Winter Solstice 2024

A Story

Hello!

Happy Solstice! Saffron Dennis, the author of the article below, began writing for Astrum Opus in February 2023. She has guided us through the Wheel of the Year with her wisdom and meditations, focusing on a gem ally for every Solstice, Equinox, and cross-quarter day. Ready for a new adventure in 2025, Saffron turns to storytelling to evoke the spirit of the changing seasons.

Accompanying Saffrons’s pieces, Heather Morse, has provided thoughtful tarot spreads for each of the High Holidays. Today’s offering for the Solstice will be the last one in the series. In 2025, look for Heather’s tarot spreads aligning with each decan. That’s one every ten days, sent to your inbox!

Thank you for your ongoing support of Astrum Opus! We look forward to journeying with you in the stars in 2025!

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The huge double doors boomed and opened into the large, cavernous hall. The nature spirits were all waiting, chattering with excitement. As always, the match they had just witnessed was epic.

Mother Yew and Mother Apple turned smiling to see the Holly King and the victorious Oak King toweling off after their hot bath following one of their twice-yearly wrestles for season supremacy. The two Kings stride into the room. Oak slaps Holly on the back and joyfully laughs.

“No hard feelings. I hope, Holly, we will meet again at Litha.”

Holly, whose red beard had grown pale, carrying much grey from his half-yearly reign of the previous season, looked tired and worn from their solstice wrestling match.

As it is now, and has always been, this time of year, the Sun in the northern hemisphere turns from the darkest point and starts its long travel back up towards the summit, Litha, the Summer solstice. The Oak King prevails over Holly from Yule to Litha and Holly from Litha to Yule.

“I pass the crown over. I will rest for a few months but return to wrestle with you again at Litha.” Holly wearily nods, removing his crown of fading Holly leaves and berries. Oak takes it from him, and instantly, the crown bursts into new life, the lobed leaves and acorns of the Oak sprouting from the centre. Oak places his crown on his head and acknowledges the changeover with a slight bow to his counterpart.

Oak, noting that Holly seems more despondent than expected, decides to be a little softer with his friend. Though they wrestle twice a year for the supremacy of the season, they know that both are required to hold the balance between them.

“And as in all times past, you will win. I look forward to our matches. It keeps the limbs strong and supple. I wouldn't want to become too rigid; that is no good in times of high winds. Have you noticed how that has become the norm over the last few seasons? It is warmer, too.”

“I have, indeed,” Holly agrees. “My feet have been soaked many a morn this season.” He seats himself on his great wooden chair, the holly emblem carved into the back. Across a great table made from mighty oak and trimmed with holly wood, Oak sits and pulls on his sturdy boots, preparing to go out on the first rounds of his half-yearly reign.

Oak, strong and healthy, dark-skinned, and his hair was a mass of lustrous curls, looks over and watches Holly, who seems almost a pale mirror image in reverse, looking tired with the grey streaks in his copper hair and beard, pulling on soft leather shoes indoor shoes. Mother Yew brings a blanket to lay over Holly’s knees and a flagon of warm mulled wine.

“Do you mind if we just sit here for a while? We wrestle and pull against each other every season, yet we do not spend much time together. We are so busy keeping track of our days.” Oak asks.

“Of course, I have nowhere to be at this time. I do enjoy our twice-yearly chats,” Holly agrees as Mother Yew hands Oak a tankard. Yew herself then sits in front of the great fire. There is no fuel to be seen; the fire burns of its own will. Mother Apple is seated opposite, waiting patiently for the Solstice moment. Yew and Apple enjoy these discussions when the energy settles peacefully for a few hours during the turn of the wheel of the solstice points.

The other nature spirits are now whispering between themselves, sensing the energy of Yule and the presence of the Great Mother surrounding them.

Many beeswax candles are scattered around the hall, flickering low, but on the great table next to each king is a large candle stick. One has the remnants of a dark green candle that is about to die out. Holly, seemingly entranced by the dying flame, gazes at the light as the flame tugs desperately at the air and tries to bury itself in the fading fuel.

Next to Oak, his candlestick marked with his emblem awaits its new torch. Mother Apple is nearby, waiting for the exact moment of the Solstice to ignite the flame.

“Do you remember all those eons ago we argued which of us was the mightiest, the strongest, the most beneficial to existence?” Holly asks as he is still in the reverie of the erratically flickering flame.

Oak, flagon, hand takes a swig, smiles knowingly. This discussion has taken place many times, but it is one that they both know is important to address at this point of the exchange of power each season. The other spirits in the hall long to hear the discussion each season.

