This time of year presents a beautiful, powerful time for self-reflection. As the short, thin days of misty light are bounded either side by the long, quiet nights wrapping their vast emptiness around us, an invitation is extended to each of us – to go deep within, in a way that is not possible at other times of year. 

Not during the noisy buzz of harvest time, nor the playful vigor of summer, nor even the gentle burgeoning of spring – those landscapes so full of color and delightful distraction cannot present the same enticing allure to seek to know ourselves as can the deep, still, darkness of Winter’s Solstice.

Oh what a Dieter’s delight! All year long we seek the insights that will reveal the keys of self-transformation. We drink medicine in the heart of night, nervously hoping for a momentous shift; we journey to the jungle in search of Mama Earth’s powerful life-giving presence; and we Diet, month after month, following the recommended discipline, paying attention and analysing the little signs of wisdom that are maybe granted to us by the teacher spirits. “Where are the keys?” we want to know, “what are the golden understandings, where is the freedom from stress, the good life?”  

But the maestros say little, and our minds say a lot, and most is a whirl, and sometimes we think we caught something, but then again, maybe not. Life is demanding. Energies are intense. Confusions and noise abound.

Until finally, we come to this blessed quiet, this deep, still moment in between breaths that is the sacred heart of the year.  Here in this serene silence perhaps we have a chance, an opportunity to step into the deep pools of the mysterious self, to meet the unseen, unheard part of ourselves and perhaps even discover something magical.

Of course there will be resistance. Fear and avoidance will come up. Who knows what unmet parts of ourselves are out there in the dark? Especially those tender, timid parts that don’t have a strong voice within us, or those sad parts that seem not to have fully recovered all the battles withstood; those gentle parts that we spend most of the year just racing past. But here and now, in this special moment, as our bodies crave deep rest with the heavy pull of the night, we have an opportunity to slow down, and simply sit, and listen to that mysterious voice that is actually our own, calling to us from the dark. Why not take a step closer, give just a little bit more space to that part of ourselves that we don’t normally attend. What might come through I wonder?

When I think about the Christmas story – the birth of Christ, the blessed star in the night sky, the promise of the Kingdom of Heaven and the gifts of compassion and unconditional love to all, I hope I do not give offense in suggesting that regardless of one’s religion or spiritual beliefs, there are potential keys here for all of us at this time of year. In the vast oceans of dark that prevail on Solstice night, we have a chance to glean that golden grain of light that lives within us, that cannot normally be seen under the bright light of the full sun, where everything is radiant and loud. In this still, silent night, we have an opportunity to discover our singular star, always shining in our inner sky, just patiently waiting for us to see it.  

It’s not going to be the same for everybody. The message of that star will be unique for each individual. Life has so many pressures and stresses, and we each hold deep conditioning about how to deal with it, how responsible we need to be, how we must act and behave to prevent the outcomes we fear. And this programming runs so deep, for most of us, most of the time, that it can be difficult to see the woods for the trees. But if we allow ourselves to enter that quiet coccoon that the Solstice brings, and seek to meet ourselves there, to ask ourselves gently “What is it that you want to share?”, then I can’t help feeling that the answers will shine more clearly and simply than at any other time. Might they be as simple as just deciding to live with more joy, to play, to fall in love with every moment, to let go the pressures and ‘shoulds’? Might it just be that the world is waiting for your special type of creativity? But, of course embracing such ideas would require a grand leap of faith! 

For me that’s what this time of year is all about, as we cross the fine threshold of the longest, quietest night of the year. It’s about welcoming inner reflection and finding faith. It’s about looking for the seeds of gold within, and it’s about extending gentle, nurturing kindness to ourselves and one another.

And so, dear Dieters seeking the sacred knowledge, this year may your Solstice be blessed with the light of self-understanding, and may you celebrate the season of joy and prosperity with all whom you love!