Seeking the Light

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It’s that time again! We are coming to the end of the year, and just before we get there we have Winter Solstice – the longest night of the year! This event conjures within my heart and soul velvety dark, warm memories of long nights before the fireplace with warm drinks, meditation on the depth of life within us and gratitude for all that is good in life.

This is a precious time and I’d like to share with you its significance for our souls and our world.

All during the spring and summer our souls are fed with light, color, sounds of nature, warmth, good smells and an expansive aliveness that flows from the heart of the earth and calls our spirit to grow, expand and receive the love that the creator has invested within nature and all of life. It draws us outside of ourselves and we receive wisdom as a seed from the enlightened levels of the universe, planted within our souls to guide us in our evolution and lives.

Then fall comes when we begin falling back into our personal focus; and we sometimes feel sad about that. But we can also feel grateful that this beautiful seed of spiritual life from the universe is growing within us. As the world grows colder, the spiritual energies of the planet recede into the ground. Some say that this is the time when the earth is most alive because her energies are so strong within her own self. I agree that this is true in its own way, not only of the earth, but of our own selves.

When we are busy outwardly doing so much, our energy is flowing away from ourselves, like the energy of the earth during the warm months. In winter, we are called within our houses and ourselves, to grow inwardly stronger and nourish our own personal truth. It is good to be nourished from outside of ourselves, but it is essential to be nourished from within. This is where we find our power and our own direction in life; it comes from the divine spark of the One Source of Life that lives uniquely within our deep, true self. Like the seasons of life on Earth, we have seasons of our soul, and we need all of them in order to blossom fully each year.

So take some time this Winter Solstice, which is December 21st, but some say 22nd. Take time to be with yourself and grow the light within your own soul. You can do this alone, or with friends, but the journey is a personal one; it is a journey of self- love, respect and seeking the light that only shines within yourself.

On Winter Solstice I like to light a fire, either in a fireplace, or with a candle or candles. Firelight touches and stimulates the light within the soul. I turn off all other lights, make myself something warm to drink and open my heart and soul to my own higher self, which I welcome to fill me down to my very cells and tune every part of me to my eternal and true Being.

Letting that light grow within me I surrender into its warmth and feel all awake, alive and whole within. Then, I open to the light of the outer fire of candle or fireplace and allow the light within me and the light of the fire to sing together of warmth, truth and eternal love at the core of all life.

Another favorite Winter Solstice pastime of mine is to invite children to make candle holders of jars wired to sticks with tea candles inside. You can glue on colored tissue paper pieces to make a nice effect. Then we walk out in the night swinging our little lights, and hang peanut butter covered pine cones and other gifts for the wildlife on the branches of an evergreen tree, symbol of the ongoingness of life when all the other trees are apparently dead. Surrounding the tree we sing songs of love and blessings and offer prayers for people, animals and plants to have a safe winter with enough to eat. Children love to be out at night, whether starry skied or dark, it is magical and will create long memories of the light within the darkness – the light of their candles, of their songs and prayers and of their own souls.

When all is dark and cold, seek the light and warmth within. That is the lesson of winter and of the longest night of the year. It is a lesson that can carry you through dark nights of the soul as well, which can happen at any season. You are the light of the Divine One, living within a physical body. Remember who you are and celebrate your truth and unique beauty. There is only one of you, within this vast universe. You are precious.

~by Eve Wilson

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