10 Winter Solstice Rituals

The Winter Solstice in 2025 for the Northern Hemisphere is on Sunday, December 21, 2025, occurring at 10:03 a.m. Eastern Time (ET). As the longest night of the year approaches, cultures around the world prepare to honor the Winter Solstice--a powerful seasonal threshold marking the sun's rebirth and the gradual return of daylight. For thousands of years, people have celebrated this moment with rituals that encourage reflection, renewal, and reconnection with nature's rhythms. Whether you prefer quiet spiritual practices or communal celebrations, the solstice offers a chance to pause, reset, and embrace the promise of new beginnings. Here are ten deeply meaningful Winter Solstice rituals you can incorporate into your seasonal traditions:

1. Light a Solstice Candle at Sunset

One of the most universal solstice customs is lighting a candle to symbolize the return of the sun. As darkness settles in, light a single candle--or an entire altar of them--and spend a few quiet moments honoring the transition from darkness back toward longer days. You might reflect on what "light" means in your life: hope, creativity, clarity, or purpose. Allow the candle to burn for a while as a way of welcoming warmth and illumination into your home and inner world. This simple act can anchor you in the beauty of seasonal change.

2. Create a Yule Log Ritual

The Yule log tradition stretches back to pre-Christian Europe, where communities would burn a large log through the longest night as a blessing for the year ahead. Today, you can create a smaller, personal version. Choose a log or thick branch and decorate it with herbs, dried orange slices, pine cones, or inscriptions of your intentions. Safely burn it in a fireplace or outdoor fire pit, or simply place it on an altar as a symbolic representation. As it burns, imagine the flames consuming old burdens and making space for renewal.

3. Write and Release What You're Letting Go Of

The solstice energy encourages release--shedding what no longer serves you to make room for what's coming next. Write down habits, fears, thought patterns, or situations you're ready to let go of. Then safely burn the paper in a fireproof bowl or fireplace, letting the smoke carry these old energies away. Feel the emotional weight lifting as you release the year's heaviness. This ritual can be surprisingly cathartic, offering a clean slate as the new solar cycle begins.

4. Set Seeds of Intention for the New Cycle

After you release the old, the solstice becomes a natural time to plant new intentions. Think of this as planting "spiritual seeds" during the darkest moment so they can grow as the light returns. Write your intentions in a journal or create a vision board to give them form. Focus on themes like creativity, health, relationships, or spiritual growth. Visualize the months ahead and feel what it will be like to bring these intentions to life. Revisit these seeds throughout the year as the days grow longer.

5. Make a Winter Solstice Feast

Seasonal celebrations are woven deeply into human history, and gathering around a nourishing feast is one of the most joyful solstice rituals. Prepare foods rich in warmth and symbolism: roasted root vegetables, hearty stews, winter squash, baked bread, citrus fruits, and spiced desserts. Invite friends or family to share the meal, or enjoy it solo as an act of gratitude for the abundance in your life. You might begin the feast with a toast to the sun's rebirth and the new cycle ahead.

6. Take a Solstice Nature Walk

Even in cold climates, stepping outside on the solstice can be a grounding and magical experience. Bundle up and take a slow walk through a park, forest, or your own neighborhood. Notice the stillness of winter--the bare trees, the muted colors, the quiet air. Pay attention to how the natural world rests and conserves energy during the dark season. This contemplative walk can remind you of nature's cycles and inspire you to embrace your own periods of rest and reflection.

7. Build a Solstice Altar

Creating a seasonal altar brings together meaningful objects that represent the essence of the Winter Solstice. You might include evergreen branches (symbolizing resilience), pine cones (renewal), candles (light), crystals such as clear quartz or garnet (clarity and grounding), dried herbs, or personal items tied to your intentions. An altar becomes a visual reminder of your inner journey, and you can sit with it during meditation or journaling. Over the season, add new items that reflect your evolving connection to winter's energy.

8. Practice a Solstice Meditation or Journey

Meditation on the solstice can be especially potent, as the long night invites deep stillness. Try a guided meditation focused on releasing darkness, embracing the light, or journeying inward to meet your "winter self." For those who practice shamanic journeying, this can be a powerful time to connect with spirit allies or ancestors. Even a simple breath practice--inhale light, exhale heaviness--can help you align with the solstice's transformative energy.

9. Perform a Cleansing Ritual

Just as many people do spring cleaning, the solstice is an ideal moment for energetic clearing. Clean your living space, then use smoke cleansing tools such as incense, cedar, rosemary, or ethically sourced sage to clear stagnant energy. Open windows, ring bells, or clap your hands in corners to break up old vibrations. Visualize your home filling with fresh, bright energy. This ritual refreshes your environment and supports the intention of starting the new cycle lighter and clearer.

