DBW – Burn Yourself

When you do something, you should burn yourself completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.-Shunryu Suzuki

NE Ohio, Creativity and Fear

I can’t quite figure out if today is Thursday or Friday. Logically I know that it is Thursday, but I heard a radio announcer say that today is the 29th, so I’ve been confounded since then.

Yesterday I was doing the blog thing and a “friend of a friend” (which is something that has taken on a new live since the development of “social networking” sites such as mySpace.com and LiveJournal.com) had some lyrical prose posted. It was beautiful and soulful, so I snipped part of it and linked back to his site. I took his header information from his profile page and posted it. A bit later I got a comment from someone on my friends list with an accusatory tone to it (love the internet text where you have to pull teeth to get the emotion behind the bits and bytes showing up on our screens) and he stated about how he knew this guy and that he was talking about the love of his life who had died. I replied back that I was only taking the information from his header. I didn’t mean to offend anyone, heck I don’t know the guy, or his situation, I only know that there were beautiful words on his page that I wanted to share with others. But I stuck with the facts and not the guilt I was feeling, how I found the cadence of the words beautiful and I was only using his own information. But still the “did I do something wrong” voice crept in when someone lashed out and my Libra doesn’t like conflict. Ugh! Then I have to remind myself that my blogs are less editorial columns and more about writing so my head doesn’t explode. I’m not here to win any “friend rating” contests and that I LOVE critical challenge from another viewpoint designed to broaden my foundation.

I live in Ohio. Northeastern Ohio. Cleveland is a modern, bustling metropolis filled with opportunity compared to where I live. Now don’t get me wrong. Akron spawned Jim Jarmusch , Mark Mothersbaugh, Bob Mothersbaugh , Chrissie Hynde , LeBron James , Angie Everhart, Heather Kozar, Butch Reynolds , Leland Gaunt and Jeffrey Dahmer so we do not lack taken or creativity and a certain amount of twistedness. However, the creative usually move on when they want to spread their wings.

Akron is still a town with a mindset on the 1950’s, when the jobs in the rubber factories were considered the place to be and art, music & creative…well that’s for someone else. We’re a hardworkin’, practical bunch and prefer to spend out money on cases of beer (or better yet a tap mounted right on the front of the fridge) and not some frou-frou art.

So now I have a job at a nice manufacturing company. I work at the corporate headquarters, which as irony has it is exactly the same rubber factories that met with decline in the 1970’s. I sit in my chair every weekday morning by 8:29 a.m. and I stay there until after 5:01 p.m. no matter if there is work to do or not. Lucky for me, there usually is. I work the line, only now the line is a cube farm. In exchange I get a paycheck twice a month that is spent, on necessities and paying past bills, within two days of receiving it. Then I hold fast for the next 13 days until I get the next one. The benefits are good, but there isn’t much time off. I appreciate the job. And I try to show that appreciation by being a good employee. I also try and remember that in this position I am only a worker bee, and worker bees are also known as… D R O N E S. So stay sharp and challenge myself and make sure that there is room for creativity.

That is the problem. Room and time to be creative? I carve wood in front of my fireplace, then burn the shavings and create lampblack to make ink. Wands, shadow people and ink are my creative range right now and I don’t take care of any of them. Once every few years I mix up a batch of pulp and make some homemade paper, but I really don’t showcase anything that I do. I have no special storage places so my work gets dented and damaged. I give it away because I have no place to keep it and I really don’t have a place to work. Just a crammed little place on the floor. I used some of my shadow people for tent stakes once last year and my wand tips break off because I keep them shoved next to the sofa and resting on a bookcase shelf.

I have no sacred space anymore because everything in my life is sacred. My life is ordinary and everything in it is sacred.

When my cousin and I had lunch together he told me that I am a very good writer and that in the future he hopes that we can work together. I was internally very interested to hear more about this and very elated, but I felt scrambled. Did he really thing I was a good enough writer to collaborate on something and what does that mean? I would like to know his thoughts on this but I was afraid to ask.

