Heading into the light

Townsfolk and others gathered in Copemish Tuesday evening to walk the winter solstice spiral of evergreen boughs laid by Archangel Ancient Tree Archive.

Story and photos by Nikki Schneider

I finished skiing at Crystal Mountain yesterday afternoon and decided to attend the Winter Solstice Spiral Walk held last night in Copemish. It was the first time Archangel Ancient Tree Archive hosted such an event. 

The origins of the spiral walk date way back and the ritual is practiced by many cultures in varying ways. One walks the spiral reflecting on the past year, celebrating accomplishments and shedding feelings that do not serve us.

At Archangel, evergreen boughs laid in a spiral led us toward a campfire in the center. We walked back out again with candles in our hands to light luminaries along the path of the spiral.

Musician Tom Wall miraculously made “tree music” by using a device to tap into the tree’s energy at the root. The sounds serenaded us. There were sparkling lights and hot beverages to warm us.

Though there is much to worry about in the world today, we were reminded to take some time to be grateful for all the good. For little things ⸺ like a warmup of coffee, freshly fallen snow or the smell of Christmas cookies in the oven.

That feeling of gratitude will cultivate hope in the new year, as we move forward each day out of the darkness into new, more plentiful light.