I know we’re still in the days of the Mighty Dead – blessings of All Souls Day for those who celebrate – but my mind (apparently in a rush to slow down?) is turning towards the solstice.

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, the December solstice is about darkness.

Some places about snow, some about rain, some about bright blue skies interspersed with snow…But everywhere in the northern hemisphere, the Earth turns that face, tips it gently from the Sun’s light. It’s darker. And here in Oregon, now in Standard Time again, it is dark now and getting noticeably darker each day.

All that said, I love winter solstice. I love the greens. I love fires and lights. I loved the time I spent one year, standing under a solstice full moon, feeling the warmth of my breath in the cold, cold night, watching a coyote watch me.

And I love the dark. I love the invitation to slow down, to relinquish, to settle in and listen listen listen for our own deepest wisdom.

Besides all this, I love that the solstice, so new the craze of other holidays, sacred and secular, is like their peaceful, quiet cousin. At least, in my practice. It’s cozy. It’s warm. It’s small gatherings around a fireplace where we read Tarot, drink mulled cider and wine, and enjoy one another.

Solstice is also about deep magic. Magic the results of which we may not see until months later, until the light returns in strength.

All that said, here’s a proposition:

I’d like to run a virtual retreat for this time of year. Probably the 12^th, 13^th, or 19^th or December. Four group phone calls. Teaching, meditation, chanting, conversation, and plenty of time between calls to integrate, rest, or do what other things you need to do.

I have a preliminary plan written up, and I know this is the kind of thing I would love to do. Would you?

What does this idea surface for you? What questions do you have? Please post in the comments, or send me a note through the Contact page. I’d love to hear from you!