Inside Cedarwood

“The fourth light of Advent is the light of humankind. The light of love, the light of thought, to give and to understand.”

This evening we honor the animals large and small who reflect back our humanity to us. We are grateful for their companionship, the lessons they offer about caring, loving, and sharing the earth with each other.

The second evening of our Winter Spiral honors the Plant Kingdom, which nourishes us.

You might add something from the Plant Kingdom to your own Winter Spiral at home: flowers, a bough of greenery found outdoors, a beautiful leaf…

The first evening of our Winter Spiral honors the Mineral Kingdom: the earth, rocks, stones, and the essential minerals and elements that make up our natural environment.

A few ideas for creating a quiet space to facilitate the Winter Spiral experience.

Each year during this dark time we offer this symbolic experience to the children. When the time comes in our precious children's development, we must learn to let go of our control and send them off further into the unknown with faith, hope, and love. This festival is our prayer for the children’s successful journey through life.

The darkness is actually an invitation for each individual to find and shine their personal light. One by one, as the small lights are offered from each person gathered as a community at the Winter Spiral, we create a starry heaven on earth.

The answers to these questions shift as the children get older, and by middle school, exploring possible answers may best be done by the students themselves.