A look at selected rituals: rituals for the Rauhnacht season

In recent years, hard nights have become more important again. A look at the rituals selected for these twelve very special nights. (Manuela Molk)

Field churches. The twelve nights between Christmas and Epiphany are also called the Rough Nights, and have their origins in Celtic and Germanic customs and result from the difference in the days of the lunar year (354 days) and in the solar calendar (365 days). To balance this difference, the Celts added an additional eleven days, which have a very special energy and are very suitable for ritual. Earth expert and architecture graduate Christina Granditis offers some of these rituals that make harsh nights a very special time.

Meditation in silence

“A hard night gives us the opportunity to let go of things that are no longer useful and to invite nourishing things into our future lives,” explains Christina Grandits. “Introspection into silence strengthens the connection to the spirit and demonstrates that we humans hold the threads of our destiny in our own hands. Rituals help us create change with simple actions.

Fire ritual

For example, fire rituals give us the opportunity to connect with the fire of our lives. “You burn what's allowed to go and nurture what calls you,” says the geologist. You are invited to write situations and topics on pieces of paper and hand them to the flame. “You can then consciously connect with the power of fire and ask to strengthen or reignite the fire of life.”

Visions revolve

Of course, the time of harsh nights is also very suitable for spinning dreams. “You are welcome to write, draw, or even record in a collage what you would like to invite into your life. These could be wishes or tangible feelings you want for the future.

Incense ritual

Smoking also plays an important role at this time. You can smoke incense on all twelve nights as you wish and turn it into a ritual. All you need is an incense pot, charcoal, sand, and incense herbs such as mugwort or white sage. Then, as you smoke, imagine the smoke removing negative energy from your home and making room for positive energy again.

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Writer's Tip: Caroline Dees: Hard, Mysterious Nights. Smoking rituals, recipes and instructions for 2021-2023. Copyrights.