Feng Shui for the New Year

Betsy Stang

A new year is like a new doorway. A new year offers a new chance to bring who we truly are into manifestation. Each turn of the wheel has its wisdom. What does the wisdom of the New Year hold for you? Your home? Are there obstacles in your way?

In the Northern Hemisphere the New Year follows shortly after winter solstice, the time of year with the longest night, the time of the Great Yin, the Dark Feminine, when the energy of all growing things goes deepest into the ground. We are each given this time to dream of what we might become as the light and growth return.

In the ancient Chinese traditions this is the time of K’un—The Receptive, Earth

The Receptive brings about sublime success,
Furthering through the perseverance of a mare.
If the superior man undertakes something and tries to lead,
He goes astray;
But if he follows, he finds guidance.
It is favorable to find friends in the west and south,
To forego friends in the east and north.
Quiet perseverance brings good fortune.

The elements of spring are sleeping in the dark with the bears and moles and many other animals. In Native American traditions this is a time for dreaming, storytelling, coming together as community and of contacting the spirits of the Earth.

This is not a time to reach outside for answers, but to go deep within.
As we go in, we notice.

Notice your home. What patterns are outmoded? Where are the obstacles to your realization of self? Look at piles of what is not being used. Is there a tool, a skill you have, clothing, computers, cameras that you no longer use? Are they outmoded? Will you use their gifts? If not they need to move along, so give those possessions away. If you are not willing to pass them along, then use them.

Do you have old obligations and debts you have not dealt with? It’s time to clear them too, at least begin to gather the information you will need. It is not possible to truly move into prosperity and abundance, until you are in full integrity with yourself.

All traditions celebrate this time as new birth and the return of sun from its journey to the southern hemisphere. Be gentle with your new beginnings they are infants and need to be nourished until the sap starts to flow in early February.

Make small movements. Allow yourself quiet time. Listen. Clear, clean, restage resting and work places of your life. And bring sustainable light into the time of dark.

In the new year, as you sit cozy in your home, remember there are always those who are cold and hungry or in the dark. Can you pass along something you no longer need to someone who may need it more? Not just people, the animals need your help now too. Can you find a way to share your wisdom and prosperity with those who have no voice? The ancient Chinese masters said: “Feed the Earth, feed the fish and the birds and your world will be abundant.”

May you be a steward of the earth and have a new year full of abundance and joy.

—The Rev. Betsy Stang

Goddesses for Winter Solstice: Eos and Aurora

Goddess Comments & Graphics
Goddesses for Winter Solstice: Eos and AuroraAuthor Unknown

For the winter solstice I chose Eos and Aurora to represent the goddess. This is the time of beginning light. As the wheel of year turns, the light begins to return. This is a special time of year for me. I was born in December and my name is Dawn. It is appropriate for me to celebrate with these goddesses.

Eos is the Greek goddess of dawn. She was the daughter of two early light deities, Hyperion and Thea. The lovely winged creature drove a chariot hitched to four swift steeds, dragging light across the sky; she changed at midday into another goddess, Hemera (“light of day”), and later into sunset goddess Hesperide. Aurora is the Roman goddess of dawn and has similar stories as of the Greek Eos; her name means“light.”

She had a strong sexual appetite, similar to that of Aphrodite, and had many lovers. Sometimes she would kidnap handsome men to serve her needs. There is a story relating to the gigantic Orion. When he was mortal he mistreated his wife Merope. He was blinded by Merope’s father and by the wine god Dionysus. In order to restore his sight, Orion was told to bathe his face in Eos’ rays. He stood on a hilltop looking towards the sky. Not only did she restore Orion’s sight, she kidnapped him to serve as her lover. Orion still had a violent nature and eventually was sent to the stars for an offense against Artemis.

Eros had another mortal lover, Tithonus. Eos was so attracted to him she wanted immortality for him. Unfortunately Eos did not ask for eternal youth. Tithonus slowly aged and Eos’love faded. She left him, but took kindness on him. She turned him into a cricket and placed him in a cage near her door. This way he could say good-bye to her as she left on her day’s journey

Preparation: Dark blue, silver or white altar cloth, one white candle. The ritual will take place at sunset or after dark.

Prayer: O dear Goddesses of light, we honor you on this dark day as we wait for the sun to be reborn. We have been traveling in the dark with the hope for the return of the light. We ask you Eos and Aurora to join us tonight as we welcome this day. This is a new beginning for us me as we look ahead to the New Year. Thank you for bringing the warmth of light. Blessed Be.

~Magickal Graphics~

Yule – December 20th-23rd

Yule – December 20th-23rd

1. Return of the Sun God. As the solstice approaches, the return of Spring and Nature’s bounty cannot be too far off. It is difficult to belief that earlier people’s were uncertain about continued cycles, but there was not the scientific basis we have today. This was the height of Mid-Winter, and it was evident that there would be sufficient food, or that they would have to do with less until the Spring brought hunting and agriculture.

2. The longest night was also a mystical event. There is a strong tradition for staying awake all through Solstice night and holding vigil that the dawn might arrive. These can be powerful rituals. This was a time when the Goddess Hecate was considered strong, and her magickal world controlled the lives of those caught in heavy winter, and putting all their hopes and energies into surviving until the next season. Deaths were common, and the Lord of the Underworld was seen as real and near.

3. In contemporary culture, we are not at risk from the lack of Harvest and we focus on this solstice as the Day the Great Mother gives birth to the Sun. This is the culmination of the cycle of life and sexuality that began last May at the Beltaine festivities, and now the young God comes forth to begin the cycle anew.

