Embrace the darkness and let your solstice light shine

Hello you ball of butter.

Well we did it, friends. We (in the northern hemisphere) just made it through the winter solstice, and so from now on until the summer solstice in June, the sun will shine just a little bit longer every day. A small consolation perhaps for those of us steeling ourselves against the next three-to-four months of deep winter weather. But I find it empowering to mark the moment when the sun is reawakened and the pendulum begins is slow swing back towards the light.

Thanks to my aunt who started the tradition years ago, our extended family and friends gather every year to celebrate the solstice together. It is a raucous community event full of laughter and fun times, but the festivities also always involve a gentle tip of the hat to chaos-- whether it is dressing up like a fool or playing a practical joke or two, the vibe is one of leaning into this bottoming out of the light around us, creating our own light with candles and fire, but also embracing the chaos of the darkness in small ways.

The winter solstice has a long and storied history of ritual and celebration.  And for many, the intention behind most of these traditions encourages us to embrace the dark, but then "release the dark in favor of the light–both literally and metaphorically–and to welcome back the sun (light) as each new day begins to grow longer and longer." However, taken in a slightly more spiritual way, "we are [also] a reflection of the universe that surrounds us. The winter solstice represents the seasonal “dark night of the soul.” What takes place outside of us, must also take place within us. Winter is the season of life that we must face our inner darkness, in order to make way for the rebirth of the sun."

While the holiday season is often one full of warmth and love, I also appreciate this seasonal prompt to take a look at what is causing us pain, to acknowledge the darkness that we carry, and to try to embrace and mourn what sits heavy on our souls.

Our culture is not very comfortable with pain in general. But it is through acknowledging and feeling our pain that we heal and come back to the light. "[Pain] has huge lessons to teach us, and avoidance keeps us from a significant source of wisdom. Pain is really an instructor about caring. It tells us we're vulnerable. We care where we hurt—and we hurt where we care. The gift of pain is a message about what is important in life. It not only tells us how to love; it also provides us with an opportunity to discover sources of strength and flexibility within us that help us prosper. Looking inside the pain expands us, encouraging us to become larger than we are and to live a life of meaning. To open your heart to pain is to open your heart to joy."

And so I have come to really appreciate marking the winter solstice-- both for the opportunity to quietly acknowledge and embrace the inevitable chaos and pain of human existence, but also for the opportunity to experience renewal and the cultivation joy and love in the midst of the inevitable darkness we all carry with us.

If you did not have a chance to sit with your own darkness yesterday during the solstice, please feel supported in your efforts today if you feel so inclined. And in whatever solstice-y state you find yourself today, I wish everyone an avalanche of peace, truth, healing and love today as we begin our slow journey towards the summer solstice and the light.

But wait! Is all this talk of lightness and darkness feeling a bit too intense on a sunny Sunday morning?  Then please enjoy this article about how to be kind to yourself and also get things done

Still too much realness?  Then check out this tweet about a pug xray

From one darkness-embracing person to another, I am glad that we can feel all the feelings together. I hope you enjoyed this dispatch, and have a light-filled week!

Until next Sunday,
The Earnest Platypus