As the balance tips toward the dark of the year, we remember that the God form has sacrificed for us. The body of the grain is destroyed so that we may eat, survive, and flourish through the winter months. I think we focus so much on the grain, and goodness that is gained, we often forget the wisdom of the chaff. What are we willing to sacrifice for our greater growth and cumulative good? I am not talking about the kind of giving that entails money, and material possession, where we say “look at me, see what I have done and given to my community?” I mean a true revealing of soul gifts along with a releasing of ideas, habits, and energies that do not serve. 

As we move toward the thinning of the veil, what is your ego desperately holding on to? Remember, that the grain is good, but you can’t take anything with you when we descend, it can only nourish you along the way. As Innanna/Tana is stripped of her finery, her titles, and her power; her control in the material world doesn’t mean a thing. Whether faced with the dark goddess Ereshkigal or Lord Dis, as we make the descent we are stripped bare. 


We are vulnerable, and we are the most authentic we can be. It means being fully exposed, and one with our own divinity. All masks and personas are cleansed, all fears and faults are revealed that give way to true value of the spirit within.


This has already been a year of loss for so many. Loss of friends, family, jobs, and homes, and it’s continuing. The harder we cling to what was or is, the more painful the loss when it comes. This is a time to dig deep and let go. Truly let go.
This isn’t a display announcing “look how much work I’ve done.” This is an opportunity to have a dialogue with self and others, acknowledging, wounds, faults, and ego patterns that are damaging, inauthentic, and can be ultimately destructive. 


This is the nature of Shadow Work, and now is the time to start, as we ease into cooler weather, and shorter days. This is the time to embrace, heal, and become friends with the pieces of the Self that hide in the dark. You will find what belongs to you, and what belongs to others. You will find your patterns of destruction. You will find if you have an empty cup, and why it can never seem to be filled. The wounds are healed, the dots are connected, and we step ever closer to a place of wholeness, and joy.