Unite to bring in the light

Unity Spiritual Center will celebrate the winter solstice on Dec. 21 with a prayer service and walk on the outdoor labyrinth.

A lament I hear continuously these days is about how soon the daylight turns to darkness. I hear, "Is it dark already?" Or, "It's 5 o'clock, and it's already dark?!" Or, "I leave work, and it's dark outside. Hurry back, summer!" 

Summer may not return soon enough for some, but there is light at the end of this winter time tunnel. The winter solstice has been described in many ways, such as – the shortest day and longest night, or as a marker for the first day of winter. The exact time of the December solstice in Cleveland is Wednesday, Dec. 21, at 5:44 a.m.

Simply put, the solstice is an astronomical event, caused by the earth's tilt on its axis. On Dec. 21 we have a day with the greatest amount of darkness in the entire year, but then on Dec. 22, it reverses. The daylight starts to get longer until six months later on June 21, when the summer solstice gives us the greatest amount of light. 

Unity Spiritual Center of Westlake will be welcoming the increasing light on Dec. 21 at 6:30 p.m. for "Unite to Bring in the Light." a combined prayer and labyrinth experience. At 6:30 p.m. we will meet in Unity Hall for a short introduction to the labyrinth; at 7 p.m. there will be a prayer service from Silent Unity; then at 7:30 p.m., weather permitting, we will walk the outdoor labyrinth, one of the largest in the region. If weather is inclement, we will use our indoor labyrinth. 

Labyrinths are walking prayer and meditation tools. They combine the imagery of a spiral within a circle into a path that's winding, but purposeful. The proportions of a labyrinth come from sacred geometry. It is not a maze or a puzzle. A maze is designed to make you lose your way, whereas a labyrinth is designed to help you find your way. The tradition is to walk the path to the center while praying and meditating, stay in the center, then walk out again. The labyrinth teaches us the process of letting go, releasing the need to always be in control. 

Join us to welcome the light as it grows within and without. All are welcome. Unity Spiritual Center of Westlake is located at 23855 Detroit Road. Email unityinfo@unityspiritualcenter.com for more information.