It is the longest and darkest night of the year.
The sound of silence permeates the block. The birdsongs of summer are a faint memory. Squirrels are out of sight.
Outside, a thick blanket of snow covers the ground, muting all remaining sounds and perhaps reminding us of what is still to come.
We are only in the beginning of winter, the season of retreat, of darkness, of silence and stillness. The season of death.
Inside, a small candle provides my only light as I surrender to the darkness around and within.
Our cultural conditioning is to push away the darkness, to seek the light of happiness and positivity, to shower everything with “love and light.” But to do so is to miss the point.
Winter is the yin time, the season of water in the cycle of the Chinese elements, a time for stillness and rest. Water brings life. It bring sustenance and lubrication.
This well of darkness is a space of deep rest and stillness. It is in this womb space that all life, all creative projects, all dream seeds, incubate, and from which all life and creativity emerges.
If you want the light, you must surrender to the darkness. The darkness is where the light incubates and originates.
The Winter Solstice marks both an ending and a beginning. We have reached the darkest point. From here the light will grow each day.
As we stand at the threshold of a new season and a new era, it is a potent time to set intentions that will grow with the increasing light of the sun.
Love it? Hate it? What do you think? Don't hold back...