4. Celtic Festival of Alban Arthan. Druidic festival. When the chief druid cut the sacred mistletoe from the Oak. (ABC of Witchcraft).

5. The Romans celebrated the Solstice with the Festival of Saturnalia, giving presents and social distinctions were erased. Masters served servants a feast. Riotous fun and merriment. This event celebrates an inversion of tradition.

6. Saxons celebrated the feast of Yule with blazing fires in the form of a Yule Log, one of the only remnants passed down to present day. They saved a piece of the Yule log from the current year to kindle the next Yule blaze.

Winter Solstice Celebrations Around The World – Brumalia

Brumalia

(Roman Kingdom)

Influenced by the Ancient Greek Lenaia festival, Brumalia was an ancient Roman solstice festival honoring Bacchus, generally held for a month and ending December 25. The festival included drinking and merriment. The name is derived from the Latin word bruma, meaning “shortest day” or “winter solstice”. The festivities almost always occurred on the night of December 24.

~Magickal Graphics~

Daily Horoscopes for Thursday, December 22nd

Although we may want to be pragmatic as the Sun shifts into cautious Capricorn, marking the Winter Solstice, we are more likely to let our visions carry us away today. Blind optimism leads the way with the joyous Sun-Jupiter trine, enabling us to see the brighter side of life while the wild Sun-Uranus square encourages us to take risks. Meanwhile, the Moon’s entry into adventurous Sagittarius at 7:02 am EST affirms the current upbeat energy.

Aries Horoscope (Mar 21 – Apr 19)

You cannot contain your excitement today as the barriers to pursuing your happiness fall away. Although you may be high on anticipation about your upcoming adventures, satisfaction might not be as close as you expect. Don’t be cavalier about the complexities you must still overcome. If you are serious about your goals, you just might be able to execute your plans successfully.

Taurus Horoscope (Apr 20 – May 20)

Last minute social commitments might add a bit of stress to your day by placing too many demands on your time. Although you’re capable of stretching beyond your usual limits today, don’t reach so far that you upset the balance between work and play. Being open to the spirit of the holiday season is fine, but don’t be afraid to retreat if your common sense tells you that you are overextended.

Gemini Horoscope (May 21 – Jun 20)

It’s tempting to go along with someone’s idea today because you are more concerned with enjoying yourself than with achieving success. Fortunately, the Moon’s presence in your 7th House of Companions can amplify the strength of another person’s strategy, further encouraging you to let go of your previous plans. Your cooperative spirit enables you to work well with others now, bringing greater satisfaction than doing something on your own.

Cancer Horoscope (June 21 – Jul 22)

Although you’re optimistic about what you can accomplish at work today, your expectations might be somewhat unrealistic. Streamline your to-do list before wasting lots of energy on tasks you can’t finish. Instead of spreading yourself too thin, focus on completing a few of the most important tasks; otherwise, you could exhaust yourself before the day is done.

Leo Horoscope (Jul 23 – Aug 22)

You are feeling very creative today as the buoyant Sagittarius Moon enters your 5th House of Self-Expression. However, you aren’t in the mood to perform the repetitive tasks that may still be required. Be careful about reacting too impulsively because your frustration could explode into an emotional outbreak that turns your day upside down. Although it might be challenging to be patient now, it’s best to save your greatest inspiration for your personal pleasure.

Virgo Horoscope (Aug 23 – Sep 22)

You may believe that you can accomplish everything today, but your schedule could fall apart if someone’s need for independence clashes with your agenda. You might have to reinvent your day on the fly or postpone tasks when something requires more time than you expected. Your emotional reaction could upset a close friend or loved one, but your reassurances should be able to settle them down. Make sure everyone knows that you still plan to meet your obligations over the next few days.

Libra Horoscope (Sep 23 – Oct 22)

If you try to stuff one more activity into this day, it could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. But you might not realize that anything has gone wrong until it’s too late. Even if you are quite confident that all is well in your world, it’s still smart to lighten up your calendar before you find yourself in trouble. If you stretch your commitments too far, the entire house of cards may need to fall in order to alleviate the tension.

Scorpio Horoscope (Oct 23 – Nov 21)

Exercising financial caution is wise today because the optimistic Sagittarius Moon in your 2nd House of Possessions encourages you to spend more than you should. Your money may be more limited than you want to admit, so budgeting your resources makes good sense. It’s smarter to acknowledge how you can fool yourself before you end up facing an unnecessary negative cash flow situation. Fortunately, a little planning goes a long way to ease your concerns.

Sagittarius Horoscope (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

You are riding a wave of self-confidence, but it’s also easy to gloss over practical details that can get you into trouble today. Relying on your common sense now instead of your optimism is a good idea, but it’s not easy to keep your feet on the ground. Your visionary powers are strong, tricking you to think that you’re invincible. Positive thinking will improve the situation, but ignoring the facts makes things worse. Don’t avoid reality just because it’s unpleasant.

Capricorn Horoscope (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

You may try to be rational in your approach to a complicated situation now that the Sun is shining in your sensible sign. Unfortunately, the current circumstances can defy logical analysis. Instead of unsuccessfully attempting to stay on the straight and narrow path, give yourself permission to be inspired by your imagination. Don’t try to justify your choices to anyone; simply trust in the process. Your intuition will not steer you wrong today.

Aquarius Horoscope (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

Your dreams may be the source of inspiration today, but they can also lead you in a more practical direction than you realize. The Moon’s visit to your 11th House of Long-Term Goals lures you out of the present reality and into a world of potential. Luckily, these imaginative excursions can have a lasting impact on what comes next in your life. Instead of losing yourself in fantasyland, consciously paint your future with the colors of your mind.

