As we march through fall the days grow shorter. It can feel like the darkness is closing in. This feeling is not simply because of the longer nights. Less sunlight can affect the body’s ability to create the chemicals needed to regulate mood. Winter blues affect around 20% of people. For some, this can escalate Seasonal Affective disorder (SAD). This seasonal depression affects ~ 5% of adults in the United States & Canada (Torres, 2024 and Melrose, 2015). SAD is more common farther north, where daylight hours are even shorter.
For me, one way to battle the Winter Blues is to be mindful of the seasonal change. I eagerly await the Winter Solstice and the returning sun.
Sunwait is a meaningful way to acknowledge the passage of time. The basis is lighting a candle each week leading up to the Winter Solstice. It is a way to recognize and reflect on the seasons. Like Advent, Sunwait fosters anticipation in the Yuletide holidays. This is a modern tradition that is easily customized. Sunwait can be as simple as lighting the weekly candle. It can involve meditation or even be adapted to a full ritual to suit more complex practices.
This poem is among the simplest sunwait rituals.
The verse for each rune is read as it is lit. Week one would read the first verse, Week two would repeat the first verse and add the second ....
Here is my ritual
For families here is a shortened printable version with coloring pages to get the kids involved.
References
- Melrose, S. (2015). Seasonal Affective Disorder: An Overview of Assessment and Treatment Approaches. Depression Research and Treatment, 2015, 178564. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/178564
- Moore, A. (n.d.). Living Arts Weekly: Celebrating Sunwait – LifeWays. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://lifewaysnorthamerica.org/living-arts-weekly-celebrating-sunwait/
- Torres, F. (2024, March). Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). https://www.psychiatry.org:443/patients-families/seasonal-affective-disorder