I am also afraid to believe I am good. I know it, but I hide it, even though I promised I wouldn’t hide my light anymore. It seems egotistical to bring it out among others. I’m afraid to take my work out and shot it to the light of day. I’m afraid I’m really no good. I’m afraid I’m out of touch. I’m afraid of getting wrapped up in those crazy, emotional messes. I’m afraid of being vulnerable.

Heck…it sounds like I’m afraid of everything. I wish I had someone who walked this path before reach out and hold my hand while I get my “sea legs.”

Maybe I really should set off to sea and be a pirate.

Core Dump – 0903:122706

Three pages in the morning. Don’t worry what is written or the fact that work has started. I haven’t core dumped because there is never enough time in this created world of structure and self-importance, but I’m a good soldier and I do the work that I’m asked. When the Path brings something to my doorstep I don’t ask who, what, when, where & why. They don’t matter. I’ve asked all the questions and tried to apply logic and reason and science to all of the mystery and then the 2×4 board slaps upside my head and I figured out that science is still a primitive practice. That “the Them” haven’t provided the “finger of Divine inspiration” to develop a measuring implement to quantify the magick.

Will they ever?

But magick is able to be measured by results. The magickal diary expressing intention and the actions taken to support and obtain those results. That is as close to science as we have right now.I will tell you though, I believe in magick in all of its beautiful color. I believe in a world that is much, much better for the small faction of practicing mages. I wouldn’t want to be in this world without us.

And I’ve found an artist named Natasha Alexandra who releases music under the name NLX. I really like her stuff. She reminds me of a cross between the beautiful piano melodies of Tori Amos and the strange machinations of Trent Reznor’s darkness. Beautiful, sharp lyrics coated in a brittle and sometimes bitter aftertaste.

And now I am on to page two Hooray! One down and two to go. I am writing on a large, letter-sized, white, ruled notebook. Like a legal tablet, but letter-sized…and white. Writing stream of consciousness never used to be difficult, but I’m older now and the ridges have set in and it is a challenge to soften them up and make them flexible again. But it’s worth it. Isn’t it?

Of course there is this nagging critic inside of me telling me that when I made my choice to have a baby I also chose not to pursue any more of my cockamamie creative ideas. Now that, you are responsible for another life and your needs get placed on hold. It’s ever worse for you, because you decided to have a baby by yourself, and I told you how much work it was and how you would have no more time for yourself. No husband, or boyfriend…and the father is a son-of-a-bitch you had to run from in order to get away from. He took everything from you. Your money, your love, your generosity of spirit and hospitality, and once he got what he wanted he wanted you out. Now you want to have this baby that will tie you forever to someone like that? Is that what you want to do?

If that’s the case, don’t you dare expect one once of help from anyone. You made your bed, now you can lie in it. {that sounds like a good idea for a single-woman play. “You made your bed” and it could be a monolog of all the “lessons” we learn as women, usually from other women, that take us from floaty and wonderfully chiffon princesses and fairies into the plain wives, mothers and old maids who throw personal identities and desires away because we don’t believe we deserve to be allowed to dream. Then we grow up and do the same damage to our beautiful girl children.} My head belongs in the clouds, but I can’t, for the life of me, figure out how to provide for my child and give her a sense of security and foundation with me pursuing my crazy dreams.

So yes, I’ve sold them off years ago as I ponied up to prepare to bring a child into a world with me as her mother, with no real support and having never known any sort of unconditional love. I wanted to be a good mommy. But everyone told me it was impossible, that what I was doing wasn’t fair to the baby, that I was being selfish.

And so far I have done alright in that effort to parent. 2003 was a mess. I really fucked that one up, but it’s over and I’ve paid for my sins and I’m not afraid of something like that ever happening to me again, because it won’t. I’ve changed.

But I have let my need to create become less than my passion and focus and now I’m here, facing my fears about dusting it off and taking it down off the shelf and giving it a good look to see if its worth salvaging or if it needs to head to the rubbish bin.

