I am making some preparations for Christmas, following on from my previous post on experiencing the darkness, the waiting, of Advent.  As I’ve been doing bits about the place, I have had Malcolm Guite’s “O” sonnets in my mind, and also the ancient songs on which they are based.

I unwrapped my old twig wreath, to see that it is even less of a circle than in previous years.  But, as I turned it round, I saw it as an “O”, which seemed just right for today.  The most famous of the “O”s is O Come O come Emmanuel, which sees good for a wreath, a sign of welcome.  I thought of all the welcomes of Christmas – from Jesus in a manger,  to friends and family who come to the door.

As I was thinking this, Wendy our post person came with a little parcel containing these

The latest edition of Quiet Spaces   My contribution is some meditations based on Emily Dickinson’s poetry.  I so enjoyed doing that – but I had forgotten that it hadn’t come out yet!
So, there are twelve poems, or extracts of them, by ED, followed by a meditation, a creative response, an application to take into your day.  They work as daily meditations, or combined to form a quiet day or group activity.  I’m quite excited about returning to them, with an

O