Blessed are you
Who bear the light
In unbearable times…

Blessed are you
In whom
The light lives…

– Jan Richardson

On the day of the Winter Solstice we come together for a ceremony both ancient and new to honor the return of the light and to give thanks. We are thankful for the ways that darkness invites us to inner stillness and grounding, may nurture our resilience, and can fill us with holy longing.

At Solstice, sunlight begins to return. Just a little, day by day. Perhaps the light begins to return in us, too. Maybe even to arise from us and to live in us.

5 pm — We will gather outside the Dayspring Farmhouse (11301 Neelsville Church Road, Germantown, MD 20876) and walk to the Pavilion for a ceremony inspired by the “Thanksgiving Address” of the Native Peoples known as the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) — a ceremony of giving thanks, of giving our holy longings to feed the fire, and of receiving a blessing of light to carry out into the surrounding darkness.

6 pm — We will gather indoors at Overlook Retreat House (11211 Neelsville Church Road) for a simple supper.

7 pm — We will circle for creative sharing time around the seasonal theme. Please bring a poem or story …share a favorite work of art or image …bring your own musical instrument and play a song …guide us in singing or sacred dance.

For planning for the outdoor ceremony and for seating and food at Overlook, and to inquire about the possibility of staying overnight in the Overlook retreat space, PLEASE RSVP to Jim at jimhallmd@yahoo.com and Trish at stefanik.trish@gmail.com.