The Winter solstice has come and gone on our small and spinning planet. From where I stand in the Northern Hemisphere, it marked the shortest day and the longest night—winter’s official beginning.

My friends in New Zealand and Australia who reside south of the Equator experience this solstice very differently—they enjoy the longest day and the shortest night. It’s the beginning of summer for them.  

But my story begins with our ancient Northern ancestors, who heralded the sun’s return with great celebration and ceremony. In fact, these pagan celebrations bleed into our holidays today.

But theirs was serious business. These ancients of the north depended on recognizing the seasonal cycles to give them hope and help them through the lean winter months. Their winter solstice was an important reminder that plantings and harvests would someday return.

As we mark the end of 2020, with a reminder that the light will return, I must ponder…

Can the awareness of our place in this vast and boundless universe teach us ways to behave and think differently? 

How important is it to remember that we are creative, boundless beings, spinning and tilting amongst stars, moons and galaxies that have a hold on us?