Return of the Light

December 20, 2020 By admin Leave a Comment

Winter Solstice is upon us in the northern hemisphere.

Our Earth has reached a transition point in its journey around the Sun (far right in the graphic above). Here in the north, our days have been getting shorter and shorter since summer. But now, the light begins to return to us. Our days will gradually lengthen and lighten until Summer Solstice in June (far left in the graphic).

At Winter Solstice, our ancestors paused to celebrate this seasonal shift and the return of life giving sunlight. Now is a time for earthy rituals.

Light a candle, say a prayer, walk in nature and offer our Earth and Sun gratitude for the alchemical magic of sunlight, water and soil that sustains us all.

🌞🌎

#CyclesandSeasons
#ReturnoftheLight

Image: Wikipedia

Celebrate Autumn

September 22, 2020 By admin Leave a Comment

The autumnal equinox has arrived in the northern hemisphere. At the time of the equinox, light and dark find balance. Even here in the Rockies, day and night are of equal length for a little while. And the leaves put on a fiery show before winter descends.

This is the perfect time to offer a prayer of gratitude to Earth and Sky; gratitude for the comforting rhythms of our cyclic seasons; autumn follows summer just as surely as night follows day.

Get out in Nature now. Ask Mama Earth and Papa Sky to show you how to find balance and equanimity in the midst of all the chaos and change washing over the planet right now.

Thank you beautiful Earth and Sky for the oxygen, water, food and shelter you provide that make life possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Into the Dark

November 7, 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

Today marks the cross-quarter day (halfway point) between Fall Equinox and Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere. The wheel of the year turns and the entire northern half of the planet enters into the dark part of the year. It is the time of year when the Sun drops lower and lower on the horizon, and the dark of night lasts longer and longer.

Ancient Celtic tribes celebrated Samhain (pronounced sow-in) to mark this auspicious time. According to the Celts and other pagan tribes, the veils between the worlds grow thin at this time of year. That means we can more easily connect with loved ones who have crossed over into the land of the dead. It is the perfect time to honor and celebrate our ancestors.

Celtic Samhain is also about celebrating life. The last of the harvest has been gathered up in our fields and orchards. The natural bounty of Mama Earth will bless and nourish us all winter.

As you enter into the dark half of the year, pause for a moment or two. Offer love and gratitude to Mama Earth for the water, food and shelter she provides. Say a prayer for any loved ones who have moved beyond here and now. Express thanks for everything you have harvested in your life this year.

May the Spirit of peace
bring peace to your house
this Samhain night
and all nights to come.

☾☽

The Dark Season

October 31, 2018 By admin Leave a Comment

“Life’s waters flow from the darkness.
Search the darkness, don’t run from it.”
~Rumi

❤️

Now is the season of tricks and treats
When the veils between the worlds grow thin
And the ancestors walk among us.

We descend into the dark season in the north
A time to reflect, take stock,
Clear the old, make space for the new.

What do you hope for and dream of?
What do you wish to leave behind?
What will you honor with your love and care?

As within, so without
To change your world
Start with you.

❤️

Traditional ritual / celebration days in early November include:

November 1: Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead – a holiday celebrated throughout Mexico that focuses on praying for and remembering friends and family members who have died. Rituals are also done to help support the spiritual journey of the departed beyond this reality.

Nov 6: Tiamat’s birth. Tiamat is the primordial creative force of the Cosmos, the ancient Mesopotamian mother of all the Gods. Tiamat is depicted as a Dragon Goddess who emerges from the Sea and gives birth to all the other deities. She is the Sacred Feminine itself – fierce, protective, loving and nurturing. Tiamat is “Ummu-Hubur, who formed all things”.

Nov 7: Celtic Samhain Cross-Quarter Day falls on the boundary between autumn and winter halfway between autumn equinox and winter solstice (November 7th this year). The light is slowly fading away as our Sun drops lower and lower in the sky and our nights grow longer. This is a potent in-between time. The veils between the worlds grow very thin during this sacred in-between time. Loved ones who have departed this Earth are believed to be nearby. Samhain is a time to acknowledge and celebrate the sacred cycles of birth – growth – death – rebirth that are an integral part of Nature.

The Goddess Hekate was also celebrated and honored in ancient Greece at this time of year. Hekate is the guardian of the gateways between the worlds. She is a wisewoman crone Goddess of the Moon and Magick who stands at the crossroads and assists with all kinds of transitions, including birth and death.

Hindu Diwali or Festival of the Lights is also celebrated at this time of year (November 5-9 this year). This popular festival celebrates the victory of light over darkness, good over evil. In some traditions, the Diwali night’s lights and firecrackers represent a celebratory and symbolic farewell to the departed ancestral souls.

The Equinox has Arrived

September 22, 2018 By admin Leave a Comment

Today marks the autumnal equinox in the northern hemisphere and spring equinox in the south. The equinox marks a time of transition as we move from one season to the next.

This morning our Sun rose directly in the east and tonight it will set due west. Day and night approach equal length at the equinox as well. This is a time of natural balance.

Take a moment to pause and honor Mother Earth and Father Sky for their sacred dance of light and dark, autumn and spring, yin and yang. Light a candle in the dark and express your gratitude for the abundance of our sacred planet. Bless the energy of life that pulses both without and within you.

∞

“…Wherever we find ourselves on the spectrum, it is the time of balancing the dark and the light. In the Northern hemisphere, as the days get shorter and the outer light recedes, we move inward to kindle our inner light. In the Southern Hemisphere, as the days grow longer, we we move our way back into the world and bring out our inner light to share with the world.

Everything in nature is constantly giving and receiving. This balance is essential, and it is part of the expressive energies of yin and yang that we are re-balancing as a collective…”

Excerpt from Mysticmamma