And, there it is. The Sun gone down on the shortest day of the year.
It was a day of almost surgically-white sunlight, bouncing off the two feet of snow and highlighting every speck of dirt and grime in the house, the way that only Winter sunlight can. I cleaned -- a lot, my housekeepers showed up in the snow and cleaned, and the old cottage is cleaner than it was before. I edited pre-appellate pleadings, interpreted the Code of Federal Regulations, and agreed with my associate's decisions about when to file motions. I dug a path out to my car where my wonderful neighbor helped me to dig out to the (still unploughed) road. I finished knitting a sweater vest for G/Son. I made roast turkey salad. I chatted with one witch about this week's CSA delivery (fewer green beans and lettuce this week; more oranges) and with another witch about grandchildren. I listened to Wynton Marsalis run up, up, up, up, up, all the way up into crystal. His music seemed to match the blinding sunlight.
I'm an old woman with a bad ankle and a recently-broken toe, but, at sunset, I whipped off my clothes and rolled in the snow on my back deck, startling a fox, a rabbit (whose life I think I saved), three squirrels, the demanding cardinal, and more sparrows and wrens than I could count. You can almost hear them thinking: "Fly away! It's the crazy lady! Tomorrow, she'll be out here with seeds and liquid water (which is rare and precious in this time of snow and ice), but, for now, this manifestation of the Goddess is in her crazy aspect. Best to wait it out here in the cryptomeria; it never lasts long. Damn! That is one crazy old woman." If there weren't two feet of snow and if I didn't have a broken toe, I'd have made it out to my boulder and the magnolias and back, but, we crones, we do the best we can and then we go back inside and have a martini. What do you think Baba Yaga has inside that house on chicken feet??? She has crystal martini glasses, that's what she has.
I have some magic to work this evening, and I will do it, but it will begin, because I am old, in a steaming hot bath filled with sage that I picked from my garden just as the snow began.
May the light return to you and yours, may your new projects grow and thrive in this bright light, may our lovely Planet continue to tilt upon her axis. Blessed Yule.
Picture found here.
10 comments:
Hecate, I love you. Your spirit, your core, your you. When I grow up, I want to be just like you. This old Crone better get going.
Old woman? You? Hell, I'm 64 and, D.G., still lifting weights. You're still a kid. Enjoy your youth while you can.
Blessed Yule, by the way.
My Inner Crone is a child! Solstice blessings to you Hecate
Hecate, if I haven't said it lately, your blog is one of my favorites. Keep rockin your crazy.
As always, you rock. So did you wind up with some snow witches on your desk?
K.
I have the kindest, nicest, most amazing readers on the planet. You make me blush!
And here I thought I was brave for walking barefoot in the snow... This mother has so much to learn! I only hope I wear my crone crown with your grace (busted ankle be damned!).
Great post! I don't consider you old either (perhaps it's all in pov), though your wisdom qualifies you for crone. Re: the Marsalis recording, if you enjoy that one, you might want to explore his CD "In Gabriel's Garden," all Baroque, played mostly in in higher Eb (I think) trumpet. Heavenly (even if you don't believe in heaven). I bought one as a gift and think I'll buy myself one.
OLD (snorting) .... NOT EVER dear Hecate!
Do you remember the line from the classic movie "The Bishops Wife" (1947) with Cary Grant and Loretta Young -- where he "reads" her palm at the restaurant and tell her: "There are two things that remain constant: Youth and Beauty -- they are really one and the same thing. The trouble is people grow old, she says. Not everyone, he replies -- the only people who grow old were born old. They were old to begin with -- you were born young -- you'll remain that way!" And so it will be always be with you! Your soul shines and energy crackles around you!
BTW -- A beautiful movie for this time of year. And very appropriate message for All in these diffcult times. It is on YouTube.
Jan at Rosemary Cottage
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