medicine Circle in 2018 and have gathered a global community of inspirational women along the way. Our monthly gatherings, which moved online in 2020, align with the lunar cycle. The Weave is a new formation that evolves our Moon Medicine Circle into a year-long community of belonging and practice. This online home is a space for soul-aligned women who are ready to weave a new world into being. A communal dwelling place for a collective of women to root, rest and rise. We will gather in sisterhood across the New and Full Moons of 2025 for experiential practices, communal rituals and evolutionary wisdom teachings. The gatherings are designed to track and synchronise with the lunar cycle including movement, meditation, breathwork, sound current, journaling and restorative practices. We blend ancient wisdom with cutting edge developments in the fields of epigenetics, quantum physics and neuroscience.

To learn more about The Weave, you can go to our website by clicking the button below.

Learn more

Winter Solstice

Kathy will be hosting a free Winter Solstice gathering to guide us into the alchemical portal of midwinter. We will sit together in the darkness and allow ourselves to truly rest our bones (tóg sos). We will tune into the transformational power of the darkness releasing what no longer serves into the void. We will prepare to drop into the dreaming from 9 to 10am at the exact moment of the Solstice. We will root, rest, and rise together with breathwork, visualisation and somatic writing practices. We will be guided by Jenny Ní Ruiséil (Yoga Teacher, Musician, Mentor, Coach).

All are invited to join this potent experience as the Wheel turns. This will be our last community gathering of the year. We look forward to welcoming you.

scoil scairte

Míle Buíochas. We want to thank those of you that have travelled with us in 2024 and look forward to organising more activities for you in 2025. If you feel the pull to join this exciting global learning community that weaves Irish culture, heritage, and language, you can join the waitlist here to be the first to know when we launch our next spiral.

Recommended Resources

Here are a few reading, watching and listening pieces to nourish and inspire you in the days ahead:

✯ Listen: For your ears

Here are some of our favourite music recommendations for the season:

Sufjan Stevens - Songs for Christmas

Kate Murphy - Yule Tidings

Enya - And Winter Came…

Atli Örvarsson and Talos - Sun Divider

Brian Crosby & Paul Noonan - My Bones a Scaffold

Drenched in Place - a collection curated by Rising Appalachia

✮ Smell: For your nose

Consider the pine tree and pinecone your secret allies at this time of year. The simple pinecone is a symbol of spiritual awakening and inspired the name of the similarly shaped Pineal Gland nestled deep in between the two hemispheres of our brain. Sometimes the Pineal Gland is referred to as our “third eye”, the “mystic seed" or “dream centre”.

The pineal gland regulates melatonin levels, the hormone responsible for our circadian rhythms, sleeping patterns and waking up cycles.

Pinecones appear across ancient art, architecture and religious symbolism. They were considered sacred by the Druids, so maybe you can make the pinecone part of your ritual practice at this Winter Solstice. Check out this Pine Oil by Celtic Hex - it is amazing for any inner work and growth you are going through. Made with Scots Pine, this is an ancient Irish tree known to guide its user, help to clear an inner path and give clarity in shadow work or trying times.

❤ Read: For your heart

We share with you the following readings, whether you need a book to curl up with on these cold days or are just curious to read something different, there should be something for you in here:

Brehons and Brahmins: Resonances between Irish and Indian cultures by Manchán Magan traces the uncanny similarities between Ireland and Ancient India. This illustrated work bridges the ancient Indo-European roots of both nations, revealing remarkable connections between their mythologies, legal systems, languages, and social structures.

Orbital is a 2023 novel by English writer Samantha Harvey that incorporates elements of science fiction, literary fiction, and philosophical drama.

The Irish Words You Should Know by Hector Ó Heochagáin celebrates Irish in all its quirks – a fun and accessible guide to fall back in love with the language every day.

Wintering by Katherine May is an intimate novel which explores the ways we can care for and repair ourselves when life knocks us down.

The Serviceberry by Robin Wall-Kimmerer - yet another great book by this author, which looks at how to live in right-relationship with the world around us.

Gaeilge i Mo Chroí by Molly Nic Céile: a beautiful title “Irish in my heart”, for a beautiful book, which explores our relationship with the language and how to welcome it in our everyday lives.

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (as recently seen on Oprah) won the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, and was shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize and the Booker Prize - definitely a must-read!

❤ Connect: For your soul

Check out these beautiful substacks:

Glimmers by the amazing Kerri ní Dochartaigh

Weavings of the Wise & Embodied by Erica O’Reilly

Unmapped Storylands with Elif Shafak

The Liminal by Dian Killian

Beauty & Bone by Layla O’Mara

✮ Watch: For your eyes

“Dá theangach - Two tongued”

This work was commissioned by Ormston House Cultural Center, Limerick, and was recently selected to become part of the ITMA SAOTHAR archive along with eight other compositions by Ceara Conway.

Thank you for walking this path with us,

Beir Bua,
Kathy and all at The Trailblazery

The Nudge - Dispatch 25 | Winter Solstice 2024