Celestial Tipping Point of Winter Solstice * Mindfulness Garden Games

The Sun Returns

The celestial tipping point that is winter solstice happens Tuesday, December 21st at 8:59 AM Mountain Time. As our home planet journeys around the sun, it tilts on its axis. North of the equator we are leaning away from the sun. It has been tilting in that direction since summer, making the nights longer and longer. And now we finally approach the moment when it begins to lean back toward the sun.

Winter Solstice can slip by unnoticed in our world of artificial lighting. And yet our festivals involving light and candles are rooted in our ancestors’ awareness of this time. Without electricity they would have been keenly aware of the shortening days. The return of the sun was a time of celebration (and probably relief.)

Magic of Tipping Points

Winter solstice, like most tipping points, is magical if we are paying attention. Things appear to be going in one direction (darker and darker) and then in a moment they are not. The rhythm of summer and winter and the tipping point where darkness morphs into light provide a wealth of images for poets and lyricists. It gives us an opportunity to think about the dark times and the tipping points in our own lives. We can use this period for reflection and insight.

However, I think there is something more basic to contemplate at this celestial tipping point. We are on a rock in infinite space that makes a journey around a large ball of burning gas. Out rock spins and tilts as it travels. On December 21st it reaches the far end of its tilt and begins to lean back toward the sun. Our lives depend on it! What can be more mindful than being present to this reality?

So let’s stop our busy-ness for a few moments on winter solstice. Go outside. Feel our feet planted firmly on the earth, our home, and look up at the sky. Sense our place in the universe. Be thankful and amazed that our planet has stayed on its path around the sun.

Happy Winter Solstice! The sun returns!