This post was originally published on Luminous Leanings on December 21, 2018.

Did you know that many Christmas traditions came from winter solstice? Yule logs, mistletoe and Christmas trees all have their roots in the pagan celebrations of the long night (source). The day is believed to hold a powerful energy for regeneration, renewal and self-reflection (source). 

I look forward to the Winter Solstice every year. When it rolls around, I like to perform a ritual and journey inward. Whether a restorative candlelit yoga class, a meditation, or journaling, I like to take the fear out of the longest night of the year and, instead, give thanks for the return of the light as the sun comes back toward our planet to warm and nourish us once more.

This year, I was inspired to create this reflection journal sheet for the Winter Solstice. While everyone else is busy planning for the new year and making resolutions, 80% of which will fail by February (source), you could be looking back over the past year for guidance on how you best set and maintain goals, and giving gratitude for all the beauty of the past year!

After all, we are walking backwards into the future, and the only thing we know for sure are our own experiences. Our past is here to teach us many valuable lessons, and if we don’t learn from them, these universal assignments will continue to show up in the New Year.

So after creating or participating in your own Winter Solstice ritual, whip out these journaling prompts and get to contemplating! You can fill it out in your browser or print it out and get crafty. Don’t set your New Year’s resolutions without taking stock of this past year in all its glory.

The first prompt is to describe the past year in 1 word. I chose the word Manifesting. It was a year full of busy travel and work that took me to Colombia, South Africa, India, and Thailand – all the while I was striving to launch this blog, make a career change, deepen my spiritual practice and move to the Southwest. Jon and I were planning for our future brewery and, for the first time, starting to think strategically about how we can make it all happen. By the end of the year, I’ve made the move to New Mexico, and am letting the Universe know I’m serious about my dreams.

I am set up for the new year to be a year of deep planning and execution. But it all required the manifestation that this year brought, and I honor that energetic gift!

Let me know your word for this past year in the comments below! And don’t forget to download your FREE Winter Solstice Reflections journal sheet! 

Happy Winter Solstice!