Winter is a time, symbolically, when all returns to what has given life and all the cycles are complete... it is a time of physical and spiritual hibernation. A time to reflect on all that has been, all that has passed away ... all that is yet to be.

It is a time for discovering what is truly needed in your life for the coming year. For me, it is a time to step inside my sacred circle of self to remember and renew my spirit.

It is a time for laying down the bones,

Pressing them deep against the coldness of Grandmother Earth.

A time for returning to the darkness of the cave,

Listening to the drips of water with stories yet untold.

A time for placing wood upon the fire,

Gathering in silence, breathing life's breath

Upon the embers of my spirit.

A time for returning ... 

Sometimes, for no reason at all, a Warrior of the Light may lose his/her passion and enthusiasm for the Way... To echo a great bluesman 'the thrill is gone.' They carry on as they have always done, but the prayers, the ceremonies and rituals feel meaningless. What can a Warrior of the Light do?

Well, one thing a Warrior DOESN'T do is abandon the Path or the Way. He continues out of love, fear, discipline, respect, knowledge or whatever. For perhaps the Angel or Muse of inspiration has merely wandered off somewhere. The Warrior keeps his attention and energy focused and perseveres even though hope may appear gone and all effort seems futile and 'what is the point, anyway.'

Then in the moment you least expect it the Angel of Hope and Inspiration returns and the flutter of his wings restores joy and purpose once again. That is one of the results of doing rituals and/or ceremonies with discipline.

So, the next time you see a bird or feel the flutter of Butterfly Wings, remember that the winged ones fly in between the spaces of the as above/so below and bring the messages of Spirit. Perhaps your Angel has been trying to get your attention...

Sometimes the pain, the agony, the experience of Walking the Path becomes too much for our being to bear. It is exactly at that time we need to rant, to rage, to cry, to purge our soul and spirit of the heaviness that keeps us from being connected to the One Source of All. Our experience makes it very difficult because it is compounded by all the previous hurts and wounds that we carry with us.

It is precisely in those moments that we need to turn to the Sacred Ones and ask for help ... we forget that we are not alone; we forget that truly some one is listening; we forget to be real and honest with self and others. We forget that release is just a prayer away.

We need to remember to step into the trust and innocence of a child and believe and trust that all things are possible; all things are necessary for my soul's evolution and growth, and that all things experienced in the moment are there to help me transform my spirit, my heart/mind, and body. Life develops what the Soul or Higher Self demands.

To be a Warrior of the Light and walk a path with heart is not an easy path. We forget it is all about the progress of the journey and beat ourselves up the moment we feel stuck. Some of us hide and deny the experience. Some of us seek escape in many of life's diversions. Some of us shut down and follow the road of illusion, anger/revenge, and/or ego.

The road to wholeness is all about returning, reviewing, accepting, and releasing those feelings and circumstances so that we can step into the enlightenment of who we really are. For me it is having the state of mind of a winning athlete, the focus of an inspired speaker, and the altered consciousness of a mystic. I really can transform who I am and what I want to become.

If you are crying for a vision, searching for Truth and Knowledge, consider starting (or continuing) the Great Work: http://alchemicalorder.com.

If you are struggling, this prayer is sent to you in beauty (from the Book of Hours):

Blessed beings of the lower world...
Come to me and show your sacred four directions.
Spirit beings who protect & empower me
Hear the sound of my beating heart
Sacred Mother and Father Sky
Be with me now during my difficulties.

I know deep in my soul, Great Spirit
That I have chosen my vision
That I have chosen my relationships
That I have chosen my every circumstance in life.
Sometimes the tests, the learning and darkness
Becomes too much for me to bear.

I call to you now Sacred Ones.
Lift me up out of my pain and confusion.
I know that I am not alone ... Great Spirit
Blessed Mother, you are with me always.

~Book of Hours~