Var inte rädd för mörkret
ty ljuset vilar där.
Vi ser ju inga stjärnor
där inte mörker är.
I ljusa irisringen
du bär en mörk pupill,
ty mörkt är allt som ljuset
med bävan längtar till.
Var inte rädd för mörkret,
ty ljuset vilar där,
var inte rädd för mörkret,
som ljusets hjärta bär.- E. Blomberg
“Do not fear the darkness, for the light rests there. We don’t see the stars, where there is no darkness. Deep in our light ring of iris we have a pupil dark, 'cause dark is everything whereto the light with awe and longing will. Do not fear the darkness, for the light rests there, do not fear the darkness, which the heart of light bears.”
Hello, my friend.
I so hope that you found a few moments of quiet, hushed stillness as these early December days unfolded. That you were able to create warm, coziness around you as you eased into the holiday season and the beginning of December. Did you? How is this December feeling to you? I feel like many of us have already decked our halls and decorated our homes, seeking to bring a bit of the light and joy of this season into our homes - perhaps a bit earlier than usual. It just may be that we are all craving a bit of festive cheer in what seems like such a dark, frightful time in the world.
If I am honest with you, I feel as if we are all calling out into the darkness. Calling out for help and hope. Calling out for love and peace. Looking for a way to make sense of it all and a way to make it through these dark days. And while I know that there are many of us here who are seeking to live slowly and keep this Christmas calm and simple and cozy, the truth is we’re tired, we’re worried, and we’re feeling exhausted and in need of some deep rest.
It’s no secret that the dark has enveloped us now. The days are so very short here in Sweden, the sun never rising above the buildings in the city; instead, just gliding across the southern sky and then slipping back down behind the horizon early in the afternoon. There are just under two weeks left before the winter solstice, so the days will continue to shorten, the darkness growing still more, each day, until the 21st of December.
It is right now, in these absolute darkest days of the year, that it is the most difficult for many. The long nights are not welcomed by everyone, as our minds often end up in overdrive, filled with worry and stress. The darkness is a cozy and warm atmosphere, if you are privileged to have a warm and cozy home filled with love and food. But, even then, we all have our moments of worry and fear - and the darkness of December seems to heighten the unknown monsters that we feel are lurking in our closets and under our beds.
And, somehow, this year, with wars raging and political unrest and uncertainty, with economic struggles and natural disasters, with health scares, family stress, loneliness, violence, the hungry and unhoused, and hate and injustice all around the world, the darkness seems even darker when we stop to think about it.
Of course, we can put on blinders and just sail through December and the holiday season on the surface. We can just ignore the darkness and black out the feelings of dread and hopelessness. But, then, we miss the deepest meaning of the season, I believe. For, this is the season of magic and power and love. This is the season that teaches me to believe that, even in the darkness, there is a light.
A cheesy sentiment, sure. But, nature teaches us that this is the truth and our ancestors for thousands of years have celebrated and marked this truth right in the middle of the darkness. It is a fact of nature that just as the days grow shorter and the darkness grows longer until one day, as the earth tilts and circumnavigates the sun, due to our position and location in space, the days also begin to grow longer and the nights shorter. The light returns. And hope is born again.
Still, the darkness is a part of our journey. It is a part of life. So we tell stories and myths and legends to help us understand and survive and hold onto hope. And we wait.
Because, December is a time of waiting - in the dark. Waiting for the light, for hope, for salvation from the darkness of winter and of this world. But, I have to say, waiting does not mean that we simply sit passively, suffering through the dark days of December (or of life, in general). Of course, it is tough and painful. We may even lose hope as we wait for what seems like an eternity. But, truthfully, we are not helpless.
December's darkness is felt in so many different ways by each of us. It is both a month of deep longing and also a month of dread and uncertainty. And, in the darkness, as we wait, we call out for help, for hope, and for each other; only to discover that the magic, the power, and the love that we need to heal ourselves and the world is already with us.
We carry candles. We ring bells. We gather together. We put lights in our windows and all across our towns and cities. We light fires and sing songs. As a sign of solidarity and togetherness. To brighten up the dark days and nights. A symbol that we believe that things do not have to be like this, that we can and are on a path of healing and justice and love. And a reminder that no one can do it but us. But, that is also ok. For, we are filled with wisdom and magic. And we each have something that this dark world needs. We are the ones who carry the light and hope that is needed right now, and in every December.
In Sweden, we celebrate Saint Lucia’s Day on the 13th of December. It is believed that if you truly celebrate St. Lucia’s Day, then you will survive the long, cold, dark winter because Lucia is the bearer and bringer of light in the darkness.
