February: Through the Shadows, Into the Light.

What do Groundhog Day, rising sap in maple trees, longer daylight hours, Valentine's Day, and Black History Month have in common? They all teach us about shadows and light—and they all happen in February.

This month's theme invites exploration through nature, history, science, and the mind-body connection. Shadows can mean the physical play of light and dark as days grow longer. They can also represent our inner landscape—the parts of ourselves and our collective history that live in darkness, waiting for conditions safe enough to emerge into light.

Traditions and Natural Rhythms

Every February 2nd, Punxsutawney Phil continues a beloved tradition: will he see his shadow and predict six more weeks of winter? While not scientifically reliable, this playful ritual fits perfectly within our monthly theme of shadows determining what comes next.

Meanwhile, beneath the bark of maple trees, sap begins to rise—an invisible preparation for the abundance of spring. Animals respond to lengthening light by seeking mates and preparing to reproduce. Even Valentine's Day echoes this natural impulse toward connection, partnership, and new beginnings that will unfold through spring and beyond.

The Shadows We Carry

Each person moves through life carrying their own shadows—the subconscious experiences that shape how we see and move through the world. For many, these shadows are inherited: generational traumas that are direct consequences of systems built on injustice.

During Black History Month, we cannot ignore how Black and brown communities have inherited shadow experiences no human should bear. The effects of centuries of marginalization, resource deprivation, and systemic oppression don't simply disappear—they live in the body. The body keeps the score.

Here's what I've come to understand: a nervous system in survival mode cannot integrate its shadows without safety to counteract them. In nature, shadows represent rest, recovery, dormancy—the necessary lull before light returns. But many people exist at an unfair disadvantage, denied the time, space, and resources needed to rest, recover, and move through their darkness toward wholeness.

Being the Light

In a world where injustice persists, our job is to be a light and help balance the shadows. We can be supportive neighbors, friends, and resources for others—helping restore humanity to more even ground where each person has the capacity to experience their shadows and move through them toward health and wholeness.
As the light literally returns this month, so too does life. This is the pattern nature offers us.

Our Explorations This Month

My daughter and I will be exploring light and shadow through multiple lenses:
The nature of light and growth: in us as humans and the impact it has on the natural world of plants and animals.
The science of seeing: light, optics, wavelengths, color theory, and how light functions as both frequency and phenomenon
Photography and perspective: using the camera lens to explore different ways of seeing, how viewpoint shapes experience
Light and the body: natural light versus artificial light, red light therapy, blue light exposure, and how light impacts our nervous systems and mood
Inner work: reflecting on our own shadows, what they reveal, and how we can prepare to integrate them and move toward light in whatever ways we can control

We'll plant seeds for spring herbs, share in community support, and remember that light exists within us all. Like the spectrum of visible light, humans are one—we just come in different shades.

The Paradox of Shadows

What I wish I had learned earlier is how to move through darkness to reach the light. That's what I hope to teach my daughter this month: to be a light, to look for the light, to trust that light returns, and to admire the life and beauty that emerges from it.

Because without light, there would be no shadows. And without shadows, the light doesn't feel so bright.