Winter Solstice, 2010

Thinking back on the seasonal changes as I grew up, Winter Solstice has always been one of my favorites. Solstice is the day with the shortest amount of daylight, for the entire calendar year. The thought of hibernation...warm, cuddly, snuggled in tight...burrowing into the home cave with family, food and fire...always conjures up primal comfort for me.

Solstice always meant drawing inward, a death...in anticipation of a rebirth in the Spring. But this year, I finally see the process in a different way. Not unlike the moment an egg is fertilized in utero, Solstice is the beginning, not the end. Seeds are planted, nestled deep within, protected, nurtured and just waiting for the day when it can push its tender young leaves upwards towards the sun.

A busy year ends on an equally active note. Full moon, lunar eclipse, Mercury retrograde....lots of alignments, all in service to provide opportunity for reflection and growth. In her book, "Ceremonies of the Seasons," Jennifer Cole says "...the end of one cycle is the beginning of the next, which makes Midwinter a time to look forward in hope. We have time to contemplate the year that is ending and plan for the future. Communities gather together at the Winter Solstice, to celebrate the return of the Light...with rejoicing and the exchange of gifts." Instead of the day of the least amount of Light, we are preparing for the return of longer days, renewal, rebirth and later Harvest. So rest, celebrate, reflect...and prepare yourself for the awakening the new year will bring us all.

MiChelle Jeneen, Energy Skills Educator and
Intuitive Life Coach
www.spiritrefreshed.blogspot.com