Even the Sun Stands Still

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

I got a late start leaving a meeting last week and wound up cycling home in the dark at 4 p.m. I’d have to say that the short winter days are one of the most challenging aspects of life in the northern tier, but things are turning around. Today the Winter Solstice will take place in Seattle at 9:30 p.m. (5:30, tomorrow, Coordinated Universal Time), marking the end of our ever-longer nights and the return of light.

Not to lessen the significance of Christmas, Hanukkah or any of the other festivals of lights, but this astrological event is the original reason for the season. The Earth is tilted on its axis at, on average, a 23.5-degree angle and today is when the North Pole is farthest from the sun, causing it to appear to rise and set in the same place. We call it the first day of winter, and while the days will now grow longer by increments until the Summer Solstice in June, the average temperature of the “top” part of the globe will continue to drop as the oceans slowly lose the heat they still store from the warm summer months.

Humans can hardly think without resorting to metaphor and there is none more profound than this. It’s not an accident that this is a time for reflection as well as celebrating new beginnings. It’s not an accident that we seek out the people who mean the most to us, family and friends, those we love and without whom we live in perpetual winter. It’s not an accident that Christians retell the story of the birth of a child, the son of God, the light of hope in a darkened world. It’s not an accident that we give one another gifts and wish each other merriness, happiness and cheer – the darkness is passing, buck up, light is returning, have hope.


Winter is often used as a metaphor for death, but the comparison is superficial. The trees may not have leaves, the forests may have been temporarily emptied by hibernation and migration, there may be fewer children on the play grounds and at the beaches, and it may stay that way for some months to come, but we shouldn't mistake stillness for death.

The word “Solstice” comes from the Latin phrase for “sun stands still.” We spend the rest of the year in motion, moving forward, making progress. But if we can hold still long enough to listen, we hear winter whispering to slow down, take stock, cut back, rest, tend to the core of what makes life worthy of its name. All is calm. All is bright.

Even the sun stands still today.

This post was created by "Teacher Tom" in his blogpost, "Even the Sun Stands Still": (http://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/even-sun-stands-still.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TeacherTom+%28Teacher+Tom%29)

Living Well and Fully in the Autumn

The following article, "Suggestions for living well and fully in the Fall" was written by my colleague, Barbara Catlin, L.Ac. She is teaching a workshop on Oct. 8, 2011, called Conscious Living and Conscious Dying, in Columbia, MD. See the end of the article for the link to her workshop.


by Barbara Tansill Catlin

The energy of Fall supports us in letting go, in allowing life to be exactly as it is, in giving acknowledgment and respect. Here are ways to make the most of your autumn season:

1. Assess personal values.
What do I value? Am I living in accordance with these values? If not, what needs to go? What needs to come in?
* Let go of detrimental relationships.
* Loosen your grip on ideas and habits that no longer serve.
* Recycle or throw away things that are no longer useful.
2. Acknowledge those who are important.
Who is precious to me? Have I let them know?
* Send a letter of gratitude or flowers of celebration to those who have helped you, those who inspire you, those you love.
* Is there anyone I have left out of my daily life because of anger or fear?
* If forgiveness is necessary, is it time to ask for it? Time to extend it?
* Am I able to make the phone call, write the letter, show up for a visit? If not, what else might be done to clear the way for healing?
3. Notice the daily rhythm of your life from sun-up to sundown.
Do I feel ease as I move through the tasks of my day? Do I feel hurried and overwhelmed? Does the rhythm of my day promote order and peace?
* Create a structure/schedule that serves your natural rhythm. Notice how you feel differently at the beginning and end of each day.
4. Accept life just as it is.
Do I resist part of my life? What parts? What person, place, thing, or idea needs to be incorporated? Transformed? Let go?
* Resolve to either make the change or let it go.

Barbara Tansill Catlin practices acupuncture in Columbia, MD. Learn more about her work at www.biggerconversations.org including "Conscious Living & Conscious Dying", an event for both professionals and the general public on October 8, 2011.