Attraversiamo. Let’s Cross Over!

By Dorothy Cline, Paws Cause PR

Attraversiamo. Italian. verb. ‘To cross over’

If you have been feeling a little ‘blue’ over the past few weeks, it’s no wonder because the height of darkness is upon us. The Winter Solstice (‘solstice’ is Latin for “sun standing still”) and it magically happens at the same time for every creature on Earth.

This marks a very special day for all ancient traditions and one where we should take a moment, hit the pause button, focus on self-reflection, and catch our breath. Deep cleansing breaths as we all, collectively, shed our 2024 spiritual skin and embrace the winged transformation into 2025. A transformation that is sure to bring profound healing, abundance, and endless possibilities.

The Winter Solstice acknowledges a passage of time through seasons and also a profound passage of time through ourselves. It is a moment of contrast – the shortest day, the longest evening – that can serve as a vessel for deeper examination and understanding of our inner contrasts and journeys. Contrasts such as dark and light, shadow and sunlight.

Sometimes celebrated as 'Yule' in Pagan and Wiccan traditions, marks the first day of Winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Even though it's one of the oldest holiday celebrations, the communal rituals around it have remained the same: Spend time with your family, observe and honor the seasonal changes in Nature, and reflect upon what life events have taken place in 2024. Imagine the Winter Solstice as an opportunity to rejuvenate, pray, reset, meditate, hibernate, set personal goals, practice forgiveness, and breathe in a ‘New Year-New You’ frame of mind.

Ancient civilizations in the UK and abroad have marked the solstices as culturally significant events throughout history. For example, these ancient traditions are routinely resurrected and celebrated at Stonehenge during the solstice, when visitors from all over the world trek to the monument to mark the shortest day. Despite being built thousands of years ago, Stonehenge was designed to align with the point of the sunset on the Winter Solstice.

We should take a cue from Mother Nature and the natural world, and respect that darkness, night, and shadow play a critical role in the biological rhythm of our planet and our ecology.

Stonehenge

Numerous plants, animals, ecosystems, and organisms rely on the nighttime for rest, growth, and reproduction. Sadly, many of us humans have lost touch with this fundamental and symbiotic relationship with darkness and shadow. We often fall out of balance because we forget that one cannot exist without the other. We attempt to "lighten things up," deny the darkness, or eliminate the shadow. Sometimes, we find ways to bypass or distract ourselves from it, and this denial likely contributes to many issues such as inhumanity and disease that we observe in the world. We have lost connection to "the whole" and denied "the sacred balance."

I personally wish to spend more time outdoors at night, under the stars and the moon. No traffic lights, car headlights, or city lights. My desire to connect with shadows is both psychological and spiritual. I want to explore and embrace the parts of my life that might be "uncomfortable" because they are a part of who I am. My shadows help me appreciate my light. By respecting and understanding this darkness, my beauty and talents become transformative and illuminating.

ATTRAVERSIAMO WITH ME!

Give yourself time to process the past year and all that we have been through. Isolation. Tears. Smiles. Hardships. Success. Love. Heartbreak. Birth. Death. Pain. Passion.

Hasn’t it been an adventure? Isn't it a daily adventure?

Each path on this journey we call LIFE (bad or good) has landed us exactly where we are supposed to BE.

Right here. Right now.

Celebrate the Winter Solstice and internal illumination with us as we prepare for a remarkable 2025!