An Invitation to Your Unknown Self
A simple yet powerful practice to prepare for the Solstice.
The Winter Solstice arrives on Saturday, December 21st at 1:21 a.m. Pacific Time. This is when the Sun enters Capricorn and the Earth reaches her maximum tilt away from the Sun. The Winter Solstice is also known as the Return of the Light and is the longest night of the year. It is a portal that we can use symbolically or ritualistically to prepare the ground for our next life chapter. Many consider this a doorway to 2025, readying for a fresh start.
But first, we want to pause before planting the new seeds. We want to take a moment to cast aside all of the old – the old ideas, calcified beliefs, and stale concepts, especially those concerning who or what we think we are.
In other words, we want to drop the roles – if only for a moment, this portal in time – to allow space for something new, something natural, and something non-egoic, to arise in this pristine birth of new light.
In this spirit, I’d like to offer my readers an exercise, and ask that, if possible, it be done before Saturday morning on December 21st. Try to do it Friday before bedtime, so that upon arising you’ll be prepared for this feeling of being a newborn babe sans identification. In this symbolic manner, we might better hear the small, still voice of Spirit and better allow the natural unfolding, unfettered by ideas of the past.
Here’s the exercise. It stems from my own intuition and creativity as well as teachings received from my guides.
INVITATION TO THE UNKNOWN SELF: CLEARING THE WAY
You need:
• 20 to 30 to 60 minutes time (20 minutes minimum!) • Quiet and solitude • Blank paper or journal • A pen • Candle (optional) • Soft music (optional; I prefer silence)
Say, or write, to yourself, “I STAND BEFORE, AND AS, THE UNKNOWN SELF. I release the following roles and identifications to the Void, in order to see what naturally wants to arise in 2025 and beyond.”
Now, begin listing all of the roles you play in your life. Include projects you are involved with or want to start or feel that are important. Include expectations of behavior that you, others, and society have of yourself. Include traits, qualities, adjectives of what you think yourself to be. Start writing.
Write freely. Write messily. Write openly, nakedly.
Go deeper. Take that one thing that you keep believing is so damned important, and include that, too. That Bucket List item, that BELIEF, that Way of Life that you hold so dear. That crap you’ve picked up on by listening or reading to others. It’s all gotta go.
What we are digging for, primarily, is the notion that who or what you are expressing as, appearing as, acting as in this body-mind-soul, is somehow required in order to exist. The belief that you are somehow lacking or not enough without this role or identity. This exercise helps us realize that ideas are exhausting – utterly exhausting – if they are identified with or given anything more than a scant notice, like a cloud passing by.
Identification with any of these names, forms, concepts easily begin to weigh us down, consciously or unconsciously. And that is why we are purging them and putting them in the dustbin, for just a moment. We start to see the weight – the sadness, the tiredness – that results from carrying all this crap. All of those intentions, goals, attributes, rules, regulations, conditioning – all of it becomes so damned burdensome, like a yoke around the neck.
If you get stuck, I’ve included a bunch of prompts in the Footnotes.1
Feel like you’re done? Check to see if you’ve missed something that says, “But I must hold on to this belief, this thing, this role! But, but, but!” Write that thing down too!
Next: GIVE IT A BURIAL
Burn the pages in the fire. Or, tear it into tiny pieces and bury it in the earth. Compost it. Return it to Source.
Remember, we are preparing a neutral ground to see what naturally and actually wants to arise as we cross the threshold into winter’s depth and the new year.
Afterward: HOW DID IT GO?
Did you do it?
Let me know in the comments; I’d love to hear your feedback.
This work is especially powerful if several people are doing it simultaneously, around the planet. I wish to THANK YOU for helping me, and everyone else, in advance. Any attempt to do any of this work will help all of us collectively. I certainly hope you feel much better after doing this exercise.
It’s customary to light a fresh, single candle (or candles) at the Winter Solstice. So, consider having one ready to light on Saturday morning, anytime after 1:21 a.m. Pacific, to welcome the Return of the Light and honor your Self for clearing the way, preparing the ground.
Remember: The truth of who and what you are is not reliant on any of these roles, ideas, projects or identifications.
You are the Eternal. You are Life Itself.
Solstice Blessings,
Erin Reese
EXAMPLES of roles, attributes, identifications – Let your pen flow freely, let it rip! Parent Mother Father Child Daughter Son Writer Teacher Artist Bodyworker Therapist Productive Funny Gay Straight Conservative Liberal Creative Loud Reliable Loyal Handsome Pretty Leader Crone Cheerer-upper Peacemaker Lover Arguer Meditator Idea guy/gal Animal person Dog person Cat person Intellectual Musician Comic Performer Retired person Senior Workaholic Career person Bored Student Fool Responsible Good friend Religious Spiritual Aunt, uncle Traveler Homebody Adventurer Lazy Hard to change Loves change Buddhist Catholic Yogi Meditator Volunteer Community member Fit, in-shape Out-of-shape Fat Old Young Great cook Crappy cook Advocate Hermit Extrovert Introvert Sister Brother Flaky, changeable Stable Romantic Old-fashioned Fearful Fashionable Also, be sure to get specific. Write the titles of projects you’ve worked on, or things you “do” in the world, e.g. Substack author Astrologer Aquarius Enneagram guide Non-Dual teacher Poet Initiate Indophile Intuitive Rebel
I love this! I’ve made my list and tonight I plan to write some of the “big ones” on my body. And then wash them off!!
Thank you, Erin, for your writings and work.
Here’s to a healthy, balanced 2025 and beyond!
Great counsel!!!