Just thought I would blog about a  Wonderful rite for midwinetr solstice! Felt I might have been visited by one of the Fey as a robin came to watch during my asking them to attend, he kept flitting about the circle, very comical and curious! Ritual felt very charged and was very beautiful i the snow. It hasn't snowed here for years at midwinter and , boy does it make a difference! Really felt as if gifts to the deities were acepted and that the wood around us was listening. speaking for myself I feel much lighter and relaxed, i feel that these rituals of the year help our minds and bodies including  the brain(chemical changes) adapt to the changes in the seasons. and without them we become disconnected from the 'real' world.