The Light of the Seasons

Something about the pale winter sun has always stirred within me a strange, sweet melancholy. But why? Perhaps it’s because the winter sun shining in the late-afternoon sky reminds me of the wan, round and paper-thin communion wafer with its bittersweet associations with Christ’s Crucifixion and Resurrection. The snow had stopped and my reflections returned to a quaint little art gallery in Woodstock, Vermont. Four particular paintings fascinated me with their subtle contrast of the way the light of the sun changes with each season.\

Each painting was of the same scene. A cluster of evergreens. The only difference distinguishing the paintings from one another was the quality of the light. Each painting depicted the light of a particular season. This fact was reflected in their titles: Winter Light, Spring Light, Summer Light, and Autumn Light.

I recalled standing there stunned at the subtle differences in each painting. The varying angles and intensities of the seasonal shifts in the sun’s light seasoned each scene of the ever-constant evergreens, so that each one had a distinctive flavor. Spicy spring broth. Savory summer gazpacho. Aromatic autumn bisque. Warm winter stew. Still, why did these paintings, especially Winter Light, move me?
Then it hit me: the light of the inner sun of our soul mirrors the ever-changing sunlight of each passing season. As we journey through the seasons of our soul, the light of our soul changes. The soft light of spring, ever growing in its intensity, comes first. Then comes the harsh blinding light of summer. The harsh light of summer is followed by the softer waning light of autumn. Finally, comes the softest light of all, the pale light of the wan winter wafer.

Just what does this mean for our inner life and the growth of our soul? To me, it means that the young soul begins with a soft gaze toward others. A child can be so innocent and purely loving and accepting and so can the young soul. In summer, our capacity to love is tested. As we are hurt and betrayed, we may become cynical. Our gaze may take on the relentless harshness of the summer sun. We look at things straight on with a clarity that seeks out the flaws of others. We can either burn them with our gaze. Or, in seeing things clearly, can we find it in our heart to be forgiving and accepting? If so, we can move on to develop the more accepting gaze of autumn.

The autumn sun shines equally on all the various colors of the changing leaves. Summer’s green gradually gives way to reds, oranges, yellows, golds, and browns. Likewise, in autumn, our soul can gaze upon all the colors of humanity with an appreciative eye.

Finally, if we are able to move into winter, we can be as accepting as the pale winter sun; it softly shines on the all-embracing snow. Under the glistening white blanket, the seemly and the unseemly—dead leaves and grass, barren branches, the junk in people’s backyards—are equally embraced. No harsh judgment.

The spiritual masters taught me that a soul may not move through all the seasons in one lifetime. That is to say, the level of maturity may not change in one lifetime. It may take the experience of many lifetimes to progress through the four seasons.


A soul may come to earth and remain in the spring. Another soul may remain stuck in the harshness of summer. Still, another may stay stuck on the differences among people and not be able to move on to winter’s realization of the oneness of all life.

My impression is that the goal is to progress through all four seasons in one lifetime. And we keep coming back until we finally go through all four seasons. This time, with the masters’ help, I feel blessed. For without their patience with my stumbling and bumbling efforts to learn how to love, I wouldn’t be taking my first steps on the snow-covered paths of the winter of my soul.

• Today, remember, as stress strikes, we may shift from the light of one season to another. However, which light describes the predominant gaze you direct towerd yourself and others. I will be blog-absent until July 16th. Happy Fourth of July!