Out of the darkness, into the light...

PREFACE: I know I post this every year, and everyone reading this blog has probably seen it at least once in the past, if not more. I think I would feel remiss if I didn't post it somewhere. It changes slightly, year-by-year, so maybe it will seem new, somehow, anyway. LOL • • • • • • • This time of year, the daylight hours in the northern hemisphere are fewer in number compared to the nighttime hours, a phenomenon that will continue until the Winter Solstice. In 2011, the Winter Solstice falls on December 22nd, at 12:30 AM EST (05:30 UTC). After that, those of us above the equator will begin to see a slow shift towards more daylight and less darkness until the Summer Solstice arrives in June. During this darkest time of year, many people decorate their houses with pretty lights. I love the darkness — it is peaceful & mysterious, comforting & enfolding like a womb, giving seeds and ideas the possibility of germinating. However, I love pretty lights, too! Many people associate the lights with religious traditions rather than the original intent of merely "brightening the dark time of the year with a little cheer." My husband and I did not observe any holiday in our household this time of year, other than my quiet acknowledgment of the arrival of the Winter Solstice. We prefered a year-round celebration of the Light of the human soul, illuminating the darkness of our being. In our happy home, there were no trees, no stockings, no gifts, nor were there any dreidels spinning, no menorrah being lit. While my husband was alive, he favored logic and reason over religion. I have identified as a Buddhist for several years, for simplicity's sake when talking to others, but my spiritual viewpoints are heavily in-line with the "Shaktist" sect of Sanatana Dharma (the proper name for the Hindu religion). Both of us were born into homes that followed Christian religious observances, but both of us came to believe that following one's heart is more important than following the herd. There is awesome power and beauty in standing alone as a wild creature on the mountain precipice and looking down upon the gleaming valley below. All year long, I try to hold as much love in my heart as I can for myself and for other sentient beings. I believed in recycling things before it was considered fashionable. I respect Mother Earth, and believe in treating everything with respect and acting with personal accountability. I believe in the beauty and power of the human soul, and I believe in a connectedness to All Things that exists as the Universal Consciousness, that thing I call "Goddess." I do not believe there is an actual "Being" that needs to lift us, pitifully, out of our wallow in misery. We need to lift ourselves. We can do it, We have the Power. My husband's beliefs were different than mine, but were similar and harmonized beautifully with mine. I miss him, terribly so. For those that see the light, I wish you cheer. For those that feel the darkness, I wish you cheer. For those that are lifting themselves, I wish you cheer. For those that are waiting to be lifted, I wish you cheer. Whatever your beliefs, whatever your path, know that I wish you cheer... and peace.

©2006,2011 Tiffany Reed