Welcome to the Dark Half of the Year!

25 Sep Welcome to the Dark Half of the Year!

Welcome to the Dark Half of the Year!

New Moon, September 24th, 2014

Greetings dear friends ~

We have just passed through the portal of the Autumn Equinox, the day of absolute balance between day and night, light and dark. And now, here in the Northern Hemisphere, the darkness grows with each passing day.

Many of us shudder at the thought of the dark, cold winter that approaches, and we long for tropical getaways.

Yup. I am certainly guilty as charged! So I have to ask:

What is it about the darkness that we resist so much?

As the leaves change color and fall to the ground, the life-force of the natural world drops down and deep inside the Earth. It is a time of rest, of quiet, of stillness.

For a moment, get very still and quiet. Close your eyes and let your awareness drop down and into the depths of the Earth beneath you. Feel into the vast mystery of the deep, dark, moist, dense, earthy mass. Continue to drop your awareness deeper in and down as you notice what arises for you.

For some of us, still and quiet is quite challenging. When there are no distractions, we are left to face ourselves.

Whoa, scary! Our own personal demons terrify us more than anything. And, befriending those demons, the darkness inside of ourselves, is absolutely essential on a spiritual path of service.

Michelle Sky writes, “We must be confidant that we can handle the darkness, as well as the light.”

And with the balance of the Equinox still so fresh, now is a wonderful time to begin a practice of embracing and befriending the darkness, both outside in Nature, and within ourselves. As the nights gradually grow longer, we can take little baby steps each day to help us welcome the dark half of the year.

Some of my favorite ways to befriend the dark include:

• long, hot, yummy baths (with lots of essential oils)
• a crackling fire and hot cocoa
• a pretty pen and time with my journal to get all of those weird thoughts out of my head
• candles, incense and plump cushions
• cooking nourishing and delicious food
• playing and singing devotional music
• gear up – get what you need to stay warm and head outside to play (especially on Full Moon nights)

As one of my Goddess songs says, “It is required to study in the Temple of the Night.”

So why not invite it in like you would a dear friend. Listen to it, hold it in your arms, love it, and see what it has to teach you.

Blessings,
Dayna Seraye