Illuminara

I attended a Winter Solstice celebration in Muir Woods yesterday. The paths were all lit with illuminara, the canopy echoing with christmas carols, and folk stories were being told around fire pits. At a certain point, the lights ended and I ventured further into the forest where my only guides were my trusty flashlight and intuition. After awhile, I turned off the the flashlight altogether, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness, and for a brief while, experienced what it's like to truly commune with nature. And the best thing that came out of it was that even though I was far afield from the crowd, the sounds of civilization, et al, I never truly felt alone in all that darkness. In fact, I don't believe there really is such a thing. Our bodies trick us, but the spirit knows better.