Day 10: Light
Solstice Journey
Day 10: December 11
One of the wonders of this season for me is candlelight. As the days grow ever darker, I crave it. For me, candlelight in the darkness balances the invitation to quiet reflection and rest that darkness offers with the promise that the darkness will not swallow us.
Hanukkah has just begun, carrying light through 8 nights. (And Happy Hanukkah to those who are celebrating!) Christmas eve services in other years are traditionally celebrated by candlelight. My old neighborhood used to line the sidewalk with luminarias on Christmas Eve and we plan to do that on the Solstice this year.
One of my favorite traditions when my children were growing up was the Winter Spiral. Each year through eighth grade at school we would gather outside on a cold, clear December evening where a spiral of evergreens had been laid on the ground. In the center was a large lit candle on a stump. The spiral might be adorned with crystals. To the side was a table with red apples that had been carved to hold a small candle. One by one, each child and adult would take an apple and walk slowly and quietly through the spiral to light their candle from the center. On the way out of the spiral, the traveler found a spot for their apple and candle and placed it on the spiral. In this way, little by little the spiral was lit. That quiet, magical space moved me every time.
Today I invite you to bring some candlelight into the darkness. As the afternoons darken these days, I often have my salt lamp candle lit on my desk. Today you could eat by candlelight, or just sit for a few minutes in candlelight. You could bundle up and take candlelight outside into the dark night, and maybe even walk a spiral. You could line your walkway with luminarias. Whatever you do, find a moment to mark the quiet sanctuary of darkness and the promise that the light always returns.