We gather together in homes and churches and synagogues, celebrating the light that will return to us. This is the time of year for sharing with the community the hope and faith that the light always returns.
Take a few moments and think about your life at this time.
Where is the darkness? Have you embraced it?
Where does this darkness need to be transformed?
Where do you need to see the light at the end of the tunnel, the rebirth of the sun/son?
What needs to be reborn in you, in your life?
What hope and promise of enlightenment do you crave?
As you are ready, light a candle to represent what you wish to give birth to during this season. If you wish, you can speak your wish out loud; giving voice to our wishes puts our intention out to the universe. You may do this for as many wishes as you would like.
This is the time of the Solstice, the longest night of the year. Now darkness triumphs, and yet gives way and changes into light. The breath of nature is suspended: all waits for the return of the sun/son. We watch for the coming of dawn, the return of hope and the promise of summer. This is the stillness behind motion, when time itself stops; the center which is also the circumference of all. Knowing that without darkness, there is no light, we breathe in the stillness, the great knowledge that all things are possible.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Winter Solstice - part 1
We have all noticed the days growing shorter and the nights longer as winter approaches. We complain when we remember how much we did outside last summer when the sun was up until 8:30 or 9:00 pm - and now it is gone at 5! The mornings, too, are dark, and we drive to work with our headlights on.
As we have approached the Winter Solstice, the days have gotten shorter and the nights much longer. If we pay attention to the world around us, we see that the summer flowers are gone, the hillsides are bare, and even here in Southern California, many trees have dropped their leaves. With less daylight hours, animals scurry to get everything done in a shorter amount of time, and the trees and perennial flowers are going into dormancy.
At the Winter Solstice, the sun reaches its southernmost point, rising the latest and setting the earliest of any time of the year. In the ongoing cycles of light and dark, darkness wins out. The sun seems to stand still for several days, rising at the same time and same place; but then, it begins to rise earlier and set later as the cycles continue in their spiral dance.
Our inner journey reflects the cycles of Nature around us. This is the time for shortening our days, scurrying to get things done during the shorter days. Some of us struggle with the weight of the darkness, not sure whether we will see the light again. Others of us enjoy this season the most: cleaning, shopping, cooking, and visiting with loved ones. Most of us seem to swing back and forth between the lightness and the darkness. This is the time to hold in our minds the promise of spring and rebirth. The darkness is strongest just before the dawn. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
This is nothing new in the history of humanity. Our ancestors struggled with the same issues, even without shopping malls. As the days grew shorter and the nights longer, as the sun seemed to stand still on the horizon, there must have been the fear that perhaps the days would grow shorter and shorter until there was only night. Perhaps the sun would not come back and they would never see the light again. We know that the sun has always returned, and yet, we can imagine what would happen if it didn't. We can imagine what our ancient ancestors must have thought, without electricity to light their evenings. What if it was always this dark and cold? How could they exist like this forever?
Around the world, the darkness and the fear that the winter brought gave birth to festivals and rituals that hailed the gradual lengthening of days after the winter solstice. All of these celebrations involved the lighting of fires to symbolically rekindle the sun, the triumph of the light and life over darkness and death. The entire community would gather, celebrating together, telling stories and feasting.
From what we know, the first Winter Solstice holidays were celebrated in Egypt over 4000 years ago. Mesut-re celebrated the birth of the Sun God Ra, who was later merged with Horus, the child of Isis. The Babylonians took up the celebration, holding the festival of Zagmuk in honor of the creator/sun god Marduk. by the time the holiday spread to Rome, it was a chance to honor Jupiter's defeat of Saturn in the festival of Saturnalia as the new year defeated the old. The Jewish people celebrate Hannakuh, the Festival of Lights, at this time, lighting the 8-tapered menorah in honor of religious freedom and the ability to hold the darkness at bay.
In Northern Europe, Yule was celebrated as the rebirth of the sun. The word "Yule" comes from the Norse word meaning "wheel", the Wheel of the Year. In ancient days, a druid would cut the sacred mistletoe from the mighty oak; evergreen trees were brought into the home to remind everyone of growth and life. Candles were lit to simulate the brightness of mid-day. A Yule Log was burned for 12 days, helping the Mother Goddess give birth to the sun-god, symbolizing the warmth and continuing light of the sun. By the time Christianity developed, winter solstice holidays were well-entrenched in peoples' minds. It made perfect sense to include the celebration of Jesus' birth with the birth of all other sun gods and sons of god. One of the newest Festivals of Light is Kwanzaa, an African-American celebration developed in the 1960s to honor unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.
What did your culture or family call this holiday? What do you know about it?
How have you celebrated this season?
c. Bansagart 2003.
As we have approached the Winter Solstice, the days have gotten shorter and the nights much longer. If we pay attention to the world around us, we see that the summer flowers are gone, the hillsides are bare, and even here in Southern California, many trees have dropped their leaves. With less daylight hours, animals scurry to get everything done in a shorter amount of time, and the trees and perennial flowers are going into dormancy.
