Spiral of Light
As the air becomes colder and the Sun seems dimmer and farther away, we approach the darkest time of the year. People bear their own loneliness, sadness, disappointment, and longing for a warm, bright world where everyone is loved, connected, and understood. Where is the light?
The spiral of light is a festival for meeting one’s personal destiny. Each year, teachers build a large spiral path made of evergreen branches. Alongside the green and fragrant path are representatives of the three kingdoms of minerals, plants, and animals. At the center, a large beeswax candle, a symbol of the spiritual light of imagination, inspiration, and intuition awaits life’s travelers in darkness.
Each child traverses this path alone with a red apple, which holds an unlit candle. The apple represents our body, while the candle symbolizes our soul. It is a solo journey of the soul in search of spiritual enlightenment. Can they trust themselves, overcoming fear and doubt? Will they be able to find their way? Can they hear and receive quiet guidance from nature? Each child will walk into this wondrous vortex and receive light from the center, lighting their candle from the center candle. On their way back out, they find a destined point within the spiral and place their candle, thereby offering their light to the world. One by one, as the small light of each person is offered, gathered together as a community, we create a starry heaven on earth.
Why was I born? What is my true mission on earth? We seek the answer and traverse the darkness of the unknown, where we find something that enkindles our selfless love and desire to care so deeply that we will even place ourselves in danger to support and protect it. That is a glow from the light of our destiny, permeated with the warmth of our unconditional love.
Each year during this dark time, we offer this symbolic experience to the children. This festival is also an annual practice for teachers and parents, preparing us for our upcoming challenges as the guardians of the growing children. When the time comes in our precious children’s development, we must learn how to let go of our control and send them off further into the unknown with faith, hope, and love. This festival is our appeal for the children’s successful journey through life.
