Joyous Solstice!

It’s the first day of Winter and we’re heading into the longest night of the year. We get a full moon tomorrow (the “Long Night’s Moon”), to boot!

I celebrate the darkness on this day as well as the return of the light. When I talk to the little ones in my life about darkness, I tell them there’s nothing to fear, because darkness is where Dream lives. We can paint anything on that inky void that we want—dragons, forests, urban mages, or yes, fear. The choice is ours.

Lately, I tend to go with a little something like this:

Darkness is an empty canvas for my imagination, and it reminds me of the infinite possibilities surrounding us as creative beings.

In our lives, we’re faced with a constant barrage of input. Phones, screens, people, sirens, barking neighborhood dogs—everywhere we turn, there’s sound and light, wanting entrance to our brains through our senses. This is a good thing! Life is meant to be lived, and I love having a full (and busy) life.

Sometimes I forget that I also need to rest my mind, heart, body, and soul. Otherwise, I risk sensory overload and becoming overwhelmed with the very things I normally love about my life. Nothing holds quite the balm of sitting in a dark, quiet room, letting my thoughts settle, and seeing what floats to the surface of my awareness.

I used to do a meditation every year on this night where I would sit in a completely darkened room and just feel the darkness surrounding me. At times, it almost felt as if it had substance. Not once did I ever feel it had malice. When I felt ready, I would light a candle (set up before I turned off the lights, of course, with matches ready at hand), and think about how little light it takes to illuminate a space.

As the light returns, I invite you to take a moment and appreciate the darkness and all that it offers us. Rest, respite, and infinite possibility.