10. Winter Solstice Drum Circle 

A Winter Solstice drum circle is a community gathering to celebrate the longest night by using rhythmic drumming to welcome the return of light, release old energies, and connect with nature and each other, featuring drumming, sometimes fire, chanting, and communal sharing, with events ranging from free-form jams to structured shamanic journeys, and you can find local ones via social media or spiritual centers. When we join our hearts in prayer and sacred drumming, we participate in this season of renewal, attuning ourselves to the cyclical rhythms of nature. As we celebrate the return of the light, we affirm the continuation of life at the very moment of dissolution. Prayer, gratitude, and generosity at this time will clear the way for renewed growth and prosperity.

Honoring the Return of the Sun

The Winter Solstice invites us to slow down, listen inward, and honor the dance between darkness and light. Whether you practice one ritual or several, the key is to approach the solstice with intention and presence. As the sun begins its gradual return, may your spirit also brighten and expand. May you find renewal in the quiet, hope in the darkness, and inspiration in the first returning rays of the growing light. Let the solstice be your invitation to pause, reconnect, and welcome a new cycle of possibility.

The Surprising Benefits of Ego Death

For much of our lives, we move through the world inside a carefully constructed sense of "me"--a story built from memories, preferences, fears, roles, beliefs, and defenses. This story is what many spiritual traditions refer to as the ego. It isn't inherently bad; in fact, a healthy sense of self is necessary for navigating daily life. But when the ego becomes rigid or overgrown, it can act like a cage--limiting our perception, strangling our creativity, and keeping us locked into old patterns.

This is where the concept of ego death comes in. Far from an annihilation of personal identity, ego death is a temporary loosening of the rigid, habitual sense of self. It is a shift in consciousness during which the everyday "I" recedes, revealing a deeper, more expansive awareness. Many people describe it as waking up from a dream they didn't realize they were dreaming.

Ego death can arise through meditation, breathwork, deep contemplative practice, drumming or rhythmic trance traditions, profound emotional experiences, or spontaneous moments of insight. (While some associate ego death with psychedelic experiences, this post focuses on the psychological and spiritual dimensions--not drug-induced states.)

Below are some of the most powerful benefits of this transformative experience.

1. Freedom From the Tyranny of Self-Narrative: Our minds are constantly telling stories: I'm not good enough., I must succeed., People expect this from me., I'm the type of person who… These narratives often turn into invisible chains. Ego death loosens that compulsive self-storytelling, giving you a rare chance to see your thoughts as temporary events rather than absolute truths.

When the "I" becomes less solid, many people experience profound relief. The pressure to maintain a certain identity falls away. There is no one to impress, nothing to prove, no persona to protect. In this spaciousness, a more authentic form of being can emerge--one that isn't squeezed into the old story.

2. A Deep Sense of Interconnectedness: One of the hallmark experiences of ego dissolution is the sense that the boundary between "self" and "other" becomes more porous. Instead of feeling like an isolated entity moving through a world of separate objects, you may experience life as an interconnected flow.

This feeling of unity can radically shift the way you relate to people, nature, and the world around you. Compassion often increases because suffering is no longer viewed as something that happens to "them"--it is part of the shared human experience.

Many spiritual traditions describe this sensation as a return to our original nature: the recognition that we are not separate from the whole. People often describe it as deeply calming, profoundly healing, and emotionally transformative.

3. Liberation From Fear: Much of human fear is rooted in the ego's attempts to protect its identity. We fear rejection because it wounds the self-image. We fear failure because it contradicts the internal narrative of who we think we should be. We fear change because it threatens the familiar shell of "me."

When the ego temporarily recedes, these fears lose their grip. The fear doesn't necessarily disappear forever, but its power diminishes significantly.

Ego death reveals that the core of who we are cannot be harmed by opinions, mistakes, or the shifting tides of circumstance. This insight often leads to:

• Greater emotional resilience
• More courage in personal expression
• Willingness to take healthy risks
• Access to deeper vulnerability and honesty

When the ego loosens, we find a freedom that fear has long obscured.

4. A Reset for Mental and Emotional Patterns: Most people move through life on psychological autopilot. We repeat the same reactions, habits, judgments, and anxieties because the ego clings to what is familiar--even if it harms us. Ego death disrupts these loops, creating a kind of internal "reset."

