In the Dark, We Come Together

Photo by Candis Hidalgo

A Solstice Reflection on Community & Belonging

In the stillness of winter, something begins to stir. Not in haste, but in depth. Not in light, but in trust.

This time of year asks nothing of us but presence.

The earth slows. The trees rest. The light thins and we remember: Life doesn't disappear in the dark. It regenerates.

The Dark as Fertile Ground

We often think of darkness as something to fear or avoid. But true darkness, the kind that winter offers, is not empty. It’s sacred. Still. Full of potential.

This is where seeds lie waiting. Where soil recovers. Where clarity begins, not with answers, but with space.

As a community, we enter this season not with urgency, but with curiosity. Not to push forward, but to look back, gather what we’ve learned, and prepare the ground for what comes next.

What Did We Grow This Year?

It’s been a year of movement, questions, beginnings. Together, we launched something small but alive. A platform, yes, but also a field.

A field for growth, for regeneration, for real connection. A space to listen, to contribute, to be witnessed.

We shaped the foundation of something new:

🌱 Shared ownership

🌱 Inner and outer regeneration

🌱 Decentralized decision-making

🌱 Real humans, with real lives, showing up imperfectly but fully

And all this during a time when the world feels uncertain. Where ecosystems, economies, and communities are shifting. But also where something deeper is reawakening. A quiet remembering that we belong to each other.

Rest, Remember, Reconnect

This week, as the nights reach their longest, we invite you to pause.

To unplug. To soften. To sit with those who matter, whether around a fire, a table, or simply in your thoughts.

This is not a holiday. This is a moment. To be human. To reflect. To feel. To hold gratitude for what has grown, and hope for what’s still possible.

Practices for Solstice Belonging

Light a single candle: Let it symbolize your presence. That you’re still here. Still part of it all.

Reach out: One message, one voice, one check-in can weave invisible threads of care.

Write a memory from the past year: Something that surprised you, changed you, held you.

Gather stories: From your family, chosen or biological. From your land. From your own becoming.

Listen for the new rhythm: Something soft and true is calling from the quiet.

What’s Coming Next?

In the next cycle, we move from inner compass to shared coordination. From reflection to co-creation. From “What do I want to bring?” to “What can we shape, together?”

We’ll begin to host roundtables. We’ll invite questions. We’ll offer clarity about how the cooperative works, and how to become part of it, not just as a user, but as a co-owner and maybe a co-creator.

But not yet.

Now is the moment to rest in the field we’ve prepared. To trust that winter is not a pause in life, but part of its rhythm. To remember that even in darkness, we are connected.

You are part of something. Even when you feel far. Even when it’s still forming.

Thank you for walking this path with us.

Eve & Jen