Meditation eight,
Winter solstice blessing.
Tonight is the longest night,
The darkest point,
The moment before the light begins its slow return.
Place one hand on your heart,
One hand on your belly.
This is your center,
Your axis,
The place where you meet yourself.
Speak these words silently or aloud.
I honor the darkness I've moved through.
I honor the light I've carried.
I honor the lessons woven into my days.
I honor my need to rest,
To pause,
To be still.
I release what no longer serves my becoming.
I gather what sustains my soul.
I trust the cycles,
The endings that make space for beginnings.
As the light returns,
I return to myself.
As winter deepens,
I deepen my roots.
As the year releases me,
I release the year.
Take a full breath in.
Hold it at the top.
This is the solstice point,
The turning.
Now exhale completely.
Let everything go.
From this moment forward,
The light grows,
And so do you,
But not yet,
Not tonight.
Tonight you rest in the dark.
You trust the turning.
Spring.
You know that spring is already dreaming itself awake beneath the frozen ground.
You are exactly where you need to be.
Open your eyes slowly.
Blessed solstice,
Blessed rest,
You are held.