We are approaching the darkest night of the year. Winter Solstice is, paradoxically, a festival of hope, of light, and of birth.
The Wiccan Wheel of the Year is replete with these paradoxes; in light we see darkness, in cold we see warmth. But how do we see hope and renewal when light is gone, and a chilly darkness pervades the world?
Pagan faith is rooted in reality. While indeed, there have always been, and still are, great Pagan mystics and thinkers, there is also a strain of earthiness that is always a part of who and what we are. We have faith that the sun will rise, in great part, because it has always been known to rise. Because our theology and our mythos don’t defy nature, we can draw comfort from the natural world.
See yourself in total darkness. You are surrounded by a palpable and endless dark. Everything is void, everything is black.
Now a light begins to dawn. Perhaps it looks like a sunrise to you, or perhaps you experience the light as coming from within.
Notice the growing light. It is warm and golden.
As the light grows, you find yourself remembering that light always returns. The sun rises each morning, and you remember many bright and shining days. The spring comes each year, and you remember many golden Aprils and Mays.
Fill yourself with returning light, and allow yourself to know that this light always returns to you. Allow yourself to know that your sorrows have always been followed, sooner or later, by laughter. Recall new things born into your life when you thought you were alone and lost. Recall being healed. Recall being awakened. Recall hope.
Fill yourself with returning light, and notice the feeling of gratitude. The light will always return, and you can be grateful for it. The earth will continue to turn, and you can be grateful for it.
Now you are fully in the light. The sun is up. Your body glows with light. Notice the feeling of hope and optimism. Enjoy it.
