Continuing with my daily blog I’ve reached the time when we celebrate the shortest day of the year. That means it is our longest night too (in the Northern hemisphere where I am). This certainly seems to be a time of year when many religions celebrate significant events in their calendar. For me December has become a time of reflection, not only because it’s the end of the year, but also because as human beings we often go through the ‘long night of despair’ when our life is changing.
Working with Spirits, Angels and Guides of all kinds they often speak about becoming a being of light. That if we are to evolve to expressing our fullest human potential then we have to be prepared to make choices that fill us with a higher vibration. As close to altruism as we can make it in any lifetime. They are also very realistic. They ask us to embrace our shadow side. To recognise that as the Light increases the Darkness pushes back. They want us to be prepared to love all that we are, light and dark, because in that way we can find a balance. I love the Yin/Yang symbol. It’s a perfect way to express that balance (not only of female/male 
energy balance) within ourselves.
Loving my mean thoughts, my self-pity, my anger, my depression, my envy and my greed gives me a choice. I can feel, think and act from those or I can forgive myself for those human failings and decide to do things differently. On Winter Solstice I make some time to gather my thoughts. I look back over the year and ask myself how I have been as a person in the year. I look at those things I feel I could have done better and I consider if I have achieved a better balance between light and dark within me.
I love to take this reflection outside. The Mother Earth that provides everything for us has many wonderful places to reflect. I’m surrounded by moorland, by woodland, with rivers & great trees. There are walks where I regularly discover orbs playing around me. Even at this time there is growth and the background energy hum of the trees and plants waiting to spring back into life for me with a turn of the season. I love the smell of mulched leaves, slowly decaying to provide food for other plants. The quiet, calm flow of the river wearing away the shoreline to gain more space. The plish, plash of the raindrops as they spread the gift of life across the woodland and hills. The birds search out any tasty bite they can still find. It is very mild this Winter Solstice so the birds & animals are still able to forage well. When the snow comes all of this will be dormant, hidden, a wonderful secret until there is warmth again.
When it is time I to will be dormant for a while. Allowing all of the energy I have experienced this year to settle itself into my aura. Once it is settled I can start the process of making changes for the next year – balancing my books so to speak. I can be like the rest of the planet, waiting for Mother Earth to give me the energy signal that requires me to start another period of growth, ready to make the most of the gifts that will come my way. Until the next time for action I can rest, review, relax and be in the warmth of the Light that I have created and that has been showered on me. I can also embrace the Dark, thankful that it is a vital part of my human life, the seasoning in my energy flavour, a part of the unique me.
From tomorrow the days will gradually grow longer again as the sun returns. I will emerge from my retreat in to my Spirit ready for all the new creative work that my Guides have ready for me. Take a walk outside (the air is crisp here tonight & the river is flowing steadily along) ans connect with all of the energy that is in and around you. Have you been balancing your Light and Dark this year? Are you ready to try to do so once again when the days grow longer? Enjoy the peace of a Yule celebration today.
Day 35 of my blogging challenge.