Pisces Horoscope (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

You may be feeling very sure of yourself now, believing that you have the ability to improve your career path simply through the power of positive thought. Unfortunately, your visions might be slightly warped, enabling you to view your future through rose-colored glasses. Although there’s no reason to assume the worst, don’t avoid difficult facts just because you’re able to see so much good wherever you look. A reality check only improves your chances for success.

Winter Solstice Celebrations Around The World – Beiwe Festival

Beiwe Festival

(Sámi of Northern Fennoscandia)

The Saami, indigenous people of Finland, Sweden and Norway, worship Beiwe, the sun-goddess of fertility and sanity. She travels through the sky in a structure made of reindeer bones with her daughter, Beiwe-Neia, to herald back the greenery on which the reindeer feed. On the winter solstice, her worshipers sacrifice white female animals, and thread the meat onto sticks which they bend into rings and tie with bright ribbons. They also cover their doorposts with butter so Beiwe can eat it and begin her journey once again.

~Magickal Graphics~

Winter Solstices Around The World – Amateras

Winter Comments & Graphics
Amateras celebration, Requiem of the Dead (7th century Japan)

In late 7th century Japan, festivities were held to celebrate the reemergence of Amateras, the sun goddess of Japanese mythology, from her seclusion in a cave. The other gods make a loud celebration in order to make Amaterasu come out of her cave. She peeks out, sees her image in a mirror, and the other gods convince her to stay out of the cave; thereby restoring sunlight to the world. Requiems for the dead were held and Manzai and Shishimai were performed throughout the night, awaiting the sunrise. Aspects of this tradition survive on New Years.

~Magickal Graphics~

How to Decorate & Meditate on the Winter Solstice

Winter Comments & Graphics

How to Decorate & Meditate on the Winter Solstice

by Donna Oxley

On December 21st we will again be celebrating the Winter Solstice here in the Northern Hemisphere.

This is a magical time of the year and throughout the ages of mankind religions have gravitated toward this date to hold major ceremonies, celebrations and sacred observations.

Our modern age strangely sees us returning to the age-old customs of noting and paying respect to the sacred cycles of nature and the part we play in it, for we are intrinsically tied to these cycles of nature whether we like to admit it or not, influenced by the stages of the moon with its ebb and flow of energy. The sun ‘ the life giver ‘ marks the days of death and decay back into regeneration and growth. None of us that live on this planet can escape Mother Nature, the Goddess and her womb, or Father Time, the God and his creation of all life from the elements. Light and dark, all is one, all religion, all life blessed be!

RETURN OF THE SUN/SON!

Winter Solstice is the shortest day and the longest night of the year. It marks the gradual return of the sun and signifies birth when new seeds of life will spring forth. Similarly, Christianity uses this time of year to mark the birth of the son, signifying life eternal for all who partake of the light and become the body of Christ.

A good way to remember this special Solstice is, as the hours of daylight grow, so too, we can let our inner light of understanding, love and intuitions grow. Allowing both the dark and the light to resonate within us, for it is part of us and we can practice new beginnings of unity, compassion, empathy and global love.

PREPARE FOR THE WINTER SOLSTICE

Spend the Solstice in candlelight, meditation, reflection and look forward to new dawn. Enjoy the magical night of dreams by preparing incense and a deep meditation. Decorate your home with the colors of winter; white to represent the winter snow, dark green winter foliage, red winter berries and fruits, gold to represent the returning energy of the sun and silver for the delicate frost that settles all around at this cold time of year. A Winter Solstice incense blend:

Fill A heatproof bowl with about an inch of sand or salt. Metals, stone & ceramics are ideal that have feet to hold them safely above a surface, or you can buy purpose made incense burners. Incense will burn hot and produce an ash that may fall off when burning so it’s essential you do use a container on a surface that is fireproof. Prepare by crushing the ingredients together.

CITRUS SOLSTICE

1 tbsp dried Orange Peel, 1 tbsp dried Grapefruit Peel, 1 tbsp dried Lemon Peel, 1 tbsp dried Tangerine Peel, 1 tsp Orange extract, 1 tsp Lemon extract.

WINTER SOLSTICE

One part Pine Needles, One part Cinnamon, One part Apple Rind, One part Myrrh, One part Frankincense

Experiment and find a blend you like!

SEVEN REFLECTIONS WINTER SOLSTICE MEDITATION;

There is an Old Russian divination that took place on the evening of Winter Solstice where – usually a young lady – would set up two mirrors and two candles into a position that they would reflect each other. One should then peer into one of the mirrors and seek the seventh reflection, where she would catch a glimpse of her future or her one true love!

Find a comfortable place where you are least likely to be disturbed. Get your mirrors and candles ready, be sure to position them facing each other with the candles reflecting in each – use a stable, fireproof surface. Please take care that you cannot fall into the mirrors or candles as meditation can have a very hypnotic effect! Position them safely & far enough away.

You should sit facing the mirrors so that you can see into either mirror with the reflection of the other, if in a chair sit with your feet flat on the floor or sit in your usual meditation position. Sit upright but comfortable. Try not to hunch as this is not a relaxing position. Rest your hands lightly on your lap. Start the sound session.

First, concentrate yourself fully on the following breathing technique (do this about five – ten times, you don’t have to count ‘ do what feels right);

Breathe in deeply, expanding your abdomen to fill your lungs. Hold then very slowly let the breath out all the way until your lungs are empty.

