On December 21, the Winter Solstice, the 13 Mystical Days begin.
The purpose of this process is to get back in touch with humanity, creativity & Nature, as the words of Snowman, a white mustang, “Humans need to remember and pay attention to each foot step on the earth.” What better way to reconnect than with an art project that lasts all through the year, to slow us down and remind us who we are.
“The 13 Mystical Days are symbols for the 12 forces of the soul that live in us, which reveal themselves through the zodiac, and the 13th culmination and entrance to the following year.”- Anthroposophical Society of NY
December 21,22, 23, & 24 are the darkest shortest days of the year and December 25th is the rebirth of the Sun (Son) and hope returns as the days start getting longer, and on January 1 at noon we have the Sun as close as possible to the Earth. (Astrotheology)
These days are the darkest of the year, and are closest to the Sun’s Spirit, and this means that the Spiritual Son shining from inside the Earth makes it translucent and illuminates everything from the inside, not as it is afterwards when the Sun illuminates the Earth from above, from the outside.
Balancing The Law of Polarity, I am going to use the Moon Lunations for the creation of the artwork.
This period, which Steiner did indeed refer to as a time of spiritual renewal, is sometimes associated with a more condensed practice of 13 days (counting from December 21 to January 1), distinct from the 12 days of Christmas (December 25–January 6).
- The Winter Solstice & Mystical Days Portal (Dec 21–Jan 1)
In this context, Steiner and Anthroposophical tradition emphasize the Winter Solstice (December 21) as a crucial turning point in the spiritual year. The Mystical Days Portal that follow the Solstice symbolize a time for deep soul work and spiritual reflection, marking a time when the earthly and spiritual worlds are particularly aligned.
The practice focuses on a 13-Day Cycle, with each 24-hour period associated with a different aspect of spiritual development, self-transformation, or divine insight. The key principle is that during this period, the human soul can align itself with cosmic rhythms and engage in inner work that prepares it for the year ahead.
- The “13 Mystical Days Portal” Practice
Rudolf Steiner suggested that, beginning at the Winter Solstice (Dec. 21), these 13 days offer an opportunity for deep reflection and inner transformation, and that each day corresponds symbolically to each month of the coming year. The spiritual themes or meditative content of each day aligns with the 12 months of the year, and the 13th day represents the “gateway” to the future year.
Steiner himself used only the nights (Sundown to Sunrise) in his practice, but I have expanded it to days and nights – each person participating can do it as they intuit is best for them.
Here’s an outline of how this might unfold in the 13-day cycle, beginning with the Solstice, see P. 4
Practical Aspects of the Practice:
During the 13 Mystical Days Portal, practitioners might engage in several practices:
- Daily Meditation: Focusing on one theme each day, meditating on its meaning and how it relates to one’s life.
- Dream Journaling: The Mystical Days Portal are also a time when spiritual influences are believed to affect our dreams, and recording them can help track insights.
- Creative Expression: Some people express their inner reflections through art, music, or other creative outlets, which can amplify the meditative work.
- Contemplation and Prayer: Using prayer to seek deeper alignment with spiritual beings or guidance from Christ.
- Rituals: You might light a candle each day, read spiritual texts, or create a quiet space to allow for contemplation.
The Importance of the 13th Days
The 13th day is often seen as a culmination of the spiritual work of the previous days. It’s a time when all of the reflections, insights, and meditations come together, serving as a gateway to the new year.
Steiner emphasized that this final day is an important moment for spiritual commitment—a time to deepen one’s connection with divine purpose and to prepare for the spiritual tasks of the upcoming year.
Combining the 13 Mystical Days Portal (based upon the 13 Holy Nights Tradition from Rudolf Steiner) with the Tarot’s Major Arcana and the Kabbalah, provides a rich opportunity for self-reflection and spiritual development through the winter solstice period. The 13 Mystical Days Portal runs from December 21 to January 1, each day being connected with a specific theme of spiritual insight. By associating each Mystical Day with a Tarot card from the Major Arcana, we can deepen our connection to both traditions.
Moon Lunations: I am going to use the Moon Lunations from New Moon to Last Quarter for my work – and I am doing this to connect and align with Earth Energies and to balance The Law of Polarity in response to the celebration of the Sun (Son). You do not have to do this! You can start on the first day of the month and finish onor near the last day of the month.
The Art Supplies: you can use any size paper, wood, gelli print, art journal, or sketchpad for this process if you like. You can do whatever you want – you can use the time to make clothing, or embroider, or knit a sweater or you could write 12 songs – however or whatever creative alignment you want to use for this process – it’s up to you!
