Keep the Lights On

In the Northern Hemisphere, the days are already getting longer, slowly, minute by minute. While the holiday lights are still up, I think it would be prudent to keep the lights on for a while longer. Imbolc may be long enough, but maybe the Equinox would be better.

During the Vietnam War, families would leave Christmas trees and holiday lights up until their family members in service would come home. It was a time to extend the holiday past the “normal” season until a time where everyone could celebrate together.

It occurred to me, at some point in the past, that many people take down their lights and trees and decorations on 26 December and then, in this part of the world, those lights would give way to weeks if not months of cold and gray. Would it be nice to keep the lights burning for a little bit longer?

LEDs as Devotion?

In years up until recent times, the cost of keeping holiday lights lit until February or March would generate electrical usage that would add expenses to electrical bills. Now, in the days of LED lights that use little electricity, the cost may be less than ever to keep the lights going.

To be honest, the seasons will turn, and the High Days will return, Imbolc and then the Vernal Equinox, whether one has lights or not. Yet, one could argue, from a sympathetic magic point of view, which keeping the lights on might be just another way of encouraging the Sun to return from its long winter slumber.

It might be interesting to get a string of solar-powered or LED lights that one could set across the lawn, for those who have lawns, which go from a given point to the position aligned with the sunrise on the winter solstice. Should one have another string or two of lights handy, one could string another string of lights from that same center point to the position aligned with the sunrise on Imbolc.

Aligned with the Imbolc Sunrise

For me, Imbolc is one of the first moments when we realise that the days are in fact getting longer. This is much like how Lughnasadh is one of those moments when one notices that the days are getting shorter. If one were to have those strings of lights lit at the same time, one would gain an appreciation and an understanding of the distance that the sun moved during that first turn of the wheel.

Extending the exercise further, if one were to have an additional string of lights, one could align the third set of lights with the same central point and extend the other end to the position aligned with the Vernal Equinox. In this way, one could see the progress of the sun along two turns along the wheel of the year. This yard-based sacred geometry could be expanded for a longer period or for the rest of the year.

Equinox – Equal Day and Night

Once the Vernal Equinox has arrived, one could remove the lights. I would recommend leaving the solar markers, just as a point of interest, and as a launching point for further consideration and further work. Equinox means that the days and nights are equal, or very nearly so, depending upon location on the planet.

With the presence of equal days and night, the darkness that was so very profound on the Winter Solstice will have given way to the beauty and wondrous light of spring. We will have made an offering of light to the night, and to the world at large. We will have come to a better understanding of the movement of the Sun. Finally, we will pull the wonder of the skies into our own front yard.

Add a little light and insight to your Solstice experience – keep the lights on!