The old woman of winter, the Cailleach has us firmly in the grip of her icy fingers as I write this. The temperature is supposed to plummet to a bone chilling 17 degrees below zero with the wind chill factor tonight, something we Vancouverites are scarcely prepared for, and, in my heated kitchen I am cooking up a big pot of deliciously warming tortilla soup. Winter was not always as easy as it is now in the northern hemisphere, with our heat on demand, light at the tips of our fingers, and a stunning array of exotic fruits and vegetables from the far flung reaches of the earth for the asking. The Winter Solstice: the Sacred Traditions of Christmas, explains that the people of the old world did not even have fresh milk to drink for the entire winter, as sheep and cows only lactate after giving birth (February 2nd is known as “Imbolc” on the Celtic wheel of the year, and literally means “the time when ewe’s milk comes in”) (Matthews). The seasonal turning point of Winter Solstice, the rebirth of the sun, was a numinous event so important that it symbolized life or death for our forebears. It provided hope at the darkest time of the year, and assurance that life would continue. Countless standing stones and other Neolithic structures were built to honor and mark the return of the sun, two of the most famous being Stonehenge in England, and Newgrange in Northern Ireland.
I believe that for those of us whose ancestral roots reach back through time and space into pre-Christian Northern Europe, there is a genetic memory that is inherent in our psyches that lets us know on a subtle level when the wheel has turned. We are now in the dark half of the year, and though we have modern conveniences that suggest differently, our bodies and souls tell us what we know to be true - it is nearing midwinter. How many of us have noticed the urge to turn within, to stay in bed, to hibernate? Our bodies have a deep wisdom of their own, and we instinctively know that now is the time to rest, reflect, and dream of the time when the sun is reborn.
I invite you to close your eyes for a moment and imagine what it was like at this time of year for countless generations whose blood still flows through us. It is the longest night of the year, and the long awaited rebirth of the sun is almost upon us. Outside the wind howls fiercely as it cuts through the trees, and snow covers everything in a blanket of white as far as the eye can see. It is though the Cailleach has always reigned and the golden warmth of the sun just a distant memory, or maybe even a dream. Caught in this seemingly endless winter, we don’t know for sure if it will ever come again. So we wait. Our stomachs are growling for fresh meat or a bowl of sweet milk, but all we have had for weeks has been the last of the smoked meat and the bits of dried barley cakes saved for just this time during the last harvest. The weather has been too inclement even for the hunters to brave the cold and bring us fresh meat, but tonight they are out, they have no choice. Many of us are silent, deep within our own thoughts, gazing into the flames of the hearth fire and dreaming our private dreams. In this profound silence, with the fire crackling, and the forces of nature driving against our warm and protected cocoon, it is easy to slip between the worlds and to see into the heart of the mysteries. The crunching of heavy footfalls in deep snow and the jovial shouts of the hunters stir us from our reverie. A weak shaft of light illuminates our space, highlighting sacred symbols and spirals etched into the walls, marking the end of the Longest Night. We will celebrate and feast this day, the God has been reborn and spring is just another turn of the wheel away.
Every Solstice I am reminded of those wise words indelibly etched into my childhood memory from The Grinch who Stole Christmas: “It came. Somehow or other it came just the same!” For no matter how deep and dark and endless, or bereft of hope winter can sometimes seem, it is always followed by the return of the sun, and eventually a glorious spring.And so turns the wheel.
