Wedding Feast of Kinship

In December, at the very darkest time of the year, we head towards the Winter Solstice, when New Light is born out of the womb of winter. 'Solstice' means 'standstill' and refers to the three days around December 21st when the sun appears to 'stand still' or rise and set in the same place. During these long, cold nights, Earth's breath seems to falter in the face of the overpowering dark. Then, gradually, the sun begins its long journey towards the south, and all creation begins to exhale again.

The 'Wedding Feast of Kingship' was the highest form of ceremony in Ancient Ireland. A marriage between the king, who represented the people and culture, and the Sovereignty Goddess, who represented nature and the land. In this ritual, the Goddess would offer the king a wedding libation (liquid or grains poured from the cup of a deity) to indicate her approval of the marriage and the king's legitimacy to rule. Let us reenact this ancient Celtic ritual on this day deep within ourselves or with another as the perfect union blessed and authorised by the Calileach as she oversees the union of the masculine with the divine Feminine.

Now, as we reach the cusp of Winter Solstice, let us allow the power of Cailleach into our heart-womb-soul as we cut through the old and dying ways. Imagine a physical and symbolic cleansing storm sweeping over the Earth, tearing apart the inauthentic alliances between the male and female, allowing only the true to stand.

We remember the promise of Cailleach, the promise of rebirth. May we all find our way safely through these transformative times into a new age of deep connections, harmony, and unity.