Winter Solstice Gathering
A Sacred Afternoon with Hecate
Come and gather in the Gallery for a magical afternoon of connection, nourishment, ritual and creativity as we come together at the turning of the year. Winter Solstice is a powerful threshold in the cycle of the year. It is the longest night, when the darkness reaches its deepest point and the light begins its slow return.
This year, we will enter this threshold through the ancient Goddess Hecate — Goddess of the night, crossroads, thresholds and the passages between worlds.
Hecate has long been associated with the liminal places: doorways, crossroads and those moments when one thing is ending and another has not yet fully begun. She invites us to pause rather than rush through the threshold, to listen to what the darkness has to teach us and to become conscious of what we are carrying forward.
There is also an ancient connection between Hecate and the yew tree. The yew was sacred to Hecate and was associated with the underworld and rites connected with the dead. This has particular resonance for me this year as I have been immersed in painting and exploring ancient yew trees and their mythology, and discovering the remarkable stories these ancient trees hold about life, death, regeneration and time.
As we gather at this turning of the year, we will explore some of these themes through story, ritual, reflection and creativity.
The Solstice has traditionally been a time to turn inward — to rest, dream, listen and honour the darkness from which the returning light emerges. Rather than rushing towards the light, this gathering invites you to pause at the threshold.
To honour what has been.
To acknowledge what is ready to be released.
To listen to what is quietly calling beneath the surface.
And to consider what you wish to carry with you as the light begins its return.
This is a space to step away from the noise and busyness of the Christmas season and enter a slower, more conscious rhythm of the year.
We will gather through:
Opening our afternoon with a cacao ceremony and storytelling about Hecate, the Winter Solstice and her ancient connection with the yew.
Creating ritual together to honour this turning of the year.
A guided reflection and meditation to help you connect with your own threshold and what is emerging for you.
Creating ritual tools to take home and use throughout the Yule period.
Savouring seasonal ritual food and drink, including a taste of the Goddess Chocolates.
Sharing connection and conversation in the warmth of the candlelit Gallery.
As the year reaches its darkest point, we will gather together in the presence of Hecate and remember that darkness is:
A place of mystery.
A place of gestation.
A place where something new can begin.
And as the light slowly returns, we will carry with us whatever wisdom, intention or new beginning has revealed itself at the threshold.
