Welcome The light, Embrace The Dark by Lexie Wolf
On the longest night and shortest day of the year in the Western Hemisphere—the Winter Solstice—we traditionally celebrate the return of the light. From this point forward, the days gradually lengthen, and we are gifted with more sunlight. It’s a time when themes of hope, growth, and potential come to the forefront. A beautiful opportunity to look to the horizon and dream.
Celebrating light is deeply rooted in our humanity. Think about how crucial light and warmth were to ancient cultures! Light signified food growing, safety, warmth, and the sustenance of life itself. Symbolically, light has also come to represent knowledge, insight, and joy.
But let us not only celebrate the promise of light; let us also honor the darkest day of the year—not just for what is to come, but for what is. As we step beyond the primal, into the spiritual realm, darkness is a powerful force to be welcomed.
I’d like to share a passage from one of our community members, Sharyn Warren. Sharyn and I exchanged a thoughtful correspondence in November, reflecting on the darkness we were both feeling, and I can’t express it more beautifully than she did:
“It is the darkness that holds the mystery of life itself. It is the seed that becomes the flower. The cocoon that shelters the caterpillar as it is broken and dissolves to transform itself into the winged creature of hope and rebirth. It is the darkness of the soil that anchors and nourishes all living things. It is the darkness of the womb. It is night, a place of rest and stillness. A time where relationship is most welcome—love making, quiet conversation, just the presence of that which reminds us we are not alone, be it another person, a beloved pet, or the simple presence of our spirit guides and helpers. It is the dark behind our closed eyelids in meditation and prayer that allows us to travel to places and ideas unreachable in ordinary sight, to receive the visions that birth creativity and new beginnings. It is through the dark that we pass from the womb into the outside world. And it is through the dark that the spirit passes from the body when the time comes to go Home.”
I invite you to embrace it all—just as it is. Each day of our lives is a unique blend of light and dark. From the changing seasons, moon cycles, and weather, to the events and circumstances of our lives, to the fluctuations of our inner world. Welcome the light, embrace the dark, and be fully present for the miracle of it all.
