Normally at this beautiful Pagan sabbat I love to blog about Yule logs and winter solstice rituals of the shortest of days, but this year, I want to write about how we can intertwine our love for solitude and introspection with the darkening shadowing of the Earth of the northern hemisphere.
I always think of the Hermit card in tarot when I think of deepest winter. Slumped over his crooked staff, the hermit is trying to navigate himself forward across the icy paving, with tolerance and fortitude, with just a lantern of hope in his hand.
To me, this depicts mid-winter perfectly, which is everything that December 21st is.
Since moving into the Fens in Cambridgeshire, I have found this a never-ending winter. Ironically, Britain’s ‘breadbasket’ is known to be the driest county in England, yet to me, it feels like the dampest. It feels that whenever I leave my house I am caught in gusts of wet, lashing winds and moist mist hangs across the landscape for hours in the early mornings. Before I open the curtains, I could swear I am living on the coast with an ocean just metres away from my house…..
To me, Yule is about getting to that mid-winter point and saying thank God, we can now get to the other side, and I have never felt it so acutely than this year.
The Hermit, and mid-winter is certainly a time for self-reflection. A quote from Kahlil Gibran (a Lebanese-American writer & poet) sums it up nicely; “God has placed in each soul an apostle to lead upon the illumined path. Yet many seek light from without, unaware that it is within them”.
And that illuminated light from within is ours to follow with the Hermit and a perfect time of year to do that is certainly mid-winter. Yet, ironically, it is generally the time when most of society feel pressurised to do things they don’t normally do, spend loads of money, drink loads of alcohol, go out more, fall off the good eating plan….did you know that statistically most divorce proceedings begin just after the festive period?
Something certainly happens to us during this dark time (and in dark I mean “winter dark”); however I believe we either seek validation outside of ourselves, wrapped up in the wave of commercialism, food and drink or others try to close themselves off, not wanting to partake in any of it. Most of us may find ourselves somewhere in between, as we all have our very own set of personal circumstances, traditions and values during the festive time of year.
For me personally, I like to do as little as possible during the deep winter months. December 21st for me is a celebration in itself, just like Midsummer but this time with a sense of complete thanks and gratitude that Spring will soon be on its way.
The tulips and daffodils will soon be rising, the light will be staying longer, the birds will be heard earlier in the mornings, the air will feel a little warmer, and most of all (hopefully)…the fens will feel dryer…………
So, whatever you do this Yule, do try to connect with your inner Hermit, which main message is; seeking the answers within yourself and owning it, with clear boundaries, just making sure you are having a little fun at the same time.
Happy winter solstice!
Until next time,
Tanya
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