I used to think I was a good writer, but then one day Peekay and Adrian were talking about my atrocious grammar and spelling and how I thought that I was good, but I really wasn’t very good at all. And years later I learned that it was only said because they envied my ability to spin stories and breath vitae into them so real that it would come to life inside their minds. It was said, because they were jealous that they couldn’t write like me. But still, the damage was done and I knew my wings ripped a little that day. I finished the job myself when I became a mom. I felt I had to sacrifice something so I that I could learn to be a good mother to my miracle, so I did.

And now I walk the earth and remember what it was like when I could fly.

Story of the Day – Flashback

Here’s the Story of the Day: Flashback I’ve been having the hardest time today coming up with excuses, she said. I think that I’m having a work ethic flashback. (When you don’t want the Story of the Day any more, just send us an email at no_more@storypeople.com. Type “Unsubscribe” in the Subject & as soon as we can, we’ll stop them from cluttering your inbox…) Please do not reply to this message. If you have any other questions or comments about our web site or how to order, here’s how to get hold of us: The email address that goes right to the people who can help is: comments@storypeople.com

Copyright 2006, StoryPeople. Click here to send your own e-greeting from www.storypeople.com

Facing fear

My life is cool. Very cool. I’m 36 and a mom and those are two things I NEVER thought I’d see. Having those two things, it makes me pretty content. And yet, this holiday season I’ve been filled with a subtle sense of sadness. And I’m trying to be tender with those feelings, but I’m also hearing the inner voice that is telling me that I’m being an ungrateful little schmuck!!! How dare I have any sadness when it COULD be so much worse. And yes. I’ve been in worse circumstances. Much worse. And my life is good.

But the sadness is still there.

I’m almost embarrassed at what triggered it. It reeks of attachment and ego and entitlement. All things I despise. But the only way I’ve ever gotten free of such feelings is by being honest with them and then I seem to get another view. One that is bigger and a bit more comprehensive. So…in hopes that it will still work, I’ll give it a shot.

Once upon a time in a land far, far away there was a little girl who was always told how beautiful and smart and talented she was. When she swam…she swam better than anyone. When she rode a bike, she did things nobody else ever did. Magazines took her picture and interviewers asked her questions. By 16 she was told that it was certain that she was destined to do great things. When she went to college her professors “0h’ed” and “Ah’ed” over her writing and her work and they again told her that she was destined to do amazing works.

But no one told her how.

And when she couldn’t figure it out, and she knew that people wouldn’t think that she was “smart” if she couldn’t figure out something so simple as that, she took a path that would help people realize that maybe amazing things weren’t destined for her. Maybe she was just a regular old person.

And when I became a mother I love it. I loved my new role but there wasn’t any other help and there wasn’t any time to write, or make art or even to dream. And over the years I’ve let go of most of my work, because it won’t fit in my small apartment. And many of my professional tools have been sold, or discarded. And aside from blogging and keeping an extensive journal, and carving a hunk of wood every now and again with dull tools, I haven’t made much in the way of art in 8 years.

And my cousin, who was always a great guy, and his family are doing so well together. Their marriage is supportive and he says he’s so luck to have gotten to marry his best friend. His kids know their parents love them and he has been successful in his Hollywood dream job. I’m really, really happy for him, and yet there is a little part of me that wants to know what happened to my dreams? And then the little voice calls me an ungrateful bastard and kicks me in the head.

I’ve been trying to clear my mind and meditate on this…but I’ve been unsuccessful as of yet to calm my mind.

I’m embarrassed that I’m feeling this petty way.

And my mother got me a book called “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. Its a course in “Discovering and Recovering Your Creative Self” and part of me want to discount the book, because if I have to recover my creative self, that means I have to first admit that I’ve lost it along the way and that thought always brings tears to my eyes and sobs to my heart. Me! Who urges everyone I meet to listen to that little voice in your heart and to always, always, always follow your dreams. Me, who urged my cousin to go to California and to take his shot, because if he didn’t, he would always regret it. I need to face that my meager means have caused me to put my dreams on the back burner until I don’t even know where I left them.

