Solstice...
The Lunar eclipse is a special time. When that event falls on the Winter Solstice it is that much more magical. This hasn’t happened since 1638 so please realize how rare this event it.
This is the longest night of the year. Coupled with the time when the moon is unable to see the face of the Sun. The passage through the underworld is even more visceral in these cases. When this happened in the 1600’s it is likely that folks viewing it believed that the moon was being eaten by wolves or a Dragon that the reason that the moon was red was because it was bleeding.
Is that really far from the truth at this time of the year? We look to the sky and seek out the signs that the winter is ending. This is when we crave a white Christmas so that we can turn the tide and start seeing more sun, the sun we want to see making the snow glisten like crystals in the light. But perhaps rather than looking for the sun to make that lovely light show, we should take a few moments to look inwards. We should recognize that this is a time to pause, to take stock of our year and look forward to the next. To hold out a light to see what we have done and use that light to guide not just him back to this world, but ourselves to the world we wish to create. With the eclipse we should realize that not all f our choices are clearly in front of us. We may need to look more closely than we are used to in order to see the path in front of us.
The Solstice is a time of transition internal and external. For those that feel the tides of time and seasons it is a time when we are drawn to what fate holds for us as he is drawn to his fate. She has provided him with the tools she can and the rest is up to him. Will he make it back to shine on us again? Will we come out of the winter ready to tend to our livestock and crops? Will we move through the New Year and grow in ways that fulfill us as people and cause out light to shine brighter? This is the time to start that path. With the Eclipse falling at a time when Mercury is retrograde, it is a time to be aware that the choices we make today may need to be reevaluated when we get a better view of events. But even with that at this time we cannot afford NOT to move forward to place our plans in motion. Just in this case we should be aware that those plans may need to be adjusted.
The fact that we keep a light shining in the hearth to show him the way back, we should also shine a light on our internal hearth to guide us on our path forward.
We are reflections of what we see. We should learn from our observations, we should recognize the sacrifices around us every day.
As we enter the Winter the cold months, I ask folks to take stock of the tools they will need for the coming year. Are they all sharpened, are the straps strong? Are they in good condition to ensure that you will be able to see your goals and dreams brought to life? If not now is the time to get them ready!
We have a time that is a blessing, a time where we can make our plans and place them in motion without the influence of outside forces. Just be ready to react when the outside forces reassert themselves.
Blessed Be and may the Gods guide you and be with you.