Solstice Blessings

This Week's Quotation:

In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer. 

~ Albert Camus

Solstice Blessings

Terri McCartney

Those of us who live in the northern hemisphere are sharing in the sacred energy of the Winter Solstice—the time when the Earth has its maximum tilt away from the sun resulting in the earliest sunset of the year.

In Latin, the word solstice is composed of sol, meaning sun, and sistere, meaning to stand still. During the winter solstice, the sun appears to stand still and pause before reversing direction. You can think of it as a cosmic turning point when the solar cycle begins anew. And we can too. 

The winter solstice has long been marked by festivals and rituals that celebrate the death and rebirth of the sun—the darkness giving birth to new light/life. I envision it as the past falling away. All we have to do is allow it.

Some of us hold onto things from the past that keep us from moving on with our lives. Old rivalries, jealousies, disappointments—and sometimes things that are too traumatizing to remember. Yet, these things we hold onto dim our light and prevent us from feeling tapped in, tuned in, and turned on by our Source. In other words, prevents us from feeling at home. In truth, wherever we are, we are always at home.

I’ve found that all that is necessary to clean the past from our vibrational field is a willingness to cultivate this winter solstice energy and allow the clearing. Let the renewing light dissolve it away. What matters is where we are now. Whatever the contents of the past, embrace it with gratitude. It’s part of our own and life's totality.

Globally, people from all walks of life and traditions are gathering together these last weeks of 2023 to celebrate this season in their own way. Let’s embrace the invincible summer within and fully embrace the present, filled with goodwill, love, and a sense of home that we carry with us always in all ways.

As the lyrics of the song "Home for the Holidays" state, If you want to be happy in a million ways, you must be home, sweet home.

About Open Windows

We, the authors of this blog, dedicate it to the transparent exploration of the world's sacred scripture and enlightened spiritual thought. We believe that the original inspiration of all faiths comes from a common source, named and revered in a myriad of ways. With that understanding, the innumerable symbols, beliefs, and practices of faith cease to divide. They become open windows to a common reality that inspires and unifies us. We find deeper insight and nourishment in our own faith and from the expression of faith from others.

We hope these weekly quotations and meditations speak to your heart and soul.