I started reading the book last night and I immediately closed down because in the dedication on page vii I note that she is dedicating this book, among others, to her “daughter, Domenica Cameron-Scorsese, for sharing her mother and bearing the dual pressures of second-generation fame…” and my mind scoffs that this is another Hollywood wife, with all her husbands money and connection, writing a book for fun and profit. Nothing is on the line. No children are suffering because mom bought a hunk of Gabon Ebony instead of food. No child doesn’t get tucked in by a nanny, while mommy is in her special “writing room” with her perfect desk and her perfect notebook and her perfect writing implement.

And I taste the venom of envy in the back of my throat and I “know” this woman doesn’t have a clue about challenges, so what can I get from her?

But I need something and I tell myself to be soft, and open-minded and see what we can see. We need guidance and direction and most of all time. My head is bursting with ideas. I still have to write each and every day, just so my head won’t explode. My creativity is still there, but it hasn’t been allowed to breath for more than 8 years. It’s almost afraid to come back out into the sunlight, because it is anemic and pathetic and neglected.

And it’s afraid no one will want it any more.

And, for those of you who can read between the lines, THAT is what I’m afraid of…

Story of the Day – Stupid Things

Here’s the Story of the Day: Stupid Things If you can’t laugh at yourself, my grandpa told me, you’re not doing enough stupid things. I told him I didn’t usually run out of stupid things, but it’s hard to laugh that long at anything. (When you don’t want the Story of the Day any more, just send us an email at no_more@storypeople.com. Type “Unsubscribe” in the Subject & as soon as we can, we’ll stop them from cluttering your inbox…) Please do not reply to this message. If you have any other questions or comments about our web site or how to order, here’s how to get hold of us: The email address that goes right to the people who can help is: comments@storypeople.com

Copyright 2006, StoryPeople. Click here to send your own e-greeting from www.storypeople.com

Story of the Day – Inventing Evil

Happy Happy Hollydays

Here’s the Story of the Day: Inventing Evil He said who invented evil? & I said I wasn’t sure anybody invented it, it just happened when somebody got tired of all the effort it took to live right. They probably didn’t have anyone to teach them, he said & I thought to myself, we might be doing this right after all. (When you don’t want the Story of the Day any more, just send us an email at no_more@storypeople.com. Type “Unsubscribe” in the Subject & as soon as we can, we’ll stop them from cluttering your inbox…) Please do not reply to this message. If you have any other questions or comments about our web site or how to order, here’s how to get hold of us: The email address that goes right to the people who can help is: comments@storypeople.com

Copyright 2006, StoryPeople. Click here to send your own e-greeting from www.storypeople.com

Wizard Rock

Oh…by the Gods…

Somebody stop me…after reading all six Harry Patter (I guess that’s the Irish Potter) books in less than two weeks I was investigating some of the details online and I learned of the spin-off known as “wizard rock.”

[Hell]

To anyone that has escaped the Harry Potter surge of popularity, Wizard Rock are actual bands, comprised of actual Muggl—er, humans who play actual music all about the HP books. There are folk wizard bands, rock wizard bands, thrash wizard bands. All sorts of stuff.

You can listen to some of them at MySpace Music/Wizard Rock . Some of them are good.

[Help]

I need to go to Skinny Puppy rehab…get this shit out of my system!

Winter Solstice Celebrations for Families and Households

Winter Solstice Celebrations for Families and Households

by Selena Fox
This article was first published in 1993; from a work in progress.