Now begin to look into one of the mirrors, whichever one is up to you, search for the seventh reflection. After a while the image may change in the mirror, other faces may be seen or other images. Allow your mind to go along with the experience and always write the details in a diary immediately afterwards – this is for later reflection and things may make sense later that were not obvious at the time.

THE LAWS OF ATTRACTION MEDITATION

Before beginning the meditation, read the following reading I personally got during meditation regarding ‘THE LAWS OF ATTRACTION’ and try to understand the message contained within.

“Every negative word, deed, glance, thought, and action will come back to you. It is the indisputable law, the law of attraction. If you play with it, study this in earnest, you will find it, without doubt, to be true.

Imaging you are communicating with the physical world via a mirror. The person who stares back at you is the equivalent of every other person in the world. Frown at the person in the mirror, the person frowns back at you. Become angry at the person, see what comes back to you, look at the anger on that face and look into the eyes. How does that make you feel ‘ good? Bad? Imagine a child being confronted with that face, those eyes, that anger. Imagine if that small child was you!

Smile and you receive the same, laugh and the image laughs with you. This is how we create our world, by reflection. This is a warning so don’t discard it. Keep it with you and discover it!

But what if you are a child? You didn’t yet throw anything into the water to cause a ripple. You were born in innocence! No! You chose to be a victim for a short time. You agreed in your ancient wisdom to become the effect of a cause and those who peer into the mirror will see you. Your reflection will call to action better judgment, better discernment and a better future for all.”

NOW, get your mirror ready and find a comfortable place where you are least likely to be disturbed. You should sit in a chair facing the mirror with your feet flat on the floor. Sit upright but comfortable. Try not to hunch as this is not a relaxing position. Rest your hands lightly on your lap. Start the sound session.

First, concentrate yourself fully on the following breathing technique (do this about five – ten times, you don’t have to count ‘ do what feels right);

Breathe in deeply, expanding your abdomen to fill your lungs. Hold then very slowly let the breath out all the way until your lungs are empty. Keep your breathing deep and regular and begin to stare at your reflection in the mirror, focusing on your eyes. Imagine that every other person in the world reflects the image that stares back at you.

Notice the expression, smiles, frowns, anger, study what comes back at you through the mirror.

Now allow yourself to absorb the powerful sounds and simply stare at the mirror. After a while the image may change, other faces may be seen or other images. Allow your mind to go along with the experience and write the details in a diary immediately afterwards Allow yourself to adjust when your meditation finishes and drink a fresh glass of water.

About the author: The author Donna Oxley strives to provide relevant information & insight into the many liberating benefits of meditation & self improvement. Also her website at http://www.relaxmp3.co.uk provides inexpensive Mp3 sessions relating to meditation by sound – including hypnotic binaural beats, brainwave entrainment, simple nature sounds.

~Magickal Graphics~

A Little Winter Solstice Lore……

Winter Comments & Graphics

The solstice itself may have been a special moment of the annual cycle of the year even during neolithic times. Astronomical events, which during ancient times controlled the mating of animals, sowing of crops and metering of winter reserves between harvests, show how various cultural mythologies and traditions have arisen. This is attested by physical remains in the layouts of late Neolithic and Bronze Age archaeological sites such as Stonehenge in Britain and Newgrange in Ireland. The primary axes of both of these monuments seem to have been carefully aligned on a sight-line pointing to the winter solstice sunrise (Newgrange) and the winter solstice sunset (Stonehenge). Significant in respect of Stonehenge is the fact that the Great Trilithon was erected outwards from the centre of the monument, i.e., its smooth flat face was turned towards the midwinter Sun.

The winter solstice may have been immensely important because communities were not certain of living through the winter, and had to be prepared during the previous nine months. Starvation was common in winter between January and April, also known as the famine months. In temperate climates, the midwinter festival was the last feast celebration, before deep winter began. Most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter, so it was almost the only time of year when a supply of fresh meat was available. The majority of wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking at this time. The concentration of the observances were not always on the day commencing at midnight or at dawn, but the beginning of the pre-Romanized day, which falls on the previous eve.

Since the event is seen as the reversal of the Sun’s ebbing presence in the sky, concepts of the birth or rebirth of sun gods have been common and, in cultures using winter solstitially based cyclic calendars, the year as reborn has been celebrated with regard to life-death-rebirth deities or new beginnings such as Hogmanay’s redding, a New Year cleaning tradition. In Greek mythology, the gods and goddesses met on the winter and summer solstice, and Hades is permitted to enter Mount Olympus (his domain is the underworld so he of course does not get accepted any other time). Also reversal is yet another usual theme as in Saturnalia’s slave and master reversals.

~Magickal Graphics~

Happy Winter Solstice & A Blessed Yule To You All!

Yule Comments & Graphics

Wishing You and Yours a Very Happy Winter Solstice and a Very Blessed Yule!

Yuletide Cheer

(poem by: Isha ArrowHawk )

The chill breath of winter touches us,
As blankets of snow cover the ground.
With the glow of moonlight upon them,
Its like diamond sparkles all around.

Inside the room is cozy and warm,
The scent of evergreen wafts from the fire.
Surrounded with love and family,
I’ve got all that I could desire.

Sleigh bells jingle from the front porch,
As my coveners decorate outside.
They’ve no need of blankets,
They have the warmth of love inside.

In my home we all gather round,
And with Pagan carols our voices ring.
Then we settle down to enjoy the tale,
Of the Oaken Lord and the Holly King.

For our holiday is quite different,
Than the cowan Christmas night.
We cast our Circle, join together,
And welcome the return of Light.

Then we sit and share the feast,
As we pass bread and wine around.
As blessings from mingled voices…
“Never hunger,” “Never thirst” abound.

