A curated list of books, UU apparel, and more from the inSpirit website and in-person bookstore.

When we have a hard thing to do, it’s a good thing to have the right supplies—the necessary equipment—to help us get it done.

Yule is a time to rest and settle into the darkness.

Later, poets would tell of stars, shepherds, and seers, songs of angels…

High up, the wild geese have pulled the rusty doorway of Autumn closed behind them, their sharp music a choir of deep acoustic truth.

We pause on this night of mystery, to tell the stories, to sing the songs, and to bring more light into the world.

We light this chalice, here in the darkness of winter as we wait.

Spirits of winter, I celebrate you!

Gentle darkness, soft and still, bring your quiet to me.

What would it look like to not just accept and survive our times of rest, but to delight in them?

Beneath the crust of earth, seeds and bulbs lay in store.

Darkness is as important as light.

December seventh, "Eight Candles" (1970). Malvina Reynolds was a 20th century Jewish, Unitarian Universalist, socialist, songwriter, and performer who is best known for her song “Little Boxes.” In 1970 she recorded the Hanukkah Song “Eight Candles.” It has since become a holiday favorite.

The changes that take place in winter are a kind of alchemy, an enchantment performed by ordinary creatures to survive.

Maybe hope is fleeting. It leaves and returns again; there’s beauty in its impermanence.

Hope continues, uncertain and true, like candlelight, ready to spark again.

Do not be afraid of the darkness. Dark is the rich fertile earth that cradles the seed, nourishing growth. Dark is the soft night that cradles us to rest. Only in darkness can stars shine across the vastness of space. Only in darkness is the moon's dance so clear....

Reader 1: Flaming chalice, symbol of our living tradition, we kindle you for light Reader 2: Light in this darkest season of the year Light to reveal the sources of greed and hate among us Light to guide our way forward together Reader 1: Chalice Flame, we kindle you for love Reader 2: Love to ke...

Let this be a time of resilience. May the changing seasons bring new meaning and new insights. May creativity and persistence lead us to find resources for all to share. May those who migrate find safety, and may there be good news in the wind. May transformation lead us onward.

There's nothing simple about the holidays. Joy can feel empty when it is compulsory. The promise of liberation is hard fought and well earned.