We Can Be Light…
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Hello friends, Last night, I lit candles in the darkness. This morning, long before sunrise, I did the same. Out loud, I spoke these words, “May we forever be light for each other.” I repeated that phrase three times. A prayer. An incantation. A spell. A call for hope. Today is the Solstice. For me, it is winter. For those in the southern hemisphere, summer. The ancients thought that on solstice, the sun stood still in the sky before changing direction. That is literally what solstice means. Sol sistere. Sun stands still. There is a reason so many of us hang lights during the darkest months. Since moving further north just under nine years ago, the comprehension of this need has deepened. We need reminders that, in the midst of snow or rain, sun will come again to warm the land. In times that feel darkest, we need reminders of light. But here’s the thing: we need the dark. We need space to rest and regroup. Fields need to lay fallow. The animals and insects need to sleep. And we need to remember that we humans are the ones who can kindle light. Ever since Prometheus stole fire from the Gods, Raven stole the sun, or our ancestors figured out how to set a bow to wood, or strike flint, we have made light. We can make light now. We can make light for each other. We can offer up our hope, our creativity, and our love. There's a solstice gift, from me to you, below. Best wishes - Thorn As a solstice gift, I made one of my Patreon stories public. It is a second chance gay romance set at this time of year in Gävle, Sweden at Yuletide: A Love That Will Not Burn Paid subscribers, I hope to see you at our creativity sprints this morning!
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T. Thorn Coyle
Hello friends, I’m in the woods right now, with a group of friends, both old and new. There are deer here, small, gentle ones with large ears. The deer keep their distance, but not so far that I cannot read the glint in their eyes, or catch the curious fan of those ears. These deer are not tame. They just live in a world where the potential for harm is slim. For deer to live so unafraid means this is a sheltered place. A place they have learned to be slightly wary of the lumbering, two legged...
Hello friends, I write this from Portland, Oregon, which is under threat from the US Federal Government right now. This week, as the political landscape looks worse than ever, I’m choosing to celebrate small victories and cultivate pleasure. One: The first tiny victory I’d like to share is that, when I logged into my Libby Library app looking for ebooks to read, I found that a kind librarian had given my book Sushi Scandal a thumbs up and sweet recommendation! This lifted my heart and made me...
Hello friends, I posted a picture of a cat on social media this morning with the caption “Sometimes we need to speak up.” It was a close up of the beautiful creature talking to me. Here it is: Close up photo of a meowing cat. But there’s a story behind that photo, one that relates to so many of us right now. The cat wasn’t just greeting me. The cat was asking me for help. Here's the story: On one of my walks, I spied this cat watching me. I stopped and greeted it when it was still a couple of...