Tomorrow is the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, which marks the shortest amount of daylight, or the longest night. After this point, the earth begins to rotate back toward the sun, and slowly, in small increments of minutes each day, the light returns.
I’ve always loved this day because it reminds me that even though the darkness lingers, it will not last. From the darkest night, a new dawn comes. It only gets brighter from here!
This year, I’ll practice the solstice ritual called the 12 Magical Nights and 13 wishes, starting tonight with a future-vision meditation and intention-setting time.
The Twelve Nights, sometimes also called Rauhnacht, Smoky Nights, or Whispering Nights, have their roots in Germanic and Celtic tradition and mark the time between the solstice and the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6. These days are believed to be “out of time,” a threshold when the laws of nature are said to be suspended, when the gates to the other worlds are open, and are, therefore, ideal for divination and manifestation.
One of the most cherished traditions of the Twelve Nights is the 13 wishes ritual, which I’ll be practicing this year.
At the start, you write down 13 wishes or intentions for the coming year on little slips of paper, fold them up, and tuck them into a container like a box or a jar. Beginning on either December 21st or 24th (or anytime in between - there are no rules!) you draw one slip each day and burn it, unopened, trusting that the universe will handle bringing that wish to life. When the Twelve Nights are over, the 13th wish is left behind. Tradition says this one is your responsibility to make happen.
Maybe you’ll join me in this ritual, or find your own way to celebrate the light returning. Most of all, I hope the solstice brings you peace, a reminder that good things are ahead, and here right now.
I’m so glad you’re here with me!
My OOH LA LA! list for the week includes: Andes Creme De Menthe Thins Mints, washing dishes, hand lotion that actually makes your skin feel better.
I went to Dollar Tree for tubberware and left with tubberware and a whole bag of Andes Creme De Menthe Thins Mints. Each chocolate has a layer of bright green mint chocolate in the middle of two chocolate layers, a perfect chocolate-mint-sandwich, wrapped individually in green shiny foil, just like I remember them. I have a distinct memory of receiving these mints as a child as a gift for participating in the church choir. This year they are a gift to myself just for being me.
When I think of washing dishes, I am not enthused. However, when I am washing dishes, I am at peace. I enjoy the feeling of hot water on my hands and watching the pile of dishes slowly disappear from the sink. The satisfaction of a task completed is a sweet relief, even if for a moment. You’ll never finish the dishes for good, but if you devote yourself wholeheartedly to the task at hand, you may find peace.
It is a wonderful thing to have hand lotion that actually makes your skin feel better (a line borrowed from “The Keep Going On” song). I especially do not like the sensation of dry hands so every night, I lather myself with Trader Joe’s moisturizing head-to-toe balm and wake with soft skin. Ahhh! I realize this reads like an ad, but I promise I am not paid to say this, I just really like the stuff!
From OLL readers…
Sonia: This week I got to see a live performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, and it was one of the most magical things I experienced all year. I haven't fully teased out the reasons behind this yet, but I was struck by the feeling that there's nothing more moving than a big group of humans making music together.
Thanks for reading and for being here! It really means so much!
Reply to this email with a few sentences about your OOH LA LA! moments or experiences and I’ll share in the next email!
XOXO,
LJ
Happy Slay-Sons!
✷ Website
✷ Email: hello@lindseyjoscott.com
✷ 1178 Broadway, 3rd Floor #3450 New York, NY
OOH LA LA! is a labor of love which is free, but not cheap. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a subscriber. I’m so glad you’re here!