At the Winter Solstice, the sun reaches its southernmost point, rising the latest and setting the earliest of any time of the year. In the ongoing cycles of light and dark, darkness wins out. The sun seems to stand still for several days, rising at the same time and same place; but then, it begins to rise earlier and set later as the cycles continue in their spiral dance.
Our inner journey reflects the cycles of Nature around us. This is the time for shortening our days, scurrying to get things done during the shorter days. Some of us struggle with the weight of the darkness, not sure whether we will see the light again. Others of us enjoy this season the most: cleaning, shopping, cooking, and visiting with loved ones. Most of us seem to swing back and forth between the lightness and the darkness. This is the time to hold in our minds the promise of spring and rebirth. The darkness is strongest just before the dawn. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
This is nothing new in the history of humanity. Our ancestors struggled with the same issues, even without shopping malls. As the days grew shorter and the nights longer, as the sun seemed to stand still on the horizon, there must have been the fear that perhaps the days would grow shorter and shorter until there was only night. Perhaps the sun would not come back and they would never see the light again. We know that the sun has always returned, and yet, we can imagine what would happen if it didn't. We can imagine what our ancient ancestors must have thought, without electricity to light their evenings. What if it was always this dark and cold? How could they exist like this forever?
Around the world, the darkness and the fear that the winter brought gave birth to festivals and rituals that hailed the gradual lengthening of days after the winter solstice. All of these celebrations involved the lighting of fires to symbolically rekindle the sun, the triumph of the light and life over darkness and death. The entire community would gather, celebrating together, telling stories and feasting.
From what we know, the first Winter Solstice holidays were celebrated in Egypt over 4000 years ago. Mesut-re celebrated the birth of the Sun God Ra, who was later merged with Horus, the child of Isis. The Babylonians took up the celebration, holding the festival of Zagmuk in honor of the creator/sun god Marduk. by the time the holiday spread to Rome, it was a chance to honor Jupiter's defeat of Saturn in the festival of Saturnalia as the new year defeated the old. The Jewish people celebrate Hannakuh, the Festival of Lights, at this time, lighting the 8-tapered menorah in honor of religious freedom and the ability to hold the darkness at bay.
In Northern Europe, Yule was celebrated as the rebirth of the sun. The word "Yule" comes from the Norse word meaning "wheel", the Wheel of the Year. In ancient days, a druid would cut the sacred mistletoe from the mighty oak; evergreen trees were brought into the home to remind everyone of growth and life. Candles were lit to simulate the brightness of mid-day. A Yule Log was burned for 12 days, helping the Mother Goddess give birth to the sun-god, symbolizing the warmth and continuing light of the sun. By the time Christianity developed, winter solstice holidays were well-entrenched in peoples' minds. It made perfect sense to include the celebration of Jesus' birth with the birth of all other sun gods and sons of god. One of the newest Festivals of Light is Kwanzaa, an African-American celebration developed in the 1960s to honor unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.
What did your culture or family call this holiday? What do you know about it?
How have you celebrated this season?
c. Bansagart 2003.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Laws of Ma'at - 7
I live in truth
What is truth? Is truth the same for everyone? or different?
If you look at this issue through the lens of Lawrence Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development, it seems that persons who have reached the post-conventional level (stages 5 and 6) of moral development would hold views similar to those of Moral Relativism, that justice is the measure by which all things must be viewed. Most people however, never move beyond the conventional level (stages 3 and 4), believing that rules and social conventions must be followed, that maintaining a functioning society is the basic measure. If people are at different levels in their understanding of morality, it stands to reason that the truth may be perceived differently as well.
So how can I live in truth?
When Ma'at judges my heart, She will weigh it against a feather. I will not be compared to any other person. That truth is perceived differently by others is not the issue. The only issue is "how have my actions and inactions weighed on my heart?"
I live in truth by being honest with myself about my abilities, limitations and motivations.
I live in truth by being honest in my relationships with others.
I live in truth by exposing and confronting untruths.
I determine what is truth for me, based on my interactions with the Divine, my understanding of how the world works, and my ongoing self-education.
I don't allow myself to be force-fed someone else's truth without question, regardless of how long they've had a tv or radio show, how many members are in their church, or how much money they have.
Sometimes living in truth can cause a dilemma. Sometimes we are faced with a situation where telling a lie might be the right thing to do. When faced with this dilemma, we must ask ourselves, "Whom does this lie benefit?" and "Whom does this lie harm?" We must make an honest evaluation of the situation, make a decision, and take responsibility for the outcome.
I choose to live in truth.
What is truth? Is truth the same for everyone? or different?
If you look at this issue through the lens of Lawrence Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development, it seems that persons who have reached the post-conventional level (stages 5 and 6) of moral development would hold views similar to those of Moral Relativism, that justice is the measure by which all things must be viewed. Most people however, never move beyond the conventional level (stages 3 and 4), believing that rules and social conventions must be followed, that maintaining a functioning society is the basic measure. If people are at different levels in their understanding of morality, it stands to reason that the truth may be perceived differently as well.
