Walking Through the Solstice

Mountains of Arizona
Cloudy 59 Degrees
2:36 p.m.

So today’s the Winter Solstice or Yule.

We’ll be standing around a fire tonight setting some intentions for the coming season.

Traditionally the shortest day of the year, the Winter Solstice marks the “return of the light.” It’s a turning point from dark to light.

I was raised with the idea that dark was the bad and the light was the good. It was a simple story that gave me an extremely myopic view of reality. It led to me to think things in the world were black or white, right or wrong, up or down, one or the other, clear as day. I eventually realized that was so shortsighted that, to believe it, would cause enormous dysfunction within myself.

And then I walked into the darkness and discovered there was much more there.

To avoid your dark means you will remain lost forever.

To avoid your dark means that you are always at risk of your fear, or others who prey on your fear, controlling you.

To avoid your dark means that you are not willing to look into the source of your power.

To avoid your dark means you will never realize you are whole.

Dark and light. That’s the balance.

You don’t run from the dark. You don’t run to the light. You stand on the boundary between the two. Sometimes you step into the light. Sometimes you run deep into the darkness.

You accept both of them because you ARE both of them.