May you recognize in your life the presence, power, and light of your soul. May you realize that you are never alone, that your soul in its brightness and belonging connects you intimately with the rhythm of the universe. May you have respect for your own individuality and difference.
John O’Donohue, Anam Cara
Thank you everyone for, by far, the biggest and most inclusive global celebration yet!
The number of subscribers to my newsletter has significantly jumped since we started Nov. 27. I am so happy to welcome you. I hope you’ll stick around for all the other good things I am cooking up for the coming year.
In addition, our Facebook group now tallies our numbers as some 1,631 souls participating, with people indicating they are from every continent (except, so far, Antarctica), including many of you who are welcoming Summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
If you would like to join, you are most welcome. We are now private, so you’ll have to apply and then answer some simple questions, so we can eliminate bots, spammers, and trolls.
I also know that there are many participants who avoid FB. So as to our true numbers, your guess is as good as mine at this point.
More Important Than Numbers
But what really matters is the heartfelt love and light that we have woven in our ceremony. It has been palpable as we have lit our candles, and my dearest wish is that for the coming year, that strong sense of support, community, and wonder not only remains, but continues to grow.
Just as the Light is doing.
For even though our wreath candles are now extinguished, our refreshed, brave hearts are just getting started.
So my deepest thanks go out to each one of you. What a beautiful ceremony we made for the 18th year!
May we merry meet, and merry part, and merry meet again.
A single lamp may light hundreds of thousands of lamps without itself being diminished.
The Vimalakirti Nirdesha, Mahayana Sutra
