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Though we've moved beyond the longest night, the winter prevails upon us a time for darkness and reflection.
Since mid-November, when the air filled with the scent of wood smoke and the days were growing ever shorter, the darkness has been heavy on me. I worked hard to celebrate the light's return at Solstice and made many children smile from homemade gifts and books, which was delightful for me
...It's late August. The grass is bleached blond, the weeds at the roadsides are turning brown, and I'm starting to feel reminiscent about rainy weather. But there is a quality of light in late August that says summer is waning, and the bright half of the year is winding down. In a month we're going to turn the corner and the dark half is going to begin, and that's when we will find ourselves indoors more. Now is a good time to consider whether we're ready to be cooped up with ourselves. Are we ready for the inward turning that often happens in the winter? Are there things we'd like to let go of, so that we don't have to carry them into the shadows with us?
During the last days of this August, we can harness not only the energy of a waning moon, but also the energy of the waning year, to help us with this process.