Focus of Celebration: consider first your purpose(s) for the celebration, such as:

• Strengthen family bonding with each other
• Expand upon existing patterns of family celebrations
• Attune family to Nature’s cycles
• Attune family to its membership in the community of all life on planet Earth
• Connect with ancestors
• Celebrate ethnic/cultural heritage(s)
• Educate about ancient and contemporary folkways
• Extend the celebration of Christmas, be an alternative, or expand upon it
• Deepen understanding about spiritual renewal and love
• Have fun

Timing of Celebration: pick a time that fits form of celebration and family patterns, such as:

On Solstice:

• at moment of Solstice (check astrological/astronomical calendar)
• at twilight
• in evening before going to sleep
• at sunrise
• at noon or midday

Near Solstice:

• night before Solstice
• weekend before Solstice

Length of Celebration: structure with age and attention range of family members in mind

• Very Short: under five minutes
• Short: five to twenty minutes
• Medium: twenty minutes to ninety minutes
• Long: ninety minutes to three hours
• Very Long: more than three hours, such as a twenty-four hour period

Settings of Celebration: pick a suitable location; some options include:

Indoors in Family Home:

• at kitchen or dining table
• by fireplace
• by holiday tree
• in living room or family room

Outdoors:

• back or front yard of family home
• deck
• nearby park
• Nature preserve/wilderness area

Components of Celebration: select one or more that fits focus, timing, length, and setting

Yule Wreath

• purchase a wreath or make a wreath from evergreens collected by family members.
• have family members gather around the wreath and consider it as a symbol of cycles of Nature; mention Yule and Jul, names for Winter Solstice time (and Christmas) mean wheel.
• have family members each share something they appreciate about Winter
• put the wreath in a visible location, such as on the front door, on an inside wall, or in the center of the dining table.
• On or after New Year’s Day, wreath can be returned to Nature, or kept until Summer Solstice and then burned in a bonfire.

Solstice Feast

• Prepare favorite family foods and beverages.
• Before beginning the dining experience, do a family prayer of thanksgiving.
• End the feast with a cake or pie with a sun image on it.
• Birthday candles can be put on this solar dessert. Each family member can light a candle and make a wish for the holiday season or the upcoming calendar year. Once all candles are lit, the family as a whole can blow them out to send wishes on their way. Then call out “Happy Solstice” or “Good Yule” in unison.

Candlelight Circle

• Can be done as part of a feast or separately.
• Family gathers in a circle around a card table or dining table. There is an unlit new red taper candle in a candleholder for each family member, plus a larger new red taper or pillar candle in a candleholder to represent the family as a whole and the Solstice Sun. Candles are arranged evenly around the central larger candle.
• Parent(s) begin the circle by sharing some background about Winter Solstice, such as how it has been celebrated across time and cultures, and how its celebration is reflected in contemporary secular and religious Christmas customs. Then parent(s) describe the focus for this candlelight circle, such as to attune the family members to each other, to the ways of ancestors, and/or to Nature.
• Lights are extinguished. Family stands or sits in darkness for a few moments and contemplates the reduction of daylight at this time of year, the importance of the Sun to life on the planet, and the symbology of light as indicators of renewal.
• Then, parent(s) light the central candle with a blessing of renewal for the family and the planet and guide a short meditation on light and renewal.
• Next, parent(s) invite each member to light her/his personal candle and give a thanksgiving for something in past or present or a blessing for the year to come.
• When all the candles are lit, the family joins hands and chants or sings. The song, “We wish you a Merry Christmas” can be adapted to “We wish you a Merry Solstice” and sung to end the circle.
• Candles can be left burning if in a safe, attended location, throughout the rest of the Solstice celebration, if there are other component parts.
• Candles can be extinguished by everyone doing it simultaneously after one of the family members states that the light of renewal remains in our hearts.

Yule Log
An oak log, plus a fireplace or bonfire area is needed for this form of celebration. The oak log should be very dry so that it will blaze well. It can be decorated with burnable red ribbons of natural fiber and dried holly leaves. In the fireplace or bonfire area, dried kindling should be set to facilitate the burning of the log.

Begin by having parent(s) or some other family member describe the tradition of the Yule log. The tale of the Oak King and Holly King from Celtic mythology can be shared as a story, or can be summarized with a statement that the Oak represents the waxing solar year, Winter Solstice to Summer Solstice, and the Holly represents the waning solar year, Summer Solstice to Winter Solstice.

