The Moment the SOL stands STILL

I woke up yesterday morning to see the last full moon of the solar year (the Cold Moon) still hanging in the sky. At 5 a.m., the dark was still unpenetrable but for the silver light raining down from Grandmother Moon. A few hours later, as the daylight begins to emerge, I know that the darkness will recapture today surprisingly quick, and once again, Grandmother will reveal herself once more but for a little piece she'll cloak until January.

I adore this time of year. In one short week, we'll reach what the Celts called Midwinter (did you know that in the Celtic calendar, winter begins November 1?). The Winter Solstice. The moment the "sol stands still."

Sol, of course, means sun, but as the days wain, I've been contemplating the idea of a moment when the SOUL stands still. Is it, in fact, possible or even desirable?

When our sun hangs for that one moment seemingly unmoving, we know that it is a constantly throbbing orb of fire. In every moment there is the pulsation of expansion and contraction. Likewise, even in the stillest, quietest moment, even in the deepest meditation, our spirit dances with the delight of this divine and playful dance.

Last year, I spent the Winter Solstice in Ghana, West Africa. Ghana is so close to the equator that the sun seems to stand still all year. It's either up or down. You miss out on the middle places. Twelve hours of light. Twelve hours of dark. There you go.
You never notice light waining from day to day, or the blessed moment when it begins to make its return. I really missed that.

So, this year, there's that extra relishing. I'm spending extra time savoring the darkness as it grows this week towards the inevitable and equally savory moment that the light begins to recapture the darkness until the cycle starts all over again in June.

The day the SOL stands STILL is a perfect opportunity to create ritual around your own inner renewal; to exhale with the year; to notice the pause; and then, to inhale the light once more.

The Seven Year Itch

Okay.
Officially ridiculous. Not posting since January 9 and it's December 12.
Some blogger I've turned out to be.

What can I say? I came back from Africa exhausted, which lasted until May, when I realized that I had actually entered a new 7-year cycle of my life (see how tired I was? I didn't realize I had entered my 42nd year of life until 5 months later!), and went into official hibernation. After seven years of massive expansion, I was and am ready for a quiter deepening time.

Seven year cycles. Heard of these? My teacher talks of all sorts of life cycles--1 year, 3 year, 5 years, 7, 10 . . . My head tends to swim thinking that in any moment we're practically starting, stopping, and in the middle of any number of cycles. If so, do they matter? Do they matter equally? Does one trump another?

I have my own theory. I do go with the 7 year time frame as one of particular importance. As I look over the course of my own life, starting around year 14, I see a pattern. Frankly, I don't think our patterns establish themselves until then, and this, of course, is based on my massive research of, well, me. As an aside, my daughter turned 14 two days ago. Wonder what pattern she'll start out with? I'll get back with you all a few cycles from now.

Oh, yeah, back to the 7-year pattern. Don't you think it's true? How else did they come up with the term "7 year Itch"? For me, they've gone in patterns of deepening or expanding. Patterns of periods of introspection and intimacy in small groups, going deeper into what is established; and then, patterns of taking in all that is new, establishing new ways of being and doing, new friends and relationships. Within any one pattern, the other exists. But, one predominates.

Now you understand my hibernation? I had to figure all this out. For the first part of the year, I was living as if I was still in massive expansion mode, and felt totally misaligned, But, I couldn't put my finger on where I was going wrong. I wasn't really listening to my energy. My energy was saying, "Please, take sometime to enjoy all you have established. Savor the flavor of all that you have grown into." Yet, my body and mindset were still out in radical expansion mode. Not a good mix.

It really is about recognizing where we are energetically, and then stepping into the life that meets up with that. Isn't that what we mean by "go with the flow?" To align with what is life enhancing in any moment or cycle? To say the Big Yes to what's being offered?

Hey, could one of you give me a heads up in 2014?