Spreading
Light
“There
are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that
reflects it.” Edith Wharton
Sometimes,
I like to light a candle even in daytime. It calms me, and reminds me
that I am not alone—Spirit is with me. I remember some years ago,
visiting a little mission church on a pueblo north of Santa Fe. Even
though I am not Catholic, I went into the cool interior and found a
bank of burning candles. I lit one and placed it on the altar with
the others, giving thanks for I knew not what, and asking for
guidance. Somehow, deep in the human psyche, candles, simple bearers
of flame, are associated with the sacred. They are a universal
archetype of Spirit, found on the altars of every religion throughout
the world.
By
the simple act of lighting a candle, we bring the sacred into our
lives. We acknowledge consciously that, bidden or not, God is always
present. The smoke from one candle, like the smoke from a peace pipe,
or the smoke from an eternal flame, carries our prayers to the very
ear of God. There is a connection between that lighted candle and our
deepest heart. It is an old, old mystery.
When
you feel upset or at odds with yourself, when you are worried or
confused, light a candle and ask for help. I keep a ready supply of
Virgin of Guadeloupe candles—for reasons I don't understand, she is
my heart's saint. She is my go-to woman in times of trouble and in
times of gratitude and joy. I am always enlivened in her steady
light.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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