EDITOR'S COMMENTS

     The theme of this issue of The Caldron is Return of the Light. This return has more than one reference.

     It refers to the changes in the seasons of the sun, in particular, to the changes that occur at this time of year. Right now, we are at the Winter Solstice, that time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere that marks the beginning of winter and the slow but sure return of the sun.

     This is that time of year, for those of us living north of the Equator, when the days are shortest and the nights are longest. This is also the time of year when the days slowly begin to lengthen and the nights begin to shorten. This Winter Solstice thus signals the return of the light of the sun and its warmth to those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere.


     This return of the Light also refers to changes in consciousness. This is the time of year when the Light, in the form of our individual and our collective consciousnesses, also begins to return, when clarity and compassion begin to stir in even the most depressed and mean spirited of us.

     This return of the Light expresses itself always in the return of sanity after insanity and the return of compassion after hatred. It manifests whenever we are able to light up the darkness of our unconsciousness, whenever we can become conscious and loving once again.

     This return to sanity and compassion is extremely important for our collective future. We need to return to our collective Light before it is too late, before we have killed each other off with our unconscious acting out that we call our wars, with our self-induced global warming, and with our unnecessary and tragic famines and plagues.

     We can do this. We can return to the Light. Each and every one of us is pure Light at our core. Each and every one of us can return this Light to our consciousnesses, to our lives, and to the world around us.



     We have another wonderful issue to share with you, one we hope will illuminate even the darkest hours of your winter.

     "Wisdom's Corner," inspired by Taoist writings, in particular, by The Secret of the Golden Flower, speaks of that enduring Inner Light at each of our centers, the Light that we are able to manifest by meditation and other spiritual practices.

     "BeHereNow" returns with the latest in updates from the world of today. It will be updated throughout the winter, just as often as new submissions are received. Let's make it an interesting and informative forum for discussion.

     The short piece, "Return," describes a vision that I had many years ago, one that gave me a glimpse into our dangerous future, a future that has now become our present tense. This vision also showed me how we might overcome this dreadful danger - by a return to the Light that is within each of us.

      "Let There Be Light" is all about Light. In particular, it's all about my search for the great White Light that I experienced, when, as a dying, young boy, I left my body. It's about the great lights in the sky - the sun, the moon, and the myriad stars. It's about the Light that we find in our deepest and most centered consciousness. It's about the clarity and the compassion that we can find in meditation. It's about the Light, the consciousness, that can even survive the deaths of our bodies.

     In Seeds from Plot 509, Aspen Marks again shares her earthy wisdom. She talks about seed catalogs and her dreams and wishes, as Grandmother Winter covers the earth with her great white blanket of snow.

     Partha Pratim Majumder has returned once again with a inspiring story of God's own renewal of faith in spite of the darkness that we are all living through these days.

     Long ago, I met this old and wandering hobo in a dream. He needed a place to stay, so I took him home with me. He and I have traveled together for many long years. He told me to call him Wanderer. "Coyote" is a tale from his Notebook.

      "Winter Solstice" is a wonderful cautionary poem by Karen Stingle. It was written long ago and far away, back in the flatlands of Berkeley, back in those earlier and far more innocent days. It describes this time of year as well as what to expect of it and ourselves. Good advice for all.

     Corey Mesler has graced us again with four illuminating poems. Corey has been a frequent and welcome contributor. He has published his prose and poetry in numerous magazines and reviews. With his wife, he owns Burke's Book Store, one of the country's oldest and best independent bookstores.

     Ariana Saraha has shared a new and wonderful song called Gayatri. Gayatri means "Light!" This song is an ancient chant from the Vedas, the oldest Sanskrit texts known. It calls us to never tire in our spiritual quest for the divine light from which we all came and to which we all return.

     Enjoy.

     Eugene Marks, Editor