Winter Solstice is here. In the North light has been obscured by weeks of snow clouds. The falling flakes offer beauty for the brown dreariness at the end of autumn. The freezing lakes replace open and moving water. Everything in nature seems to grind to a halt while we rush to finish shopping for the holiday. Stillness arrives.
It can be our habit to move against stillness. We continue to rush, over schedule and stay busy. Inspired by Caitlin Matthews in her book The Celtic Spirit, here is a practice for tending to your soul while welcoming this new season.
- Tune your heart to the season of winter. Allow stillness to come.
- Face your shadow. Your physical shadow is the longest today.
- Consider how your own shadow influences the world around you.
- Allow the quiet to come. Take time to be quiet. Go for a walk, listen to the voice of silence.
- Open yourself up to the light. Even in the darkness, there are opportunities of light.
During this season may you trust in the darkness. May you find light when you need to see. May silence hold you, and may the holidays you celebrate bring you close to those you love, near or far away.
Blessed Solstice to you~
Andrea Tatley 