Embracing The Darkness - Time to go Within
As the days grow shorter and we approach the darkest time of the year on the 21st of December, there’s a quiet, almost sacred pull within me—a longing to settle into the embrace of the darkness. I’ve always wondered why this time of year feels so magical, as if the darkness holds me gently, inviting me to pause, to breathe, to simply be. There’s something about the angle of the sun, the softness of the winter light, and the sparkle of snow that invites me to turn inward and find stillness. I can rest and recharge here in this darkness and allow all that is here, to be all that it is.
The shift from summer’s intense, blinding light to winter’s subtle glow creates a powerful contrast that mirrors the journey from the external to the internal. In summer, the brightness is almost overwhelming, drawing us outward, into the busy, active world, with so many distractions and we’re often too caught up in doing to notice what’s happening deep inside. But when winter arrives, the sun is lower in the sky, softer, gentler. The light feels more like a whisper than a shout. It’s in this gentle light we’re invited to sit with the “darkness”—the parts of ourselves that we’ve tucked away, the emotions and shadows we may have been avoiding.
This shift from the outward-facing energy of summer to the inward pull of winter represents a natural return to the feminine. Where the sun in summer embodies the masculine—action, productivity, external focus—the winter light invites us into the more receptive, nurturing, and introspective qualities of the feminine. In this season, we have the space to honor our vulnerability, to acknowledge our emotional depth, and to reconnect with the parts of ourselves that need care and attention, without the pressure to perform or achieve.
In the quiet darkness of winter, we are reminded that there is a balance to be found between light and shadow. The contrast between the two energies—light and dark, masculine and feminine— helps us to find a deeper connection within us that guides us toward self-awareness. Winter offers us the perfect conditions to retreat from the noise of the external world, to listen to our hearts, and to nurture the inner light that sometimes gets lost in the bustle of everyday life. It’s a time for reflection, for going within, and for honouring the quiet power of the darkness that allows us to find our true selves once again.