Right in the middle of all the year end holidays comes the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere – summer solstice in the southern hemisphere. The official date is in the evening on December 21.
I don’t remember when I first became aware that there was actually a date that signaled the days starting to get longer. While I don’t claim to have SAD (Seasonal affective disorder), I am a whole lot happier with sunshine than I am with clouds and rain.
Even though I live in San Diego which has a whole bunch of sunshine, when we get several days of rain in winter or when the marine layer comes in and gives us June gloom for days, I long for more natural light. So I appreciate solstice.
I also appreciate celebrating it. Oh sure, it’s more or less a pagan idea, but that doesn’t bother me. Often I’ve joined others for a solstice party or ritual, and probably just as often I’ve celebrated by myself, sometimes with just a nod of my head, acknowledging the turning of the year.
I think that’s one of the things I like about it. Even though I’ve learned to be quite content at Christmas, which is my big year-end holiday, it really is quite frantic, or can be if I let it.
On the other hand, acknowledging the turning of the year, making a point of noticing how, about 10 days in I can tell the days are a tiny bit longer, is more quiet and intimate. Where at Christmas I’m busy with family, which now is a joy, it’s not totally without stress. You know how it goes, even when it goes very well.
On the other hand, a quiet cup of special tea and some time spend on my deck watching whatever the sky chooses to show me in that moment. It becomes some sort of meditation, and a chance to take a deep and quiet breath. I usually end up feeling very grateful for my life, this planet and things in general.
Solstice has become part of my spiritual practice. You might want to make it part of yours. Or not.
How are you holding up this holiday season?
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