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Today is Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. This day was long celebrated as it meant that from tomorrow on, the light would be returning, more and more each day until the longest day of the year is reached on Summer Solstice. I can imagine long ago, that the increasing darkness in the months past, could have created concern and fear, as it was unknown if the light would come again. Christians took this pagan holiday and stationed the celebration of Christ’s birth near this day, so they could more easily round up the pagans and get them to now celebrate in a new way, celebrating the message of love and light that Christ brought to the world (or the small part of the world that he lived in at the time).
With all the wars, corporate greed, bought off politicians and governments around the world, the fear that is broadcast to us connected to terrorism/illness/economic upheaval/unemployment/climate change/the latest scandals, etc. it seems like we are just as much in times of uncertainty now as well. And yet I can see the light arising in the demonstrations going on around the world that are pleading for equality, taking care of the environment, asking for just governments, health care for all, saving species/forests/mountain tops….I can see the light arising as more and more people take time to help the homeless, the sick, reach out through face book and twitter, reaching through the ethers to make a connection.
Several years ago, my son’s then girlfriend’s Mom and sister were in town for Christmas. As was our yearly ritual, we had gone to the local Catholic Church for the children’s Christmas Eve afternoon mass. We had arrived late so the only place left for us was to stand against the wall. At some point during the mass, the lights went out in a part of the church. I thought that was strange, but stranger still, when it went back on again. I figured that perhaps someone in the know had turned the switch back on. This happened again before I realized I was responsible, as I was standing right in front of the light switch and had been unknowingly leaning against the switch. So, when the lights went out again, I tried to discreetly turn around and switch it back on. People were looking at me askance as I tried to figure out the switch. Just flipping it up wasn’t making the lights go back on. At some point, the priest had everyone sing “This little light of mine”, which I thought was quite appropriate. It wasn’t until the mass was over that I realized that in order to get the light switch to work you had to push it in and then flip it up. In a way, I kind of liked being in charge of the lights, even though it was pretty embarrassing that I had turned off the lights for a part of the church.
I have often sung that song about the light but changed it to “this BIG light of mine” as I feel like we are all really big lights, part of that even bigger light of Spirit. That experience reminded me though that at times we forget that we are a light, we forget how to work the switch, forget we can work the switch. We let so many things cover our light or we get caught up in thinking that our light is so small that it can’t compete with all the things that seem to be overtaking it.
I believe that the reason it seems so dark right now is because WE are getting lighter, our light is getting brighter, and so all the conditions and circumstances that have been operating without our attention, are now being spotlighted so that we will wake up and make the necessary changes within us and around us. I feel that we are powerful beings, that we are co-creators with Spirit, and that it is time for each of us to see our light, own our light, and let it shine more brightly than ever. So, together, these little lights can join forces and light up this world. Together we can transform this planet, restore this planet and this world family to the Garden of Eden we left behind when we forgot our light in the first place. I feel we never really left there…we just forgot, we bought the illusion that we could be separate from Spirit. So, as we remember, we can shine brightly once again.
This big light of mine, I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine…and join with yours and yours and yours….to light up this beautiful world once again!
Happy solstice, happy holidays! May the New Year open up new-lighted pathways for all!
Katelon T. Jeffereys
Seattle Life Coach
www.empowerandbalance.com |
Empower and Balance 