This is the path...

Follow the Light

“Following the light, we left the Old World.”

Christopher Columbus

For me, the only grace of Day Light Savings Time is that it is light when I wake up. There is something about starting one's day in darkness that simply doesn't bode well. We, who follow a spiritual path, regardless of which path, are oriented to light. It feels safe and uplifting.

Light has many meanings, in literature and in religion. First and foremost, it stands for knowledge, for “enlightenment,” for making one's way out of the darkness of ignorance into the light of understanding. In religion, light is associated with the presence of God—from the burning bush of Moses, to the pillar of fire that led the Hebrew people through the desert, to Jesus' words, “I am the light of the world.” In every religion, from Taoism to Wicca and everything in between, candles are lit to represent that which is sacred.

The 27^th verse of the Tao Te Ching, speaks of the sage who takes care of all men and abandons no one; who takes care of all things, and abandons nothing, saying, “This is called 'following the light.'” The importance of instruction and learning cannot be overstated. More than that, however, it is a charge to lead, leaving no one behind. Those who follow the light, who do everything in their power to overcome the darkness within themselves, and in the world, lead by their very nature. They contribute to, and become, the light. Leaving the Old World, also means leaving behind the darkness and setting one's compass toward the light.

                                                            In the Spirit,

                                                                Jane