Musing Monday

On the season...

I've been doing a bit of research lately on the wheel and the seasonal celebrations of the witchy calendar.  Those who've read my blog before know that I personally have issues connecting with all the supposed seasonal celebrations of the Wiccan year.  The 8 sabbats just don't fit with me.  Some of it I believe is due to being a city dweller, lets face it feeling in tune with the three harvest seasons can be difficult when you don't have any experience with the actual changes.  I've always lived in mild climates too, so the idea of celebrating the end of winter and the spring thaw doesn't resonate as deeply as it may for others.  I see the changing of the seasons around me, but I don't necessarily connect with them in as great a detail as the sabbats seem to imply.  But that is not what I've been thinking about lately.

Lately I've been struck by the implied negativity that seems to be associated with the coming of winter and the darker part of the year.  Don't get me wrong, much of what I read talks of the benefits of going within, of resting and reflecting etc but the terminology seems to indicate a feeling of darkness and something to if not fear at least wade through until the better stuff comes around in spring.  The bright part of the year is also talked about with terminology of happiness and joy.  Now I can understand that there is the whole birth, life, death, rebirth pattern taking place but I just don't get the way the dark part of the year is talked about.  For me personally this is my favorite time of year, it is when I grow the most.  I revel in cool days spent snuggled up reading, reflecting, learning, experiencing.  I don't spend my winter months looking back on the summer gone and longing for it to return, I spend it enjoying everything magical about the dark time of the year.  I am creative at this time, I am passionate, I am blooming in the dark.

Maybe I'm odd, who knows.