Finding the Inner Light to Carry us Through Winter

A Note from our Director of School on our Annual Lantern Walk

Dear Waldorf Community,

Our Lantern Walk is a time to honour the gentle transition of the seasons, as falling leaves and earlier sunsets signal the approach of winter. This year, our youngest students trod a path of frozen leaves beneath a dusting of snow — a striking visual and tactile collision where autumn and winter met without warning. We were unprepared for this blending; autumn’s colors clung stubbornly to frosted branches while winter’s chill seems to have settled in deeply.

Perhaps this surprising intertwining of seasons offers a metaphor for our modern lives—reminding us that some events are beyond our control. Only by slowing down and letting go can we embrace the present moment, allowing us to witness its unique beauty, even when it is harsh or unexpected.

The Lantern Walk reminds us that within each of us burns an inner light, capable of bringing warmth and kindness into times of change and uncertainty. Together, by candlelight, we honor the enduring rhythms of nature and the resilient beauty found in every season’s face.

With warmth and appreciation,

Conor

"I'm walking with my lantern, my lantern walks with me. Above the stars are shining, and down below are we."