Thanks to Cat Forsley , who gave me the Candle Lighter Award several days ago.  Accepting it and passing it along today seemed like a good way to break out of the ‘blackness’ of the SOPA protest so many of us participated in on Wednesday.  Our voices were heard, but let’s stay vigilant… I have a feeling this will crop up again.  Anyway, back to the award…

Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” 

― Brene Brown

When I began the Wild Pomegranate back in 2007, the purpose was to explore and process some very dark places in my life.  At the time, my muse was Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter.  The beautiful Persephone was abducted by Hades and carried under the Earth at which time the land above froze as Demeter mourned.  Eventually, Zeus forced Hades to return his daughter, but not before Hades tricked Persephone into eating some pomegranate seeds.  See, it was a rule of the Fates that anyone who ate or drank in the Underworld was destined to remain there forever, and the young girl didn’t know this.  Persephone then became obligated to return underground every year for a time for eating those seeds.

When she’s above ground, the land is fertile and abundant with food and vegetation.  When she goes under, the land becomes cold and barren.  She is, therefore, often referred to as a goddess of the seasons.

Over the years, I’ve written about some very dark places, and dark experiences.  Some of them I’ve traveled to more than once. My goal was to share what I had learned about myself in processing these experiences and share it in such a way as to be light for others who might be traveling down the same dark roads.

And like Persephone, I was eventually released from the dark emotional and spiritual Underworld, and came back above ground where my life has been flourishing ever since.  Which is not to say that I don’t still have occasional trips into dark spaces.  Fortunately, they are few and far between, and what I learned from my earlier experiences has assisted me in navigating the dark much faster than before.

I now know that I carry the light that leads within me.  I don’t need to search for it or rely on it from sources outside of myself.  And in learning this, I discovered just how powerful that light is to heal and transform even the darkest hour of the human experience.

Additionally, I discovered that I don’t need to talk about the light – or the dark – nearly as much as I used to.  There are multitudes of others discussing such things, and  like holding a candle in a fully lit room, I just haven’t seen the need.  I am in a different season of my life, and yet, The WP these days feels lighter as a result.  It feels verdant.

If I have a “reason” to blog these days, I believe it would be to demonstrate that life doesn’t always have to be so serious, in spite of how damn serious it really is.  I’ve allowed myself to enjoy a season of playfulness and creativity for creativity’s sake – whether it was fiction writing or sewing or being a smart ass – and to put my authentic face out in the world, wrinkles and all.

In a world gone mad (and it does appear that way at times), I believe that my role as a “light bearer” has less to do with what I say – or write – and more to do with the way I live my every day life behind the screen.   It’s about celebrating that Life Force that animates me, and being about  the business of living my best life now – dark bits and all.

There are so many people I could offer this award to – most of whom have already received it, I’m sure.  So rather than naming names, I would like to present it to each and every person who reads here – the Light and the Dark Ones.  The happy and the sad ones.  The ones that know where they’re going, and the ones that are lost.

I want to honor you who are going through a cold barren season, and those who are ripe with juicy deliciousness.  And I give it to those of you who are fully immersed in a season of creativity, as well as those who are struggling to find their true voice in a world that is constantly trying to mold us after its own image.

You all inspire me.  You touch me.  You light up my life.  Much love. xox