For thousands of years, humans have been honoring their bond with the celestial patterns of the universe. Studies have shown that Stonehenge was likely used as a tool for noting the “high holidays” of Solstice and Equinox on the celestial calendar. The Egyptian pyramids continue to intrigue scholars with their many tunnels and passages pointing to significant constellations and stars.
But perhaps there is no more finely tuned instrument aligned to universal movement than the human body, itself. Consisting of more than 80% water we are subject to cosmic phenomena like the full moon’s pull on our bodies, just as the oceans are. We can’t help but be drawn to hibernation when winter officially begins and daylight drastically decreases.
Yet, there is no need to worry that we are, as Max Ehrmann put it, “A child of the Universe no less than the trees and stars.” True, our bodies are made of natural elements that find us bound by forces such as gravity, linear time and physical space. But like the ancient monolith at Stonehenge, we can also learn to embrace our alignment with the cosmic phases of the universe.
One of my favorite ways to do so is to honor the winter solstice each December 21st. On this shortest day of the year many of us are tempted to feel a bit blue, almost as if we have lost part of our lives to the darkness that inhibits many outdoor activities and hampers personal energy.
But beneath the physical qualities of this shortest day lies the power of darkness, the visual representation of the universal Formless. Instead of being the absence of everything, I honor the Formless as the repository of ALL things, the seat of all opportunity, the Universal Womb containing infinite possibilities as well as the building blocks to manifest them into physical reality. Kind of like the ubiquitous children’s “Claw” kiosk, behind the glass of linear time lie all the delightful toys and beautiful treasures that can someday be ours. We need only pluck them out of the teeming Formless with the slow and exacting claw of our conscious intention.
So this year, instead of getting stuck in a feeling of sadness, loss or deprivation by the shortening days why not spend some time honoring the Formless? Within it, the universe lovingly holds unimagined solutions and endless possibilities for you! Whenever you need a lift, remember the children’s kiosk and affirm that out of the loving cosmos you are beginning to reach–even now–for the treasure of your most cherished dreams.
Grace and Clarity 