Observations
on the Path
"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, even if I have said it...unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense." --Buddha
In Brighton, England on the Winter Solstice (December 21st) a parade is held. Participants, carrying white paper lanterns adorned with images of clocks, sweep through the town to a huge bonfire. There the lanterns are pitched into the flames symbolizing a release of the old to make room for the new. Although the Brighton festival began in the 1990s, its lineage is rooted in much older traditions. Fire has been a part of solstice and new year celebrations for centuries. We, too, can use this Element to let go of that which no longer serves us. To begin, reflect on what you want to release. Then create a statement or image for each item. When you are ready, safely burn what you’ve written or drawn and release the cold ashes to Grandmother Earth. Rest in gratitude and relief once you’ve done this. Now, welcome into the space you have created your hopes, dreams and visions for the year to come. May all your intentions be gracefully fulfilled. Gratitude to bjournal.co SAME SKY for the image. n the Northern Hemisphere, the June Solstice marks the astronomical start of Summer. For those in the Southern Hemisphere, Winter begins. But no matter where you are on the planet, the Solstice occurs at exactly the same time for all of us. This year, it is on Saturday, June 20, 2020, at 21:44 UTC or 5:44P EDT. (Click here to convert to your time zone: https://www.worldtimeserver.com/convert_time_in_UTC.aspx) I invite you join me and others in 60 seconds of intention at the moment of the Solstice. You might choose to: - Step outside and give thanks. - Breathe deeply and send Love to others. - Pray for peace or healing or compassion. - Dance, sing or rest in silence. Whatever you choose, know your offering adds to the many. Thank you. Gratitude to Peter Lutz for the image from Pixabay Also known as “Sun Return”, the Winter Solstice heralds the transition from long nights to longer days. Although some of the coldest nights of Winter are still ahead, we now hold the certainty that the Earth is tilting back towards the warmth and light of our Sun.
For a Winter Solstice meditation, find an object or image which represents the Sun to you. Bring it into your meditation space and invite it to warm and illuminate you as you move through this time of darkness. As you meditate on an external Sun, be reminded of the “sun” you have within. as symbolized by the 3rd chakra at the solar plexus. May both 'suns' light your path to Spring. "From here on, the Light grows." Amy Burt The Winter Solstice or Sun Return as some traditions call it, falls in mid-December. The word solstice comes from the Latin sol (Sun) and sistere (to stand still) because to the ancients, it appeared that the Sun halted before it reversed direction. To encourage the Sun's return, people created special rituals, often using bonfires and candles, to honor and mimic the Sun and stave off extended darkness. These traditions continue today in our modern seasonal celebrations. "As the sun spirals its longest dance,
Cleanse us. As nature shows bounty and fertility, Bless us. Let all things live with loving intent, and to fulfill their truest destiny." A blessing from the ancient Celts honoring the Sun as it reaches its zenith on the longest day of the year. |