So how can I live in truth?
When Ma'at judges my heart, She will weigh it against a feather. I will not be compared to any other person. That truth is perceived differently by others is not the issue. The only issue is "how have my actions and inactions weighed on my heart?"
I live in truth by being honest with myself about my abilities, limitations and motivations.
I live in truth by being honest in my relationships with others.
I live in truth by exposing and confronting untruths.
I determine what is truth for me, based on my interactions with the Divine, my understanding of how the world works, and my ongoing self-education.
I don't allow myself to be force-fed someone else's truth without question, regardless of how long they've had a tv or radio show, how many members are in their church, or how much money they have.
Sometimes living in truth can cause a dilemma. Sometimes we are faced with a situation where telling a lie might be the right thing to do. When faced with this dilemma, we must ask ourselves, "Whom does this lie benefit?" and "Whom does this lie harm?" We must make an honest evaluation of the situation, make a decision, and take responsibility for the outcome.
I choose to live in truth.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Ritual Follow-up
We celebrated our Winter Solstice ritual last night. Our theme was "Where will your wings take you?" as we move into the Dreamtime of winter, dreaming what we will birth in the spring. Elfkat and Mary led us in caroling before we began. Joanne was her amazing self as the Mistress of Ceremonies and led us in meditation. I spoke for the Wings of Justice, Callista spoke for the Wings of Heart, Catherine spoke for the Wings of Truth, Laura spoke for the Wings of Healing, and Anniitra spoke for the Wings of the Dark. Callista crowned our new Lucinas, Nicole and Ella. I'm hoping Elfkat will post some pictures in the next couple of days.
The ritual went beautifully, the feasting afterwards was wonderful. And we raised $200 for Heifer International.
Unfortunately, while we were in ritual in the hall, someone entered the kitchen and stole a couple of wallets, and some cash from another purse. We spent the 2 1/2 hours after ritual making sure no other wallets were taken, checking trash cans and the grounds with flashlights, and waiting for the police to show up and take a report.
Obviously, someone hadn't yet learned a cardinal rule:
Don't mess with witches!
As our participants heard what had happened, many of them were muttering spells to recover the lost wallets, to make the thief trip up soon and be caught, for karma to catch up with them, and a few choice other spells that I won't mention here. Let's just say they were a bit graphic. Was it really worth all that for less than $50 cash? You see, we don't need to see Justice be done to know that Justice is done. We've got the hardball players on our side: Ma'at, Kali, Justitia, Freyja, Themis, Dike, Astraea and Athena to name a few.
The ritual went beautifully, the feasting afterwards was wonderful. And we raised $200 for Heifer International.
Unfortunately, while we were in ritual in the hall, someone entered the kitchen and stole a couple of wallets, and some cash from another purse. We spent the 2 1/2 hours after ritual making sure no other wallets were taken, checking trash cans and the grounds with flashlights, and waiting for the police to show up and take a report.
Obviously, someone hadn't yet learned a cardinal rule:
Don't mess with witches!
As our participants heard what had happened, many of them were muttering spells to recover the lost wallets, to make the thief trip up soon and be caught, for karma to catch up with them, and a few choice other spells that I won't mention here. Let's just say they were a bit graphic. Was it really worth all that for less than $50 cash? You see, we don't need to see Justice be done to know that Justice is done. We've got the hardball players on our side: Ma'at, Kali, Justitia, Freyja, Themis, Dike, Astraea and Athena to name a few.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Winter Solstice Ritual
Long Beach WomanSpirit & Temple of Isis/Los Angeles present
our 2006
Winter Solstice Ritual
Where Will Your Wings Take You?
Saturday, December 16th
Unitarian Universalist Church
5450 Atherton St • Long Beach CA
Doors open at 7 pm - Ritual begins as 7:30 pm
$10-$15 donation requested*
Come Celebrate Winter Solstice with us
and Give Flight to Your Dreams
For your flight please bring
• a candle in a holder • potluck dish to share
• an unwrapped gift
for a child or resident of the LB Woman’s Shelter
* all monies collected will be donated to a global charity
This event is co-sponsored by the Spiritual Practices Committee
of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach
our 2006
Winter Solstice Ritual
Where Will Your Wings Take You?
Saturday, December 16th
Unitarian Universalist Church
5450 Atherton St • Long Beach CA
Doors open at 7 pm - Ritual begins as 7:30 pm
$10-$15 donation requested*
Come Celebrate Winter Solstice with us
and Give Flight to Your Dreams
For your flight please bring
• a candle in a holder • potluck dish to share
• an unwrapped gift
for a child or resident of the LB Woman’s Shelter
* all monies collected will be donated to a global charity
This event is co-sponsored by the Spiritual Practices Committee
of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach
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