Winter Solstice Festival
Foundation Centre - Ireland
20th December 2025
By: Rev. Noeleen Watson
With howling winds and heavy rain showers threatening we gathered for our Winter Solstice Festival. As we gathered in the courtyard the skies overhead were getting darker. A good crowd gathered considering the stormy day. Cait gave a little talk on the Winter Solstice and about the Child of Light being born: Oengus Mac an Og, the god of love, youth, poetry, and new beginnings in Irish mythology.
We started our procession towards the Rose Garden, with a little prayer to the weather gods to hold off the rain. The landscape looked bleak, the little stream by the Rose Garden had such ferocity and the waters were so fast, gushing under the wooden bridge. As we stood in silence, our Priestess asked us all to connect to our breath while she passed around a bag of beautiful rose petals. Would you believe there were a couple of buds budding on the rose’s bushes. The Rosa Mundi was invoked here.
We then proceeded down towards the Sacred Grove, which is dedicated to the Druid Clan of Dana. You had to watch your step as the ground was so waterlogged from all the recent rains. The pathways were covered with the remaining wet autumn leaves, which still had all the colours of autumn. Cait gave a little history about the grove. While standing amongst the tall trees, the winds gathered power and whirled around us. At times it was hard to hear what was being said. The Goddess Danu was invoked. The clouds overhead were becoming darker, and you could hear the rains belting down.
As the rain fell, we hurriedly made our way to the abbey, seat of the Noble Order of Tara. The Goddess Eriu and the God Lugh were invoked by one of our Priestesses. A lovely joyful song was sung, and it certainly lifted all our spirits up. A reminder was given about how we need to look after our planet by doing our piece.
Moving to grounds outside the temple, a priestess invoked the Goddess Persephone, she also reminded us of what Lady Olivia used to say, “go into the temple with a clear mind and with good intentions.” The time was nearing for us to enter the temple.
We all gathered around the St. Brigid’s Well. Each attending priestess invoked their deities; blessings were offered to all who wanted them. You could hear a pin drop with the silence as people enjoyed receiving their blessings from the Goddess.
Moving around to the high altar in reverence, we took our place to hear a priestess deliver an oracle. The oracle was from the Goddess Boann. There was so much said and unsaid; she talked about the river of love and light and how we are all children of light. The feeling of love as the priestess delivered the oracle will stay with me. Cait shared a song with us while we processed the oracle, then she read a poem accredited to Fionn Mac Cumhaill. Other creative offerings were shared by our community.
We were lead on a journey to Boann, which was very powerful and very apt after the oracle. Healing was sent out to all the names said out loud and silently in our hearts, we remembered the souls who were no longer physically with us. Deirdre, a priestess shared a wonderful story with us all about Boann, The Dagda and their love child Oengus Mac an Og. In the temple, everyone was captivated by the story in my opinion.
What stays with me today was the feeling of hope, the vision of a river that flows to bring to us love and light and how we are all love and to see the love in each other.
All the deities were thanked, and blessings of the Winter Solstice were spoken. We made our way over to the tea rooms for warm cups of tea and coffee and cake. Well, it is Christmas after all. The conversations were mighty and everyone was smiling and sharing their thoughts on how loving our ceremony felt today.
Our next ceremony Imbolc is Saturday 7th February at 11am. (Please note: Festival attendance is by invitation only - to request one, see this page: Events)
