Spiritual Lessons On An Extraordinary Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice, Dec. 21, 2010 packs a celestial punch with a full moon and a full lunar eclipse, visible in the Americas if we're lucky enough to have a clear sky and energetic enough to be up. The eclipse will be visible after midnight EST, reaching it's maximum at 3:15 a.m. The last winter solstice eclipse was in 1638, and this one will be topped off by the Ursid meteor shower. Even city lights won't block out all this action.

In New England, winter solstice marks the first day of winter and the beginning of the return of the sun. While the cold deepens, the lengthening days show a welcome turning towards spring's renewal. This gives a message of hope: frozen ground, relentless cold and the darkest season will not last forever.

The dark time of the year is time to catch up on sleep, perhaps mimicking the hibernating animals a bit, and to celebrate with friends. The longer days of summer, in an agrarian society, are ones of the most intense work. This is still true in many summer tourist destinations, where the seasonal warmth brings crowds and income that must last the year round.

Back to hope: preserving hope is one role of religion -- to help people negotiate how to remain hopeful despite adversity and to live in the realm of possibility rather than in despair, no matter how warranted. The winter solstice models this on a celestial level. No problem between science and religion here. When it's darkest, the light begins to return. And this year, the full lunar eclipse reinforces that message. Light and dark are intimately interconnected.

Times of darkness come, and then they go. Darkness offers opportunities to savor things like squash soup, warm wools, cozy fleece and hot chocolate. Gratitude is always in season, and attending to the sensual pleasures of the winter is a useful way to ward off seasonal complaints.

How else can we participate in this cyclic life? In what ways am I hibernating, turning inward, and resting at this time? What new ray of insight am I looking for, to guide me in the coming year? What's being born in me in the dark season, to be sheltered for a while and brought forth in the spring season? Solstice meditations can feed the year ahead.

Enjoying a bonfire or a Yule log, dancing and feasting until the first light of dawn is one way to celebrate this turning of the wheel of the year. Watching the sunrise and the sunset, walking outdoors and connecting with the land are ways to enjoy the day. Try relying on the natural rhythm of light and dark by fasting from electricity use for one day.

Conscious participation in the cycle of the year can reduce stress (quieting the ego-driven 'I should have done it yesterday' syndrome) and bring a sense of participation in an awesome larger whole. Teachings from the Earth can be humbling and invigorating -- the solstice and eclipse help me to begin to understand in my body the massive motion of the Earth as it revolves and orbits, carrying us all.

 

Comments

[Sunnie7]

02:42 PM on 01/02/2011

Beautiful post. I'll use it to explain to my non-pagan friends my own similar, Solstice Celebrations.

I was once witness to a Christian minister and an atheist fighting over the differences between God and Science. Afterward, the minister asked me why I hadn't participated in the argument. I told him that the argument had nothing to do with paganism. Science continually proves our connection to nature and all that is. There is no conflict between the big G and big S among most pagans. We tend to embrace the discoveries of science. I love how your post shows the human connection to and delight in the cycles of planets and stars and earthly seasons.

Blessed Be...

[genrel1248]

10:03 AM on 12/31/2010

As for me, I'll pray to Joe Pesci! Now there's a guy who gets things done!

[joanna jo234]

03:24 PM on 12/29/2010

I don't know anyone who danced and feasted round the yule time log. I feel deprived>>>>>>>>>>>>>NOT

[LintLass]

09:32 AM on 12/30/2010

That why you came back to tell us so nicely, or did you just have all of that 'peace and good will' you could handle? :)

Ah, well. You never know. :)

[donethatfirst]

04:31 PM on 12/28/2010

I had a stellar view of the lunar eclipse and it was beautiful! Certainly won't be around for the next one.

[edgraham]

11:03 AM on 01/03/2011

You are going to die before 2011 Jun 15:or 2011 Dec 10: the next Total Lunar Eclipses?

Sorry to hear that.

[DELGADO7]

10:46 PM on 12/27/2010

Sadly I was not able to see it due to the cloudy day.... Crap. Well I guess I'll have to wait another 372 years .

[joanna jo234]

05:41 PM on 12/26/2010

To the sun worshippers happy whatever and to the Christians peace and good will to all men

[LintLass]

08:47 PM on 12/26/2010

Well, I suppose that's not the most *enthusiastic* embrace of pluralism I've ever heard, but it's a start? ;)

[RenoSage]

07:09 PM on 12/25/2010

As one who was ushered into this world on the winter solstice 91 years ago,
may I say that two redeeming emotions are GRATITUDE AND ATTITUDE.

