Sunday night at 6:55 pm the train brought tourists back from Silverton CO.
Creating a time measurement, when the sun first hits the top of the smokestack at the old Power House (now museum)
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Sun first hit the smokestack at 7:39 on Sept 19.
Sun on smokestack at 7:41 on Sept. 20.
on Equinox...at 7:43 am mountain time. I wonder how late the Solstice time will be...
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The Darkness
From my friend Annelinde Metzner, poet, musician, feminist:
"As a composer and poet, I’m interested in cultural perceptions and assumptions that influence beliefs. In monotheistic religions as well in some types of more recent spiritual thought, the assumption has been to equate Darkness with evil and Light with good. “Love and light!” we hear often, or maybe “I’m surrounding you in light.” But this assumption feeds a form of prejudice that infuses all of society. The mind hears “darkness” and associates it negatively with Earth, female, skin color, dirt.
But the world is created in Darkness. The Goddess regenerates all life in darkness. Humans gestate in the darkness of the womb. Darkness gives us the liminal time to imagine the new, to envision new paths. We experience this in winter, and every night in sleep.
Leading services at our Unitarian church, I’ve wanted to create an opening for this consciousness and so I created this poem. It works well as a responsive reading, with the congregation repeating “the Darkness.” My hope is to jog awareness of the far-reaching ramifications of prejudice against Darkness.
The Darkness, by Annelinde Metzner as published in "Feminism and Religion."
I've underlined the responsive words which the congregation was invited to say out loud, while this poem was shared several times in the Black Mountain NC Unitarian Universalist Congregation.
The Darkness
Coming together here, we warm each other’s hearts in the darkness.
The Sun, far away, yearns to embrace us in Her warmth once again.
But this is our time to journey into the depths of the darkness.
This is the time to surrender and listen deep to our souls.
This is the time to close our eyes, slow down and be lulled by the darkness.
Our blessed Mother Gaia dwells within the darkness.
Inhale the song of Her soul, Her soil, Her dark caves, Her rich dark humus.
Mother Earth welcomes you into the darkness.
Walk with confidence, all people, walk safely into the darkness.
Let us love the night, the moon, the stars, the planets, the Seven Sisters high above.
Revel in this other half of our lives, the darkness.
The beauty of the dark earth, the darkness of skin, the dark curves of mountain roads,
The Seven Sister Mountains in their powerful darkness, presiding over Black Mountain,
Our dark blood, our Earth, our deepest selves, the darkness.
Annelinde Metzner
November 16, 2010
BIO: Annelinde Metzner honors the Divine Feminine with her poetry and music. She has composed many praise songs included in her songbook, “Lady of Ten Thousand Names,” and has created and produced concerts for the Goddess including most recently, “Feminine Faces of God.” She directs the choir at the UUCSV in Black Mountain, NC, and founded the women’s choirs Womansong and Sahara Peace Choir in Asheville NC. http://annelindesworld.blogspot.com
(Note: I took that photo of Linda. I also was happy to sing in the Sahara Peace Choir for several years, as well as attend special events where the public could sing some of Annelinde's compositions in honor of the Divine Feminine.)
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Thanks Linda, for permission to share your words here, the day of Gaia's turning toward darkness which leads to the Winter Solstice.
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More pottery from the Durango Autumn Arts Festival:
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Fitness is a journey, not just a destination. The beauty lies in the experiences we gain along the way.
Those were interesting perspectives on darkness.
ReplyDeleteI've been welcoming the dark ever since an "ah ha" moment of realization that the Yin Yang symbol is equally as much dark as light...and that you can't have light without any dark as well. It's definitely a balance.
Delete...I'm one of many who don't do well with the days become short.
ReplyDeleteI find February is my hardest month, when there is actually an increase in length of days.
DeleteThank you for this wonderful post today, Barbara! I must check out Annelinde Metzner's poetry and other writings right away! Yes, modern women's spirituality has it exactly right about the healing power and necessity of darkness and dormancy.
ReplyDeleteThanks Debra...I've enjoyed so much knowing Linda and taking part in many of her productions honoring the Divine Feminine.
DeleteIt would be interesting to hear that poem with it’s communal participation.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely was a good feeling to be surrounded by voices chanting "The Darkness" as she read the poem.
DeleteDarkness is definitely equated with evil, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteAh well. I find comfort in darkness sometimes. It's just the other side of the light.
We'd be pretty unhappy without it, eternal sunshine does have it's limitations!
DeleteI really think it is fun to have the time measurements based upon the shading in those photos!
ReplyDeleteAnd, the POTTERY at the fair.... so many, many beautiful pieces!!!!
PipeTobacco
My wife loves the darkness and embraces it. We got used to the darkness when living in Fairbanks. The sun would rise around 11ish and go down around 2. Three hours of daylight, it took awhile to get use to but after 10 years it was part of us. Good memories!
ReplyDeleteOh my yes, you all did live with the darkness...I've a friend that lived in Alaska just a few years. I wish I knew the story that lies behind your living in Alaska and now Ireland!
DeleteWe moved to Alaska because my wife got accepted to the Anthropology MA program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. I ended up working for University Relations taking photos and then the Oral History Program recording some Alaska Native people and their stories. The final was creating a digital program that people could access via their computer. It was fun doing that kind of work.
DeleteAs for Ireland, I found out that if I had a grandparent that was born in Ireland (my dad's mom was born in Galway) and I could prove my lineage through all the required paperwork, I, too could become an Irish citizen. Fifteen months later my application was approved, that was in 2005. We moved here in 2014 and love it.
Thanks Bill, I wonder now, did you all blog when you lived in Alaska? I vaguely remember reading some interesting stories from a couple who lived there, way back in my early blogging days. PS, I'll write this as a comment over on your blog, where you're more likely to see it!
DeleteIf there's one thing that gets me it's beautiful pottery. I agree with you about darkness, it is everywhere, physically and mentally. I love your illustrations, especially the one with the cats, have a nice week.
ReplyDeleteHappy cats, at least imaginary ones!
DeleteI really like those blue soup mugs. I'd be tempted if I had been there.
ReplyDeleteThey are really gorgeous aren't they!
DeleteI love that you have a time marker. And what a wonderful deep blue glaze on some of that pottery!
ReplyDeleteIt has long been my habit wherever I live to mark the sunshine on the days when the earth changes in relation to the sun...if it happens to be shining of course. So there are strange marks on the floors and walls that only I know the meaning of! I prefer this photo method now. Yes, those are great cobalt glazes!
DeleteAll kinds of pottery today! What a treat! Such talented people.
ReplyDeleteI love good pottery and like to support these craftspeople!
DeleteThat reframe of darkness as something generative, not fearsome, is a needed counterweight. And tracking the equinox by watching the sun creep up that smokestack is a lovely little ritual.
ReplyDeleteExploration of time in our lives is an interesting pursuit, no matter the way it's done. Yes, just consideration of darkness as a positive experience is a start to move beyond the culturally promoted thesis.
DeleteThank you so much, Barb! I forgot that you took that photo at "Feminine Faces of God"! It looks like you've begun to carve yourself a beautiful niche out West.
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful.
ReplyDelete