As the year edges toward its close and the nights grow longer, I find myself filled with gratitude. Not just for the bright moments of the past year, but for the quiet ones too. The pauses between motion, the stillness between breaths. This season, the dark half of the year, has always been my favorite. It’s a time for slowing down, listening inward, and finding meaning in the rhythm of nature’s retreat.
While many see darkness as an ending, I’ve come to see it as a sacred threshold. The space where reflection, rest, and renewal begin. The earth draws inward, and so do we. Gratitude deepens here, not in the blaze of summer’s light, but in the soft, persistent glow that reminds us life continues, even when hidden.
This holiday season, I’m giving thanks for connection. Thanks for family, friends, students, colleagues, and the many souls I’ve met across the world this year. I’m thankful for shared conversations, laughter, learning, and the small everyday magics that bind us together.
In the coming days, I’ll also be stepping into a deeply personal moment: a ritual of initiation to become a Second Degree Priest of Wicca. This journey has been both humbling and transformative. A continued commitment to walk in harmony with the cycles of nature, to honor the balance between light and dark, and to serve with presence and purpose.
So as winter settles in, I offer this reflection:
May we all find gratitude in both the seen and unseen.
May we honor the turning of the year with reverence and joy.
And may we remember that even in darkness, there is always light waiting to be kindled.
Blessed be, and happy holidays. 🌙
— Rev. Dr. Rick L. Mask
Author | Researcher | Practitioner of Connection and Reverence
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