In the Heart of Winter (Yule)
In the heart of the darkness of the night,
It is easy to feel
As if the Sun will never rise.
Yet often when we feel the most ready to abandon all,
The Sun is about to light flame to the horizon
With the first tantalizing rays of its light;
And even at the witching hour,
Starlight is there to guide us
Like pinpricks the gods poked in a black velvet sky
To assure us light and hope are always present,
And the Moon is there to guide us
Shining down on us with a smile,
Cycling through again and again
And reminding us of Nature's ways.
In the heart of winter,
It is easy to feel
As if spring will never come.
Yet on the Equinox,
In the heart of winter,
The scales are set even by Maat and Athena once again,
And the Sun's strength begins to increase.
The heart of springtime begins
In the heart of winter.
And so it is
That the heart of love begins
When we feel the most afraid;
For once the cycle is at its lowest tide,
It will begin to increase again.
In the heart of winter,
The seeds of the summer's most vibrant plants
Lay waiting underneath the Earth,
Prepapring to sprout and blossom.
Ashley Ravenwood, copyright 1/30/96 (idea began Yule 1995)
