Sarsen Stones | Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain, England | 2022 | © Jobi Manson
Today, December 21st at 1:47pm in the northern hemisphere, will mark the arrival of winter solstice -- winter solstice occurs when either of Earth’s poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the sun.
This day, marks the longest night.
In considering the power of darkness, I am enchanted by the voice of Robert Mcfarlane articulating that, “since before we were Homo sapiens,” he writes, “humans have been seeking out spaces of darkness in which to find and make meaning.” Darkness in the natural world and in human life, he suggests, is a medium of vision — and descent, a movement toward revelation.”
Over the course of this past year, I have found such resonance in his words, in the way his mind wanders, beneath the surface of things,
down towards the depths, into the Underland.
At this point in reading you may be wondering, what do stones have to do with the rituals surrounding winter solstice?
Well, stones have an ancient history, the oldest in fact. A history that is intricately woven inward with the concept of “time” itself. Stones are the record keepers. Across cultures, time, and space, they have been used in the practice of ritual, in the creation and celebration of that which is sacred. For as long as we have roamed this Earth, we have gathered and practiced ritual. Rituals are used to concentrate and focus energy. They bridge the visible with the invisible realms, they structure time by manipulating space, and they orient us with a sense of the divine. When repeated over an extended period, rituals gain power, they become a part of us, they are absorbed and therefore, embodied.
As solstice approaches, I invite you to consider the nature of darkness - its mystery, its beauty, and its powerful presence in your life. Here is a poem & a few prompts, allow these questions to serve as a curious invitation in the exploration of dark matter.
POEM:
“Sweet Darkness”
Written and read by David Whyte
When your eyes are tired
the world is tired also.
When your vision has gone,
no part of the world can find you.
Time to go into the dark
where the night has eyes
to recognize its own.
There you can be sure
you are not beyond love.
The dark will be your home
tonight.
The night will give you a horizon
further than you can see.
You must learn one thing.
The world was made to be free in.
Give up all the other worlds
except the one to which you belong.
Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet
confinement of your aloneness
to learn
anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive
is too small for you.
prompts:
Physicists often refer to Dark matter as the controlling force that organizes the chaos of the cosmos. Darkness has a weight, a density that can be known through its felt sense of heaviness.
Q: Where do you sense the presence of dark matter in your life?
(*I am not suggesting or referring to dark forces here as negative forces. I am asking where you sense a presence of heaviness or melancholy?)
Form follows function is a principle of design associated with late 19th and early 20th century architecture and industrial design. This principle states that the shape of a building or object should primarily relate to its intended function or purpose.
Q: As you become more aware of the form of this “weighted presence,” can you sense its deeper purpose?
(i.e. in bringing light & attention to the matter, what begins to become clear)
The phrase "knowledge is power" is often attributed to Francis Bacon, from his Meditationes Sacrae (1597).
Q: Does awareness of dark matter help you feel empowered or overwhelmed?
If empowered, how so?
If overwhelmed, what might help to alleviate some of that pressure?
