Each year, when I open the door to the crystal barn after the winter rest, I walk into a space with an amazing sense of peace. The windows are still covered and the barn has been in complete darkness since our Winter Ceremony; the remains of the altar stand untouched; all is quiet and very still.
At Samhain, my intention is always to begin the process of withdrawal – moving from the outer to the inner world. There is a sense of becoming more inward – of connecting more to the Earth element – but it can be hard to fully realise this in a world that becomes ever more focussed on being busy and I find that my actions usually lag behind my intention.
Little by little as the days become even shorter and the nights even longer, nature withdraws, the trees lose their leaves and my chickens stop laying. As our Solstice Ceremony approaches, my need for hibernation becomes quite desperate until it is utter bliss to sit with like-minded souls in quiet stillness and complete Darkness until we witness the tiny spark that begins the return of the Light.
Although we have reached the turning point from dark to light, the time that follows is my time to fully retreat and immerse myself in Winter. Following the ceremony we close the doors and leave the space in darkness and stillness. The webshop is closed and all work ceases. It’s time to fully withdraw into home and hearth. This precious time for myself becomes more special year by year - time for myself to be shared only with close family.
By not tidying up after ceremony, a physical and energetic space is held in which the winter pause is allowed, enabled and supported. This dark and empty space assists me, and all who have participated in our ceremony and who choose to do so, to fully ‘winter’. Allowing ourselves to retreat fully into the darkness and slowness enables the time of rest, release and reflection, of planting our dreamseeds, of recuperation and renewal which is essential to the flow of life as the wheel turns.
My crystal of choice for this time of retreat and dreaming is Labradorite.
Labradorite is a feldspar that, at first, appears to be grey and non-descript. However, as it is turned, it displays flashes of the most beautiful colours – peacock blue, green, pink, gold. This gives it a magical quality, which provides a clue its nature.
Labradorite connects us directly to Source – to the Great Mystery that is at the heart of Creation. This Mystery remains beyond understanding – however much we try to understand it, explain it, contain it, quantify it.
It shows us, if we are willing and able to look, that although we are embodied on Earth, we are of the Stars and of God. How we choose to express the Divine in our lifetime here on Earth is entirely up to us.
When meditating with Labradorite, I am first aware of my Earth Star Chakra, my rootedness here on Mother Earth. Next I soar upwards, higher and higher, until I come to a place that is beyond my knowing – and still my consciousness soars upwards. Then I become aware of my heart at the centre of my Being, and understand that being in my heart, I link Heaven and Earth.
Some sources suggest that Labradorite can be used for specific physical problems, but I do not understand that Labradorite is to be used in this way.
Labradorite is Mystery and Magic – the mystery of creation, and the magic of how we manifest that on the physical level. If you want to celebrate that magic, work with Labradorite. If you have lost your way and feel disconnected from the magic of Life, work with Labradorite.
Hold a piece while meditating; put a piece under your pillow and ask for dreams that will guide you; wear it to celebrate Life on Mother Earth, or, if you feel lost, to help you to remember that you are a child of God, presently having a physical experience on our beautiful Mother Earth.
Labradorite teaches about the mystery and magic of Creation, awakening psychic perception and opening us to greater understanding and wisdom. It connects the Heart with Goddess/God.
In the natural way that things are, eventually the deep, dark, earthy space transforms into Light. It can’t be otherwise.
The new Light energy is often present in our crystals grids in the form of tiny Herkimer Diamonds on Black Obsidian mirrors.
We’ve just had the beginning of a new year according to our human calendar. This time of year gathers significance due to the fact that we collectively put our attention to it, but there is nothing intrinsically significant about ‘New Year’. For some the New Year begins at Winter Solstice; for others at Samhain. This year, however, we also have a New Moon close to calendar New Year and the power of a New Moon has tangible and true cosmic significance. As all women know, every Moon/month has a seed time, a growth, a peak and then decline. With the New Moon this evening, it is the perfect time to clear the Winter Solstice altar and quietly make space for new intentions and new dreams.
For me, the crystals that help as we move forward at this time are white and colourless and I’ll write about some of these very soon.
Until then, I wish you as much rest as you need. There is absolutely no hurry to emerge into a crazy world. Seeds take their time. If rushed, they become thin and weak. Over the years I’ve learned that action is much more effective when it comes at the right time as part of the turning of the wheel, when it is not rushed and when it does not dominate.
Gift yourself time to rest.
Gift yourself peace.
Bless yourself with gentleness.
Gather energy.
Take time to allow your dreamseeds to build.