All too soon the rite is ended,
And we greet the newborn day.
As we clasp hands together,
This wish we send your way….

It’s no matter your tradition,
Be you family, friend, or guest.
We wish you joy and peace,
And may your Yule be Blessed!!

“On the first day of winter,
the earth awakens to the cold touch of itself.
Snow knows no other recourse except
this falling, this sudden letting go
over the small gnomed bushes, all the emptying trees.
Snow puts beauty back into the withered and malnourished,
into the death-wish of nature and the deliberate way
winter insists on nothing less than deference.
waiting all its life, snow says, “Let me cover you.”
– Laura Lush, The First Day of Winter

~Magickal Graphics~

Thirteen Yuletide Celebrations

by Heather Evenstar Osterman

How do you compete with Christianity’s biggest holiday? You don’t have to! Most traditional Christmas customs originated from pagan practices. In fact, nearly every culture in some way celebrates the Sun/Son God at this time of year. You can reclaim Yule as your family’s heritage; pass down your family’s traditional recipes. If you figure out how to avoid the rampant commercialism, let me know.

Yule (also Yuletide or Alban Arthan) is celebrated on the Winter Solstice, December 22^ndthis year. It is the longest night of the year, when the Goddess gives birth to the new sun and nights begin to grow shorter again. We are reminded that even in the darkest hour, there is a ray of hope. This is a time of dreams and wonder. We honor our children and our inner child. There are so many wonderful traditions to choose from. Here are some ideas to try this Yule:

String chains of popcorn and drape them around trees and bushes. Hang honey popcorn balls outside your windows and watch the wild birds feast.
Create a wreath out of pine boughs, holly, and sun symbols to hang on your door.
Make a special red candle to light at sunset on Yule evening and keep vigil through the night. Stay up with older children to keep the Goddess company while she labors to give birth to the new Sun. Put younger ones to bed to dream the sun into being.
Gather your family on a hilltop in the area where you live and watch the sunrise on Yule morning. Sing, cheer, and have a breakfast feast in the Sun God’s honor.
As a family, make new ornaments to add to the tree each year. Give extras to friends who come to visit.
Make an Advent calendar, counting down the days until the Solstice. Make a chain of paper links or small packages filled with tiny treats.
Bake sugar cookies shaped like suns and decorate them. Or, make a birthday cake for the sun and throw a birthday party!
Instead of letting Yule cards be a chore, get the whole family in on the act! Design your own Yule cards to send to friends and family. Make it a family project to sign and address them.
Decorate a Yule log — Go out and find a special log (oak is traditional) and festoon it with holly, rosemary, ribbons, or whatever suits your fancy. Attach slips of paper with your wishes on them. Use this log to start your fire. If you don’t have a fireplace in which to burn the Yule log, drill holes and put candles in it. You can save part of your Yule tree for next year’s Yule log.
Donate food to a local food bank, serve dinner at a soup kitchen, or spend time at a nursing home.
Reenact the battle between the Oak King (life and rebirth) and the Holly King (darkness and death). Make swords out of wrapping paper tubes and shields out of cardboard. Hint: the Oak King wins this time.
Uphold the tradition of wassailing by passing around mulled cider and singing songs. You could sing traditional carols (“Joy to the World”) or new ones (the Beatle’s “Here Comes the Sun”).
Kiss under the mistletoe!

Heather Osterman is the Family Services Coordinator for the Aquarian Tabernacle Church. For more information on pagan oriented activities and events for children and families please contact her at ATCchild@AOL.com or ATC at (360) 793-1945 between 9a.m. and 9p.m.

Solstice Meditation and Visualization

Solstice Meditation and Visualization

Winter Solstice is an excellent time to undergo a vision quest to find your magickal name, a totem animal, a mantra, or other empowering

insights. This meditation is meant to accent that quest by opening your awareness to the power within and without all things. Begin in a

standing position. Center yourself and breathe deeply. Slowly take off your mundane clothes., likewise removing the “World” with each.

Wrap a blanket around yourself for warmth, but remain naked for the meditation. You need no trappings to discover personal power.

Sit and close your eyes. Let any remaining tension drain away, then begin listening to the sound of silence. Smell the aromas of oak and herb.

Feel the latent energy of everything around you and the magick you’ve placed there. Know it is your own. Listen to your breath and your heartbeat.

Sense the pulse and bb within as the same energy without. Listen closely; does it whisper a message to you? Does it whisper a name? Do you

hear the cry of an animal? Do you hear words that fill you with energy? Linger in this place between Earth and stars until you receive a message.

Then return to normal levels of awareness, and write the experience in your journal.

Creating Healing Traditions

Wendy Strgar

“Of one thing I am certain, the body is not the measure of healing – peace is the measure.” ~George Melton

As a child I dreaded the holidays. Weeks of uninterrupted solid family dysfunction were made unbearable by what seemed like everyone else having the best time of the year. I remember one year buying a tiny plastic tree and decorating it with cheap lights and tinsel so I could have some holiday spirit, too. I got sick a lot during those vacations and, sitting feverish in front of the holiday film reruns and advertising, only made me feel worse. I know from being married to a doctor for the last three decades that the holidays are a peak time for illness and emotional breakdowns.

Everyone is carrying around a sack full of something, and for many, it is an emptiness that only seems to get heavier through the years. It is easy to believe that with all the media messages around that we can purchase the fullness we all want to feel. It only took a couple of years of gorging on stuff to realize that stuff never satisfied anyone. Instead, over the years I created our holiday traditions around healing rituals that not only helped me to heal my own past, but have also given my kids a chance to make their own meaning in this time.

