Dark Days of the Soul

Happy New Year to all my blogging friends!  It's always amazing to me what a difference a year makes - and how many changes can happen in a span of 365 days.

Right now, in my part of the world it is very dark.  I keep telling myself, "the sun is returning, the sun is returning," and reminding myself that no matter how dark it looks, the days are getting longer  - slowly.  It's dark here not only due to the short days, but because it rains a bit here and is often overcast, and then there is the fog to consider.  Bright sunny clear blue sky days are rare at this time of year.  We have to make a point to go outside in the sun whenever we can because it's easy to fall into the doldrums if you're not careful.

But perhaps that's what this part of the year is about -spiritually speaking.  Today the Witch of Stitches posted a great blog entry about the Celebration of Inanna and her plan to incorporate Inanna's Descent myth into a ritual of release.  I like this idea a lot and plan to do the same.   At this time of year, we all "decend" in some way, even if it's into ourselves.

After the holidays, usually the last thing we want to do is socialize more, and yet, during such a dark time of year, feelings of isolation are common.  Still we are more pulled to hibernate, buried in blankets and heavy coats, hats, mittens, descending into quieter activities, perhaps using this energy to create.  This has, for me,  always been the message of The Hermit card in the tarot.  He can represent solitude or isolation - two similar and yet very different concepts.  Solitude is the act of going purposely within - going TO yourself, where isolation is the act of pulling away - moving AWAY from others. There are times when it's appropriate to do one or the other, and of course, there are times to come out from the shadows.

To use the darker energy to create, you are transforming it, letting it come from within, grow, flourish and move out into the world.  Like Innana, you cast off the things of the light to enter the dark where death, but also rebirth occurs.  Each time you choose to go deeper, you must leave something at the door. And I have some things I won't mind leaving behind.

So it's not surprising that it's a pretty creative time around the Mermaid Cafe these days.  I am making progress on the book and it's getting close to finished and The Bard is working on his own music for a change these days.  It's interesting to note that even though we relish the idea of being around others, recent attempts to do so have left us unsatisfied.  It might be easier if we, like Bears, just took to our beds in the winter, as a matter of course.  Humans, however, are always ready to assume that our natural instincts are wrong, or that there is something not right about us that has to be fixed.  We never seem to be able to accept ourselves  - our moods, our appearance, our likes, dislikes are always under scrutiny.  Generation after generation  become more and more disconnected with the world, others, and themselves.  We are constantly denying our connection to the earth, cycles, seasons, and accepting this connection is the secret to self-acceptance.

Author's Note: In my spiritual practice, myth comes into play only as a guide to self awareness.  I use myth in psychological aspect of my path - working with the inner stuff.  I realize that many of our pagan mythology is tied to the season turning of the wheel, but I prefer to focus on nature at this time, without the use of myth.  Myth, however, does have it's place in almost every religion/spiritual path, including my own.  But I find the power of myth strongest when working on the self. (The book, Women Who Run With The Wolves was a life changing read for me. )

If I look back on my life, this has always been the time of year for reflection, regrouping, solitude. Even when "me time" was rare, during child raising years or when working in Corporate America, I would find myself less tolerant of the constant noise, busyness (business!) and motion at this time of year. I would often blame it on "holiday burnout" but I'm not so sure anymore.  If we look to nature we see at this time, a slowing down, a sleeping period. Things are quieter, darker, still.   Perhaps it is just healthier for humans to give in to this urge (as much as modern life allows, ) without guilt?

Any thoughts on this subject??