We don’t often have a chance to experience the simplicity of inner stillness in full consciousness. Winter is a time to look within and reflect on our lives and gather for the next year. To ensure your children experience this mood of soul here are a few possible suggestions to continue the mood into your home life:
• Create a quiet family ritual that you enact each year on the longest night.
• When you arrive for the Winter Festival in your car, ensure the radio is turned off for a quiet ride home.
• After the festival, go home and share a meal by candlelight. Immerse yourselves in a rich peace and quiet. Prepare the meal during the day so that you don’t have to turn on any electric lights.
• Have the whole family at home - no sleep-overs - for the longest night.
• Light candles instead of turning on the electric lights.
• Have a family campfire and go to bed early.
• Wake up early in time to watch the sun rise on the new year ahead.
Below are the words of our new Winter Festival song, composed by Lisa Cameron and written by Liz Kee.
Winter Water
Let the water spring
Out of the earth from deep below.
Welling up from secret places hidden from our si-ight
Bubbling up through layers of rock to break into the light.
Sa-cred wa-ter
Li-ving wa-ter
Rivers ru-u-nning clean and strong
Flowing free-ee-ly through the land
Deep and sonorous is their song
Such powerful mu-sic
Ri-ppling rivulets trickling by
Babbling cheekily as they run
Lakes and billabongs bri-mming full
Spar-kli-ing in the sun-shine
Let the wa-ter spring
Out of the earth from deep below
Welling up from secret places hidden from our si-ight
Bubbling up through layers of rock to break into the light.
Guard this gift of li-i-i-ife.