From Diwali to Yule celebrations and festivals that bring in the light

As we move firmly into the darker half of the year, I’m reflecting (no pun intended!) on the way in which seek out light in times of darkness. This could be the literal darkness or winter or the metaphorical darkness of our own shadow selves, or of wider society, particularly as we navigate difficult times.

At a recent sound bath and guided meditation we explored the theme of finding light in the dark and, in particular, the idea that we need to be a light in our own darkness before we can be a light for others.

I firmly believe that the need to find a light in the dark is ingrained in us as humans. If we think about our ancient ancestors, the winter months were a matter of life or death. I reflect on this in my post about yule and the winter solstice. Surviving the cold dark months of winter would have been dependant on the harvest yielding enough resources to make it through until the warmer, lighter days of Spring.

Because of this, we can see why so many cultures around the world honour festivals that celebrate light. From the vibrant celebration of Diwali to the the lighting of the menorah at Hanukkah, the luminous lanterns of Loy Krathong in Thailand, the bright festive lights that celebrate Eid, these celebrations share a common theme; bringing light into our lives as a way of navigating through the dark.

The symbolism of light: all we're going to do for eternity is sit around the fire

In cultures around the world light symbolises love, knowledge and intellectual thought. Light opposes darkness, which is symbolic of hate, fear and ignorance. Because of this, it’s no surprise that we have a desire to connect with light, especially in darker times. I shared the lyrics below, from a beautiful Jon Hopkins and Ram Das song at a recent event. I think it perfectly illustrates the idea that we can try to find an ember of light, love or hope even in the darkest of times.

I think an important part of finding that ember is not denying darkness. In many psychological theories there is the idea that our self has distinct parts or configurations. When we turn away from or deny parts of ourselves this can lead to internal conflict, with the abandoned parts of self, the parts that are in our shadow or darkness, spilling out at times. In therapy and counselling we often look to connect with our various parts in order to integrate or reconcile them.

This is necessary, I believe, for all aspects of experience. From our feelings, to challenging past experiences if we bypass, avoid or deny we don’t process our experience and this leads to struggle and distress. This is even true of our experience around the seasons. If we can lean into the darkness of winter, knowing that the wheel of the year always turns and that Spring will return, we can be more accepting of where and who we are, and what we need as we navigate the darkness.

Sit around the fire - Jon Hopkins and Ram Das
Beyond all polarities, I am
Let the judgments and opinions of the mind
Be judgments and opinions of the mind
And you exist behind that
Ah so, ah so
It's really time for you to see through
The absurdity of your own predicament
You aren't who you thought you were
You just aren't that person
And in this very lifetime
You can know it
Right now
The real work you have to do
Is in the privacy of your own heart
All of the external forms are lovely
But the real work
Is your inner connection
If you're quiet when you meditate
If you truly open your heart
Just quiet your mind
Open your heart
Quite the mind, open the heart
How do you quiet the mind? You meditate
How do you open the heart?
You start to love that which you can love
And just keep expanding it
You love a tree
You love a river
You love a leaf
You love a flower
You love a cat
You love a human
But go deeper and deeper into that love
'Til you love that
Which is the source of the light behind all of it
Behind all of it
You don't worship the gate
You go into the inner temple
Everything in you that you don't need
You can let go of
You don't need loneliness
For you couldn't possibly be alone
You don't need greed
Because you already have it all
You don't need doubt
Because you already know
The confusion is saying
"I don't know"
But the minute you are quiet
You find out that in truth you do know
For in you, you know
Plane after plane will open to you
I want to know who I really am
As if in each of us
There once was a fire
And for some of us
There seem as if there are only ashes now
But when we dig in the ashes
We find one ember
And very gently we fan that ember
Blow on it, it gets brighter
And from that ember we rebuild the fire
Only thing that's important is that ember
That's what you and I are here to celebrate
That though we've lived our life totally involved in the world
We know
We know that we're of the spirit
The ember gets stronger
Flame starts to flicker a bit
And pretty soon you realize that all we're going to do for eternity
Is sit around the fire

wreath making foraged wreaths — Decorating our homes with evergreen foliage to remind us of Spring and rebirth. Join us for Folklore and foraging: a winter solstice wreath workshop and bring some light into the darkness.

Samhain, Yule and Winter Solstice

From a Celtic pagan perspective, we start to lean into the darkness at Samhain. This is a time to celebrate the final harvest, expressing gratitude for the resources that will sustain and support us through the winter.

After Samhain comes Yule and the winter solstice, where we meet the peak of the darkness at the longest night of the year. We honour this by decorating our homes with twinkling lights and evergreen foliage to remind us of the cycle of life, death and rebirth.

Lighting candles, exchanging gifts, and feasting with loved ones are integral parts of Yule (and Christmas!) celebrations, creating a cosy and warm atmosphere during the longest night of the year. Thre is also the tradition of the Yule log, where a large log is symbolically burned in your home’s hearth. Burning the log symbolise the shifting of darkness to light. The longest night of the year is here and each new day brings more light and warmth back.

I really love the period from Samhain to Yule and the winter solstice. I struggle more with the darkness that comes afterwards. Even though the days begin to get longer, the period between the end of the calendar year and Imbolc - the first of the Spring festivals - feels like a bit of a trudge to me, so I’m always grateful for the light that ‘s brought in at Yule as it re-energises me for January and February.

Diwali, the Hindu festival of light

I asked my friend Varun to share some reflections about Diwali:

Diwali also known as Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali takes place annually and lasts for five days, marking the start of the Hindu New Year.

Diwali is a festival of light, where families come together and exchange of love, warmth, gifts and joy. Diwali symbolizes the victory of good (Knowledge) over darkness (Ignorance - Avidya). Lighting of oil lamps or candles is one way that we bring this symbolism into our homes or temples.

On this auspicious day, it is said that if someone needs money, Goddess Laxmi will come. If someone needs good health Goddess shakti will come and if someone wants education Goddess Saraswati will come. There is Puja (act of worship) to connect with different deities, with Mantras and offerings

We make sure to keep our homes clean to invoke creative and positive reinforcing energies. We also decorate them and exchange sweets to represent leaving behind the bitterness of the past.

Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous Diwali.

Creating our own rituals around light

When you’re not part of a spiritual or religious framework, finding ways to create meaning in a ritualistic way can feel unfamiliar or even a bit strange. It’s only been in the last five years or so that I’ve regularly had any kind of ritualistic or ceremonial practice. I gather with other people monthly, usually around a full moon or one of the Celtic Pagan celebration days. I also have my own regular rituals that I practice and I find them a grounding and comforting anchor, particularly when I’m struggling.

f you’re reading this there’s a good chance that you culturally celebrate Christmas so you already have a frame of reference for celebrating light in the darkness of winter. What other ways could you explore your connection with the dark? This could be something as simple as lighting a candle each evening for five minutes, to connect with the light. Or standing in the sun each morning to connect with the winter light all through the colder months. You’ll also find a winter solstice and yule playlist and journal prompts here, which could also be a basis for your explorations or reflections.

And as you explore these ideas, know that you are not the only human seeking light in the dark. From the vibrant Diwali celebrations to the lighting of the Hanukkah menorah, the luminous Loy Krathong lanterns in Thailand, and the bright festive lights of Eid, there is a common thread where we, as humans, seek to bring light into our lives to help us to navigate through the darkness.