Honoring the Dark

Crazed, lying in a zero circle, mute,We shall be saying, finally,With tremendous eloquence, Lead us.When we have totally surendered to that beauty,We shall be a mighty kindness.— Rumi Now we settle into the quiet, dark time out of time; the time between Solstice and the New Year, or else Twelfth Night. These are the Halcyon … Read more

Mother Night

This is the Eve of the Winter Solstice. This is the great celebration of Mother Night. As far as we know, our ancestors did not have atomic clocks or satellites to help them dissect Time to the nanosecond. Instead, they had to figure by their keen observation, by dead reckoning, by the plants and animals, … Read more

The Ripening

Sweet Surrender © by Leslie MarcusThe RipeningBy Kay CristaWith my thanks to LibbyAnn for sending this to me! This Livinghas softened the hard fruitof my being Everyday, tendernessclaims more of metaking me holyinto ripeness Let me notfall from the branchripe but untasted Rather, let the Belovedpluck me in ripenessand pierce me with His bite Releasing … Read more

The Longest Nights

In memory of Jeremy, whoI did not know…When Death ComesBy Mary Oliver When death comeslike the hungry bear in autumnwhen death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse to buy me, and snaps his purse shut;when death comeslike the measle pox; when death comeslike an iceberg between the shoulder blades, I want … Read more

Blessings of the Gemini Full Moon

Strength – The Blue Moon Tarot© Julia-Cuccia WattsThis is the last Full Moon before Winter Solstice, just barely, as it is only one degree into Gemini. In her gorgeous Major Arcanas only deck, Blue Moon Tarot, creator Julia Cuccia-Watts connects the Full Moon of Gemini (which is always with the Sun in opposite Sagittarius) to … Read more

The Month of Reed Ends

© The Celtic Tree OracleLiz and Colin MurrayWhen thou wishest to make any experiment or operation, thou must first prepare, beforehand, all the requisites which thou wilt find described… observing the days, the hours, and the other effects of the Constellations… It is, therefore, advisable to know that the hours of the day and of … Read more

In Blackwater Woods

In Blackwater Woodsby Mary Oliver Look, the treesare turningtheir own bodiesinto pillars of light,are giving off the richfragrance of cinnamonand fulfillment, the long tapersof cattailsare bursting and floating away overthe blue shoulders of the ponds,and every pond,no matter what itsname is, is nameless now.Every yeareverythingI have ever learned in my lifetimeleads back to this: the … Read more