Winter solstice

Τhe winter solstice occurs every year on the North Pole. Hemisphere, usually on 21-22 December. It is the shortest day of the year and officially marks the beginning of winter... In winter we experience the longest and darkest nights of the year while the days are shorter and less light... Nature slows down and rests in order to 'return' in spring rested and refreshed.

As winter approaches, the midday sun appears lower and lower on the horizon. So low, it seems almost stagnant. For ancient man this was accompanied by a feeling of dread... Will the sun rise again? Will we again have light, warmth, safety, flowering? Sacred prayers and sacrifices were made so that the Sun would not be lost for good. And indeed, at its lowest point, it would "change" its decision, begin to climb upward again, and the days grew longer. In almost all ancient traditions, once folks understood this pattern, these darkest days of the year became days of celebration as they realized that essentially darkness always signals the return of light!

So for us too, winter is an opportunity for rest, relaxation and internalization... A moment to slow down, or to create small pauses, for example to take a short walk in nature, or to create a warm and quiet corner in our house to take deep breaths, or to read a book instead of looking at the screen, or to write down thoughts and feelings instead of talking..

As we consciously connect with the cycles of nature, our understanding of our own inner cycles begins to deepen... We notice that just as outside, so too, all seasons are inherent within us... Sometimes we too feel that practically our rhythms need to drop, and other times, that emotionally we have become 'stagnant' on days with little light. But we learn to welcome them all with the same love and with the confidence that each one will offer us its own precious fruits... Dark times are a necessary part of the cycle, and through the fertile darkness and silence new inspirations can eventually emerge from within us and, like nature, we can be reborn and prepared for glorious days of Spring and light.