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Sunday, December 06, 2009

The Darkness Will Not Be Ignored


As the nights continue to lengthen and the daylight visits us only briefly, almost grudgingly, it's more important than ever to ground, center, give time to your daily practice.

Our culture is so focused on ignoring the dark, which, of course, like any shadow issue -- or ignored mistress -- only gives extra energy and power to what's ignored and causes it to erupt in dangerous and uncontrollable ways. One of the most important things that witches can do for our culture, IMHO, is to serve as "steam valves" for all of that repressed darkness. We can recognize it, look into it and see what it has to teach us and our culture; we can speak to it, acknowledge it, give it its proper place.

In part because our culture is so terrified of darkness (death, matter, bodies, women, ecstasy, age), at this dark time of year, the message that we get from almost every source is to be busy! frantic! manic!, to consume, consume, consume, to ignore the darkness and to strive, instead, for some Madison-Avenue-Martha-Stewart-concocted impossible holiday that we can never, really -- no matter how many cookies we bake, parties we dress up for, cards we send -- achieve. Don't listen to them. Remember who you are at your core; do not let the culture define you.

Go someplace quiet, all the better if it can be outdoors, even if that means bundling up. Breathe. With each breath, remember who you are. Ground. Center. Do your daily practice. Give honor to the long nights. A witch's job is to help to turn the wheel. Help.

Picture found here.

6 comments:

Teacats said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWRN_PCSGSA&feature=related

YouTube -- Gypsy "Bring Back the Light" from her Enchantress CD.

And I always remember to acknowledge the "Bright Blessed Day and the Dark Sacred Night" ((can't think of the song right now .....))

And found another Jethro Tull song on YouTube "Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow" -- where (I believe) the Pagans admonish some folks and their habits to ignore the deep needs (the darkness?) of others at this time of the Year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLsrzrcmvtU&feature=related

Fascinating song!

Cheers! Jan at Rosemary Cottage

Unknown said...

Jan--You're thinking of What a Wonderful World, by Louie Armstrong. :)

Teacats said...

Exactly! Many Thanks for the song title!

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

Lyon said...

Beautiful. Thank you for this reminder. Do no let the culture define you indeed.

Anonymous said...

Ohhh, I LOVE this post.
Great blog too! I'll be back to visit often.

Robin said...

i LOVE your thoughts here!