Essential Oils for the Winter Solstice and the Winter Season

December 21st is the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere. 

The Winter Solstice brings us a sacred pause and the start of a new cycle. Since the dawn of civilization, many cultures have celebrated rituals for welcoming back the sun. These rituals included feasting, music, drama, gift giving, and an emphasis on fire and light. Every day after the Winter Solstice will slowly become more light filled. 

One of my favorite Solstice rituals is to turn off all the lights, light candles and create a cozy atmosphere. Bring a cup of warming, comforting herbal tea. Anoint yourself with my Winter Solstice Anointing Oil and quietly reflect and take inventory of the past year. Write down what you are ready to release and let go of!! Then write down your dreams, wishes, and intentions for the year ahead. Gazing into the candle flame has a mesmerizing effect and reminds us of the return of the light which will warm our hearts more and more each day as the days get longer. Then while you are in the midst of the longest night, you can dream and envision brilliant possibilities for the year ahead.

Winter asks that we align ourselves with the energy of stillness and quietness. And, thankfully, we can use essential oils with the same energy to help us get there more quickly. While they are quieting our hearts and helping us draw out our inner light, these essential oils are helping us prepare for who we will become in the spring.  

There are a number of essentials oils that are well suited to connect us to our inner light and higher wisdom. Some of my favorites for winter include:
Frankincense is the perfect oil when seeking contemplation, tranquility, and truth. Skilled at clarifying thoughts and connecting the soul with its inner light, it creates new perspectives based on light and truth rather than spiritual darkness. It is known to decrease mental chatter, decrease worry, and still the mind, making it the go-to oil for meditation and prayer. Powerful, yet gentle, it invites more protection, wisdom, and spiritual openness into your life, while promoting feelings of peace and relaxation.
Myrrh's greatest strength is helping you find inner stillness and peace. Along with Frankincense and Vetiver, it is one of the best oils for overthinking, worry, and mental distraction. It helps you replace these with a deep tranquility of mind, allowing you to feel safe, secure, and have greater trust in the goodness of life. Myrrh is an ideal oil for those needing additional healing, nurturing, or connectedness.
Vetiver has a calm, reassuring strength that endures. It invites feelings of being centered, grounded, present, and connected with the earth and its energies. It relaxes a racing mind, helping you better connect with your inner light and wisdom.
Cedarwood assists the heart in opening to receive love and support from those around you. It invites greater connection and community with others, as well as feelings of belonging. Like the stable tree from which it comes, Cedarwood steadies the mind and gives you the strength to not only endure, but to derive wisdom and strength from negative situations.  
Lavender is revered for its calming, relaxing properties. It’s often used to balance strong emotions, reduce tension and anxious feelings, foster mental-emotional equilibrium, and promote peaceful sleep. Lavender is also regarded for its ability to help those who struggle to communicate or who feel unheard better express themselves. In this way, it encourages full expression of the individual self, which is particularly helpful when looking inward to find your inner light and wisdom.
Helichrysum is skilled at dealing with all types of pain, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. Its powerful relationship with the sun’s light is regenerating in nature, inviting more healing, courage, perseverance, hope, and joy into your daily life.
Siberian Fir brings the smell of live Christmas trees into your life all winter long. The oil increases your positive energy and is affirming, vitalizing, and empowering.

Pinion Pine brings mental clarity, inner strength, and a feeling of expansiveness. It also supports healthy breathing and immunity which is so important during the winter months.

HOW TO USE ESSENTIAL OILS FOR THE WINTER SOLSTICE AND BEYOND

• Rub 1 – 2 drops of one of the essential oils, mixed with a few drops of fractionated coconut oil or other carrier oil on your abdomen, over your heart, and on the bottoms of your feet. As part of your ritual, set an intention to bring increased light and wisdom to this season. 
• Diffuse essential oils to drive out darkness and invite the light into your heart. They also create greater connection to the cycle of life. There are endless possible combinations. 
• Take a bath or soak your feet using Epsom salt and a blend of essential oils. 
• Put a couple drops of oil on your favorite diffuser jewelry to carry light-giving aroma with you wherever you go.