“Of course!” Oak booms and tries to raise the energy in the room a little. Some of the nature spirits jump with surprise. “I declare that I am the mighty Oak. My kindred is strong and sturdy. I am the King of the forest. All bow to my great reach, height, and the canopy of leaves, which bring shade during the blazing heat of a summer's day. My fruit feeds the swine that, in turn, feeds the humans. I am home to insects, birds, and small mammals. My wood is strong and sturdy and is used to create furniture, houses, and places of worship. I am indeed the mightiest of all the deciduous trees, and the humans revere me for it all.” Oak takes another swig from his great tanker, places it firmly on the oak table in front of him, and pats it, crossing his great arms in a stance of mock defiance. Mother Apple giggles: Oak winks barely visibly under his great bushy eyebrows and waits for Hollys’ response.

Holly sighs, not raising to the bait of a mock or real argument. “You are, of course, right. How can I compare?” Apple glances over to Oak with a surprised look. Holly looks out the window of the great stone building, their meeting place for so many seasons passed. He sees in his mind's eye the fields flooded, animals and humans displaced. There are so many belching factories and houses where once there was woodland, heath, and meadow—pollution in every corner of the world. Many great trees, the oak, the ash, redwoods, chestnuts, and so many ancient forest and jungle species have been lost in his half of the year's reign through Hurricanes, typhoons, flooding, and fires. Holly feels the sorrow and despair of their fellow spirit folk, all calling to the Elders for help and support.

“I see,” Oak replies, trying again to bolster his companion and speaking the words usually given as a response to his cajoling. “Well, Holly, without you and Mother Yew, your Evergreen leaves so bright and lustrous, your bright red berries feeding the wildlife during the cold, wet months, your delicate white flowers offering sustenance to the bees and insects, you are both important to our ecology, your low ground cover offering home and protection for the creatures that require a haven over the winter. You are both the great guardians of the boundaries, the liminal spaces between this world and that of humans.” Oak gives a cheeky side glance, “Though you could ask your kin to be a little less war-like in some regions, last I heard, your kin are taking over in some areas.”

Holly laughs sarcastically, “Maybe! But is it any worse than the mess the humans leave behind when they go out in our lands, the pollution in the sea, and the harm they willingly do to each other? There has been much destruction in the lands during these last few Moon cycles. A few more of my kin is undoubtedly the least of our worries. At least if the humans choose to pull up or destroy these plants, they will fully return to our dear Mother in totality.”

Yew looks over to Oak as he takes in this news and gently nods to him. “Your look indeed says it has not improved since you last walked the lands.”

Oak, realising that Holly will not be goaded into another round of their usual raucous debate, asks gently instead, “Holly, I see that I cannot rouse you to another round of lively discourse, and as the wax in your candle is fading fast, Mother Apple is waiting to light the Yule candle so that we can walk out to begin our new season, what do you suggest? What gives you hope?”

“What gives me hope, you ask?” Holly watches the flame flicker erratically, the last few seconds of his season coming to a close. He shuts his eyes and replies. “Belief. Belief in us, in our fellow spirits gathered here in this hall. I believe in the birds and the stones and the flowers; I believe there are still humans in the physical world who hold hope in their hearts and work hard to make their spaces sacred. Without these folks, we would not be here to have this discussion. Therefore, we all have to hope that there are enough humans out there to do the work, to call upon us for help and, in turn, help us and our kin. But mostly, I believe that if we all offer Great Mother Earth our kindness, consideration, and love, if we ask her to work with us to bring about peace, we can turn the destruction around very slowly, but I have to hope it is still possible. This work is not easy; each year, it seems to get harder, but if we give up now, all will be lost. So, what gives me hope is belief in myself and all gathered here that we care enough to turn this round for the betterment of all.” Mother Yew gently places a hand on Holly's shoulder as he lowers his head. As he finishes his speech, the flame in his candle finally extinguishes.

All goes dark. Every candle, the fire in the eternal great hearth, all light extinguished for a few heartbeats; there is no light in the room. The solstice point is here, and for a few moments, all is still and silent. The spirits in the hall accept the sacred oneness of Mother Earth, acknowledging that at every moment, She carries us in Her arms, offering blessings as well as Her might and great power. Will she allow the light back in? It is never a certainty. They all wait in silence.

Suddenly, a spark flashes in the darkness, and the candle is lit. Mother Apple holds it lovingly, gazing into the new flame, and as it settles on the wick and the wax begins to melt, Apple passes the candle over to Oak; he nods in gratitude and places the candle into his candle stick engraved with his emblem, the great fire ignites in the hearth, and new candles blaze instantaneously and brightly around the hall.

