Winter Solstice Experience 12-20-09

WINTER SOLSTICE EXPERIENCE
SUNDAY 12/20/09 4-7PM
Ethical Society Building-Rittenhouse Square

As I locked up my mountainbike out front at 3:45PM I felt somewhat intimidated by all the well-dressed people with big smiles on their faces excited about the experience upon which they were about to participate. Since I road my mountainbike thru the snow across centercity, I wore sweatpants with rubberbands around my ankles to keep the bike chain from catching my clothing. I felt inadequate to the more stylish attire around me. I attempted to keep my thoughts off of this seeming inadequacy as to my appearance. As I checked in at the entrance, I realized that I didn’t know anyone at this point. This was my first time participating at a Common Ground event. They were very friendly and well organized.

At checkin someone mentioned that the doors would open at 4PM, so I went out front for a short walk in the snow, then proceeded upstairs to see what was displayed for the 6-7PM time period. I sat with myself in a far corner of the room and waited until 4PM to proceed downstairs. I was greeted by attractive smiling female faces at the entrance, greeting me with warmth and connection. My vibrational energy was not able to match theirs at this point, although I did appreciate their energy.

I felt a heaviness encompass me as I staired at the whirling dervish-like female dancers on the floor in front of me. They were dancing whirlishly with their scarves and garments flowing through the air. They seemed so light and almost floating as they followed the beat of the music in their creative, artful motion. The heaviness was followed by an intimidating feeling of inadequacy. I stood in the back of the 3rd row of seats to gage the room and seating to see if I could find the spot where I wanted to position myself for my own comfort. I still saw no one that I knew. I decided to work my way into the middle of the 2nd row. How is that for “fitting in….. 2nd row of 3 and midway across.

When the invitation for a dance was extended to all, I knew I had to participate on the main floor. At least at this point, I was gifted with enough self-awareness to know what it would take for me to get out of my self-consciousness and move into a space whereby my experience would be lifted and deepened. Once on the floor the music took over and my narcissistic thoughts were lifted and my energy shifted to feelings and connection.

The rituals were meaningful and well delivered with beautiful symbolism for this light-dark dichotomy. Listening to the symbols of West, North, East & South as well as all the examples of this Winter Solstice brought me “front & center” to my own present life situation and I could see myself with a clearer lens. After we took our lives and contemplated what we wanted to discard, the “paper burning” experience made that ritual come to life for me. I could feel the “letting go & lightening up” while also realizing that the light is coming back now inside me just as it is in the season of the year.

The flow of collective energy during the ceremony was well orchestrated. I could feel the shifts in my own energy at times when I needed to move around with dance well balanced & coupled by more contemplative experiences while sitting. The integration of the music and singing gave me a deepening of the integrity and “feeling state” of my own overall experience. I left feeling connected and lightened. I imagine many miracles happened on this Sunday at Winter Soltice. They surely did for me.

Thank you to all who made this celebration happen. I can grow here.

Jack Roddy
jproddy@aol.com