Winter solstice, in the Northern Hemisphere, arrives at the holiday season. As an energy sensitive, I am deeply attuned to shadows running amok, and I notice there is often more doubt, sadness and fear in the collective at this time of year, when the interplay between dark and light becomes more apparent not only in our environment, but in our inner lives, too.

It’s quite a contrast to hold the darkness against the festive fun we’re told we’re supposed to be having. Yet its an exercise in learning that we don’t have to feel one or the other. Just as it is possible to be sad and grateful at once, it is possible to allow both the dark and light to co-exist, naturally, within our self.

Many times I’ve struggled with feeling the dense heaviness of the holidays. When I resist feeling it, it becomes unbearable (and its not even my energy!). The only thing that works to relieve these dark clouds of energy, will also work for you: I affirm that I am the light. I affirm the knowledge that I am only light. I feel myself as the light that shines into the dark, clearing it.

This isn’t about denying the darkness, but rather acknowledging that (you or) someone out there is in misunderstanding about their nature, and I hold that I am light- and so are they. In other words, I allow and feel both/all. I set the intention for light and dark to harmonize within myself. And since light always wins… I feel better.

And if you are asking, “What is light, exactly?” It is peace, stillness, ease, joy, grace, love, compassion, clarity, truth, bliss, simplicity. It is not the conditioned tapes you run in your head.  It is not your childhood trauma, or your losses. Light is who you naturally, are as a spiritual being. We just tend to forget this, all the time. So we keep going back to remembering.

To me, this is the spiritual aspect of solstice. At the darkest time of the year, we must more firmly anchor into our light. This allows us to appreciate the bittersweet complexity of the season – both our human experience, and our Divine one.

If you are energy sensitive it may help for you to know this, too: Two people in emotional anxiety, fear, pain, grief, depression are more powerful than one. At the holidays, this increases incrementally. Hence, you may find yourself wondering: Why am I feeling so bad, for no apparent reason? (This is more noticeable in the days leading to Christmas).

Consider this: Two people in meditation can be more powerful than a hundred in fear. Why? Just as it takes one flashlight to chase away the dark, light always wins. So, really, there is only one thing we can do, to help our self, and to help each other:

BE THE LIGHT.

Solstice season is the right time to bring more light into the dark. We don’t do this by rejecting the part of our self that is afraid of being hurt or lonely, of not finding the love, peace, health or abundance we want; we do this by befriending our dark emotions, and then leading them into the light.

Here is the solstice message I’d love for everyone to embody: Hold your darkness tenderly, as you would a scared child. Then follow your pleasure, joy, faith- the Spirit of the season – and when you see it, see it for what it is: An affirmation of your true nature. Become the reassuring light your heart seeks!

A poem for solstice

it’s not growth I seek, or self-fulfillment, healing or awakening

but light

just as a flower naturally turns toward the sun

I will keep seeking light

I’m unstoppable

you cannot stop something drawn to itself, in recognition, intelligence, splendor

the river returns to the ocean because it knows its source

not because its trying to find itself, its life purpose, mission

or trying to be anything at all

it wanders and is led

I am the light

no amount of trying and push and work and suffering can replace the easy pull of self recognition

of light turning toward itself