Winter Solstice and Mother’s Night 2025

Mother’s Night (Mōdraniht) is an ancient Germanic/Anglo-Saxon tradition, celebrated on the eve of the Winter Solstice, marking the first night of Yule to honor ancestral mothers, female deities like Frigg, and the divine feminine, to focus on nurturing, protection, and rebirth. It’s a solemn yet festive night for remembrance, offerings, and connecting with life’s cycles, often involving candles, feasts, and rituals for the “Disir” (mother spirits). 

The first thing that comes to my mind is to honor my very own Mother Spirit with some yummy chocolate, so I will!

Winter solstice —
the farthest touch
of dark.
The sun’s been
arching back,
breathing behind the clouds,
taking its time,
waiting
for you, too. –Tanya Markul

Here are a few positive affirmations to greet this winter solstice:

Embrace the Darkness – I welcome the darkness, for within it lies the seeds of new beginnings.
Find Inner Light – I am a beacon of light, radiating warmth and positivity even in the coldest of times.
Release and Renew – I release what no longer serves me, making space for growth and transformation.
Connect with Nature – I am attuned to the rhythms of the Earth, finding harmony in its cycles.
Cultivate Gratitude – I am grateful for the lessons of the past and the opportunities of the future.


Curated from rebeccadouglas.co.uk

Random Pics and Pearls

 

…of wisdom, that is.

Although he passed away in 1938, Clarence Darrow, U.S. lawyer, leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union and prominent advocate for Georgist economics, said this–as true now as it was when he first uttered the words:

–When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President. Now I’m beginning to believe it.
–You can only protect your liberties in this world by protecting the other man’s freedom. You can only be free if I am free.

That was my wisdom sharing for today—now for the pics:

FAUNA

This is an annoyingly elusive Scott’s Oriole eating some mulberries.
scotts oriole
And a friendly bunny, of course.
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Yellow finch eating the last of the loquats.
IMG_6044

FLORA

Clivia in bloom
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Petunias!
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Lastly, words I wish I had written…
wolf rabbit seashell