Wanderer's Tales #13 - Darkness
Welcome to Issue 13 of Wanderer’s Tales. In this issue are songs, poems and stories for the winter solstice.
Welcome to Issue 13 of Wanderer’s Tales, the newsletter of Ancient Roads, the website of Seattle writer and songwriter Chris Struble. Here you will find fantasy fiction set in ancient worlds, and music born of wonder and imagination. Wanderers welcome.
The theme of this newsletter is Darkness.
As I write we are approaching the December Solstice, the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere. This time of the coming of winter has held great meaning for me over the years. As my beliefs have evolved, the cycles of Earth and Sun, and the natural rhythms of the seasons remain sacred for me, a common ground I can stand on with one foot in the past, and another in a hopeful future.
It is so easy at this time of year to be overwhelmed by all that must be done. For many of us it obligates shopping, parties, or holiday cards. For our family it also means music, with choir concerts, children’s pageants, and a winter solstice celebration that my wife LeAnne and I have led at our church for many years. I had the privilege once again of leading the music for this service.
The service will be Saturday, December 20, 2025 at 7 PM Pacific time. You can get more information and attend live online here: https://esuc.org/event/winter-solstice/
When LeAnne chose the theme of “Gifts of the Dark” as the theme for the service, I thought of this song To Know the Dark, with an original melody by Katie Hicks set to a Wendell Berry poem. In this video she shares the music and the story of writing the melody on the eve of the winter solstice.
We will be reading this winter solstice story. I'll be playing guitar and singing during this story as well.
Rose Gallogly
Another song I will be leading in the service is Out and In by The Moody Blues, from the album To Our Children’s Children’s Children. When I was young, I would turn off all the lights in my room, lay down, listen to that album, and let the music generate images in my mind. This song was co-written by John Lodge, the band’s bass player, who passed away this year, and Mike Pinder. Justin Hayward created a lovely video version a few years ago.
At the end of the service, we will lead a spiral dance. We haven’t done spiral dances for a few years, because they involve people moving together in close proximity. But it felt like the right time at last to being it back. For the dance music I chose Festival of Lupercalia by David Arkenstone.
I’ll end with a quick personal update. After getting laid off from my job as a software engineering manager last month, I decided to take early retirement. I will start looking for a new job next year, but my goals will be different than before. It will be about finding meaningful work with private health insurance for a few more years. I will also look into more opportunities to get paid directly for my writing and music.
My good friend Aisha Hauser is coaching me through this transition. She sent me this poem about leaving space between the logs to make room for fresh air to flow in. You can listen to it and read it here.
What gifts does the darkness of winter bring you? What are you grateful for at this time of year? Please share in the comments below.
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See you on the road!
Chris Struble