Dec
Emerging from the Deepest Dark – Fomalhaut, the Royal Star
On this one day, the sun stands still in the sky, and everyone on earth knows that change is coming. The sun is beginning its long journey back towards earth. It is a time of celebration for rejoicing in the knowledge that the warm days of spring will soon return and the dormant earth will reinvigorate life.
Fomalhaut, one of the four Royal Stars of Persia, is the Watcher of the North, ruling the winter solstice bringing the god of light into alignment with one of the great stars of the sky. Known as the ‘Solitary One’, it holds a lonely position as the brightest star in its region and a brilliant beacon in an otherwise unremarkable night sky. While Fomalhaut is the alpha of Pisces, its name literally translates to ‘mouth of the fish’ and is often depicted as the fish drinking up the waters of Aquarius pitcher.
Stars are vastly evolved and conscious beings, and their influence is associated with eminence, fortune, and power. Fomalhaut will infuse Jupiter’s energy with added power and compassion, presenting a longing for utopia and a search for the ideal forms of human relationships. This star’s power, combined with Jupiter in Pisces, may offer a glimpse of heightened wisdom, giving us a chance to sense what is best for humanity. Like a flash of lightning in the darkness, it can reveal the path giving us hope and a sense of direction.
As we approach the longest night of the year, it is helpful to remember that we too are being called into our deepest dark. where we hide from view, where we store our grief, where we brace and hold, and where we may be unforgiving. When we speak of the ‘returning of the light’, it isn’t just the physical grace that this season provides, but a call to our own revealing. The Winter Solstice is a time to acknowledge our untruths, to surrender our silences, to dethrone our inner tyrants and bare our stories in the open, exposing the wholeness of our truth.
Many prefer to attune themselves to the inward silence from which all wisdom springs to be with yourself and reflect on your own passages. Consider preparing a ritual bath for yourself, with essential oils of rosemary, pine, and orange. One larger Sun Candle and several smaller candles and your Mekabre Loa Voodoo Doll.
As you light the candles, contemplate the lessons of stillness that the winter goddess embodies. This is not a time of outward growth but a time to bask and reflect in the light of your candles. Acknowledge the fertility of this dark time and what the return of the sun means to you, what you need to let go of in order to be fully yourself, and what needs to die so that new life can be born. Listen for the stirring seeds of your dreams and record them in your journal. Have the courage to look at your own thoughts and actions, and determine if they are in harmony.
Blow out the candle like you are blowing out your fears! Sit in the dark for a few moments in silence. Embrace the deepest, most courageous parts of yourself, then light a single candle, the Sun candle. Like the plants tucked deep in the earth, we too are summoning our strength, gathering a plan, and preparing for our emergence.
Winter Solstice is momentous and should be marked however you choose to celebrate. If you need a Loa Voodoo Doll to enjoy this ritual or others, they are available here!
The Mekabre Team
0