Below, middle, above…and below

Santa Lucia behind, a week to winter solstice. The darkest days of the year. Being pulled inwards, downwards, below. Into the darkness, into the soul space. Into the collective underworld, under this frozen hard bare soil, into my own void. I love this time: for bringing no pretension, for giving me space and time to just be drawn into my own depths, not unlike Persephone. Because I need this. How can I rejoice with spring if I do not surrender to the death of winter?

With this also comes the recognititon that the world below, the Soul realm, is not the whole picture. For an underworld, there must be also a world, and maybe an upperworld. And different days, seasons, and periods of life to dwell in these. For going into darkness would not be easy without having the outlook of coming back into light. 

I see the world below as a realm of soul, the middle world as the world of my daily life, and the realm above as a realm of spirit. I need to dwell in all three. Not all the time and maybe not in all of them at once, but I need these to feel whole.

That is why I welcome and I celebrate this hibernation period of the dark days. It is when I give myself time and space for a due dilligence of the past year(s) and my deeds, of all the unfulfilled and fulfilled wishes, of how I have done as a human being so far. And in that darkness I search through other senses for the hints of the future versions of me and my humanity.

I open myself to my own, the collective, and the literal darkness, for there are a lot of precious things hidden in there. These days are made for us to stop and listen. And to wait. And listen again. And to feel what needs to be felt.

Enjoy the shortest days of the year! For they might bring you the greatest insights.