Winter/Summer Solstice: As above, so below. As within, so without.

Imagine living on a watery sphere spinning on its axis, orbiting a great big ball of fire. Another sphere – the moon – circles around it, exerting a push-pull effect on its bodies of water. Did you know astronomers believe the Universe itself is sphere-shaped?

These factors support life as we know it: seasons flow cyclically; unpredictable from day to day yet patterned from year to year. In the southern hemisphere winter solstice is upon us, mirrored by mid-summer north of the equator. Oppositional forces and paradoxes make up a dynamic whole. Life is bowl-shaped: what goes up must come down; what goes out comes back in; as above, so below; as within, so without. Martin Luther King, Jr. said “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Carl Jung said: “We will become our opposite if we do not accommodate the opposition within us.”

How might we harness a long view of life’s cycles to expand our awareness and deepen our compassion?

May these questions offer support:

• What is your favourite season? What comes alive in you? Has this changed over time?
• Think of a challenge that resolved after years. Apart from time, what was the key component supporting this positive change? What surprises you?
• Think of a heartbreak that healed and set you free. What did you learn that has become an integral part of who you are now?
• Think of a time you’ve been happy for someone else’s good fortune, without any personal benefit. What enables this superpower?
• Which seeds are you planting now? What fruit will it bear one day?

Photo by Andreas Bergmann on Unsplash