Winter Solstice 2011

"Last night was the longest night of the year.  But, starting today, the days will be getting longer.  The sun will be getting stronger and climbing higher in the sky.  This is also the time that we celebrate the birth of the Son of God—He who is the Light of the World, who gives us light and strength.

"Taking turns, let us walk to the light and light our candles, and then share our light with those who come after us."

Thus began our celebration of the winter solstice: our advent spiral.  This was the first year we had celebrated with other homeschool families, and it was our biggest spiral ever.  (Maybe a bit too big, since it took a long time for each child to walk all the way in and out!)

Cream of Butternut soup for our solstice feast!

It may be our family's last spiral celebration, since D decided he didn't want to walk this year.  (He did help to build the spiral, however.) Perhaps he has outgrown it.  But I always welcome the chance to think about light and what it means.  Jodi Mesler, another Waldorf mom, recently shared her insight that the fall equinox to the spring equinox is the time for inner work:  prayer, meditation, planning.  There is less light outside, so we find it within ourselves.  Spring equinox to fall equinox is the time of outer light and outer work--implementing our thoughts and plans of the darker time.  From now on, this is what the advent spiral will mean to me.