We had a lot to work with as our mixed religious backgrounds gave us many holiday choices to reinvent. The Hanukkah ritual is a favorite and it can be adapted to any other holiday or even just used at winter solstice. A celebration of light, for us it became a celebration of recognizing the light of gratitude and wonder in our own lives. Each night we take turns lighting candles and sharing the light of all the many things we have to be grateful for. My children have been profound teachers in this ritual, each with remarkable insights into the beauty and wonder of the world.

Training one’s mind in gratitude is perhaps one’s most worthy pursuit and guaranteed to heal one’s holiday emptiness. In fact, there is no other single human emotional quality that has the power to completely reinvent how you perceive your life and open a door to contentment and abundance. Many of the oldest secret societies in the world have gratitude built into their foundational belief systems. It takes practice if you are not accustomed, but gratitude is how happiness feels when it is imbued with wonder.

The most meaningful gifts at this time of year can’t be bought or even given; they are the transformation that happens in us when we are open to receiving. As a chronic giver, this ability to receive is a fledgling chick just learning to fly in me, but I now understand that letting go of how I think things should be and listening deeply to what is right in front of me is almost always a gift that I would have entirely missed in the past. When we get stuck on how life’s offerings (and you can expand that to include people and stuff) don’t match our expectations, we literally turn away from the love and pleasure that is ours. I see it happen every day; we refuse to be loved when it doesn’t look the way we want it to. Celebrate life this holiday season by allowing and receiving life’s gifts in front of you. Practice releasing your thoughts and preconceived ideas when you open a gift and listen for what might be deeply hidden in the gift in front of you.

All of this healing might make you bold enough to attempt the deepest giving of all- Forgiving. This is when we accept that we won’t get a better past and when we finally understand that the only one being harmed by the grudges we hold are ourselves. Forgiveness, in many ways, is the ultimate act of receiving. You finally free yourself from carrying around the baggage of emptiness filled with justifiable injury and disrespect that might never get proper acknowledgement. Forgiveness is a chance to see beyond what we have always known and create room to get a glimpse of a universe still unknown to us. In these moments, we can drop the stories that have defined our holiday memories for so long.

It is a bold step, creating rituals to heal the holidays; you will be astonished at how it transforms the New Year.

Daily Feng Shui Tip for December 21

Seeing that it’s both ‘National Flashlight Day’ and ‘Look On The Bright Side Day,’ and that Hannukah, the Jewish festival of lights, started yesterday, I was sensing a theme here! Never mind that it’s also the day of the Winter Solstice, a time of increasing light while awaiting the arrival of the ‘Son/Sun.’ And speaking of good lighting, Feng Shui says that if you want to increase the odds of having excellent career opportunities come right to your door that you should change out the light bulbs in both your front hallway and outside the front door. These lights should now reflect the highest wattage that you can find and should also be kept on for a successive three hours every day for three, nine or 27 days straight when you are looking to pump up your income, or secure a new one. I illuminate a red light outside of my front door for the entire day whenever I am in my home office conducting business. I also leave the front hallway lights on and turn them off when my workday is done. Considering how much energy is devoted to brightening your day today, I hope this ages old philosophical enlightenment helps light up your life as well!

By Ellen Whitehurst for Astrology.com

New Moon Report for Dec. 21 – Sun in Capricorn

New Moon Report

By Jeff Jawer

Sun in Capricorn

Wednesday, December 21, 9:30 pm PST, Thursday, December 22, 12:30 am EST

There’s seriousness to the season when the Sun enters earthy Capricorn, marking the Winter Solstice here and the Summer Solstice south of the equator. The desire to put our lives in order leads to New Year’s resolutions and renewed commitment to be more effective during the next twelve months. Discipline and a strong sense of purpose can do wonders, but tense solar transits to electrifying Uranus on December 22 and merciless Pluto on the 29th can flip the energy from chaos to total control in the course of a week. This is an intense holiday period that can scatter good cheer and taint good will toward all with feelings of resentment. The key message is to take responsibility for your own actions instead of trying to tell other people what to do.

Cosmic Calendar For December 21

Staying emotionally empowered in primary partnerships is a crucial theme today as the Moon makes its monthly union with Juno in Scorpio (10:31AM PST) while Venus makes an inspirational, 72-degree rapport with Juno just a few hours later (1:27PM PST). Go shopping for stylish clothing and beautiful touches to enhance a special room in your residence. Be extra sensitive and considerate to loved ones on the ropes. Play the mediator role with finesse and understanding if relatives are over-reacting to end-of-the-year holiday or financial pressures. Utilize a Mercury-Pluto parallel (6:38AM PST) to strengthen your spiritual willpower and mental concentration. Be willing to examine your deeper motives, passions and desires to learn more about core beliefs and principles. The big news is that the Sun enters Capricorn (9:31PM PST) – also known as the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. Along with the Summer Solstice and the two equinoxes, this evening represents one of four sacred turning points of the calendar year. Meditate for clarity and learn more about the arcane rituals and rites of ancient civilizations. On practical levels, you will want to focus more attention on reaching a career summit or energizing your entrepreneurial skills during the next four weeks as the Sun illuminates the third earth sign of the zodiac.

The Return Of The Sun God

The Horned God

In traditional and mainstream Wicca, the Horned God is viewed as the masculine side of divinity, being both equal and opposite to the Goddess. The Wiccan god himself can be represented in many forms, including as the Sun God, the Sacrificed God and the Vegetation God, although the Horned God is the most popular representation, having been worshipped by early Wiccan groups such as the New Forest coven during the 1930s. The pioneers of the various Wiccan or Witchcraft traditions, such as Gerald Gardner, Doreen Valiente and Robert Cochrane, all claimed that their religion was a continuation of the pagan religion of the Witch-Cult following historians who had purported the Witch-Cult’s existence, such as Jules Michelet and Margaret Murray.