[lillibelle]

09:48 AM on 12/26/2010

Happy Birthday!

Your advice is very 'sage.' (Pun intended.)

Here's to many more healthy and joyful revolutions around the sun for you, Reno!

[olmossy]

03:07 PM on 12/30/2010

Happy Birthday. Thanks for making even me feel like a whipersnaper at 68 .
As they say. ' We all have to age, but noone has to get old'.

[ManiDeli]

01:00 PM on 12/24/2010

Spiritual lessons on a winter solstice = Zero

[LintLass]

12:12 PM on 12/25/2010

Well, there's always next year, maybe you'll get it. :) Blessed be. :)

[olmossy]

03:24 PM on 12/30/2010

Aye, can't pour water into a full cup you know.

[sydthekid]

07:41 PM on 12/22/2010

When I tell people I am spiritual not religious, the first rebuttal I receive is how can you be spiritual and not believe in G-d. I typically shake my head and say, who said I did not believe in G-d, I said I was spiritual, not religious, and at least to me there is a difference. I believe in the power of a creator, whomever she may be or however one wants to call her, I believe in evolution, I believe in the power of people to right the wrongs of others, and I believe that everywhere we look there is spiritual evidence for the existence of something more powerful than humans could create. I was moved by the eclipse, it was beautiful and so very timely when everything is negative, a shared act of unity (viewing the eclipse) reminds me that people can come together and share a positive experience. I'm not naive, I know there is evil and hardship, and negativity is here now for a reason but I believe that we (people) will overcome the odds and that maybe, this event will be the positive turning point so many of us need.

[DAE]

01:51 AM on 12/23/2010

Well I'm neither spiritual nor religious and I don't belief in god. I was born free, from a long lineage of freethinkers hearkening back to the likes of Robert Green Ingersoll the "Great Agnostic" orator of 19th century America. A progressive Republican, abolitionist, suffragist and atheist, Ingersoll is now nearly forgotten, but in the late 1800s his soaring oratory was known by one and all. He promoted Darwin and lampooned Christianity to the delight of sellout crowds throughout the nation. In the 1880s Ingersoll thought that Orthodoxy (what we know call Fundamentalism) was being vanquished by Humanism. How surprised and disappointed he'd be by the religious stories and comments he'd read here at HuffPost at the beginning of the 21st century. How ashamed of his country he would be to see that in 2010 40% of Americans still believe in creationism, hell-fire and damnation and many of the rest in vapid forms of spiritualism.

[PeteLeS]

05:40 AM on 12/23/2010

He wouldn't be the only one. Mark Twain would be right there with him.

[olmossy]

03:14 PM on 12/30/2010

A message of Hope,and well said Syd. We all have the power within us. We could live like grown up Human Beings (If not like Gods) instead of fighting spitting children.
May your hope come true,someday.

[Oma Ruth]

09:31 PM on 12/21/2010

Wonderful article! I tried to watch the eclipse but the sky was overcast where I was at the time.: ( I guess it happened anyway, as evidenced by all the time-lapse videos and testimonials. What power. What grace. wow

[Grove Harris]

07:59 PM on 12/21/2010

There's a nice time lapse show of the eclipse online at http://laughingsquid.com/winter-solstice-lunar-eclipse-time-lapse/ It's powerful to see the whole thing in under three minutes... and thanks to all for thoughtful comments here.

[PeteLeS]

05:42 AM on 12/23/2010

Nice introspection, you should write more articles.

[Ioan Lightoller]

06:46 PM on 12/21/2010

Ahhh yes, a happy Yule and happy holidays to everyone here!

[JimbolandJots]

06:23 PM on 12/21/2010

Our Yule log burned brightly, as we brought forward the small remaining portion of last year's log. We sang songs of the Returning Light of the sun and blessed the darkness of Winter, as it brings depth and renewal. A Blessed Solstice and Brightest Yule to all.

[c-tom]

12:51 PM on 12/22/2010

Thank you - I believe if a fire is not kept burning throughout the night of the 21st the sun will go out and we'll all die in the dark.
To those who say I have no reason for this belief and cannot reconcile the fact that it didn't go out before there were people to keep the fire going I reply so what..

[JimbolandJots]

06:16 PM on 12/21/2010

It is refreshing to see the ancient traditions held sacred by those of us who are Wiccan/Pagan presented so well. A Blessed Solstice and Brightest Yule to all!

[Mainstream American]

06:06 PM on 12/21/2010

"I really like Christmas
It's sentimental, I know, but I just really like it
I am hardly religious
I'd rather break bread with Dawkins than Desmond Tutu, to be honest"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCNvZqpa-7Q