The nature spirits in the hall cheer and laugh, some more relieved than anything and certainly thankful. Some raise their cups, flagons, and tankards, shouting blessings to each other, for though they, too, have all witnessed the darkness Holly had described, they are also grateful that they have managed to move successfully to Yule. There must still be enough belief in the human world for the spirits to be here to celebrate with each other. Mother Yew and Holly King sit quietly in front of the fire while the celebrations go on around them.

Oak and Apple finish their preparations to leave the Great Hall, donning their cloaks and gloves. Oak turns to Holly, “I will do my best to pass on your message to all I come in contact with.” He pats Holly on the arm. “I will gather the spirits of the Sun and the Moon of stars and the seas, the birds and the animals, the insects and the rocks. I will whisper in the ears of the humans as they rest under the canopy of my leaves in spring and remind them that Mother Earth is home to us all, and without her blessing, we have nowhere else. I will continue to ask for Her forgiveness and for Her gentle winds to warm and guide us and inform others on the wings of her gentle breezes."

Oak and Apple stride to the great doors of the hall, and then Oak turns back.

“Rest up, my dear friend. I will be back at Litha to report back. Gather your strength so we can wrestle in the great circle.”

Holly looks up and smiles as Oak and Apple head out. “Do you know what gives me the most hope at this time? I believe in you. Both of you. Fare thee well, old friends.”

Oak bows deeply to the Holly King and Mother Yew, then turns and easily swings open the heavy double doors. Mother Apple hops out and offers her hand to Oak. Both step out of the hall and depart as they have done on this day for eons.

Afterword

I decided to make this space a story rather than an article as, for some reason, when I sat down with pen and paper to write, I felt the spirits of the trees speak up. This is my interpretation of the age-old tale of the solstice competitions between the Oak King and the Holly King. So, forgive me, spirits, for any errors on my part!

In the Pagan calendar, Yule is the solstice point in the northern hemisphere, when darkness has reached its maximum and now turns towards light. But it is a balancing axis. The dark and light, the old and new, and any duality you can think of sit together in this place and are held peacefully. If you are sensitive to the energy, you will feel it.

At this time, the Earth is closest to the Sun, so those in the southern hemisphere will be baking under the sun's beams at the height of their summer season.

This is the 0° Capricorn point, the Sun's ingress into the sign. Capricorn, a Saturn-ruled Feminine Earth sign, is one that, for many, many years, long before Christmas, has represented the older mother cradling the light of her newborn Son.

Birthing anything into creation, be it life, art, a business, or a project, takes force and energy that we could not muster without the will of Mars's energy. Youth is honoured by combining with the wisdom of old age. Together, they can do great things. The youthful energy boosts the experience, knowledge, hard work, determination, and enthusiasm from the exalted Martial will. So, consider a grandmother with her grandchild, the two together bridging time and space the parent between is the middle point holding that tension between the energy of the old and the energy of the young. There are many ways to meditate on this situation, I will leave that thought with you to consider.

2024 has witnessed too many ecological issues worldwide. Many people can attest firsthand to flooding and high winds, which caused much destruction and distress.

Trees and plants are the glue that holds together the earth, helping to halt erosion. Protecting the spaces we have—the greenery, the woodlands, the forests, the jungle—those places where we seem to be losing so much due to human folly is a challenge for us all. It should be no surprise that we are now seeing Mother Earth's vengeance.

I wanted to clarify one part of the story, as some may not be aware. In some areas in the US and Canada, the English Holly, Ilex aquifolium, is now considered a troublesome plant that freely spreads among native woodland and is labeled an invasive species. But here in the UK, I love the plant and enjoy the deep green of the leaves and, on the female bushes, the red berries shining in the waxy sunlight of a winter day.

I hope this tale gives you time to sit and reflect on the small spaces around you where you can make a difference wherever you live on this beautiful planet. If all you have is one room, a space for a small plant or a crystal, then you can connect to Mother Earth. And if all you have is yourself, then know that within you is that space to close your eyes and imagine a place where you feel safe in nature; the forest, the stream, the beach, or the mountains are all within you. Feel the energy of our Great Mother as she holds you gently and lovingly within her arms.

May this new season bring you much joy. May you have the energy to bring about all your plans, and may your families be happy and healthy. Wishing you a blessed Yule and a prosperous 2025

Saffron, December 2024

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Saffron Dennis is an astrologer, crystal therapist and tarot reader based in the East Anglia region of the UK. You can book her for a reading or as a speaker at your local or online event at divinebaytree.com