Calling Back the Light

The winter solstice is a time of deepening and calling back to the light. It is one of the most powerful turning points of the year when one of the Earth's poles has its maximum tilt away from the sun. It is an astronomical phenomenon marking the day with the shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year.

During the winter season we are surrounded by more darkness. Without the darkness there would be no light. It's important to attune to the energy of the earth that begins to pull inward and find quiet time to explore your higher self. Just as the earth settles this time of year, we can let ourselves settle. We can mindfully turn within and welcome the peace it brings and the love that accompanies it. Here are a few simple ways to do that. 1. Wake early and reconnect with your bodily cycles (circadian rhythms). You may find there's extra time before breakfast to do some worthwhile meditation. 2. Draw insights from dreams when you wake up while they are still fresh. Follow your intuition with the symbols that show up. Keep a diary to record your dreams so that you can review them later in the day or week. 3. Immediately upon waking, think about how you can bring joy to another person. Practice Metta or loving friendliness towards others. This is an extraordinary frequency to begin your day. 4. Engage all five senses as soon as you awaken. The sight of sunlight or darkness, the sound of birdsong, the feel of a towel, the taste of your breakfast, the wafting smell of coffee or tea brewing. 5. Say a morning prayer giving thanks for a new day, your family, friends, health and happiness.

Create a Power Grid of Crystals

This is a wonderful way to lift the energy within your environment especially this time of the year when the energy moves inward and downward. You can create a simple offering tray of assorted crystals and keep it in the area where you meditate and pray, or you can place them around your home. Stones and crystals are energetically aligned to the southwest, northeast and center. It's a great idea to bless and clear your stones prior to placing them in the home. You can do this by leaving them outdoors during a full moon, sunrise, or rain/snow event. Set prayerful intentions over the stones, and then place them on your tray offering, or in the aforementioned points of your environment.

Celebrating

Just as the seasons move through cycles, there are peaks and lows in the spiritual human journey. There are times to create, move forward and share, and there are times to rest, retreat and nurture. This is the time to pull in, listen more than speak, and contemplate life just as it is now.

This time of year is a natural way to reconnect with life's Divine plan and to feel a deep connection with self and others.

There are many ways you can celebrate the Solstice from gathering with friends and family, taking a spiritual retreat, attending a candlelight meditation ceremony, engaging with nature, sitting around a campfire, star gazing, spending time with elders and listening to the wisdom they have to share. This list can go on and on. The idea is to engage in an activity that resonates with you internally.