Winter Solstice Greetings
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It is early morning on the Winter Solstice. Snow fell yesterday and filled the world with white. Trees are bowing their heads as if honouring the beauty of it all. Where we live, the sun sets at about 4:30 and rises again around 8:00. So for me, this is the most sacred day of the year. The time when the long nights and short days have run their course and now, the light will begin its long awaited return.
The early Christians chose to celebrate the birth of Jesus very close to the time of the Winter Solstice. How could they not take advantage of such a well-celebrated and auspicious time of year? Out of darkness, the light of the world is born, again and again, year after year as we travel our course around the sun. And so it is.
I have grown to love these dark days, being tucked inside beside a blazing fire with candles and a steaming hot cup for tea. There is an exquisite beauty in darkness, a beauty that is completely different from what can be found in the light. Our lives keep us so busy, so preoccupied with detail and obligation. If we don’t resist the natural inward pull of darkness, we won’t miss the introspection she brings that will prepare us for a new beginning yet to come. This is the power and promise of Yin, the feminine essence.
And so, while the darkness is still tucked like a blanket around us, I wish each one of you some quiet moments in this festive season, to celebrate how precious it is to have the consciousness to reflect upon and experience a human life. Whether troubles or joys beset you, may your heart know that you are one with the Force that brings light and love to the world, and you are one with the Source that brings the depth of wisdom hidden in the dark of our human experience.
Have a rich and meaningful Holy Day Season.
Love, Ann
