Namaste,
Welcome everyone.
Let's open our circle with two rounds of the peace mantra Sahana Vavatu together.
To settle the mind,
Soften the breath and come into shared intention.
Let the mantra invoke shared protection,
Nourishment,
Strength and clarity.
A reminder that we walk this journey together as one field of sound and intention.
Please find a comfortable seat.
You can join the chant or simply listen and soften,
Letting the sound carry the meaning.
Let's start with one aum.
May we be nourished,
May our practice today unfold with clarity and ease.
Welcome beautiful beings.
I'm so glad you're here to celebrate winter solstice together.
For some of you maybe summer solstice,
But here in the northern hemisphere it's a quiet turning point in the year.
The day or night from which the light slowly begins to return.
And today we celebrate the winter solstice and we prepare for the raw nights together,
The holy nights between the years from December 25th to January 6th and we will write down our 13 wishes for the year ahead.
If you're new to this ritual let me briefly explain how it works.
The 13 wishes you write down today will accompany you through the holy nights and into the new year.
Tonight you write down your 13 heart wishes or intentions for the coming year without ranking or judging them,
Simply whatever arises from within and during each of the 12 raw nights from December 25th to January 5th.
You will draw one of these folded cards or papers and offer it to the fire without opening it.
You entrust these wishes to the universe,
To life and to the lights.
And on January 6th one card will remain,
This one you open and read.
It is the wish you will consciously fulfill for yourself in the new year.
And our ritual today begins with the asatoma mantra,
Allowing us to gather and attune ourselves.
Then we write down the 13 wishes while I continue to chant the mantra.
And you fold each piece of paper and set them aside for the holy nights.
And when you're finished with that you join the chanting again and we will close with a few rounds chanting together.
Please take a moment now to get a pen and 13 pieces of paper or small cards to write your wishes on.
And you may also like to have a beautiful box or a bag where your wishes can rest until the holy nights begin.
And if you wish you may symbolically light a candle now.
We will chant the mantra in the key of A.
So if you have your own tanpura or harmonium at home you can tune it now to the key of A.
I just give you a moment to prepare everything and get everything ready.
And once you have everything ready let's take a moment to arrive.
Find a comfortable position.
Notice how you're sitting upright yet relaxed.
Allow your face to soften and let your breath flow naturally.
If you like gently close your eyes.
And with each breath become a little more present and awake.
And with each breath allow yourself to relax more deeply and arrive.
Today is the winter solstice.
The moment in the year when the light begins to return.
From now on the days slowly become brighter step by step.
The winter solstice stands for new beginnings,
For hope and for the quiet strength that grows beneath the surface.
And even if it is still dark on the outside the light is already starting to renew itself.
And it is exactly this energy that we begin our ritual.
We open to what is new,
To clarity,
To alignment,
To what wishes to grow.
To attune ourselves we will chant the Asatoma mantra,
An ancient prayer that gently guides us from confusion to truth,
From darkness to light,
And from what binds us to what strengthens and supports us.
The words of the mantra and the literal translation are Asatoma Sad Gamaya lead me from the unreal to the real.
Lead me from darkness to light.
Lead me from the mortal to the immortal.
Let me just copy the words of the mantra in the chat so that you have them.
And let's repeat these three lines together.
Asatoma Sad Gamaya.
Together.
Asatoma Sad Gamaya.
Tamasoma Chyotir Gamaya.
Together.
Tamasoma Chyotir Gamaya.
And Mrtyorma Amrtyam Gamaya.
Together.
Mrtyorma Amrtyam Gamaya.
Beautiful.
And if you like to dive deeper into the energy of the mantra while chanting,
You may with each ah sound in the mantra allow your jaw and tongue to relax a little more.
And the ng in Gamaya can arise softly and warmly low in your throat,
So you may place your fingertips gently at the base of your throat to feel the subtle vibration and say the word Gamaya a few times with a soft ng and a relaxing ah.
Gamaya.
Gamaya.
Gamaya.
Yes,
Once more.
Gamaya.
Beautiful.
And if you want to dive even deeper,
You can for the d,
T,
And s sounds.
Let me just write the sounds in the chat for d,
T,
And s.
