My brothers and sisters, we have been feeling the depth of the darkness in so many ways and for a while now, that it is time to be ready to welcome the Light back, while we fully acknowledge and process “the darkness”. I am sure this year, and especially those past 3-4 months, you all experienced facing “the darkness” in your life, in your family, in your community, in your country. For many, who do not have the access to scriptures, teachings, love, the pitfall of anger, hate and separation become the only path
From Christmas to Hanukkah, from the Solstice to Yule, Chinese, Native Indians, Druids, Vikings, all traditions, through the ages of time, have been celebrating this holy time of the year. So as I will stand under the Northern Light in Iceland to hold a ceremony for our brother Sun, I wanted to share some of the meaning & practices to give you concrete tools to finally BREATH IN after what seemed to be an infinite EXHALE.
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This Wednesday at 5.44AM EST is the solstice (From the Latin words for "sun" and "to stop" comes our word "solstice"). This time of the year when the night is the longest, but also the time when the day/light is finally going to grow again. A long time ago, the Vikings, the Old Germanic people, the Norse gods, were celebrating this event called Yule, by a 12 days celebration starting on the Solstice. Yule is in fact said to be the pagan Christmas. In a beautiful way this year Christmas, the birth of the Christ (The prince of Peace / Prince of the Light) is happening the same day as the beginning of Hanukkah (the Jewish eight-day, wintertime “festival of lights,” celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods).
I see in those beautiful celebrations an opportunity not only to acknowledge the passing from darkness to Light but also the necessity to hold a communion of prayers with all our brothers and sisters on this planet, our ancestors, regardless of their religion, faith, color, belief, and spirituality. We have to be the one building bridges if we truly talk about “being spiritual” and we have to include others in our prayers, however dark the life is for ourselves.
Here are some ideas on how to celebrate, pray, and tune-into this cosmic cycle. But remember, every single cell of your body, every part of your soul, is designed to connect to the sun and it’s energy, so there is no wrong way to celebrate. The most important is to connect to what rings true to you, inside your heart. Follow your instinct; TRUST the voice inside your heart.
Clean your space/room/body with sage or mugwort smudging. You can use feathers to send the smoke of the smudge around, below, above and on your body. If you feel like wearing some “ceremony clothing” it will increase the acknowledgment that you are entering a sacred space (clean or new cloth, white is ideal). You can also wear your crystals. Going outside and connecting to Nature (sky, sun, moon, stars, trees, plants, animals) is a good way to tune into higher frequencies.Take a few deep breath in & out. Get into your body. Feel every part of it. Be present. Stop doing, start being. Feel the rhythm of your breath, the beating of your heart.Light a fire or a candle. Offer some tobacco to the fire/candle.
t12.21.09 Bob King -- kingSOLSTICE1222c -- Participants at the Winter Solstice celebration held near the Two Harbors lighthouse Monday night sit around a bonfire while they drum in the new season. Today is the first full day of winter.Say an opening prayer. To God, the Universe, your guides, your ancestors, the directions, the elements, your higher self. Call in support and love, call in grace and call in compassion and kindness. Offer some more tobacco to the fire/candle (tobacco spirit carries your prayers high in the sky to Spirit). If you have a drum or a rattle it’s a good moment to play them. They are calling Spirit and help you connect.Acknowledge the darkness. Be real, be honest, be naked in front of your own truth. Review this past year. All the part of your life where you have experience darkness. In relationships, in your family, in your
community, in your words, in your actions. Where did I fell short? Where did I act from Ego?
Where did Anger prevail instead of compassion? When was I acted from fear and not Love?
Make a list, write it on a beautiful piece of paper, take your most beautiful pen, or write it in the sand with a stick.Pray (God, the Universe, your guides, your ancestors, the directions, the elements, your higher self). Thank them for sending you those teachers (dark moment / dark encounter / dark experience). Connect to the growth that you have experienced thanks to anger, fear, pain. Connect to the learning. Acknowledge them in your heart. ALLOW darkness to be seen, welcomed, heard.Take your piece of paper and get close to your fire/candle. Watch the paper in your praying hands. And be ready to burn it. The release time is done with LOVE & COMPASSION. Allow Grace to touch you by surrendering fully to your vulnerability. Be WHOLE, do not judge yourself, do not feel sorry, do not feel broken. Feel your power in this moment of truth, when you see yourself fully. And burn the paper.Pray (God, the Universe, your guides, your ancestors, the directions, the elements, your higher self). Thanks them for taking away darkness and connect to the Light of your guides/god/universe/sky/higher self. Let the Light descend on you, to fill in the space left by the departure of the darkness. Breath deeply, breath in the light, breath out the darkness. Hold your prayer in your heart, smile, feel, love. Add more tobacco to the fire/candle.
hero_inti_raymi_torukojinWelcome the Light. The Solstice is happening. It’s Yule time. Soon in a few days, the Christ is born, Hanukkah is starting, feel the energy of the return of the Light in your body, around you, in the sky, in the world. Feel, be in your heart, breath, smile, surrender, allow Light to shine inside you. Feel that Light in your breath, in the beating of your heart.Visualize what you want to create in this coming year. More open & authentic relationship, more compassion and peace, more love and Grace. Be specific on people, family, situations, actions, words. See and FEEL this new you being reborn in this new light. Add more wood to the fire, light many candles, offer tobacco, pray. And stay in this feeling for as long as you feel necessary. Expand that Light from your heart center to your whole chest, to your whole body, your house, your land, your family, your ancestors, your community, your country, the whole planet, the universe. Hold that vibration of pure light for yourself and for everyone. Smile, breath, allow.Close the ceremony by a prayer (God, the Universe, your guides, your ancestors, the directions, the elements, your higher self). Hold Gratitude and compassion. You are doing this for everyone not only for you. Let the candle/fire burn until the morning (if safe!).
As you get to practice more this allowing of the darkness, you will grow more compassion for yourself, which will turn into more compassion for others. You will allow the ultimate Truth (we are all One) to be FELT deeply in your body, you will see the shift of the people around you into more Light, and you will become the change you want to see in the world.
Wishing you all a magical Solstice, a blessed Yule, a Merry Christmas, Hanukkah Sameach!, Chag Urim Sameach!, Aho my brothers and sisters, I see you on the other side!
With my Love,
Guillaume
DECEMBER 20, 2016 COMMENTS
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