The “standing still sun”
Saturday was the Winter Solstice! From the Latin, solstice means “standing still sun.”
This is where where the light and dark equalize, come into balance and harmony, and the sun seems to stand still. Now the light begins, ever so slowly, to return to dominance.
And that’s no matter what the weather currently looks like! And the coldest days of winter don’t really show up until a month and a half later.
Our ancestors watched and learned from nature. And so can we!
Signs of winter have been with us for weeks, just as signs of spring come long before the snow melts or the calendar turns.
We can benefit from watching our environment and remembering the old stories. The current story is “Yule.” It indicates a time when light, or the hours of light, take over the darkness. (9 hours of sunlight compared to the 15 hours at the summer solstice.)
On the one hand…
This is a great time of the year for us to look at the darkness in our own lives that we may want to release.
Often we see references to the dark as if it is something undesirable or even evil. Sometimes it feels that way too.
But we could take a look at the shadows in our lives. What is 
holding us back?
- Is there something under a rock nearby that we’ve been ignoring?
- Is there a relationship that needs healing?
- Have we been a wise steward of our finances?
Any myriad of things may be going on in our lives, hidden in the shadows, skulking in the background.
And on the other hand…
the dark can also be seen as rich and fertile.
In the Taoist yin/yang symbol, darkness is the deep, feminine creative energy. It 
operates in harmony and balance with the light, and out of that interaction is born all life.
During this winter time, as the earth moves into quiet, we can take the time to listen within. To become aware-without judging-of that which disturbs and nourishes us.
It doesn’t have to be “fixed”, just noticed. As we gaze with the warmth and light of love and compassion, the gift of the darkness, previously hidden behind our walls, can be revealed.
After all, it has been said that we couldn’t see the beauty of the stars, if not for the dark of the night sky.
Personally I like the idea that the dark, the quiet, and the opportunity to plant new thoughts is so easy to slip into. Permission seems to have been granted! (Whether by myself or the universe.)
So will you use this hibernating season to release some old shadows?
Or perhaps to plant some delicate new seeds to unfold in the spring?
6 Comments
I see things a bit differently – you can’t see the dark unless you also have light and light overcomes darkness. So on dark or gloomy days overcome down feelings with positive thoughts and remember good things. Use the darkness to find the light and see that its the light that shows the darkness and overcomes it. You can see shadows on a sunny day and now know to see the light first. Same within self, stay on the light ( good thoughts ) side and overcome the dark ( gloomy ) side. The light of the stars overcomes the darkness of the night and shines though it. The warmth comes from filling self with good memories and thoughts. Happy Holidays. Earl
Earl, I remember the saying that if you face the sun, the shadows all fall behind you. And it is always a choice as to what we focus on and, thus, create for our experiences. You always seem to exemplify the light (positive). Thanks!
I see it a bit differently still. There is a reason for yin/yang. In taoist thought, these are not oppositional forces but complementary. One cannot exist without the other and one must yield to the other to maintain balance. Most people do not know that the small black dot within the white and the white dot within the black signify that nothing is pure yang or pure yin. Also if one does not yield and becomes overly dominant, it will eventually collapse and transform into the opposite. The universe always strives toward balance. This is a law of nature and since humans are part of nature, we must follow the laws. So, if we just enjoy a rainy day and not become depressed, we can trust the sun will follow…. It always has.
Interestingly, yang originally meant the sunny side of a hill and yin the shady side. Also, the colors should be red and black and not white and black.
Mary Kay, loved the information you shared about yin and yang! Particularly the new-to-me info about the sunny and shady sides of the hill! There’s a lesson tucked in there somewhere!
At Unity, we had a Burning Bowl Ceremony where we took turns writing down things to release from our lives and things to embrace. Then we burned the slips of paper to symbolize all things returning to Spirit, being cleansed and coming around again.
Your line about “it doesn’t have to be fixed, just noticed” struck a similar cord in me. I want my friend to be healed of cancer and another friend needs her child to be safe from abuse, but maybe my job is to release judgment and “gaze with compassion”. There’s a gift in all things.
Thanks Pat for your way with words and gentle reminders.
April, I believe it helps to make concrete the process of releasing things from our lives as you did with the Burning Bowl Ceremony. Things that we “do” have more impact that those we just “think.”