Perhaps
for a moment
the typewriters will stop clicking,
the wheels stop rolling
the computers desist from computing,
and a hush will fall over the city.
For an instant, in the stillness,
the chiming of the celestial spheres will be heard
as earth hangs poised
in the crystalline darkness, and then
gracefully
tilts.
Let there be a season
when holiness is heard, and
the splendor of living is revealed.
Stunned to stillness by beauty
we remember who we are and why we are here.
There are inexplicable mysteries.
We are not alone.
In the universe there moves a Wild One
whose gestures alter earth’s axis
toward love.
In the immense darkness
everything spins with joy.
The cosmos enfolds us.
We are caught in a web of stars,
cradled in a swaying embrace,
rocked by the holy night,
babes of the universe.
Let this be the time
we wake to life,
like spring wakes, in the moment
of winter solstice.
by Rebecca Parker
Winter Solstice. A favorite time of the year for me. The last line: “Let this be the time we wake to life, like spring wakes, in the moment of winter solstice.” speaks deeply to me.
Although we are still in the dark of the year here in the Northern hemisphere, I think of Winter Solstice as the time when spring starts to awaken. The Earth begins to tip us northerners back towards the sun and even now, in December, the days begin to slowly lengthen. Of course, it is not yet discernible however, in my mind, thinking that the days are getting longer helps me to get through the remainder of winter.
This Winter Solstice has felt rich and full with wool-felting workshops, teachings on ancient winter traditions, friends nearby, cozy fireplaces, a cupboard full of stored foods from our gardens, books to read and of course… planning the next season!
I take time on the Winter Solstice to order seeds, and consider what wants to be planted - both literally and metaphorically. I’m thinking about the future of Crown Hill Farm’s business. Where and how do I want to grow. What do I want to water and tend with my attention this coming year? And, what do I want to release as well.
Things you can look forward to this coming year: more dinners and events on the farm, new colors on our yarns, * hopefully * some new sheep to add to the flock, trees being planted, new vegetable and flower varieties in our gardens. The second annual Women in Food Festival, more education including wool and fiber arts, new Chef friends, and some new business coaching projects.
A friend asked me: “If this past year was a chapter in the book of your life, what is the title of this chapter?” And my answer is “Recapitulation”. In shamanic practices, Recapitulation is the process of reclaiming your energy from past events and interactions. And, this year feels like a slow, steady recapitulation from returning to dinners and events on the farm, to finding my larger vision for the future of Crown Hill, to newer layers of stepping into who I need to be for those visions to become manifest.
As I look forward to this growing season, I feel more ready to put my all into it and step into the next iterations of what Crown Hill and my life here is evolving into.
For now, I rest, rejuvenate and enjoy this season, away from the “typewriters clicking” , “wheels rolling” and “computers computing”.
Blessed Solstice.