Tis the Season...

     

The Winter Solstice-Yule- is fast approaching and I read in social media posts laments and wails about it being 'The First Day of Winter' and how Mother Nature has it all screwed up because those of us here in the Northern Hemisphere and the Northern states have already seen several feet of snow as well as sub-zero temperatures. But I beg to differ. Not about the current weather- I can look out my window and KNOW that winter is here-- snow!snow!everywhere! -- but about The Winter Solstice being the 'first day of winter' (yes, I know what the calender says...) 
   I consider The Winter Solstice Mid Winter. Why, you ask? Because from that day on the days begin lengthening (for those of us here in the Northern Hemisphere. For those of you in the Southern Hemisphere this is all reversed); the sun rises a little higher and shines a little brighter. Of course way up here in the Ring Finger of the Mitten it will be several more months before we really begin to see this- but its happening none-the-less. 

 In keeping with The Solstice being 'mid winter' and the return of the Sun/Son we have the multicultural Solstice celebrations at this time. Again, for me, 'the first day of winter' just doesn't fit with the emphasis on the Return Of The Light. I find this one of the most fascinating and energizing celebrations of the year because so many people in so many ways celebrate the same concept. Though different groups assign different Deities as their Light/Son/Savior/ the concepts are strikingly similar:

 At the darkest time of the year, when it seems we will never see the Sun/Light again a Bright One is born/brought forth who will usher in the Love/Sun and we are saved (spiritually,physically, emotionally) by the warmth/hope. 

When viewed like this the insistence of relegating this holiday (Holy Day) to just one religious group seems terribly sad, no?  There is such strength in Universal Myths and Archetypes; to limit these to just one group does such a disservice to humankind- we lose out bearings-or footing- our shared histories. The Solstice is bigger than the individual groups that celebrate it-it simply IS. Humans learn from it by assigning individual myths and stories to the event's Energy that give relevance and order to each ones community. Within the Macrocosm of the Solstice swirls many Microcosms. Each is real. Each is Valid. Each is Holy.

  So how do you celebrate this time of the year? Do you celebrate at all? I have celebrated many different ways over the years with a few activities and rituals that have 'stuck'.
    My family sets up a Christmas Tree (and yes-we call it that.'Yule' tree sounds forced to me..) . There is no 'theme'--year after year we hang our shared memories in the form of 25+ years of collected ornaments and enjoy telling the stories that attends each one. I often look at formally decorated trees with coordinating colors and imagine one in my house- but it seems cold  without the shiny memories to hang too. 
   We 'deck the halls' -- live ever green boughs make up the majority of my decor. The smell is amazing, the life and green energy is revitalizing and it reminds me that under the snow and ice the sap is running, the roots are stretching out and the seeds will sprout.
  Candles and Twinkle Lights -- must have! This is, after all, the celebration of THE LIGHT! Candles soften the cold darkness and cheery twinkle lights in the dark green boughs reminds me that the Sun will soon play off of the trees in the forest and the meadows...

Its Magic; create in the present what you want for the future and it shall be so.

Blessed Brumalia~Merry Christmas~Blessed Yuletide~Happy Beiwe Festival ~ Happy Hanukkah ~ 

 (to name just a few...)