Winter Spiral is a celebration of the winter solstice. The Hive is hosting this is as a donation based, drop in activity. So come when you can, enjoy some tea or hot coco, a cookie and walk through our spiral.

As you enter the Hive we will be sitting in silence in a darkened room and a candle will be lit in the center of a spiral of evergreen boughs. This candle is a symbol of life amidst the dead of winter. Each person in turn takes a candle into the center of that spiral and lights it, then places the candle along the path. The lights brighten the path for those who come after. Each person walks alone, at his or her own pace, in his or her own way.

This is a celebration of quiet confidence, of carrying light in darkness, of sharing that light with others. You are invited to attend this celebration, not only to watch, but to watch how each person is in the community of their peers. How does each person approach the candle at the center of the spiral? Are his footsteps halting or rapid? Does she stop along the way to consider each crystal and shining stone in the path before placing her candle near the way out of the spiral, or does she set it down right away and hurry on without looking back? Being a witness to this journey can be a moving experience, and adults and children alike carry away from the spiral the feelings and meaning they found within it.

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, we are entering the darkest days of the year. The sun is down by dinner time, and even at noon the shadows are long and slanting. Holiday preparations are in full swing, and our minds swirl with plans for gifts, meals, treats, crafts, decorations, travel, cleaning. When we look out into the natural world, we see the opposite of this constant, harried motion. The earth is growing quiet. The plants and animals are storing away food for the cold months or preparing to sink into dormancy. When the snow comes, the quiet will be even deeper.

It is no accident that so many festivals are planned for these dark days. Celebrations of light, community, sharing — these remind us to carry the gifts of summer with us into the quiet of winter. At the time of the longest night, we find joyful celebrations of returning light.