June 22 or thereabouts is officially the Winter Soltice – the coldest night of the year because the Earth is the furthermost distance away from the Sun in her annual woozle walk. Clangers and I went out to see the Lantern Parade – and urge the Sun to “Please Come Back!” lured by a little sympathetic light in the Lanterns.

Circadian rhythms remember those? I am always flooded by folk suffering ‘the blues’ this time of year. The Authentic Self, like the Sun is so far away. It seems so. It was a clear night, cold and dark. Clangers and I were both dreaming of hotter days at the Beach. The Authentic Self has many secrets – not dissimilar to those Nature shows and by tuning in and ‘going’ with what is happening around us – in the world, with others, in Nature – we can find a way to the Authentic Self. This is one of the most secret paths but in the long run, I suspect it is perhaps the quickest and most efficient way to get to the Authentic Self.

The Winter Soltice – could be thought about as the End of the Year. The Sun shines the least light upon this day because the Earth has stretched in her orbit around the Sun as far as she can in a year. From this point onwards, to us walking this mortal coil – each day a little more light dawns early and leaves later.

It makes sense to me, to think of the day after the Winter Soltice as the First Day of the New Year, because the light of the Sun appears to us here to be returning more and more until ofcourse we reach the Summer Soltice …

Henrietta at Oscar’s

More Henrietta

The night of the Winter Soltice is a great time for a Lantern Parade but it is also a great time to make friends with Death and what has died over the last 12 months. We forget, living in this technological world rife with the illusion of control – that we are changing subtlely but constantly.

That dark night – is a good time to name what has died within and without – and deeply let go of that old snake skin, that false self that never really fit, that shame that never belonged to you anyway. And see what tiny little new version of you creeping ever closer to you Authentic Self – is being born.

To help everyone along, I have a song. I love this song – I recommend getting stuck right in to it and singing, Loudly – in the Shower.

Let me start you off … to begin – REMEMBER TO SING THE BLUES! SING right from the guts as if you are howling in excruciating emotional pain – OOOOOOOOoooooaaaaawwwwww … to begin, we go …

“OOOoooo DEEEEATH OOOOOOoooooo DEATH,
WON’T YOU SPARE ME OVER TO ANOTHER YE-EEEEAR!
BUT WHAT IS THIS? THAT I CAN’T SEE,
WITH ICE COLD HANDS TAKING HOLD OF ME
WELL I AM DEATH NONE CAN EXCEL
I’LL OPEN THE DOOR TO HEAVEN OR HELL …”

Name what has died. Be with the Grief. There is no turning Death away. Let Death change you. Feel it. Completely. Let go. Breath, Step forward. Keep stepping forward.

Something has been quietly, stealthily, surely growing within you these freezing dark days and nights. Spring is coming and bringing – a renewal of everything – inside you and outside in the world. Notice and be with what is happening – anyway.

We can, all begin again. We will – because this is the way of things. Make friends with these mighty currents that turn the Earth and burn the Sun or you can frustrate yourself with resistance and stay forever in the past, the land of the Dead.

Death comes for the dead. Surrender what has died – let yourself be transformed. And Live.

Good Times.