Light Born Out of the Dark

Winter Solstice approaches--the longest night and shortest day of the year, when cold and darkness reach their peak, and light and warmth seem weakest. The sun, which each day has risen and set a little further to the south, now seems to stop in its tracks.

But Yule, the Pagan festival that honors the Solstice, is a very powerful moment of turning and a time of deep renewal. For now the sun will begin to rise a bit earlier each day, and set a bit later. At first the change will be almost imperceptible, but within a few days or weeks, we will clearly know that light is returning. Enfolded in the darkest hour is the seed of spring and rebirth.

I can't think of a time when we1ve needed that promise more. Although Pagans come in many political persuasions, many of us are deeply disheartened by the outcome of the Presidential election. I've spoken to hundreds and hundreds of people during my book tour this past autumn; most are looking to the future with fear and despair.

Yet rather than dwell on anger, I want us to consider the Solstice promise. We Pagans don't have comforting Bible verses to turn to in times of spiritual need--but we have something perhaps even better. We can turn to the natural world for teachings, strength and hope. That is where the promise of Solstice appears, because the darkness and the return of the sun's light remind us that the wheel always turns, that the darkest hour may well be just before the dawn, and every death holds within it the potential for a new opening, a new birth.

Whether our concerns are personal or collective, the rituals we celebrate on Yule can help us move from grief to empowerment. This year Solstice falls on Dec. 21. We in the Reclaiming tradition of Witchcraft celebrate on the eve of the holiday, beginning at sunset on the 20th. I'd like to suggest a ritual that includes four themes: Cleansing, Fire, Community, and Birth.

Cleansing: Solstice is a good time for letting go. In the Bay Area Reclaiming tradition, we gather at the beach just before sunset, cast a circle, and plunge into the freezing water to cleanse and release anything we don1t want to carry into the new cycle. Those who don1t want to plunge can meditate on the waves while remaining warmly clothed. The shock of cold, the wild wind on bare skin, the play of light on the water, are exhilarating and consciousness changing. But there are also those who practice a warm water tradition--who prefer to cleanse in a hot bath, or even a hot tub or sauna. A group can simply put a bowl of salt water in the center of the circle, and speak or wail or cry into it. However you do it, take some time on this night to meditate on what you want to let go of, and to release it.

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