Growing up, December 21st was an exciting day to me, but mostly because it usually meant the start of Christmas holidays and only four more sleeps until Santa would come! Since I stopped caring so passionately whether Santa would pay my house a visit or not, though (I know- so jaded!), December 21st has taken on a whole new value.
Marty goes out of his way every year to make our solstice celebrations meaningful. When we still lived in Calgary, we would venture out to the Big Rock every winter solstice, set up a warm camp on the chilly ground, watch the sunset and the shooting stars, and read our tarot cards (these and these) for the seasons to come. This year, we were a long way from Okotoks, but Marty pulled through again with plans for our new solstice ‘special spot’.
We spent last evening at the Fisgard Lighthouse, which we learned has been standing in that same spot since 1860. We packed some tea and some homemade soup (ahem—made by yours truly), walked on the beach looking for crab shells and beach glass, hung out with some local deer, and listened to the ocean waves gently usher in longer days and a gradual turning back to summer.
Winter solstice is a special time for me, not only because I find the energy of the day to be quite auspicious, but also because it gives me a chance to reflect on another half-year of my life. I was born just after Summer solstice (on Kathy’s wedding anniversary!), so the winter solstice really lets me ponder how I can make the second half of my current year the best it can be. My focus for the next six months, then?
More soup, less shortbread—simple as that!
Happy solstice, everyone!
*Note: Focus has been modified from the original version-- it has been reformatted to fit this blog!
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