Today is Winter Solstice. From Garrison Keillor's Writer's Almanac comes this: In the northern hemisphere, today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year and the longest night. It's officially the first day of winter and one of the oldest known holidays in human history. Anthropologists believe that solstice celebrations go back at least 30,000 years, before humans even began farming on a large scale. The stone circles of Stonehenge were arranged to receive the first rays of midwinter sun.Last night our SoulCollage group here in Ashland, Oregon, celebrated with a huge bonfire. The ancients believed this would encourage the sun to return. We mostly wanted to stay warm.
The fire was incredibly beautiful. Sparks flew into the damp air. There were billows of golden smoke which occationally burst into flame. We had light enough to share SoulCollage cards around our fire.
It is a joy to share this Council card by Leslie Primus. Leslie began SoulCollage at one of our SoulCollage Adventure workshops last spring and recently joined our monthly group. Her card beautifully depicts the extremes of this season. Here are Leslie's words in speaking from her card.
I am the one who represents inner knowing, balance, and alighnment of the chakras.
I am the one who uses the elements to bring forth that inner knowing.
I am the one who brings joy, light, reverence--the feminine aspect of God.