From this neutral field of awareness, old emotional patterns often lose their intensity. Some people describe it as hitting a "clear all" button on their internal clutter, even if only temporarily. This reset can make room for:

• New perspectives
• Fresh creativity
• Healthier behavior
• Increased psychological flexibility

The insights gained during ego dissolution often lead to lasting change--even long after the moment has passed.

5. Enhanced Creativity and Intuition: The ego tends to think in straight lines, always referring back to known concepts and established identities. But true creativity comes from the deeper layers of the psyche--the parts that are not bound by logic, fear, or self-limitation.

During ego death, the inner critic goes silent, allowing inspiration to flow more freely. Many artists, musicians, writers, and visionaries credit experiences of ego dissolution with unlocking new creative directions.

Intuition also becomes more accessible. Without the ego's constant chatter, the subtle wisdom that usually gets drowned out becomes easier to hear. Decisions that once felt difficult may begin to feel clear and instinctive.

6. A Sense of Spiritual Awakening: For many, ego death carries a distinctly spiritual or mystical quality. It offers a direct experience--rather than a belief or an idea--of consciousness that transcends the everyday self. This can lead to:

• A renewed sense of purpose
• Expanded understanding of life's meaning
• A deep trust in the flow of existence
• A sense of having "woken up"

This awakening isn't necessarily permanent, and it doesn't turn life into endless bliss. But it plants a seed of awareness that can profoundly influence one's spiritual path. After experiencing ego death, many people report a shift in their values: less attachment to material success, more appreciation for presence, compassion, and connection.

7. More Authentic Relationships: Relationships often revolve around ego: seeking validation, avoiding vulnerability, presenting a curated version of oneself. When ego temporarily dissolves, these defenses soften, making space for genuine connection.

Ego death can help you:

• Listen more deeply
• Communicate more honestly
• Let go of grudges
• Forgive more readily
• Love without the same conditions

When the need to protect the self drops away, relationships can flourish with greater openness and intimacy.

8. A Gateway to Inner Peace: Perhaps the most profound benefit of all is the simple, quiet peace that arises when the ego loosens. Without the constant internal narration, comparison, and striving, there is space for silence--an inner stillness that many describe as the most natural state they've ever known.

This peace doesn't depend on circumstances. It doesn't rely on achievement, recognition, or control. It comes from reconnecting with the deeper layers of your own consciousness, where the noise of ego has no jurisdiction.

In Summary

Ego death is not about destroying the self. It is about remembering that the self is much larger than the narrow identity we cling to. When the ego's grip loosens, even momentarily, we gain access to profound clarity, creativity, compassion, and inner freedom. It is a doorway--one that opens not to emptiness, but to a more expansive and truthful way of being.

My Song Featured in Godfrey Reggio's Latest Film

Every artist dreams of seeing their work find a life of its own--somewhere meaningful that expands the creative conversation they began. Today, I get to share a piece of news that feels like exactly that kind of moment. My 2014 song "Snake Dance" has been officially included in the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for Once Within a Time, directed by the renowned filmmaker Godfrey Reggio. "Snake Dance" is the 12th track on the album, featuring vocals by Sussan Deyhim. Composed by longtime collaborator Philip Glass, this visionary soundtrack unfolds as a fusion of orchestral minimalism, avant-garde textures, and cinematic soundscapes.

From visionary filmmaker of Koyaanisqatsi (a Hopi word meaning "life out of balance"), Godfrey Reggio's new film Once Within a Time is a playful apocalyptic fairy tale, and a poetic critique of the modern world. The film is a non-narrative, experimental work, told without dialogue, where the music informs the imagery and vice versa. Philip Glass's score, as expected, plays an essential role. Glass has been Reggio's musical partner for over 40 years, and his compositions have always served as emotional, structural counterpoints to Reggio's imagery. 

Here, Glass delivers one of his most playful works in recent memory. The music dances, pulses, and oscillates with a childlike buoyancy, yet beneath the whimsy lies a nervous tension--a sense that the brightly colored world is tilting toward catastrophe. Glass's score becomes a kind of heartbeat, guiding the audience through the film's oscillation between enchantment and dread. To have "Snake Dance" woven into this tapestry feels profoundly affirming, and I couldn't be more thrilled to share this milestone with you.

A Film That Defies Categories

Godfrey Reggio's Once Within a Time is a visually arresting film that continues the director's lifelong exploration of humanity's relationship with technology, nature, and consciousness. Like his earlier Qatsi Trilogy: (Koyaanisqatsi (1982), Powaqqatsi (1988), and Naqoyqatsi (2002), the film dispenses with dialogue and conventional storytelling, instead weaving together a stream of striking, symbolic imagery that feels at once ancient and futuristic. Reggio constructs a surreal, mythic world--part dreamscape, part cautionary tale--where human figures, masked archetypes, and swirling digital environments interact in a ritualistic dance of creation, destruction, and rebirth.

