Archive - December 12, 2018

This letter brings my heartfelt wishes for a truly joyous holiday season and an abundant New Year. In the Northern Hemisphere, December 21st is the time of the longest night (it is the longest day in the Southern Hemisphere). The Winter Solstice is universally honored with lights the world over. People have burned oil lamps, candles and bonfires, and now, electric light bulbs are strung around our homes. My mother used to tell me as a child that these traditions reassured us that days of longer sunlight would be returning.

Yet there is much to appreciate in the dark. Indigenous wisdom holds that darkness is simply the other side of light and there is great creative power in the void. The following lyrics capture this:
On the longest night, we search for the light
And we find it deep within
As we open our eyes, we embrace what it wise
And see the light of our souls shining
Enter the night and you’ll find the light
That will carry you to your dreams
Enter the night; let your spirit take flight
In the field of infinite possibilities

From Lisa Thiel, Circle of the Seasons CD

The current fascination with Shamanism in this time reflects a desire to delve into that mystery.