As I sing “Morning Sun” to a grey bleak haze, I think what a perfect analogy for our current situation. We’ve sunk into the depths of a mire so deep it sometimes feels as if there is no light. But as with a sun hidden behind thick rain clouds, hope shines brightly, even when out of sight.

Today is the shortest day, signalling the return to the light with the victorious Oak King after his twice yearly battle with the Holly King. Now more than ever, we need to send gratitude to Mother Earth. We have shown ourselves to be arrogant, thoughtless masters, attempting to dominate and control the ecosystem around us, when that is simply leading to our downfall. Our planet doesn’t need us – as we saw in the Spring, it fares very well the less we inflict our inventions upon it! But furthermore, it will not be able to sustain us with our current ways of being for much longer. So it’s up to us.

At 10am today I am sitting in meditation for a short while, setting my intention of sending love to the collective consciousness and gratitude to Mother Earth. I am aware of many injustices in our world, whether social, racial, financial, educational or otherwise, and I do not mean to spiritually bypass any of them. But I have come to recognise that I can only live from my heart in my own corner. I know an amazing woman who spreads love wherever she goes – a fiery woman, with a story few will experience. Yesterday, dressed as a sparkly fairy performing bubble magic for local children, she declared, “The trees are screaming and everywhere people are spreading plastic around the world instead of love, so I’m spreading more love.” She is the personification of how shining your light in your own corner is what we can do.

I invite you to listen to you hearts, to trust your intuition and to tread gently on our planet as we turn the dark corner towards new beginnings in the light. May you shine in your own corner. Happy Solstice ?