Or you could make your creative work, coloring in the B.O.T.A. Tarot cards I provided using the color map guide I provide here. (Builders of the Adytum https://www.bota.org/, founded by Dr. Paul Foster Case), if you feel intimidated by the freedom offered here.
Or you can use this creative time to write a play or a novel or create a shadow puppet theater for your community…
Humans have the ability to “draw” the Aetheric Energy into ourselves through our Crown Chakra while “drawing” the Earth Energy up through our feet, where it mixes together in the Solar Plexus Chakra and then is pumped out into our Aura – from this place of Cosmic Mixing of Energies, we are at our most powerful. In conjunction with this act, which happens unconsciously, we can train our thoughts to prayer, a positive statement of intention or a mantra, and from that point, we can envision a future of freedom, sovereignty and connection to the Divine.
Once we begin to practice this consciously, we activate abilities that we did not have before. Visual Art creation is one of the ways that we unconsciously hone our skills of moving Qi with our minds.
Of course, you must also be living by Natural Law (morality) to really reap the benefits of these powers. Simply, Treat Others The Way You Wish To Be Treated, and don’t STEAL. You can find out more about this here.
This is my experience, and it is available to everyone.
I am a professional artist and I am going to be using 18” x 24” all media paper for my substrates, maybe, or I might do Gelli prints and change up the size – I have not decided. I will likely use abstractly painted tempera paint or acrylic prints, to break the monotony of the white page and prepare abstract “images” on my substrates, gathering the energy of this sacred time.
When it comes to the images themselves, I am doing abstraction combined with images of wild mustangs and burros of the west because at the end I will be donating the artwork to Great Escape Mustang Rescue to be sold to raise money for that small local non-profit. You can read about The Wild Mustang and Burro Crisis here on my blog.
I will be posting about the artwork I create for this project throughout the year in various social media outlets.
The next 2 pages show The Kabbalah Tree of Life and it’s relationship to the Tarot.
Then comes a proposed way to combine the 13 Mystical Days Portal with the Major Arcana and the Kabbalah, starting with December 21 and ending on January 1:
1st Mystical Day: December 21 (Winter Solstice) – Capricorn
Related to January
Begin the Artwork during New Moon: December 30, 2024 through the Full Moon – January 13 and onward through the Last Quarter before the next New Moon.
Realize that you will still be making substrates for the last part of 2025 when you begin the artwork for this day.
Contemplate Capricorn
Cardinal Earth, Saturn (Limitation)
Cosmic Birth and Renewal
This day marks the spiritual birth of the Son/Sun (Christ) being into the world of human consciousness. It’s a time to reflect on the cosmic significance of light and rebirth.
Focus: Renewal, the potential for spiritual awakening, and inner illumination.
Kabbalah Day 1: Winter Solstice – Keter (Crown)
Theme: Divine Unity, Source of All Creation
Kabbalistic Focus: Keter is the highest Sefirah and represents the Divine Will or Source of all life. The Winter Solstice marks the moment of deepest darkness, but also the return of the light, as the days slowly begin to lengthen. On this day, focus on the deep sense of unity, oneness with the Source of all, and the primal creative energy that exists before all manifestation.
Practice: Meditation on the infinite nature of the Divine, visualizing the Divine Light that emerges from the darkness, and feeling the interconnectedness of all beings.
- 1. December 21 (Winter Solstice) – The Fool (0)
Theme: A new beginning, innocence, and potential.
Connection to Mystical Days Portal: The first day marks the beginning of the soul’s renewal cycle. It’s a time of opening up to new possibilities and trusting the unknown. Just as The Fool steps into the unknown, we are invited to let go of past burdens and start afresh.
Dr. Paul Foster Case, founder of the Builders of The Adytum and creator of the B.O.T.A. Tarot https://www.bota.org/ said that it was by coloring in the deck that you would DRAW in the images into your subconscious, so this could be an activity to do during this time, following the colors…
Yellow is the predominant color of the Solar Plexus, which is the Will – this card is about giving your will over to the Higher Will…through Prayer and Meditation and Action.
To continue access to the Mystical Portal Days Instruction please download.
Bibliography of Source Material:
Indications given by Rudolf Steiner to Herbert Hahn for the Twelve Holy Nights
The Rhythm of the Year
Mary Stewart Adams
https://www.rudolfsteiner.org/
https://rsarchive.org/
https://wn.rudolfsteinerelib.org/
Sophia Institute