Autumn 2024
In the silence of a midwinter dusk, there is a sound so faint that for all you can tell it may be only the sound of the silence itself. You hold your breath to listen. You are aware of the beating of your heart. The extraordinary thing that is about to happen is matched only by the extraordinary moment just before it happens. Advent is the name of that moment. -Frederick Buechner
Our Spiral of Light has always been included in the excitement of bringing out our favorite Christmas Festival companions when we decorate our home. I say companions rather than just decorations because the children have “breathed” so much life into some of them that decoration doesn’t suffice. That’s how dearly they have been held. One such companion is a stuffed Santa with a weighted bottom who sits near the door merrily greeting us as a Guardian Spirit of the season. Many a child have sat and stroked him, and chatted away with him during our days living in the Rose Rock School and in our own home.
The Great Mother and Father who reside by our Spiral of Light have been held in the same cherished and reverent regard. I have a vivid memory of my middle son as a very young child, eyes sparkling and his gruff little voice saying, “Come on Mother, it’s almost time” as the Father figure guided the mama to their place. A little candle in a handmade clay star holder was set on the path and moved one step each day- often the first thing to do at breakfast. Then, during dinner or bedtime, we read a small portion of a book that told the story of this Mother and Father’s journey. The Light in the Lantern by Georg Dreissig and Mary’s Little Donkey by Gunhild Selhin are two favorites that we have revisited over and over again through the years.
Some of our rituals and traditions are shifting as the boys grow older (now in the middle phase of childhood and teen years). We have varied our readings to include other tales or reflections on this season. One favorite is a beautiful compilation of essays about the miraculous transformations of winter animals called All Creation Waits by Gayle Boss. However, our Spiral of Light remains as an anchor. It has served us well as a family with mixed spiritual beliefs and backgrounds creating our own sacred connections to this festival season. It has helped to soften the commercial messages of the surrounding culture and center our anticipation upon the coming of a very special spiritual event, even as that event takes on different personal meanings for our growing children. It remains the space where we meet each other in reverence of the Light of Love in the darkness.
If you would like to hand craft a spiral to adorn your own table, please consider joining our upcoming workshop with Christine Culbert! Click Here to Learn More
