December Solstice
Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. The shortest day brings the longest night of contemplation, rest and nourishing your soul.
December or Winter Solstice usually occurs on December 21 or 22 each year in the northern hemisphere.
Winter solstice is a celebration of light because the days get longer the day after solstice. Solstices are the peak Sun activity (summer) or shortest (winter) of the solar cycle throughout the year.
Celebration of Light
The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day of the year, but here’s the twist: it’s also the turning point.
The Sun starts its slow return, bringing longer days and brighter energy back to the northern hemisphere.
In Vedic astrology, the Sun isn’t just a ball of fire—it’s your inner power, your drive, your soul’s light.
When the Sun turns, so can you.
This is your cosmic nudge to stop hiding and step into what truly lights you up. 🔥
Celebrate the Sun’s comeback in style: move your body with sun salutations, light a fire to honor its warmth, or gather your people for a meal filled with laughter and connection.☀️☀️☀️
Center of Winter
In the northern hemisphere, December solstice is actually the center of your winter. That’s right, it’s not the beginning of winter. It is actually the center of your winter.
The center of your winter, means you’re halfway through the season! The light begins to return after the December solstice.
For instance, I live in the Northern Hemisphere, in the Northern latitudes, and I actually gain one-minute of light a day after December 21st. So, it’s truly a day of celebration because the light is returning! This is why it is called the Season of Light. The celebrations of the return of the Sun is also why Christmas was chosen to align with already existing cultural celebrations.
The weather person will say that it is the beginning of winter, but we are actually coming OUT of winter by the time solstice occurs. When you track the energy and farming calendars, solstice represents a return to the longer days and more Sun for growing.
Since solstice is the center of winter, it takes approximately another month and a half to reach the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Start testing this experience for yourself.
That would make Spring Equinox the center of Spring also, not the beginning of it. As you track the growing seasons and how your body feels and the Solar-lunar Calendars, you will begin to notice that the season begins changing well before the weather person ‘declares’ it.
Solar Lunar Calendar
In Vedic Astrology, a Solar-Lunar Calendar is used. A Solar-lunar Calendar tracks both the solar patterns, the lunar patterns and the relationship between the Sun and the Moon.
Other traditions like Taoist, Buddhist Calendars use a solar-lunar calendar too.
Lowest SOLAR Energy of the Year – Shortest day of the year
Prior to December 21st or 22nd, the solar energy is in decline with less and less light and warmth each day.
According to the SOLAR Calendar, solstice is the shortest day of the year.
Because Vedic Astrology and the Conscious Calendars use a solar-lunar calendar they follow both the Sun and Moon. Each year, the lowest SOLAR energy is always on December Solstice.
But according to the Lunar Calendar, the waxing and waning of the Moon can shift each year. So in December, the lowest energy of each year might land in late November or December, depending on when the darkest Moon lands with Solstice.
Red Day – Lowest Energy Each Month
In Conscious Calendars, a Red Day is the lowest lunar energy each lunar month.
So, when a Red Day occurs very close to December solstice, this will give you the lowest energy of the entire year.
Conscious Calendars shows you and tells you, ahead of time, the lowest energy every year – a year ahead of time!
Low energy translates as your physical, mental and spiritual capacity – feeling tired, needing more rest, and makes for a great self-care day.
A Red Day is the day each month to rest a little more, and build your reserves for the following month. It could be a day of relaxation, a spa day, or more nourishing practices like calming yoga, a nice slow bath, or eating a yummy soup. These are all resonant and healing practices that Red Days help remind you to do to love yourself and build long-term health, every single month.
Red Day Before Solstice
Every year, the day before the new moon before the solstice ends up being the lowest energy of the year.
Kathleen Whalen and Conscious Calendars teaches you about the Red Days and how to use them for your health and spiritual fulfillment.
You can begin to understand your own natural circadian rhythm.
When you act in alignment with your natural state, you conserve energy and are more effective.
Slow Down
It’s winter time in the northern hemisphere. The natural energy is to be introspective, to still get fresh air, but to move more slowly, to actually cultivate the water and earth energies within you, according to Ayurveda. This will help ground you so that you’re not dried out in the dry winter.
Southern Hemisphere
December solstice is summer solstice in the southern hemisphere. Since it is summertime in the southern hemisphere, this is the “turn around” day and is the center of the summer. From this day the days begin to get longer. In Australia, for instance, the Christmas holiday comes right after the longest day of the year each year.
Since December solstice is the longest day of the year it has the most solar energy.
You are in the center of your summer and your days begin to get shorter once you pass the summer solstice. So it’s the most yang time of the year if you live in the southern hemisphere and you want to make sure you try and get drops of yin on December 21st if you’re in say Australia, New Zealand, or South America. So that is a way to actually use the December solstice.
Northern Hemisphere
If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, this is your shortest day of the year. The solar light is at its smallest and everything turns around. This is why the ancient traditions from Stonehenge to the Standing Stones you see in Scotland, our ancient selves Watched the movement of the sun and heralded it and celebrated the return of the light.
Cultivate Quiet
That is your December solstice. So this is your message to listen to yourself, to cultivate quiet, to allow yourself to be a little more quiet and maybe not in party season, but perhaps spend a little more quiet and maybe make some craft gifts instead of going out and shopping and spending money.
What could you do in the quiet environs of your home and at the same time have deep connections with others? That’s what winter time is for. We’re inside, we have different conversations, and we experience more quiet. Everything happens for a reason and the seasons are here to help us live in a more balanced way.
Get a Year of Conscious Calendars HERE and learn if it’s a Red, Yellow or Green Day.