Winter
Solstice As the shadows lengthened in
the valley I made the arduous climb to the Observatory. A
sunset ritual was planned to celebrate the shortest day of the year. I cleared the little alter of dead winter grass and set up a yellow candle. It's little flame seemed brave under the vast sky and I thought of friends so far away. We flickered, the candle and I ,side by side as the sun slowly faded. Inspired I wrote in the ceremonial notepad... The descent into
winter has ended I gazed out over the
mountains in wonder. The tall white gums stood like ghosts, silver veins in the green fur.
Lacy silhouette of trees on the far hill. Our
Kookaburras down
below in the Dark Forest cackle and call in a long burst. Only the
colour moves, changing from golden
to rose. I rise. A ritual is not
complete without an energising dance around a stone circle.
The Observatory is a meticulously crafted replica of a twelfth century Celtic ruin. Warmed by the activity the blood flowed back into my extremities. I stood transfixed in the centre of the circle. A golden arrow drew a line through the clouds,a rumble of flight engines underlie the kookaburra's melodies. Vapour trail pointing inland expands to a shaft of light in the deepening blue across a wide horizon. purple I opened up my hands to the burning colour and held the mountains in my arms, leaning back Night was a presence behind
me.
Suddenly the glow was gone and with it any feeling of warmth. Stars twinkled in the east. I gathered my things and blew out the candle thereby marking the end of the ritual. It worked! For a moment I had been the Goddess! Bursting with
the love of life, I scurried down the rocky hill in the deepening
twilight anxious to get back to the safety of the valley...
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