Winter Solstice Dreamer by Rae BellThe Longest Night ~ This week’s publication lands on the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. It’s the official first day of winter in our hemisphere. In places like Australia, in the Southern Hemisphere, it is the shortest night of the year and the first day of summer.

The “solstice” refers to both the day and to a specific moment. The moment of the winter solstice here is when the North Pole is titled the furthest from the sun. This year, that happens on December 21st at 7:59 pm PST. Because of that tilt, the sun remains lower in the sky all season.

Since ancient times many cultures have celebrated the winter solstice as “the birth of the sun”. Many ancient stone monuments are aligned to mark the solstices. Keeping track of the seasons was a matter of survival in many locations, and it still is, but we rely on our calendars now, more than the heavens.

Our bodies are attuned to the rhythms of nature, even if our minds are not. My sense is that the longer nights open the door for us to feel things that are easier to suppress at other times of the year. The nostalgia associated with the holidays exacerbates our emotions. The sting of the absence of loved ones is sharper now. The shadow of the wars in the world presses in.

Recently, I felt myself walking the edge of the abyss of depression. I asked myself: “How is it that we can go about with all this Holiday hustle and bustle while wars are waging?” I reasoned to my hurting heart that most things are beyond my control. I thought about what I do have an influence over. As cliché as it may sound, what pulled me out of that funk was the realization that I can choose to decrease the amount of aggression in the world by paying close attention to my own interactions with others. Not just with others, but with myself. By choosing to be kind and compassionate with myself and others, I can make a difference, this moment. From this day forward the days grow longer, moment by moment until we reach the Summer Solstice, the longest day.

I choose to find beauty rather than conflict in the fact that some of us also celebrate the birth of another Son at this time of the year. The story of the wise men watching the heavens for the signs of the coming of a baby Messiah affirms our ancient connection to the rhythms of the universe. That connection seems all but forgotten in our busy world. But the same heavens are still above us and can help us remember!

About the author: As a kid in 1975, Rae Bell (aka Pauline) moved with her family to the Ruby Mine area located between Alleghany and Downieville. She and her husband have lived in Alleghany proper since 1992. If you have news or suggestions to share, please send an email to: raebell44@gmail.com, or mail to: PO Box 919, Alleghany, CA 95910.