Dark Moon today plus a solar eclipse escorts us into Yuletide and towards the longest night, Winter Solstice. More than ever this Yuletide, after months of history-making gloom and doom, our spirits yearn for the Light. Yet, more sheltering is necessary, perhaps even well after the Solstice, to protect ourselves and especially the more vulnerable ones among us.
The Four of Stones from my favorite deck, Wildwood Tarot, has constantly turned up in recent readings. It is both comforting and cautioning. Although, according to the interpretation given by the creators of the deck, the sunrise depicted on this card is Midsummer, it reminds me of the beam of light that illuminates Brugh na Boinne (Newgrange) on Winter Solstice.
Imagine yourself sheltering in the depths of an ancient cave while storms rage outside. The walls of this sanctuary bear ancestral symbols, spirals and sun circles, lit only sporadically by flashes of lightning. You lean back on the wall of stone, listening to the drumming of rain and hail on the roof, feeling secure with the hoard of food and drink you brought with you. Day by day, you watch a beam of pale sunlight creep slowly across the earthen floor. As it approaches your resting place beside the largest of the spiral carvings, you know you’ve weathered the worst of the hard times. Soon it will be safe to emerge and dance in the circle with your kindred and loved ones. Your heart aches to feel their arms around you and return those embraces once again. For now, you must patiently pass the time, day by day and night by night, watching for that bright ray of hope to signal a new dawn.
Even in these uncertain times, Solstice comes, without fail, right on time. May the return of the undying Sun bring you all joy, peace, and blessings of the Light!
Green Witchery 