Winter Solstice Blessings 2013

I love the holy days. Note that I wrote holy day, not holiday. Even though that is where we get holiday from, I often think of them as different things... But that's another musing. Today is about the solstice, the winter solstice.

Winter solstice is one of eight seasonal holy days. I like to think of it as the first, a new beginning. Because even though it is the longest night of the year, the very next day, the light 'returns' and our days slowly grow longer, we move closer to the sun, until summer solstice, around June 21st. Then the nights grow longer and round and round we go.

I love that this is a cycle we can rely on and also agree on. No matter your personal beliefs, most of us feel pretty comfortable with the theory of earth moving around the sun by now. It is a rotation that is universally recognized and in many cultures, revered.

I like the reassurance of the sun coming closer each year but I never celebrate the same way. Every winter solstice may symbolize the power of dark and the gift of light, but every year, the world is different. I am different. I like to honor that in my sacred celebrations.

That is the balance, after all. The linear, masculine, fixed solar path of point a to b, giving us focus, strength and fiery intent, and the cyclical, feminine, lunar flow that connects us to emotion, intuition and faith.

This particular solstice my thoughts are on the Goddess.

I usually feel the sun as masculine, as I stated above and many cultures agree. But some see him as a she. And at a time of reversal and dreaming, why can't the sun change sexes or perhaps belong to both?

One of the oldest and most sacred Sanskrit chants, the Gayatri mantra, was originally dedicated to the sun goddess. And on this solstice, our most feminine planet, Venus, goes retrograde. The evening star, goddess of love and beauty, appears to descend into the underworld and emerges just a couple of days before the next holy day, Imbolc, as the morning star.

It is poetic and exquisite.

I pull a Tarot card for each holy day, which serves as the theme for that six weeks. My son pulled the card this time, well, he more grabbed at the deck as five month old babies grab at anything, but his hand ended up directly on the card of the empress. In the deck I use, Empress represents the earth goddess, spirit manifested.

These two events, Venus' transformation and the reign of the Empress over winter, shifted my intent for this solstice.

Darkness has always been connected with the feminine, yin, moon energies. People in our culture don't spend enough time in the dark. In the dark is where healing happens, where the seed is planted, where the roots form, where many animals go to hibernate and where we offer our dead. Darkness defines light. Darkness is magic, mystery and every possibility. In the dark, the surface becomes void and all that matters is spirit.

Rather than fearing or avoiding dark, rather than banishing it, I want to see her as part of this goddess cycle. Venus descends and is reborn. From the longest night, the light returns. It is the exhale of the goddess before her big breath in.

We need darkness. We need light. We need to remember that both, equally belong to her.

May darkness heal us, cleanse us, bless us and hold us. May the light renew, inspire and empower us.

May we see the Goddess in all we are, all that is. And in her wholeness, may we find our own. From our wholeness, may we offer light, love and power back to her and may she be restored to her full power. In the dark. In the light. In the goddess.

Blessed be.

Gemini Full Moon 12/17/13~ MAGIC

As Winter Solstice approaches, it is hard not to think about one's concept of "magic." Whether triggered by images of elves, flying reindeer, an incredibly generous bearded man, the sight of glistening, pure snow, the smell of pine and cider or simply the spirit of giving, it is hard not to feel a tug towards something bigger, better and more powerful than what we experience during the rest of the year.

The sun lingers in Sagittarius as the full moon waxes in the sky. The partnership between adventurous, fiery Sagittarius and curious, airy Gemini is a union that can encourage a cultivation of the mystical.

I love magic and magical thinking. I love magic stories and movies and I love people who love magic. The word itself has a few definitions, depending on who you ask, but for me, Magic has always been about awareness of the subtle and extraordinary energies in nature and the universe and an ability to tune into and harness the energy of both. It is also a word I reserve for those events or happenings that are inexplicable and transformative. Magic and miracles often go hand in hand in my book.

Yet I do think we can be active participants in magic. There are many people who are considered more magical then others. In my experience, though, while certain people do seem more in tune or passionate about working with magics, we are all capable of experiencing and exploring the underlying powers that be in all situations.

The moon cycles are a way that anyone can begin to notice and harness the subtle and extraordinary energies. It is magical to watch the moon wax and wane and to feel the affects that has on our dreams, moods and interactions. The seasons are also easy ways to begin to observe and connect with the shifts of light and dark, growth and decay.

This full moon is just 4 days before winter solstice, the longest night of the year. It is a perfect time to begin to celebrate and sense the magic of the cycle and season. Sagittarius invited us to warm up from the inside out by cultivating our passions and filling up with adventure, excitement, travel and loved ones. Gemini full moon enters center stage just before Winter and Capricorn take the seasonal reigns, and to me, this is a huge opportunity to balance mind and spirit, science and art and invoke the magical energies of the moment. Gemini can be way too intellectual, getting caught up in the black and white, the dualities and paradigms, she is represented by mutable air. But when paired with mythological, philosophical Sagittarius, Gemini can turn her keen and penetrating mind on to other things. She can sense the subtleties and extraordinaries and not only can she fully immerse herself but she is also capable of guiding others into the magical realms with her talents of speaking, writing, singing and all around communicating.

Wherever you find yourself in this holiday cycle, we can all use a little magic. Look to the full moon for her wisdom, watch your favorite fantasy movie, read your favorite magical story to a child or pet. Go for a walk in the moonlight, bundled as you need to be, and see if you sense the subtle and extraordinary energies that surround your winter wonderland. Look at your current relationship to magic, and see if Gemini can help you define it for yourself, in a way that brings it to life and inspires your spirit and opens your mind. Solstice will bring the return of the sun (still a magical event in my mind) and Capricorn will start us towards our new goals for a new year, but in these last few weeks of the Sagittarius cycle, let's all invoke magical thinking and being. Can you see the world, and your life, as magic? Can you be someone who is filled with and can share magic? Can we all believe, just a bit more in the supernatural beauty of the world? Can we all, in our own way, make magic?

I hope you answered yes to the above and I hope the full moon, winter solstice and your family holidays fill your heart and soul with all that is wonderful, miraculous and magical.