Lighten Up with Lisa
With the sun comes a time for congratulations, not condolences
By Lisa Dawn Wax
When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long-
When you think that love (or life) is only for the lucky and the strong-
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows
lies the seed that with the sun’s love in the spring becomes the rose.
The Rose lyrics by Amanda McBloom and sung by Bette Midler
Spring is upon us. Time to take a deep breath, put a spring in your step and spring into action. Yes I know it has been a long period of harvest. The winter was long and cold and I’m not just referring to the weather. I have spoken to many friends and neighbors who have struggled and suffered and continue to do so. I, myself, am not immune to the current economic hardships. However, we must remember it’s always darkest before the dawn and that which first appears to be our darkest time might actually be a blessing, an opportunity for forthcoming salvation via rebirth, renewal or resurrection.
According to the song, the sun’s love yields the bloom of the rose. The sun is essential to all life on earth, without it our planet would die. It not only gives us life but direction and assists with the cycles that are inherent to life. According to the book of Genesis, it was the first thing created as God said, “Let there be light”. Twice a year, once in Spring (March 20/21) and once in Fall (September 22/23), the sun is directly vertical above the equator and the tilt of the Earth’s axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the sun; we call this an equinox. Last year while the sun was illuminating above at the time of the Fall equinox I wrote my September 2009 column, opening with John Donne’s quote “No man is an island,” and focused on the theme of solidarity. Six months later, again with the illumination of the sun directly overhead during the vernal equinox, let’s revisit the idea of solidarity as well as celebrate the blessings of new opportunities for growth.
Aside from the vernal equinox, key indicators of springtime are the holidays of Easter and Passover (Pesach in Hebrew). Unlike the equinox, which usually falls on the same day, exact dates for the holidays vary from year to year. Nonetheless, these holidays initiate springtime and exemplify the profound message of rebirth. The Christian gospel story of Easter epitomizes rebirth with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter also celebrates rebirth with the highly symbolic representation of the Easter Egg. The egg is also used at Passover on the Passover Seder plate as a representation of rebirth and we see resurrection of the Hebrews as they left Egypt as slaves, passed through the desert with a newfound freedom, and entered into the promised land of Israel as the chosen people. In his essay Pesach – Birth and Rebirth Rabbi Stolper writes, “With the advent of spring, human hope is reborn. Pesach, the holiday of birth and renewal…celebrates the birth of a new mechanism for human salvation… the foundation of which is no longer the individual operating alone, but the family.” I absolutely love this passage. While salvation and rebirth is critical on the individual level, I love the idea of expanding it to a familial level, community level, global level, universal level, to remind us of the importance of holism. The principle of holism, best summarized by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle with his famous quote, “The whole is more than the sum of its parts,” echoes the magnitude of solidarity and importance of working together. Wikipedia defines Holism as “the idea that all the properties of a given system (physical, biological, chemical, social, economic, mental, etc.) cannot be determined or explained by its component parts alone. Instead, the system as a whole determines in an important way how the parts behave.” As we enter into this season of rebirth and renewal and struggle to see the promising opportunities that hopefully light our way, let us consider to walk not just as one but as a whole. It is not just a pilgrimage for our own salvation, but the salvation of us all, as we are so much more than the “sum of our parts”.
This year when you celebrate these holidays I urge you to try to focus on what they represent. Whether you worship with your congregation, your family or even alone; you can find the light inside you and let it guide you to a new place, physically or spiritually. Use it first to heal yourself so that you feel more capable to reach out and help others. Make the most of this important time; benefit from this renewal period and apply it to all areas of your life. The snow is melting and the flowers are about to bloom.
Just as the Hebrews’ exodus led them to their newfound freedoms, as we cross the symbolic desert into new territory of an unexplored land, be it a new job, a new relationship, a new home, a new town, let us rejoice in the possibilities that lie ahead. Let’s take advantage of this seasonal alignment of the sun to shed much needed light upon our lives and our direction. So, is this a time for condolences? Perhaps for some, and with every ounce of empathy and compassion inside me, I humbly and genuinely offer you my loving prayers. However, I’m hoping that it is a time when most of you, those who seek an inner strength to strive for the light at the end of the tunnel and remain standing, greatly deserve a firm pat on the back. To you, I offer praise and congratulations with every ounce of inspiration I can muster.
Until next time, may your days be brighter and your lives be lighter.
Lisa Dawn Wax, aka Lightworker Lisa, has been certified in Massage Therapy, Fitness Training and Reiki Healing for over 15 years. In addition to being a born Lightworker she is a certified Angel Healing Practitioner and Reiki Master; all of which basically confirm her intuitive abilities and commitment to help, heal and teach. Using Reiki, divine messages and intuitive readings, she has helped many people to identify the source of their pain, clarify current life situations, and successfully redirect their focus into positive channels. If you’d like to share comments about this article or if you are in need of affordable healing and/or life coaching with immediate results, please call her at 561-594-3948 or visit her new website . All rights reserved.