Time for Reflection

'Tis the Season

The festive season is upon us, and the hustle and bustle, carols, lights, and colourful window displays cast their seasonal spell.

While many of us enjoy the holiday spirit, this time of year can be cold and lonely for some. Surging homelessness, the soaring cost of living, and personal circumstances can make this time of year painful for many.

So, please, be kind. I wish the world was a gentler place; still, we can all do our small part to make it a little more bearable.

I hope we can help to turn our communities into places of genuine healing.

We have a duty to bring our best selves to this moment. Our humanity is the most precious and fragile thing we have, and we need to keep it intact and stay sensitized to the suffering around us. To be kind, caring and discerning depends on us extending these qualities to ourselves. Caring for ourselves helps us to be caring with others.

All of us are witnessing so much horror in the world right now.

A genocide is unfolding before our very eyes as Gaza is being obliterated, with many of our world leaders funding this destruction and providing military equipment.

COP28, the annual meeting between countries to try to bring down greenhouse gas emissions, is being hosted by the CEO of an oil company, with fossil fuel business deals being made on the side.

Both of these situations require decent folks to push back hard. The genocide has to stop and we need to achieve a just peace. And we have to reach our climate goals. Our only life support system, our sacred and amazing planet, is on the brink of collapse.

In the northern hemisphere, winter solstice is celebrated by many during this time.

I remember the first time I celebrated winter solstice. It was in Victoria, BC, at a gathering at a friend’s place. We talked about what we wanted to let go of, and named the qualities we hoped would grow with the expanding daylight. It felt so meaningful that I’ve celebrated winter solstice ever since.

In preparation I like to cleanse. Before getting up in the morning, I feel any difficult emotions as deeply as I can, holding onto them as long I need to. Then I release them, letting them dissolve into the love and peace that is our true nature.

I make sure my home is clean and smudged. On the west coast of Canada, where I grew up, some people do that. I like the smell of sage and cedar and the ritual of walking from room to room filling them with sacred smoke.

This year, I want to build a bonfire and throw the qualities I want to see less of into that fire, while calling forth their replacements.

Here are some of the things I want to see less of, and what I want to replace them with:

Greed

Fists and hearts closed, greed diminishes us. I want longer tables, not higher walls. Sharing connects us. It forms bonds, softens hearts, and unplugs the wellspring of our generosity. Here’s hoping our giving natures will flourish.

Hatred

Another heart hardening emotion, hatred pollutes our inner world. Yes, we’ve been wronged, and forgiveness isn’t always possible. But can we come to some kind of inner peace regardless? Can we make space for everyday love and beauty?

Dishonesty

Dishonest takes so many forms: lies, greenwash, propaganda, phoniness. These things make my eyes glaze over. Trust is the new gold standard, and it has to be earned. It can be hard to find in the complex world we live in. I strive to be trustworthy, and to find people, businesses and news sources I can trust.

This time demands that we dig deep to find the truth of each situation. There’s so much trickery and deception, and many of us have been taken in. It means being open to new information and perspectives.

Violence

Everything from aggressive behaviour to war harms us and the world around us. Don’t we all want kindness and healing instead?

Hardened hearts need to be healed. How do we tap into our innate love, understanding and generosity? This moment, with so much on the line, needs our truest, most caring and altruistic selves. People traumatized by the past can become the oppressors of the future. How can we heal ourselves, help others to do the same, and restore our ailing planet together? How do we learn to resolve conflicts in ways that are non-violent?

Here’s a statement that feels appropriate to share here. Declaration on Peace for Climate Justice

Division

United we stand, divided we fall. It’s true. The more we support each other and work together, the better off we all are. When we can accept our differences and collaborate we can achieve so much. I will do what I can to create peace and harmony, work out problems fairly and equitably, and work together with others for a future where we can all thrive.

Fear

Fear is paralyzing, and there’s so much to be afraid of right now. Wars, climate catastrophe, and the strain of day to day living all weigh us down. How do we find the courage to go on in a good way? Where do we find the composure and determination to see this precarious moment for what it is and act accordingly?

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How do we turn each of our lives into a salve to all it touches?

I think it starts with caring for ourselves with the love, empathy and kindness we’d show a treasured friend. Forgiving our mistakes, accepting our mis-steps and learning from them, we discovering our power. Hopefully we use it kindly and in a good way.

We have so much personal power when we choose to use it. Some of the ways I use mine involve making simple living into an art form. I bank at a credit union, shop at co-ops or independent stores, and buy nearly everything secondhand. The food I eat is organically grown and fairly traded. I’ve also been vegan for decades.

The combination of being green and thrifty is almost scary. When the cost of living started to soar, I started to wildcraft seriously. I eat wild greens, make my own shampoo, laundry soap and tooth paste, and dehydrate a lot of plants so I can consume them in the winter months.

And I take to the streets when I can, write letters to the editor, and participate in groups that address my concerns.

How do you use your personal power to make the world a better place? I’d love to know.

However you celebrate and whatever you do, and I hope this music will bring you some cheer.

I listen to this one every winter solstice.

I’ve sung the following three songs in choirs the past couple of years and they are now part of my winter solstice music selection.

May love and peace increase with the daylight in ways big and small.

Best of the season to all.