For me, December always feels a little bit like a portal. I have one foot in the year that’s ending and one in the upcoming new year. As the nights grow longer and darker, I feel possibility in the air. I light candles, burn a fire in the fireplace, and breathe in the cooler air.
As December’s magic quiets
down and we approach the winter solstice, I feel the need to rest, reflect, and renew.
Whether you celebrate the Winter Solstice, Yule, or simply love the turning of the seasons, this is a sacred moment on the Wheel of the Year. It’s the time when the day and night shift again, the waning light begins a slow return, and all of us have a chance to start again. I love the opportunity the solstice brings with it.
Part of my December magic has to do with scent, so in my home, December magic smells like orange peel, cloves, vanilla & bourbon, and woodsmoke.
I always start by clearing space (usually my kitchen island) to set up a soothing, healing space. I also walk through each room with cinnamon incense so the smoke drifts into corners. This is a very symbolic activity for me, as the scent carries away the heaviness of the year. This year that means the passing of my father, which has been very heavy indeed.
Next, I open my grimoire to the winter season pages (it’s divided into seasons). As my grimoire is relatively new and in progress, I’m starting winter by jotting down moments from the year that stood out to me—things that felt magical, mundane, and everything in between. I always leave space to note what I’ve learned, and of course there are many pages on which I can create and use art throughout the changing season. I believe reflection is almost a spell of its own, so I lean into that!
By the time the Winter Solstice arrives (on December 21st this year), I’m ready to celebrate Yule, which is the rebirth of the sun. I love to decorate my altar with pine branches, dried orange slices, and golden, glowing candles. I bake treats (usually pumpkin, still, but also cinnamon and spice), pour a mug of hot tea, and sit in my sunroom as I reflect and honor the balance between light and shadow.
If you want to bring a little more intention to your own December, here are a few simple ways to do it. They are perfect for turning into your own rituals as you embrace the season and the turning of the wheel:
1. Create a Reflection Ritual
Spend time journaling your harvest of the year. What did you grow, learn, or release? If you have started your own grimoire, this is perfect for the winter season.
2. Make a Solstice Altar
Gather pinecones, crystals, oranges, or candles in gold and silver, green and red.
3. Cast a Release Spell
Write down what you’re ready to let go of. Burn the paper in a fireproof bowl or your fireplace. Be safe with this! As the paper burns, imagine the ashes carried away by winter wind.
4. Craft a Yule Decoration
String together dried oranges, cranberries, or cinnamon sticks to hang in your kitchen or on your tree. It’s simple and witchy!
5. Plan Your Witchy New Year
Use this quiet winter season to map out magical goals for the coming months. I plan to make a “New Year Intention Board” in my grimoire—half spellcraft and half vision board. Look for more on that soon!
As the year folds into its last pages (oh, how I love a good bookish metaphor!), I plan to light one final candle and whisper my gratitude for all that’s been during the waning year, including the mistakes, the magic, the lessons, and mostly the love.
Then I will open my hands and hold them out, ready to receive whatever the next turn of the wheel brings.
Here’s to a new year filled with creativity, courage, and quiet magic, and may your December be full of warmth and wonder, and may the returning light find you exactly where you need to be.
Here is to a blessed Yule and bright beginnings for us all! ✨
With love and magic,
© 2026 Melissa Bourbon