Venus Rising

Food for SoulIssue: Sagittarius 06

Balance the Darkness of the Season with Vibrant Foods like Cranberries and Pomegranates

The solstice is coming! The solstice is coming! Winter Solstice is profound in our northern hemisphere. It marks the day with the least amount of sunlight and the most amount of darkness. It is the point in the year when the sun sets at its farthest point south on the horizon. Within a week of the solstice more sunlight is apparent, if you watch closely.

In this season of fleeting light, our spirits get darker, too. The lack of light tends to make us hole up in our homes, with less energy and more aptness for sleep. In Vermont, as we lumber toward December 21st, the only colors we seem to see are many shades of gray, black, or brown. In most places, the fields are barren by now, their soil overturned to expose their darker underbellies. Sunlight no longer wakens us, rude electric clocks do. Light no longer accompanies our al fresco dinners. Instead, we get warmth through our food of stews, soups, and roast chickens. We no longer find a good real tomato or a naturally juicy strawberry. The pumpkins have grown furry beards of mold. The smell of cedar scented wool and down have taken the place of coconut tinged lotions. This is the time of year when the chill sticks to our bones as we await the grim shortest day.

This time of year has been celebrated for thousands of years. The Winter Solstice and the 12 days after were marked in ancient cultures as the sun’s victory over darkness, and the promise that it would again bring new sustaining life. There was much to be thankful for and look forward to.  

Photo by Philip GaligaDuring this season, it is helpful to eat foods that defy darkness−things that glow, showing vibrant colors and flavors. As you return to the huge grocery store for your sustenance (since your farmers market has likely shut down) look for those things only available now, this time of year…and bright! Fresh cranberries are the star of the season and represent a vivid opposition to all that is dark. In color and taste, they are full of tart and robust possibility. Besides, try to find a fresh cranberry in July! While they certainly grace every Thanksgiving table, they are well worth enjoying throughout the entire season. Make your cranberry relish or sauce early and enjoy it with oatmeal or granola, on pancakes, or mixed into yogurt. Make extra for Turkey Day and use the left-over on sandwiches, grilled chicken, diluted for salad dressing, or on creamy cheese as a beautiful appetizer at your holiday party. A spoonful of cranberry sauce is the perfect snack or substitute for one more cookie. Cranberries are not only surprisingly versatile, they are also packed with vitamin C and powerful antioxidants that help prevent heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases.

Another sparkling ruby red that can enhance the season is the pomegranate. The size of an orange, they are filled with tiny red jewels−seeds that are translucent and bursting with sweet juice. The seeds are a labor of love, as they cling tightly to each other and their protective pith. They are also a launderer’s nightmare. However, once released they are brilliant, shiny and delicious, not to mention packed with potent antioxidants and vitamins A, C, E, and iron. Of Persian origin, they have many symbolic meanings in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and African cultures, representing fertility, forbidden desire, the blood of the earth, life, death, and re-birth. Some Greeks still smash a pomegranate at weddings to wish the newlyweds’ fertility.