Winter Solstice: Light Warriors

In astronomy, the seasons move in celestial cycles. As the earth rotates around the sun, it also spins on its own axis, which tilts towards the plane of its rotation (about 23.5 degrees). The northern hemisphere receives less direct sunlight. Days of less & less light, moving towards the rebirth of winter and a new year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, unmoving on the horizon (solstice translates from latin sol “sun” & stice “standing still”). The northern hemisphere experiences its annual winter solstice. This marks the shortest day. It is also the longest night. Then, the sun will again ascend in the northern sky as the days begin to grow longer. It is the Earth returning to light.

As the days grew shorter and darkness fell around us we entered into our own dark time of sorts. It seems endless. Wall Street’s tumble, sub prime mess, bank failures, bailouts, a senate seat for sale, automotive industry failure, countless companies struggling, folding….job loss, hardship. Many of us have been knocked down in the process.

Interesting though, the darkness is considered the space where the creatures stir – the vampires and monsters, the underbelly out to thieve and plunder and destroy. It seems that what lurks in secret, dark corners is being flushed out. The greedy, the self absorbed, the arrogant bad guys addicted to money. Exposed. Madoff. Blagojevich. At great expense to us all, but evil is moving to the surface.

During the longest night of the year it is a time for man made illumination. Turn on a lamp, light candles, build fires…create sparks to ignite the human spirit. There is something to look forward to after all the darkness. The sun, from its lowest point, will follow night and make it way back up into the northern sky. There will be a little more light every day. And so, light warriors — the question is: will we use it wisely?

Toni Josephson
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