When the days are short and the nights are long and cold, where do you turn for wisdom? This episode of Resilience in Dark Times we look beyond modern self-help videos and journey back to the ancient world. I share with you three powerful solstice myths, from Inuit, Celtic, and Norse traditions. These three stories talk directly to us about times of disruption, darkness, and loss. Each story provides cultural wisdom and how to handle these dark times.
You’ll hear a tale about a mischievous raven, one about two warring kings, and finally a myth about a pair of relentless wolves. We’ll learn about the liberatory power of disruption, the essential balance between action and rest, and the profound beauty found in the cycle of endings and new beginnings.
If you’re searching for a deeper, more timeless framework for building resilience, press play and learn how the stories our ancestors told in the dark can help us find our own way back to the light.
“All the benefits of the summer, the flowers and the pollinators and all that life...is made possible by the darkness, the frost, the cold, the down time...Both are necessary. Both are needed. Life is that cycle between the cold darkness and the warm light.”
— Michael Glavin
What You’ll Discover: Episode Highlights
• The Trickster’s Gift: Why do authoritarian systems hate tricksters? Discover how an ancient Inuit tale of a sun-stealing raven offers a powerful, liberatory strategy for breaking free from rigid thinking and welcoming creative chaos.
• Reconciliation after the Battle: An ancient Celtic myth pits the Holly King (darkness) against the Oak King (light). Find out why their endless battle is the key to understanding the vital, restorative power of downtime in your own life.
• Beauty in Transience: The Norse myth of wolves devouring the sun and moon sounds terrifying, but it holds the secret to appreciating the present moment. Learn why this story of Ragnarok is not about despair, but about the profound promise of rebirth.
“Everything’s going to die. Everything’s going to pass away. That makes everything precious and makes things more beautiful, more poignant. But also…[there] is regeneration and rebirth.” — Michael Glavin
Your Resilience Practice: This Week’s Action Item
This week’s action item isn’t another task for your to-do list. It’s a practical, tangible step you can take to immediately integrate the episode’s central lesson—the critical importance of restorative downtime—into your own life.
Make yourself a cup of tea, get under a blanket, and give yourself 20 to 30 minutes to slow down, do nothing, and recharge.
This simple act of intentional rest is a powerful way to honor the cycles of your own life and build strength for the days ahead.
Resources & Further Exploration
This section provides links and references mentioned in the episode, allowing you to deepen your own understanding of these powerful stories.
• The Raven Story: The version of “Raven Steals the Sun” shared in the episode can be found at solsticelady.com
• Trickster Energy in Film: The host references the character Harry Tuttle from Terry Gilliam’s dystopian film Brazil as a modern example of the trickster archetype.
• The Holly and Oak King: As promised during the episode, you can find the source for this powerful Celtic tale here: The Holy King and the Oak King.
• Myths of the Norsemen: From the Eddas and Sagas: Many of the Norse Myths can be found here in The Project Gutenberg eBook.
• Hati and Sköll: The Celestial Wolves of Norse Mythology and Their Eternal Chase. A good discussion of the symbolism of the Norse Myths.
Coming Up Next on the Podcast
In our next episode, we’re distilling 15 episodes of Resilience in Dark Times wisdom into one essential toolkit. You’ll get a masterclass in the most effective, actionable strategies for building real-world resilience in our special “Resilience Essentials” compilation. Don’t miss it.
