At the Winter Solstice, when the longest night spreads its velvet cloak across the land, the earth holds its breath. Frost gathers along hedgerows, the air sharpens, and everything seems to pause in a single suspended moment — the threshold between what has been and what is yet to come.

In the Andean mystical tradition, this is not an ending but a portal. The Solstice marks the moment when Inti Tayta — Father Sun — begins his long return. And deep within Pachamama’s rich, dark belly, the promise of new life begins to stir.

Winter Solstice calls us towards a sacred surrender. We are invited to loosen the stories that no longer resonate, let go of roles that have become too small, and rest in the understanding that renewal begins in darkness. Pachamama whispers through our hearts, in the stillness: “Breathe. I will hold you, while you transform, take your time.”

Walking Through Darkness

Across cultures, the Solstice has always been a point of deep initiation. In the Celtic and pre-Christian traditions, hilltop fires honoured the faint returning light. In the Andean world, this season echoes the Kapak Raymi festival — a time of empowerment, renewal, and courageous new beginnings.

But before the light returns, we can befriend the darkness.

This darkness is not something to conquer. It is a womb space, which is potent, fertile, and alive. Seeds germinate here long before they break above the surface. So do we. The Solstice asks us to descend gently, to breathe with the Earth, to honour what is ready to die and what longs to be born.

The Wisdom of Serpent

In the Andean tradition, Amaru — Great Serpent — is the keeper of the South (or West in Don Agustin, my teacher’s tradition) and guardian of the Lower World. She teaches instinct, body wisdom, and surrender. Where modern culture pushes us toward speed and productivity, Serpent invites us to lie close to the Earth, to trust the deep intelligence that pulses through the soil and listen to our needs.

Serpent medicine is the art of shedding — releasing the skins that have become too tight. Each time the serpent sheds, she does not lose herself; she reveals more of who she truly is.

In the Womb of Pachamama

There is a delicate still point between the life we’ve outgrown and the one emerging. Here, we rest in Pachamama’s belly — the underworld womb where warmth, darkness, and mystery become medicine.

To rest is not self-indulgence; it is preparation. As Serpent curls inward for winter, she dreams herself into being, gathering strength for the new cycle. We are invited to do the same.

Shedding Skins

Within the Andean Energy System, the body becomes a vessel between worlds. With breath and intention, we release heavy energy (hucha) back to the Earth, and receive refined, light-filled energy (sami) in return.

This is Serpent’s teaching: transformation through movement, not resistance.

To shed an old skin is to bow in gratitude before stepping forward lighter, freer, closer to essence. Ask yourself:

• What stories am I ready to let go of?
• Which identities feel too tight?
• What waits beneath my next skin?

Let your answers softly fall to the ground, where Pachamama will compost them into soul food.

Renewal and the Golden Thread

When the first glimmer of light returns after Solstice night, it arrives quietly, tenderly. This is the Golden Thread — the luminous current running through all life, connecting our kin, our ancestors, the land, and spirit. This glimmer of gold is always present in our hearts, even when forgotten. Some people may also say that this is our golden inca seed, the seed of our becoming, our highest potential.

Each time we breathe consciously, we strengthen this thread of potential.
Each time we shed an old skin, we polish the light we hold on behalf of the world.
Each time we walk with beauty upon the Earth, we honour our place within the great weaving.

A Solstice Practice: The Sachamama Stick

To anchor your intentions for the coming year, you may wish to craft a Sachamama Stick — a simple, potent symbol of grounding and renewal. Using a fallen branch, thread, and meaningful natural objects, you wrap what you are releasing and bind it with the intention for the light to return.

Place it on your altar through winter, burn it, or return it to the land as an offering when the time feels right.

If you would like to see the full article for this blog post, please visit https://theshamanicpath.co.uk/. 

This is a beautiful Shamanic Magazine, and I’m delighted to now be offering a monthly article there, beginning in December.

In the coming months, I’ll also be sharing more about my recent retreat, The Golden Thread, which I facilitated at Laughton Lodge — a deep and transformative gathering. I hold four creative, shamanic retreats each year, each one guiding you through the creation of your own mesa, or medicine bundle, as a living companion on your path. Our time together at Laughton was especially powerful, woven with insight, healing, and a real sense of community.

I have a new meditation available called The Winter Solstice Meditation 2025:Serpent and The Return To The Light. This is available on my YouTube channel. In this guided meditation, you’ll journey with Serpent, the keeper of the South in the Andean Medicine Wheel — a symbol of renewal, grounding, and embodied wisdom. 

🌿 Release the heaviness of the past year

🔥 Connect with Pachamama and the pulse of the Earth

💫 Awaken your inner light as the new cycle begins

You can subscribe to my YouTube channel @alirabjohns to be notified when new films are released.

A Blessing for the Long Night

As the night folds around you and stars scatter like seeds across the dark, remember:
The light will return.

May Serpent guide you gently through the darkness.
May Pachamama support you to rest in stillness.
May the first rays of dawn find you open, trusting, and ready to receive.

A simple Solstice ritual: light a candle, breathe into your belly, and imagine Serpent coiling warmly around your feet. With each breath, let an old story fall into the Earth. Whisper: “As the light returns to the world, may it also return to me.”

Winter invites us to shed with grace, rest with trust, and rise renewed.
The light is already on its way.

Written by Ali Rabjohns, All Rights Reserved 2025 🕊️ Shamanic Practitioner, Artist & Therapeutic Arts Facilitator
alirabjohns.com | @shamanic_community |

Upcoming events & offerings

Solstice for Peace: an afternoon of ceremony, music, and poetry on Sunday 21st December 3:15-5:30, with myself, Ali Rabjohns, composer Tim Rabjohns, and musicians Vic Cooper, Alicja Bodnar, and acclaimed Author Caroline Mellor

My Winter Solstice Shamanic Circle will be on Friday, 19th December at 6.30 pm. There are still a few places left at the Full Moon Fire Circle on Thursday, 4th December — a powerful evening of release, reflection, and renewal as we honour the darkness and call light back into the world.