The Return of the Light {part 2: The Candlestick}
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Much like our ancestors in the season of the Winter Solstice, we too can find solace during times of transition with rituals and practices that warm our hearts, stoke the fires of hope and rekindle the flames of connection.
This meditation series began last week with the introduction of the first of three archetypal tools that will support our meditation practice and ourselves during the winter.
We began with The Knife. Psychologically, the knife represents:
Carving out a life for yourself
A tool for cutting through obscurity and seeing into hidden things
Cut away what is no longer needed and carving out new beginnings
An ability to learn new ways
We placed this knife in the cave of the heart to be called on anytime we need. And, today we add The Candlestick to our cave. We add the flame.
Nearly every spiritual tradition honors the flame as a sacred symbol. Often, it is thought of as the fire of transformation or, for some, the fire of manifestation. In almost all historical Winter Solstice rituals there was fire. It is quite literally the light.
What resonates with me the most in this season is the representation of the candlestick as the tenacity to ride a rough road.
This tool reminds us of our grit, our determination, our perseverance to not only get through tough times but to get through them “well”. To recover and to GROW from our experiences rather than dwell or diminish.
It reminds us that to be asleep during transition is to wish to go back to what was...
To be awake, with our hearts bolstered by the tools of our meditation practice, we don’t clamour for what was. Instead, we courageously burn to the ground what isn’t working, and with passion we create anew.
We don’t get through a rough road by holding on so tightly that our bones rattle. We get through a rough road by chucking stuff out the windows to lighten the load, to let go of what we are banging into again and again, and nourish what helps us to fly.
As we get ready to welcome the light back, what will you burn away? What will you let go of in order to fly?
Let’s practice.
This meditation series is supported by 2 special live, virtual events designed for deeper exploration:
The Winter Solstice celebration on 12/21/20
New Year’s Day Mini Meditation Retreat on 1/1/21
Learn more here: https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett
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