Today marks the darkest night for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. Historically, human beings marked this day, the Winter Solstice, with celebration. For today is an acknowledgment that the darkness which had been building, has reached its greatest strength and starting tomorrow would begin to recede.
In a year, the world experiences two solstices, a day for both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres to be at their greatest distance from the sun, a day when the night is longest. In our personal lives, we have many cycles and sometimes within those cycles we can enter into a period of darkness.
This can be the literal darkness of a physical journey; it can also be the figurative darkness of ignorance, pain, loneliness, etc.… But within each cycle, just as there are moments of darkness, there is a moment where shadow is born and it grows into a brilliant light.
The Winter Solstice:
I gave this post much thought and what I came away with is that sometimes we don’t need to come up with the answer, sometimes all we need do is adopt the lessons and information of our ancestors. Take for example, the Winter Solstice.
My first thought was a tarot spread, to answer the question of the Winter Solstice, what we are moving into, and maybe anything else Spirit wanted to throw in. However, before I had a chance to put together a spread and do a reading, my cat Oliver interrupted me.
He came to lay in my arms and purr. Nothing more, he was content merely laying there. Which is not something he always does, so as I sat holding him, with nowhere to go I thought.
This mediation was productive, because my cat had a lot to teach me.
What I Learned:
In ancient times, our ancestors celebrated the Winter Solstice through light. In Norse customs, they would burn the Yule log- the biggest tree was foraged, cut down, and set on fire. Then this fire would burn for days, and from this fire, they would light the individual fires of the village.
For our ancestors, they didn’t have electricity. They also didn’t have the medical advancements we do, so sometimes loved ones were lost due to the winter weather. For them, the Winter Solstice was of high importance because it had a high level of impact on their lives.
Often times it can be our desire to search out the answer or end result that we desire. With technology at our very fingertips, we can type or even dictate our question which the internet will answer for us. The speed in which information is now at our disposal has done a number on our patience. I’ll admit I’m tested too.
But sometimes in moments of darkness, lighting up the sky is not within our power. The very truth that we are connected means that sometimes, we are not the ones with the ability to see, we are not the ones with the answers- Spirit has them. Sometimes despite our desires, we don’t need those answers.
So, what did our ancestors do in the face of darkness? They celebrated the idea and truth of light. They celebrated the truth that darkness had reached its greatest level of duration and yet, we still stand. They celebrated that from this point moving forward the light is reclaiming life.
They celebrated the pause darkness and winter offered with a breath, curling up in the arms of loved ones, and purring. Our ancestors celebrated not only the light that they knew with a deep faith was coming, but the life and regrowth that would come- because of the pairing of winter and summer.
The Lesson of the Winter Solstice:
What I learned as my cat put a halt to my “figuring out” things, is that we can learn from those who have come before us. And most importantly I realized that even when we as an individual or a community are faced with the deepest darkness, we have choice.
We can choose to fight the truth of the moment, to fight what is, or….
We can choose to celebrate.
While the darkness pauses our forward movement, we can take a moment to celebrate, to breathe, to relax, to recuperate, to cherish loved ones, and to carry the faith that with tomorrow the light grows.
Rather than pushing for sight or answers, give yourself a break today. Set aside what you can and celebrate the darkest night of the year. For in this darkness you have a chance, a choice, to celebrate and connect with loved ones.
I know that sometimes our doubts and even our sight as we look around the world can be troubling to our human minds. So, let me remind you that you are a soul living a human life. This truth about the human experience means that even if our human sight puts the idea of hope in question, that another truth to life is that in a dual world, where there is darkness there will also always be light. The truth that in a world of connection when we lack the answers- Spirit has them for us and will provide them at just the right moment.
Merry Christmas Chickadee! And thank you for taking a moment to connect with me.
The post December 21st: The Winter Solstice appeared first on Rae Medicine Woman.
