The sun is feminine and the moon is masculine. At least this is true in the German language. We find myths across the world where this is reflected. For example, in Japanese Shinto Mythology, Amaterasu is the Sun Goddess and her brother, Tsukuyomi, is the Moon God. In Norse mythology, it is the same. Sól (sun) is a Goddess and Máni (moon) a God.

Yet, in the culture I am most familiar with, which can be described as the Western over culture and often vague strands of eclectic spirituality that run through it, which are often extracted more than they are honored, the sun is portrayed as a masculine energy and the moon as feminine. After all, the sun brings light, is strong and powerful, and the moon reflects this glorious light and is connected to the monthly cycles of women.

Even as I write this, I cannot help but look at how culture and language shape our thinking and how women, to this day, often find themselves supporting the dreams of more masculine fellow humans, caretaking, tending, while doing their best to fulfill their own dreams on the side, if at all. Even when women put themselves first, there is often an internal struggle that is for sure also subject to the influence of the symbolism, language, and myth of the culture we live in.

To balance this out and loosen myself from the constraints of the beliefs that we all take on just by speaking our language and living in the culture and society we live in, I practice the Mysteries of the Wild Nights every year. This ancient Germanic, Alpine tradition is made up of the Sperrnächte (the Locking Nights), Winter Solstice and the Rauhnächte (Wild Nights or Rough Nights).

Before I tell you more, here is a quick overview of what the Mysteries of the Wild Nights are all about:

During the Sperrnächte, we integrate the lessons of the year gone by and lock away our burdens.
The Winter Solstice is the celebration of the rebirth of the light and a time to make 13 magical wishes that we work with during the Rauhnächte.
The Rauhnächte are a mystical time between time where the veils between the worlds are thin, where we can readily read omens and signs that tell us more about what we can expect in the year to come, and during which we can co-create our fate and weave the story of our life with intention.

Something I find immensely interesting about these nights is the triple goddess connected to them. She is Perchta. She is also Wilbeth, Ambeth, and Borbeth, who are the Earth, the Moon and the Sun. These three 'Bethen' are sometimes also connected to the Three Kings, who come bearing gifts to the newborn son of God. Some consider them the more ancient gift bearers, turned to men with the dawning patriarchy.

Whatever may be truth and whatever may be myth and legend woven into the tapestry that make up the mists of time and history, there is beauty in practicing this tradition and receiving the gift of freeing our perception of what often are subconscious constraints imposed upon us by society, culture and language.

Here we find solace, reflection, and wisdom as we participate in the active dreaming of the year to come and watch that dream become reality in the months that follow.

We journey through the Mysteries of the Wild Nights every year. You don't want to miss this magical experience. Sign up for the Waitlist and be the first to know when the gates to our Inner Temple open.