St. Lucia Day in Sweden is a combination of Pagan and Christian celebrations. It is both a day of recognizing the light and the darkness in the world, and a day to remember the Italian saint for whom the day was named. December 13 is the day in which Swedes recognize the darkness and celebrate the coming of light, in the person of Saint Lucia, who spread love and light in the lives of all she met. Her name actually means light.
Saint Lucia comes to us and calls us to not be afraid of the dark. Lucia was a young Christian woman, made a saint by the Catholic church, because she delivered food and aid to Christians hiding in the Roman catacombs. The wreath that the Swedish St. Lucia wears symbolizes the crown of candles that Lucia wore so that she could use both hands to carry provisions to those in need… bringing both, literally and figuratively, light into the dark places of her part of the world.
The day is celebrated by embracing the darkness with candles, songs, and a young person dressed as Lucia, leading a train of fellow singers, all dressed in white, with red sashes and green crowns on their heads. The person who is Lucia, wears a crown of candles, literally bearing the light and brightening up the darkness.
There are Lucia concerts across the country, in every town and city, small and large, rural and urban. It is a magical day of the year here. A reminder that light comes in the dark. And, perhaps, even a push to ponder how we might all bear the light of Lucia in our own lives, spreading love and hope to those we meet.
So, here we are, about to begin the second week of December, moving ever so slowly deeper into the month and deeper into the darkness. The week ahead calls me to acknowledge the darkness, to recognize both the beauty and the hopelessness of the darkness, but to not be afraid of it – whether it be the dark cold of winter or the dark pain of the world. There is a mysterious gift in the dark because it is right here, in the dark, that the light is born. And if we did not have darkness, we would not know the light. We would not gaze in wonder at the stars above or the flicker of the flame of a candle. And, we would know not the depths of love and compassion, if we did not know the pain and grief that life sometimes brings.
It is in these darkest times that we discover, unearth, and experience the deepest hope and the greatest love. It is in the dark of winter that we find the hidden medicine of the dark. Our own wisdom and power and strength is revealed in the darkness. Our deepest, truest sense of knowing and seeing is made real in the darkness. Our calling to love and care for others is sent to us in the darkness.
If there is ever a time to not be afraid of the dark, then it is now. After five years of a global pandemic, personal setbacks, death, sickness, violence, wars, elections, pain, disappointment, disinformation, selfishness, loss, and sadness, we need the light of St. Lucia that arrives towards the end of this week. We need the reminder that in the darkest of days, she comes with her crown of candles to remind us of the hope that lies ahead. Of the hope that is right here, right now. The hope and the light that is in you and me.
Because, my friend, even though December is a time of waiting and anticipation, it is also a calling to us to embrace who we truly are. We are the bearers of light in a very dark and cold world. And we do not need to be afraid of the dark. There is light to be found even here. Within each other, within each of us. And, in order to access our own light, daring to sink down into the darkness of winter is just the medicine we need right now. For, it is in the dark that we will find our own magic, power, and love.
So, seek deep within yourself this week. Seek what magic and power you have to share with the world. Seek ways to spread love and light to your family, friends, and community. Know that the darkness is part of the journey, part of us. But, know also that we are the ones that are empowered to bright light to the darkest places.
And, when you feel overwhelmed and swallowed by the hopelessness of the dark, remember that nature guides us forward. The darkness grows, as the light fades. But, the light grows, and the darkness fades as well. We are always in transition and transformation, cycling through the rhythms of nature.
So, as you look inward at your own life and look outward into the world, whatever despair you feel, whatever pain you carry, whatever sadness you hold, know that you are not alone. Call out, ring bells, light candles. We have each other to make it through the dark.
December is a portal through the darkest days of the year. Hold on. Stay slow. Be gentle with yourself and with everyone you meet. Hang twinkle lights, bring in the evergreen, ring bells, wander the streets all decked out for the holidays, write down your hopes and dreams and doubts and fears, sing out “O Come, Emmanuel”, and dare to hold onto hope - even on the darkest days.
We’re in this together, love.
xoxo. liz.
☀️ Sunrise/sunset times in Norrköping, Sweden (2nd week of December)
09 December - 8:33 / 15:02
🌙 Sacred Days + Folk Festivals this week
08 December Second Sunday in Advent
13 December Saint Lucia Day
15 December Full Long Night Moon (Also known as the Cold Moon and the Moon before Yule)
🎵 The playlist
Festive tunes that inspire us to hold on the hope, find the magic, and tap into our power and love to help us in these dark, dark days of the second week of December.
Share this post