For Wiccans, the Horned God is “the personification of the life force energy in animals and the wild” and is associated with the wilderness, virility and the hunt. Doreen Valiente writes that the Horned God also carries the souls of the dead to the underworld.

Wiccans generally, as well as some other neopagans, tend to conceive of the universe as polarized into gender opposites of male and female energies. In traditional Wicca, the Horned God and the Goddess are seen as equal and opposite in gender polarity. However, in some of the newer traditions of Wicca, and especially those influenced by feminist ideology, there is more emphasis on the Goddess, and consequently the symbolism of the Horned God is less developed than that of the Goddess, In Wicca the cycle of the seasons is celebrated during eight sabbats called The Wheel of the Year. The seasonal cycle is imagined to follow the relationship between the Horned God and the Goddess. The Horned God is born in winter, impregnates the Goddess and then dies during the autumn and winter months and is then reborn by the Goddess at Yule. The different relationships throughout the year are sometimes distinguished by splitting the god into aspects, the Oak King and the Holly King. The relationships between the Goddess and the Horned God are mirrored by Wiccans in seasonal rituals. There is some variation between Wiccan groups as to which sabbat corresponds to which part of the cycle. Some Wiccans regard the Horned God as dying at Lammas, August 1; also known as Lughnasadh, which is the first harvest sabbat. Others may see him dying at Mabon, the autumn equinox, or the second harvest festival. Still other Wiccans conceive of the Horned God dying on October 31, which Wiccans call Samhain, the ritual of which is focused on death. He is then reborn on Winter Solstice, December 21.

Other important dates for the Horned God include Imbolc when, according to Valiente, he leads a wild hunt. In Gardnerian Wicca, the Dryghten prayer is recited at the end of every ritual meeting contains the lines referring to the Horned God:

“

In the name of the Lady of the Moon, and the Horned Lord of Death and Resurrection

”

According to Sabina Magliocco, Gerald Gardner says (in 1959’s The Meaning of Witchcraft) that The Horned God is an Under-god, a mediator between an unknowable supreme deity and the people. (In Wiccan liturgy in the Book of Shadows, this conception of an unknowable supreme deity is referred to as “Dryghtyn.” It is not a personal god, but rather an impersonal divinity similar to the Tao of Taoism.)

Whilst the Horned God is the most common depiction of masculine divinity in Wicca, he is not the only representation. Other examples include the Green Man and the Sun God.In traditional Wicca, however, these other representations of the Wiccan god are subsumed or amalgamated into the Horned God, as aspects or expressions of him. Sometimes this is shown by adding horns or antlers to the iconography. The Green Man, for example, may be shown with branches resembling antlers; and the Sun God may be depicted with a crown or halo of solar rays, that may resemble horns. These other conceptions of the Wiccan god should not be regarded as displacing the Horned God, but rather as elaborating on various facets of his nature. Doreen Valiente has called the Horned God “the eldest of gods” in both The Witches Creed and also in her Invocation To The Horned God.

Wiccans believe that The Horned God, as Lord of Death, is their “comforter and consoler” after death and before reincarnation; and that he rules the Underworld or Summerland where the souls of the dead reside as they await rebirth. Some, such as Joanne Pearson, believes that this is based on the Mesopotamian myth of Innana’s descent into the underworld, though this has not been confirmed.

Wishing You & Yours A Very Blessed Yule!

I wish each and everyone of you a Very Happy & Blessed Yule!

The Wheel turns quickly,

The Sun now returns,

Let us rejoice in His return!

Dear Father, your warmth is returning as

you wake from your sleep! I rejoice as the

days get longer and the nights shorter,

and I love you dearly.

Dear Mother, thank you for watching

over me as my father slept; continue to

guide me in wisdom and love all winter

long.

So Mote It Be.

Once Upon A Yule: Celebrating the Sabbat and Honoring Heritage Through Storytelling

Once Upon A Yule: Celebrating the Sabbat and Honoring Heritage Through Storytelling

Author: Araignée

December is a very busy time for my household. Besides my anniversary, my birthday, and Christmas (yes we do celebrate it with our families but let’s save that can of worms for another essay) , there is the Winter Solstice, known to many Pagans and Witches as Yule. It is the Pagan holy night of rebirth, marking the return of light and the sun.

With the time for death and letting go behind us (All Hallows’ Eve) , this is the time to come out of the darkness a little bit and reemerge from the ashes of what was, not completely different but in many ways, changed. So every year, with this in mind, I try to make sure that our Midwinter celebration honors this aspect of the eternal life cycle with a night of great storytelling.

Storytelling is not an uncommon Yuletide tradition but I do believe it to be an undervalued one. A lot of people think that it’s just sitting around telling stories. But there are real differences between simply giving a blow-by-blow account of an event and illustrating the idiosyncratic (yet, often overlooked) details that make life truly interesting. There is a difference between monotonous relaying and deliberate channeling of the power of spoken word.

I am always looking for ways to incorporate pieces of my heritage into my ritual and practice as a Pagan and a Witch. So, during the weeks leading up to my very first Winter Solstice celebration with my companion, *Jewel*, I delved into the art of storytelling in the African-American tradition. And let me tell you it was no easy task.

