Do you feel this Solstice Moment?
The moment after the solstice ‘minute’ – either the longest night or day depending which Hemisphere you live in. The term solstice comes “from the Latin solstitium literally : the (apparent) standing still of the sun” from sol sun + sistere to stand still”. (Collins English Dictionary)
The day of the Solstice or the days leading up to it are full of growing intensities in our lives. Deadlines, shopping lines, parking line-ups, and every relationship needing our attention including our dogs, cats. The days couldn’t be fuller. Taxing our senses, our consciousness. Doesn’t feel particularly connected to the ‘holy’ does it?
Now, the crises and angsts of before have changed. Perhaps they are still there in form but the inner feeling has changed.
This (apparent) standing still for three days provides an unexpected opportunity to turn toward the depths of soul and spirit. A slowing down.
For example
Yesterday, I tried to write this blog post and oh dear, what a frantic example of ‘got to get this done’ writing.
Plus I thought I had been doing ok so far in getting ready for Christmas. Everything seemed in hand, or well on its way. Like menus and gifts.
Now I realize it was as if I had been on some kind of ‘automatic’ pilot centred from my head.
Today I am also more conscious of my breath. Which means I can breathe more deeply as well. My shoulders are down. Yesterday my deadlines frustrated me. Today I am living into writing very differently.
Today I spent driving in construction line-ups and grocery lines. I didn’t seem to mind! I look around at folks. Glancing at their faces – even wondering about their lives, their concerns. What a change from last week.
A short story
I remember meal times with our daughter, many years ago now. Her posture was so interesting. So she would be sitting at the dining table, facing her plate, and eating, so everything seemed okay, right?
Then one day I realized that her lower half of her body, was not in sync. In other words, her legs and stomach were sort of twisted as if she was getting ready to leave the table, even though her upper body was facing forward. Wow!
Straightening our body, soul and spiritual posture
I sense this is what the Solstice brings. Noticing when our inner and outer consciousness is out of sync. Not everything is resolved of course. Yet the Solstice Moment enables us to notice and straighten our ‘posture’. And breathe. And we can let go, undoing doing.
How can we honour this cosmic invitation to straighten our individual and collective ‘posture’?
Let us light candles for this Solstice Moment leading into the twelve Holy Nights.
Let us have the courage to light candles in the dark, for those living in our hearts, for Peace, for Earth.
The light of the star that led the shepherds and wise men.
May the light of our candles give us courage to open to this place within us that flames with the wholeness of the visible and invisible worlds.
In Peace and Love,
Linda
I welcome sharing of your own noticings of your Solstice Moment!