At the heart of the film is an inquiry into what it means to be human in an age defined by acceleration and fragmentation. Through distorted perspectives, rapid-fire montage, and hypnotic rhythmic pacing, Reggio contrasts the innocence of childhood with the overwhelming spectacle of modern technology. The film blurs boundaries between the physical and the virtual, suggesting that contemporary life has become a kind of enchanted spell--mesmerizing, disorienting, and spiritually destabilizing. Rather than offering direct commentary, Reggio relies on visceral, symbolic images to evoke reflection in the viewer, inviting interpretation rather than prescribing meaning.

Visually and sonically, Once Within a Time is an immersive experience. The cinematography combines practical effects, digital manipulation, masks, and theatrical staging to create a world that feels both handcrafted and otherworldly. Accompanied by a mesmerizing score from composer Philip Glass, the film becomes a meditation on the collective psyche--its anxieties, its hopes, and its unresolved tensions. Ultimately, Once Within a Time is less a story than a cinematic ritual, calling the viewer to step outside linear thinking and encounter the modern world as a living myth unfolding in real time.

The Journey of "Snake Dance"

My inspiration for writing "Snake Dance" came from the biennial dance of the same name, which has been performed for thousands of years by the Hopi Tribe in northeastern Arizona. The Snake Dance is the grand finale of a 16-day ceremonial to pray for rain and the renewal of nature in their arid environment. The Hopi people believe their ancestors originated in an underworld, and that their deities and the spirits of ancestors live there. Rattlesnakes are regarded as powerful spiritual intermediaries between the people and the spirit world. They call rattlesnakes their "little brothers" and trust that they will carry their prayers to the rain deities beneath the earth. 

Thus, the Hopi dancers sway rhythmically around the village plaza carrying snakes in their mouths to impart prayers to them. The snakes are respectfully handled, purified, and eventually released in the direction of the cardinal points, symbolically delivering blessings and rain petitions to the life-giving powers of the Four Winds. The movements of the dancers, the rhythmic accompaniment of songs and rattles, and the carefully choreographed roles of various participants all contribute to an atmosphere charged with reverence, intention, and transformation. I tried to evoke the dance's transformative power when I wrote "Snake Dance."

Over time, "Snake Dance" became one of those evocative pieces that seemed to generate its own mythology. Listeners told me they used it for meditation, spiritual work, ecstatic dance, and creative flow. It was never just a song; it was something living. When I learned that it would be included in the soundtrack of Once Within a Time, it felt like the filmmaker had seen the same spirit in the piece that I did. The connection made sense: the film is, in a way, a dance of its own--a serpent twisting through symbolic landscapes, changing shape as it moves. "Snake Dance" finding a home in that world feels like the song has completed a full circle.

How It Feels to Be Part of This Vision

Being included in a film soundtrack is always special, but being included in this soundtrack is something else entirely. Godfrey Reggio's films have influenced generations of artists. His work has shaped the visual language of music videos, documentaries, and even entire genres of cinema. The chance to have a small voice within that legacy is something I'll carry with me.

But there's also a more personal layer to this. As artists, we often create in solitude. We write, record, revise, and wonder if what we're making will ever step beyond our own creative space. When something we've made breaks into the wider world--when it becomes part of a larger work of art--it feels like confirmation that our impulses were understood. That the energy we put into the world was received.

To hear "Snake Dance" within the context of the film--woven into its textures, its rhythms, its surreal cinematic heartbeat--was deeply moving. It reminded me why I make music in the first place: to connect, to express something elemental, to be part of a continuing conversation about what it means to be alive in this moment.

A Celebration and a Beginning

The release of the Once Within a Time (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is a celebration, not just of the film, but of the collaborations and creative cross-pollinations that made it possible. I am profoundly grateful to everyone involved in bringing this dreamlike project into being--and grateful beyond words to have "Snake Dance" included on the album.

This moment also feels like a beginning. A doorway. A reminder that art, once released, can journey to places the creator never expected. My hope is that listeners who discover the song through the soundtrack feel the same serpentine pulse and transformative energy that first inspired me to write it.

Where to Listen

The full Once Within a Time Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is now available across streaming platforms, and "Snake Dance" is the 12th track on the album. I invite you to explore the soundtrack in its entirety--it's a powerful, immersive experience in its own right. And if you're new to my work and arriving through the film, welcome. I'm honored that our paths are crossing in this way.

-- Michael Drake