It didn’t occur to me just how much creativity, improvisation, and passion this style (and any style, really) of storytelling would demand of me. It’s an art. A true craft. And just like any other craft, it takes time to master. So, needless to say by the time the Sabbat arrived I’d nowhere near reached the caliber of the seasoned Black storytellers I was learning from. I didn’t dare make a fool of myself in front of my family and kin by even trying to tell stories that year.

However, I continued to listen and watch the Black storytellers do their thing. And at some point, it occurred to me that the storytellers’ skills might not just be a matter of the “what” and “how” of our oral heritage but the “why”. Why did our ancestors tell stories? Why did they choose to tell the stories they told? And why do we continue to tell these stories?

I began studying African-American folklore on my own. And the more I read the more I understood about the nature of common characters, motifs, dialect, and structure of these tales within the context of my culture and history. Of course, this has everything to do with the collective memory of my people (as, I soon learned, is the case with folklore in ALL cultures) . As Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés explains in Women Who Run With the Wolves, “the nurture for telling stories comes from the might and endowments of my people who have gone before me” (18) . These stories together are a reflection of the past experiences of my people, our relationships with each other, the wider community, and ourselves. They are also an echoing of the present, and I can’t help but feel, a revelatory view of the future as well. Somehow there is a stream of truth running through these tales so constant that it renders the illusions of time and space irrelevant, giving it that cyclic, regenerative quality and energy in which we rejoice at Midwinter.

It wasn’t long before I gained exposure to the storytelling styles of folktales, legends, fairy tales, and fables from other cultures. Native American, German, Russian, Chinese. Anyone familiar with them will tell you that the art of storytelling and/or tale-weaving within those cultures is a complex but beautiful craft as well. And like in the African-American tradition, it’s a craft that rests not just on the principle of “what we do” and “how we do it” but “why we do it”. We do it to honor our past first and foremost (because that is what we stand on, the groundwork our ancestors have already laid, the effort they put in to keep our heritage alive) but our present, and our future too, both individually and as a people.

So, my “wolf pack” and I will continue our tradition of storytelling this Winter Solstice. No, I have not reached the level of “master storyteller” yet but I get better and better every year. I now know that the point is not to strive to be perfect at it but to never lose sight of why I’m doing it.

Each year, I choose a few stories. Some stories that may speak to my own or other’s personal experience, some that might resonate with our experience as a family, and still some that might reflect our experience as a culture, a group, a nation, even a global community. I may even put my own modern spin on the story, adding a few pertinent details here and there to really “make it stick”. But regardless, I tell the story so that, as the Wheel turns and the cycles of life on earth start all over again, we don’t forget where we’ve been, we recognize where we are, and we don’t lose sight of where we’re going. And I invite my Pagan friends of other backgrounds to come and share as well. Mutual appreciation for each other’s stories is a huge part of strengthening our bonds. It encourages us all to move beyond merely “tolerating” each other’s differences and instead, welcome them.

I really encourage other Pagans and Witches who also want to honor their heritage to do the same. There is no better time to share and exchange cultural narratives than at Midwinter/Yule.

At the end of my favorite movie, Eve’s Bayou, the narrator, after having shared the story of her childhood, makes a statement which I think has to be ingrained in the mind and heart of any good storyteller. “Memory is the selection of images; some illusive, others printed indelibly on the brain. Each image is like a thread. Each thread woven together to make a tapestry of intricate texture. And the tapestry tells a story. And the story is our past”.

Footnotes:
Sources:

Eve’s Bayou. Dir. Kasi Lemmons. Perf. Jurnee Smollett, Meagan Good, Samuel L. Jackson, Lynn Whitfield, Debbi Morgan, Diahann Carroll, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Roger Guenveur Smith. Trimark Pictures. 1997. Film.

Estés, Dr. Clarissa Pinkola. Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype. New York: Ballantine Books, 1995. Print.

Yule: Fertility and Ghosts

At the winter solstice, Scandinavians worshipped Frey, god of fertility; further south, the Angli celebrated

December 24 as New Year’s Eve, called Modranecht (mother night), a vigil also connected with fertility rites.

In general, the traditional Yule (from the Norse Iul, meaning wheel) was a feast devoted to fertility and the

ancestors, which passed on to Christmas fecund and ghostly traditions. The Christmas roast pig is kissing cousin
to julgalti, the pig offered to Frey for fertility in the coming year, according to Funk and Wagnall’s. Hence the apple

in its mouth. Similarly, Yule was a time to charm grain and fruit to grow thick. Traditional Scots kept the

Corn Maiden from harvest till Yule and then distributed her to the cattle, according to the Farrars. The Germans

scattered the ashes of the Yule log on the fields for fertility, or kept its last charred pieces to bind in the last

sheaf of the coming harvest. The French retained apiece of Yule log through the year to protect the house

against fire and lightning, to ensure bountiful crops and the easy birth of calves. The solstice was also a weather

predictor, according to Funk and Wagnall’s. In more recent tradition, a white Christmas is said to mean a prosperous
New Year, while a green, cloudy or hot Christmas fills the churchyard.

Yule is a time for spirits. European tradition, transferred to the Christian holiday, held that each house should

be clean and prepared for Christmas before the household went to church, so the spirits could inspect it.

Spirits likewise stayed for Christmas dinner. In Sweden, householders set a special table for them. European

folk beliefs say that someone who sits under a pine tree on Christmas Eve can hear the sound of angels —

but death will soon follow. Death also awaits one who hears farm animals converse in the barn that night.

A person born on Christmas can see spirits. Dreams on the Northern Modranecht were believed to foretell
the coming year, according to Nigel Pennick in The Pagan Book of Days.

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