The Longest Solstice Ever

When the New Moon & The New Year Work it Out

image: max boyla

“Emptiness is the pregnant void out of which all creation springs. But many of us fear emptiness. We prefer to remain surrounded by things we imagine are subject to our control” ~ Wayne Muller

As I have said many times here, I love a good bubble away from the world {a blizzard, a fever, a portal of initiation} AND I love the dark. Solstice time is heaven for me, except for all the maniacal demands of the season. So counter-intuitive for us witches. I get it though. I know there are many of us who actually love the holidays as a distraction from the dark, but the fact is, the dark is still looming, will always be looming, behind or underneath us all & I like to think of deep winter as a time to make peace with the dark, maybe even eat the dark, become the dark, purge the dark, make love to the void. And that it will help. And I don’t think I am the only one.

So here is something you may not realize. This year we actually have an extended Dark Night of the Soul. Although the longest night of Solstice did indeed fall on December 21, the current lunar cycle, the template from which all nature rises & falls, ends on December 30, the day before New Year’s. What that means is that the last ten days of this gregorian year, this period over whatever holy days you may celebrate, has been occurring in an increasing state of darkness. So any beliefs or superstitions you may have about clearing out old karma, epic tasks or secret chaos corners of your life/home have had an extended expiration date.

Yes, you have more time to clean up your act & also, you have more time to dissolve into the shadows, more time to commune with the God of your understanding, more time to stare into the abyss. If any of this rings true for you, I am right there with you. Staring into the abyss like it is my job.

In the last few days, I have been getting up in the middle of the night to pray with the rosary within a very special mumblecore high queer clutch from around the world. We gather on Zoom, everyone with their own rosary, whispering into the night. We started the night of Solstice. The prayer is a novena, a nine-day period of incantation that is traditionally performed to ask God for special favors, make petitions, or pray for a specific intention. Novenas are often started or ended on Holy Days.

This group is far from Christian, based in an amalgamation of syncretic practices, but no matter, a communal devotional space IS SO POWERFUL & the resulting ambiance in my bed after praying (I get up at 3 am for this) is otherworldly, full of portent. I feel protected. As one of my flock-mates said the other night “This is level four FUN.” And it is. I live for this kind of fun.

It’s ok if you weren’t aware of this chasm of possibility before today. It is still available to you for a few more days. You probably did feel it, deep in your soul, as the week before any New Moon, is a time spent in “The Bowl of the Divine.”

In the Lunar cycle, the week before & after the New Moon (from the last quarter through the first quarter) is referred to as The Bowl of the Divine & these are times when one has the ability to tune into faith, however you understand that word, & it is ill advised to (over) exert your human will. Pause first, listen, look for signs, for assignments, for instruction.

If you don’t believe in God, you might believe (or notice) synchronicity, or you might find yourself spoken to directly by unusual means: strangers, music, dreams & other forms of intercession. In any case, this last week (since the Solstice & until the New Moon on the 30th) is one where God is exceptionally present, because of the dark, & it is a good time to get quiet & listen as deeply as you can. A balance between paying attention & sinking into a trance.

If you can’t tell already, I am particularly good at this balance. I have lived my life this way for a good long time & although not easy, it is also exceptionally pleasurable. It is almost ecstatic when you root yourself in natural rhythms. Talk about locking in. If you know you know, otherwise take my word on it.

If you are interested in learning more, you are so lucky/blessed cause I am revving up to begin The Luna Ship on December 30, one of my favorite trainings in The School of Invisible Arts, my budding Mystery School. We will be doing a lot of praying (& writing) but also a lot of active listening & learning, using the cycles of nature & most importantly the Lunar Cycle, to understand the rise & fall of everything from our own creative cycles to the rise & fall of both revolution & empire.

LUNA SHIP: Learning to Pray with the Moon Practice beginning on Capricorn New Moon on December 30.

~ Set a clear intention for the month
~ Build a simple altar for your practice
~ Enjoy a supported & continuous 28 day spiritual practice based on the intricacies of the lunar cycle, with writing & prayer prompts arriving each day via email
~ Set your prayer with a personal mantra created by me & based on both the Lunar Phase & Astrological Sign you were born under
~ Devotional “Study Halls” twice weekly via Zoom for focused prayer, creativity or whatever you need, all within a sacred container & led by me 😇 (recorded)

You set your level of involvement. Attendance in the study halls are optional. 

Please let me know if you need a flexible pay scale. I will do my best to work it out for you.

$155/full lunar cycle

See you on the New Moon 🤍