In the mantra,
You can lightly tap the tip of your tongue just behind the upper front teeth.
T,
T,
D.
Yeah,
So let's apply this to the mantra.
In the first line,
It's s and t in Asatoma and s and d in Sad Gamaya.
In the second line,
It's t and s in Tamasoma and t in Jyotir Gamaya.
And in the third line,
It's the t sound twice in Rtyoma and in Amrdam Gamaya.
Very good.
If this feels like a lot of details at once,
Simply focus on the relaxing into the open ah sound within the mantra.
So just relax into the words and the sound.
And let's say the mantra once more together.
Asatoma,
Sad Gamaya.
Tamasoma,
Jyotir Gamaya.
Rtyoma,
Amrdam Gamaya.
Wonderful.
Let this mantra be your inner pathway to light and allow it to be your companion for the winter solstice and the holy nights.
Now,
Place your certain pieces of paper or cards and your pen in front of you so that you have everything ready.
And if you like,
You can rest one or both hands over your heart and gently close your eyes and connect with your breath.
Breathe in slowly and slowly breathe out again.
Let your breath gather all the energies.
With each inhale,
A little more space.
With each exhale,
A little more release.
And you may notice how your chest gently expands with every inhale.
How your face softens with the exhale and how your breath gently carries you into this moment.
The winter solstice reminds us that even in the deepest darkness,
The light slowly returns.
With each breath,
Allow yourself to open a little more to this light.
And to the clarity we invite into our lives through the mantra.
We will begin with call and response in Vedic style,
Line by line.
I'll sing first and if you like,
You can repeat after me.
Take your time and let the sound arise naturally from within you.
I'll accompany us with the harmonium.
Be guided toward the right wishes for the coming year.
Allow yourself to sink into this field of sound and be carried by the vibration of the mantra.
Connect with lightly the energy of the winter solstice and new beginnings.
You can sing along,
Hum softly or simply receive and listen.
Rest your hands over your heart or wherever feels comfortable for you and connect with your sensations,
With your feelings,
With your wishes and with what truly matters to you.
Whenever you're ready,
Start writing down your 13 wishes,
One wish per piece of paper or card.
There is no specific wording to use.
It's as if it were already true.
So in the present tense,
I am happy,
I'm healthy,
For example.
Yeah,
They don't need to be perfect sentences.
It's not about beautiful wording but about what arises from within you.
Write at your own pace.
Let the wishes simply arise softly,
Intuitively without thinking about which wish is right or important.
If you like,
You can pause in between,
Feel your breath and then continue writing.
And once you've written down your 13 wishes,
Fold each piece of paper individually and then gently mix them together so you no longer know which wish is where.
I am here with you and will be chanting the mantra for about 10 minutes and when all your wishes are written and folded,
Start chanting the mantra with me again.
And you can also let me know in the chat so that we can chant a few rounds together.
So I will start chanting the mantra for about 10 minutes and if you need more time,
Let me know or if you have already written down all your wishes and I'm still chanting,
Just let me know.
And I'll change the melody.
I will chant the mantra,
The same mantra but in a different melody.
Place the 13 wishes into your box or container or in a safe place where they can rest for the coming days.
And on each of the holy nights,
Starting on December 25th,
You will draw one of these folded papers and offer it unopened to the fire.
One wish per night,
A practice of releasing and trusting.
And the final wish,
The one that remains on January 6th,
Is the wish you are invited to carry with you and fulfill yourself in the new year.
And when you're ready,
For now,
We will chant three rounds of the Asatoma Mantra together in this melodious way.
And you can just join in whenever you're ready.
Into the light this mantra leaves behind,
May your wishes be heard and supported.
Clarity and trust illuminated.
To seal this ritual,
We close with the mantra of wholeness,
The Purna Mantra,
A reminder that nothing is missing,
That you are whole and this journey is whole.
We will chant it twice together.
You can simply listen or join in when you feel ready.
I'll just share the words of the mantra in the chat.
Let's start with one Aum.
May the light of this time carry you.
May your path become clear.
And may you receive in the coming nights what is truly meant for you.
Thank you for being here.
Thank you for chanting together.
I look forward to journeying through the holy nights together with you.
Namaste.
