The theme for this issue of The Caldron is "Death and Rebirth, Transforming Consciousness." Transformation of any sort requires change. Life itself is continual change. The I Ching goes so far as to say that change is the only constant.
     Mother Earth herself teaches us about change. She shows us powerful and radical changes as each of her years moves through its seasons. Most of us, however, shut up inside our boxes, turning on our radios, our TV's or our computers to see what's going on outside in the real world of nature, really do miss her lessons - really do fail to understand that change is inevitable, natural and necessary. Because of this, most of us cling to our outdated and slowly failing ways of being. Most of us resist with all our power any change in our lives.

     However, like the seasons of the year, there is also need for continual change in each of our lives. We have to be open to change so that we can adapt to the changes that occur throughout our lives. We begin life as helpless little babies who soon grow into boys and girls and then into young adults. Then, all too soon, we are middle-aged, and eventually elderly. Our bodies, our consciousnesses, even our very souls continue to change radically throughout our lives.
     We too have our seasons. Childhood is definitely the springtime of our lives. Our young adult life is our summertime, and the living is easy. Middle age occurs when we peak and begin to slow down, when we enter the fall of our lives and begin to see that winter and old age aren't really that far ahead of us. Our old age, our final, declining years, is of course the winter of our lives.

     Right now we are at a major point of seasonal change. Look at the change that is occurring this time of the year, this time of the winter solstice and the cold winter that follows, when the days are the shortest and the nights are the longest and when the sun and its warmth are furthest from us. This is the time of year when the natural world itself shuts down to wait for the return of the sun and the renewal that will come with the warmth of spring.
     Perhaps we should do the same. Perhaps we are supposed to be sad and depressed in the dead of winter. Perhaps what they call SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is not a disorder at all. Perhaps, at this time of year, we are all supposed to slow down in the outer world and instead follow our energy inwards, towards our center of being, seeking personal and spiritual renewal.

     At the winter solstice, the sun and the earth together undergo a major transformation. The sun, instead of moving further and further away, begins slowly to return. The earth itself knows this and waits confidently for the renewal of spring. For us humans, it is the same. It is that time when Spirit has moved further and further away from our consciousness and our bodies are depleted of life energy and in need of renewal. It is that time when Spirit begins to return to us, when our bodies can finally rest and wait patiently, along with Mother Earth, for the rebirth of spring.
     At this time of year, we can actually meet Spirit halfway. We can turn inwards towards our own Inner Light. Depression itself, especially at this time of year, is actually the door that leads to this light. Depression is an attempt by Spirit to engage our attention so that we will turn inwards and listen to that small but wise inner voice that usually goes unheard, shut out as it is, at least for most of us, by the traffic of our minds and our lives.
     This so-called depression usually doesn't feel good at first, and most of us will do anything to avoid it. However, this feeling changes, becomes awe really, just as soon as we turn inwards - just as soon as we let go of our egos and begin to engage our dreams, begin to pay attention to our inner fantasies, and finally begin to honor our deepest feelings.
     Doing this, we find incredible riches - powerful memories of who we have really been and amazing insights as to who we can be - riches that will take us past the best of our past and help us to move on into our future. Returning then from our inner journey and reentering the outer world, we will be transformed by these inner riches. We will have renewed ego strength as well as increased consciousness. We will have greater understanding of ourselves and others too, and a blissful feeling of being at peace with ourselves and Spirit.

     I have written at greater length about Death and Rebirth in my essay titled "Spiritual Transformation." In addition, Wisdom's Corner features a poem about the winter solstice as well as a short essay, based upon Taoist precepts, that concerns itself with the natural and seasonal flow to our masculine sexual energies. Aspen Marks has also written about the seasons of the year from a spiritual gardener's point of view.
     In addition to our wonderful writer from India, Partha Pratim Majumder, who is back with us again with two of his heartfelt and thought provoking poems, we have four new and gifted contributors:
     Gabriel Richard, the author of "My God," lives in Waverly, Virginia. He describes himself as the typical aspiring nobody. He a fiction writer, poet, playwright, and columnist.
     Shishir Mohan, the author of "Karmic Illusion," resides in Houston, Texas. When he is not working on his full-time job as an engineer, he writes short stories and essays about cultural and social issues facing humanity. His essays and short stories have been published in A Writer's Choice Literary Journal, New Works Review, Kudzu Monthly, and Writers Hood. He is currently working on a collection of short stories and an anthology of memoirs about the "immigrant experience."
     Jeannette Harris, the author of "Shine" and other poems, hails from Luray, Virginia. She has created A Country Rag, an online publication that explores and celebrates country, especially Appalachian culture through diverse poetry, short stories, graphics, photography, topical essays, regional cuisine and links.
     Richard Fein, the author of "One-sided War" and other poems, comes at us from Brooklyn, New York. He speaks eloquently and knowingly of death, and of the rebirth that comes with the soul's release from the appetites and the follies of the body.
     Enjoy.

Eugene Marks, Editor