Spiral Advent Calendar: A Daily Ritual for December
“The word ‘advent’ literally means ‘the coming,’ and in this sense, these weeks in December are indeed a time of ‘advent’ for all of us — whether we consider ourselves religious or not. The light is coming. And all of Creation — and we — wait together for that coming.”
Welcome the arrival of December by creating a Spiral Advent Calendar with stones and tea lights to count down the days to the Winter Solstice.
This daily ritual provides a beautiful pause to your day and appeals to all ages.
Spirals: An Ancient Symbol
Before creating the Spiral Advent Calendar, immerse yourself for just a moment in the wonder of spirals.
The spiral is one of the oldest geometric shapes found in the world, with petroglyphs of the symbols dating back to the Neolithic period.
Of all the natural shapes, spirals are considered one of the most common in nature. Spirals are found everywhere - in the structure of a snail’s shell, in the whorl of our fingerprints, in the swirl of draining water, giant galaxies in the sky, and in the double helix of our DNA.
Spirals evoke themes of balance, direction, initiation, centering, expanding, awareness, connection, journeying and development.
-Joanne Markow
What’s the meaning behind spirals?
The spiral is an ancient symbol found throughout the world.
For some, the spiral represents the Goddess, the womb, fertility and life force energy.
Carl Jung said that the spiral is an archetypal symbol that represents the cosmic force.
Spirals are connected to the cycles of the seasons and the cycles of life - to growth, change, and the journey.
Spirals are a symbol of wholeness.
Our path through life isn’t really a straight line - rather it’s a spiral path.
Each turn of the spiral is an invitation to deepen. We return and return again to things we thought we understood and receive deeper understanding and healing.
Making a Spiral Advent Calendar
I love nature-based practices and seasonal rituals because they are accessible to everyone.
Creating a Spiral Advent Calendar is a way to:
embrace the darkening season as the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer until the longest night of the year is reached on the Winter Solstice
celebrate the rebirth of light as you count down the days to the Winter Solstice
have a daily check-in with yourself - you could reflect on your own spiral journey, the state of your inner hearth, or the seasonal shift to winter
gather each day with your family or friends - a beautiful pause in a month that is busy for many people
How to Create a Spiral Advent Calendar
You will need small stones or other items to create your spiral. I have created mine in the center of my dining room table.
Put a stone in the center to begin the spiral. I used a very dark stone at the center to represent the longest night of the year - the Winter Solstice.
If you are counting down to the Winter Solstice, place 20 stones in the shape of a spiral around the central stone. If you are counting down to Christmas, place 24 stones.
Enjoy the process of creating your spiral. Notice the colours, the shapes, and the texture of the stones.
On the evening of December 1, take away the first stone at the outer ring of your spiral. Replace it with a tealight candle.
Repeat each day, replacing a stone with one tea light.
Observe the growing light of your spiral labyrinth. Allow the candle light to provide a focal point - drawing you inward and creating a feeling of cozy.
You may want to trace the spiral path with your finger. Inhaling as you move inwards, and exhaling as you move outwards. Children will enjoy this too!
If you create an Advent Spiral, please share a photo with me: hello@1912aromatherapy.com or share a photo through Instagram https://www.instagram.com/1912aromatherapy/
References
D’Silva, Beverley. (2022). The ancient enigma that still resonates today.
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20220318-the-ancient-enigma-that-still-resonates-today
Markow, Joanne. (2016). Spiraling OUT of control? Spiral IN
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/spiraling-out-control-primal-spirals-inspire-joanne-markow-cpcc/
Oakes, Caroline. (2014). Finding Ancient (Pagan) Meaning in the Darkness of Advent
https://www.carolineoakes.com/home/2019/12/2/finding-ancient-pagan-meaning-in-the-darkness-of-advent?rq=advent
