Each winter, as the days reach their shortest and the nights their longest, Warrah comes together to celebrate the Winter festival, a meaningful event held in Steiner communities and schools. The Spiral honours the quiet, reflective journey inward during winter, and the light that each of us carries within.
In a spiral of greenery, a single candle glows at the centre. One by one, each person walks the spiral path in silence, lighting their candle from the central flame and placing it along the way. As the spiral fills with glowing lights, a sense of peace, reverence, and renewal fills the room. This simple yet powerful festival is a symbolic journey, a time to pause, reflect, and connect to the deeper rhythms of nature, light, and self.
At Warrah, this special event brings such a sense of peace and wonder, and this year was no exception. It’s always moving to witness the powerful impact the spiral has on our students, participants, and all who attend.
There is a noticeable stillness and calm that settles over the room as the spiral begins. Everyone seems to relax, becoming fully present in the moment, allowing the quiet of the experience to unfold. The gentle music, the glowing candles, and the reverent silence create an atmosphere of beauty and reflection.
For many of our students and participants, the Winter Spiral is also a moment of personal achievement and independence. Walking the spiral path on their own, lighting their candle, and emerging with their head held high is a deeply meaningful experience. There is often a quiet pride in their faces, a sense of accomplishment and inner strength that stays with them.
It’s a reminder of the power of simplicity and ritual, and how much our students and participants respond to these moments of calm and beauty.
STEINER TRADITION
THE SPIRAL is one of nature’s many patterns and can be found in shells, flowers, pinecones, galaxies, and even our fingertips. The spiral represents the rhythm of the seasons and the inner journey of the soul.
As we move inward on the spiral path, we symbolically pass through summer and autumn, arriving at the centre, the winter solstice, the darkest point of the year. From there, we spiral back outward, carrying our newly kindled light into the coming seasons. It is a journey both through the natural year and into ourselves, where we may discover quiet strength, beauty, and purpose.
RED APPLES are traditionally used as candleholders during spiral walks and celebrations. Red apples represent the seeds of our hidden potential. Inside each apple lies the promise of future growth, just as within each student lies the adult they are becoming, their unique gifts still forming and waiting for the right moment to emerge.
EVERGREEN TREES hold their colour through even the harshest winters and are often seen as symbols of life’s enduring power. In the spiral, their greenery reflects nature’s resilience, the quiet abundance that sustains us through darkness and cold.
BEESWAX CANDLES are a warm, natural light source, they are symbols of eternal love and hope. In the darkness of winter, they remind us that love and warmth remain constant, even in our quietest, most inward moments.
The Winter Spiral is more than a festival, it’s a reminder of our shared humanity, our connection to nature’s rhythms, and the radiant light each of us carries, even when the world feels dim.
At Warrah, we are proud to keep this tradition alive and to offer our community a space for reflection, peace, and renewal each winter.
