Well, we have crossed that threshold of the longest night. Slowly the light will once again begin to grow stronger, not only bringing more sunlight our way here in the northern hemisphere, but shifting the vibrational energy we experience as it does.
This morning as I sat listening, it was still dark. I drifted into an awareness of the Earth…Gaia’s inner landscape and the deep winter stillness which is with us.
Throughout the day yesterday, the Winter Solstice, I had a sense of this stillness.
I kept envisioning the foggy, cold landscape where life was pulled deep inside to stay warm. And, I had a sense of a deep carving out, as a way to make room for something new.
My day yesterday was quite magical. I walked the labyrinth near my home with a group of women. There was this wonderful coming together and moving apart which so sums up the labyrinth experience.
The funny thing about walking a labyrinth is that, at times, it may see
m that in the walking in toward the center, there is a building of energy; and with the moving out, there is a letting go.
And at other times, just the opposite.
Yesterday was one of those days, where for me, I felt the energy gathering up even before we fully arrived at the labyrinth. And as I stepped onto (or into) the pathway, there was a gentle letting go as I moved toward the center.
And there, standing with these amazing women, there was a release. It came with sound…a very soft, quiet chanting that at times felt like whispering —so gentle.
And just as gently, I moved back out through the winding twists and turns, gathering up an energy to take with me as I move forward.
The whole gathering felt like this to me. It was this coming together or collecting up of energy as we walked along in the fog and drizzly rain…then this wonderful little experience in the middle walking the labyrinth and singing softly…and then a dispersing of energy — with a nod to our collective experience — as we each then moved back out into the world.
And as I sat with the experience again today, I realized there was a true gift in this co-creative energy.
I have been thinking of this part of Kahlil Gibran’s words in Joy and Sorrow, “The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.”
I still feel the winter darkness, and can sense that stillness which the Earth is holding right now. It does feel, to me, as if there is this “carving out.” I am also aware that we are co-creating what we will fill that with.
I also know that I can tap into that wonderful gentle energy to help in this process as I, and we, begin to move back out from the stillness, the center.
