Why This Winter Solstice Could Give You the Best Sleep of the Whole Year

The winter solstice, AKA the shortest day of the year (in the Northern Hemisphere), is a major astronomical event. And astrologically speaking, that long winter's night holds the promise of some extra-special manifesting magic, says Lunar Logic founder Jennifer Racioppi. Here's her day-by-day advice for making the most of the cosmic conditions all week—no matter what your sun sign is.

Monday, December 17

With just one week left before Christmas, year-end pressure looms. Thankfully, Mars, the planet of action, makes a harmonious and helpful angle to powerhouse Pluto, supporting drive, determination, and the capacity to get things done. Combine this with the moon waxing in Aries, and you may feel an energy surge. However, before you go full throttle to tackle your to-do list, ask yourself this; “Where can I create more space in my day to simply breathe and be?” Mars, the planet that pushes action, travels in Pisces, one of the most spiritual signs of the zodiac, inviting you to feel and flow, as opposed to pushing. Couple this with a limited planetary emphasis in any air signs, and the cosmos call for temperance. Remember, success isn’t a race, it’s a rhythm. Let your day flow.

Tuesday, December 18

Yesterday’s fiery Aries moon transitions into grounded and sensual Taurus. With the moon now waxing gibbous in Venus-ruled Taurus, your cravings for sweet and luscious foods may feel amplified. It’s the holidays, after all, meaning there’s no shortage of sugar-laden snacks to choose from. However, rather than mindlessly eat the candy cane just because your coworker has a bowl of them sitting on her desk, or order the pumpkin spice latte as an automatic reflex on your coffee run, choose your indulgences with purpose.

Emotional satisfaction and embodied pleasure translate into health today. The trick is to enjoy your indulgences with presence and purpose.

Maybe you want a delicious glass of champagne or truly crave a gluten-free cookie. If so, awesome. Emotional satisfaction and embodied pleasure translate into health today. The trick is to enjoy your indulgences with presence and purpose. Rather than consuming non-nutrient-dense foods flippantly, choose your sugar wisely and indulge at a time when you can truly appreciate it. Savor the moment.

Wednesday, December 19

The sun in go-big-or-go-home Sagittarius makes an awkward and harsh angle to Chiron, an asteroid that represents healing. What does this mean? Difficult feelings may rise to the surface. If so, let them. So often we want to repress, deny, or surpass difficulty. However, sitting in the muck, and allowing it to be—without trying to manipulate it—accelerates the healing process. Feeling your feelings (with acceptance, honesty, and reverence) supports you to tap into the magic available right now. With the winter solstice happening on Friday, and Mercury, which represents communication, meeting up with good-luck and good-fortune Jupiter later this week, good news looms. So, now is not the time to check out or throw in the towel. Stick with it—even if it’s hard. Be present for any pain you feel, as the first step to moving through it.

Thursday, December 20

Yesterday’s challenges give way to today’s breakthrough. Yes. If something left your life recently, take your time with the grieving process, and simultaneously do your best to trust that you can surrender it, too. With Jupiter and Mercury moving closer and closer to one another, the universe might provide a real signal that you are growing and changing in a positive direction. The sun, now making a helpful trine to Uranus (the planet of evolution and change), delivers innovation. Stay on the lookout for good news! Tomorrow, the sun exits Sagittarius and enters into Capricorn. Thus, the solstice occurs. This auspicious turning point of the year asks you to focus on your inner light. With the sky so dark, meditate on the love within.

Friday, December 21

In the world of astrology, today, one of the most auspicious days of the year, invites you into your heart. The sun moves out of Sagittarius into Capricorn at 5:22 p.m. Eastern. This sacred moment heralds the official start of winter. Simultaneously, it’s also the darkest day of the year. Yet, the cosmos sing a song of joy! The auspicious alignment between Mercury and Jupiter that has illuminated this week finally perfects. Your thoughts, words, and actions today have substantial power, so use them wisely. As if that weren’t enough, Venus makes a sweet trine to dreamy Neptune, which ignites manifestation potential by helping you tap into the power of your emotions. Feel deep and feel big, especially as it relates to connecting with your dreams!

Your thoughts, words, and actions today have substantial power, so use them wisely. Feel deep and feel big, especially as it relates to connecting with your dreams!

Engage a meditation practice, quieting the mind, and settling into the voice of your soul (or "soul voice," as feminist theologian Meggan Watterson calls it.) Then, light a candle in honor of what you are calling in. If you have a clear vision of the future, write it out, focusing especially on where you’d like to be in your life by the time the next solstice happens, in late June. If you know reiki or work with crystals, tonight is the night to give your home an energetic reset.

Want to go even deeper? Prioritize your sleep. It’s the darkest day of the year, and while the moon is simultaneously full, rest is medicine right now, especially with Venus making an auspicious alignment to the planet of dreams, Neptune. So, indulge it.

Here’s a suggestion to make your sleep magic. Before going to bed, change your sheets and bathe. You may even want to sip on some mugwort tea to enhance the potential of dreams. (But if mugwort is new to you, limit yourself to a half cup—and avoid it altogether if you are pregnant.) Then, write down a question you’d like to receive an answer to, and slip the piece of paper under your pillow. When you wake up, write down exactly what you remember, and meditate on your sleep experience. You may even want to write three pages of stream-of-consciousness prose to see what percolates. Do your best to write out your dreams.

Saturday, December 22

Coming off of yesterday’s crazy awesome solstice, tonight we have the full moon in Cancer. Cancer, the sign most closely related to divine feminine, invites you to come home to yourself. Release the burdens that have haunted you in 2018. Write them down on paper and rip them up and throw them out. Or better yet, set them on fire. You may also want to sage your home, cleansing any stale or stuck energy from the year, too. With just a week left in 2018, and the new year right around the corner, let tonight be the night you draw a line in the sand.

Release the burdens that have haunted you in 2018. And with the full moon here, in loving Cancer, put your hands on your heart and call a truce with your body.

Use this full moon to shed years’ worth of conditioning that has taught you to believe that there’s something wrong with you: that you need to lose weight to be worthy, eat perfectly to be healthy, achieve more to have value, and that you need someone else’s approval to love yourself. With the full moon here, in loving Cancer, put your hands on your heart and call a truce with your body. Forgive her for all of the ways she’s let you down, and forgive yourself for all the times you’ve betrayed her. Wipe the slate clean. You are beautiful, worthy, strong, and powerful. Stand under the moonlight tonight and own it. You may even want to howl, too.

Sunday, December 23

The moon continues to travel in Cancer, making harmonious and auspicious angles to Neptune, Venus, and eventually Mars, too. Let yourself integrate your healing. While today might feel emotional (there’s a heavy dose of water in the sky), take time to be present and embodied. Of course, a million things will tug at you for attention today. However, don’t forget the most essential commitment is the one to yourself. And don’t forget the power of orgasm. Taking time for pleasure, either with yourself or with a partner, aids your integration and healing process.

Jennifer Racioppi is the creator of Lunar Logic—a philosophy that integrates the deep wisdom of both science and spirituality, and blends her expertise in astrology, positive psychology, and women's health—to coach high-achieving female entrepreneurs to reach their next level of success. 

Want to catch up on Racioppi's advice? Here are her insights from last week.