Something Greater We Cannot Yet See

"Remembrance, like a candle, 

burns brightest at Christmas time."

Charles Dickens

"Tis Christmas Eve and emotions may be crowding in.  We may feel darkness in our hearts and a heaviness from the absence of those we love.  We may be craving the sacredness of being in attendance at church or the laugher of Santa prepared for children.  It doesn't matter what has caused us to be off balance, but it can be fun to realign.

All of us have individual memories of seasons passed, and there is no reason to snuff them out.  Let favorite memories breathe and be present, but not to the point of monopolizing all of our attention.  Each one of us can create a new twist to the holiday whether it is an original recipe or a newly released song.  We can choose to embrace our holiday with newness, facing the days ahead with joy.

Candles make me the happiest throughout the year and Christmas is not an exception.  I can lower the lights bringing an essence into the space.  There are many oils to choose from and there is also the cleansing ritual using sage.  If we can focus on one spark of light, we will no longer feel removed from, but rather a part of something greater we cannot  yet see.

 

It Is On This Eve ...

"I will honor Christmas in my heart,

and try to keep it all the year."

Charles Dickens

My menorah is a permanent fixture on the mantle and candlesticks are arranged throughout my home.  As beeswax dribbles uncontrolled, I am made aware of my emotions dripping into a deeper space.  There is a beauty to the tapers with their waxed designs, bringing me closer to the images of the Divine.  It is nearing Christmas, and on this eve, I escape into the safety of my heart.

Candles bear witness to both light and the shadow.  The wave of movement is like the quickening of life to one side and then the other.  The flame is a reminder of hope while the hot wax will burn if we reach out absentmindedly. Fragrance is of no importance, as the simple presence of this illumination warms my soul.

It is on this eve I have often felt most lonely.  It doesn't matter who gathers around, I feel a heavy absence which cannot be fully explained.  I tend to zone out, my eyes caught by the candle flame, and as material things fall away, I begin to slide down the spiral becoming lost even to myself.