What is Winter Solstice?
Winter solstice takes place when either of the Earth’s poles are tilted at their furthest point away from the sun, resulting in the shortest day and the longest night of the year for either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere. Following the winter solstice, the hours of daylight gradually lengthen, so traditionally the event signified light conquering darkness and the rebirth of the sun. In the southern hemisphere, winter solstice occurs in late June - this year (2026) in Australia, it falls on the evening of Sunday, 21 June.
Why Celebrate Winter Solstice?
To observe the rhythms of nature is to practise reciprocity and interconnectedness with the natural world. Paying attention to the intricacies of the seasons – and living in alignment with them – reveals and celebrates the sacred fabric that connects all life. Creating rituals inspired by the cycles of nature is a small way we can find beauty and deeper meaning in our everyday life. Explore how you can use aromatherapy to create rituals in harmony with nature below.
Your Winter Solstice Ritual Pairings
SPACE CLEARING
To shift stagnant energy and make space for what’s to come.
Winter solstice is a seasonal checkpoint – a reminder from nature to pause, reflect on what isn’t serving you and create room for what you want to attract. This makes it the ideal time to purify your space and cleanse your mind, so you can transition into the longer days feeling renewed.
Space Clearing is a fresh, herbaceous blend of plants traditionally used for their purifying and spiritually protective qualities, including rosemary, sage, clary sage, frankincense, lemon, cedarwood and black spruce. It functions as an aromatherapy reset for your sacred sanctuary, designed for clearing negative emotional, mental and subtle energies.
Diffuse Space Clearing during the day or week leading up to the solstice to make space for fresh energy to flow freely for the rest of the winter season. Use in conjunction with an overall refresh and clean of your space: declutter, simplify your surroundings and sweep away the dust.
SWEET DREAMS
To rest, restore and deepen your intuition.
In Daoist and traditional Chinese medicine philosophy, winter solstice is considered the peak of seasonal yin energy – the cosmic force associated with slow living, gentle rituals, conserving energy, rest and introspection. As the transitional point between shorter and longer days, winter solstice is the perfect opportunity to embrace yin; find stillness, restore your energy reserves and turn inward.
The soothing, sweet-herbaceous blend of Sweet Dreams offers deep nervous system nourishment and intuition strengthening support, perfect for a winter solstice ritual to nurture yin energy. The blend is made up of lavender, petitgrain and chamomile, which help relieve nervous tension and calm the mind to prepare for sleep; sweet orange, which creates a positive and serene atmosphere; and clary sage which encourages blissful dreaming and the development of intuition.
We suggest adding Sweet Dreams into your bedtime rituals whenever you want to encourage deep rest, but it’s particularly suited for the evening of the winter solstice, so you can harvest that sacred yin energy during the longest night of the year. Sweet Dreams makes for a perfect companion to a bedtime journalling practice, using prompts for intention setting or encouraging contemplation to strengthen your connection to your subconscious.
EXOTIC SPICE
To call in the brightness and warmth of the sun.
Traditionally, winter solstice called for rituals that encouraged and celebrated the return of the sun following a period of long, dark nights. These celebrations often incorporated the fire element – a powerful symbol of the sun’s glowing light and heat.
As the temperature continues to drop during the days following the winter solstice, weave rituals that attract warmth into your daily routine – this helps to recharge your vitality and the energy of your space. Exotic Spice warms your heart with cinnamon, brightens your mood with sweet orange and invigorates your body’s yang energy with rosemary, reinvigorating a lust for life.
Honour the sun’s return and the transition to longer, brighter days by diffusing Exotic Spice the morning following the winter solstice. Complement the spicy, energizing aroma with a sunrise walk to reset your sleep-wake cycle – aligning it with nature’s diurnal cycle, or a Sun Salutation yoga flow to show gratitude to the sun, while re-energising your body through movement.