Lights are extinguished as much as possible. The family is quiet together in the darkness. Family members quietly contemplate the change in the solar year. Each in her/his own way contemplates the past calendar year, the challenges as well as the good times.

Then the Yule Log fire is lit. As it begins to burn, each family member throws in one or more dried holly sprigs and says farewell to the old calendar year. Farewells can take the form of thanksgiving and appreciation and/or a banishment of old habits or personal pains.

Once the Yule Log itself starts blazing, then the facilitator invites family members to contemplate the year ahead and the power of possibilities. Each member then throws in an oak twig or acorn into the fire to represent the year ahead, and calls out a resolution and/or a hope.

When this process is done, the family sings a song together. The traditional carol, “Deck the Halls,” is good because it mentions the Solstice, the change in the solar year, and the Yule log.

Let the Yule Log burn down to a few chunks of charred wood and ashes. Following an ancient tradition, save remnants of the fire and use them to start the Yule Log fire the following year.

Bell Ringing

This can take a simple form of the family ringing bells together at the moment of Solstice, or it can be a circle ceremony in and of itself. It also can be incorporated into other components of the celebration such as the Candlelight Circle or Yule Log Ceremony — in these cases, bells can be rung after each blessing/sharing is stated.

Each family member chooses a bell to ring. Bells can be of varying sizes and types, but should blend well with each other when rung together. Brass bells and/or jingle bells are commonly available and have long time associations with the season.

For a bell ringing Solstice Circle, the family gathers together in a circle. Each has a bell in hand to ring. Parent(s) or some other family member serves as facilitator(s). She/he begins by saying a few words about the Solstice being the start of the new solar year and how the calendar year used today in many places around the world was structured on the solar year. The facilitator then describes how bells have been rung in connection with many types of celebrations. Bells have been rung at this time of year to ring out the old year and to ring in the new year. Then the facilitator invites the family to celebrate the Solstice with bells.

If the family is used to honoring the directions as part of spiritual practice (Wiccan, Native American, Buddhist, Hermetic, etc.), the family begins by facing each of the compass points (North, East, South, West) and ringing the bells in unison, honoring connections with each sacred direction. Then the family rings bells in the three directions connected with the center: upward, the place of the cosmos; downward, the place of the planet; and center; Divine unity.

In place of or in addition to individual direction honoring, the family rings all their bells together to celebrate their connection with each other as a family; then they ring them in unison again to celebrate their connection with the cycles of Nature; and then they ring them a third time in unison to celebrate their connection with life on planet Earth and all of Nature.

Then from the oldest to the youngest, each family member speaks a vision or wish for the planet for the coming year. After each one speaks, all ring bells together to affirm that vision/wish. After all have shared, the ceremony ends as the family calls out “Happy Solstice” or “Good Yule” three times and rings bells.

Yule Tree

Decorate an evergreen tree as a Yule tree. The tree can be a living tree growing in the yard of the home or in a container indoors to be planted outside in Spring. Or, the tree can be a harvested one purchased or cut yourself from a tree farm.

The Yule Tree can be decorated prior to or on Solstice for the entire holiday season. If decorated prior to Solstice, on Solstice day, family members can each add an ornament. Members may want to speak a blessing on the Solstice celebration as they add their ornaments. Ornaments can be of any type, but those that represent the Sun, such as sun figures or shinny red or golden balls, are very appropriate because of their symbolism. A star, sunburst, or light at the top of the tree is another traditional Solstice symbol.

Electric lights on the tree can also play into the Solstice celebration. They can be first turned on during the Solstice celebration. Or, if the family custom is to have a lit holiday tree for much of December, the lights can be turned off during a celebration as the family focuses on the year passing and the longest nights of the year and then turned on to represent renewal and the new Solar year.

After the holiday season is over, the Yule tree can be burned in a bonfire, chopped up and used as mulch, or placed in the wilds as additional habitat for wild creatures. A branch can be saved and stored away until next year and then burned with the Yule Log to represent the continuity of Nature’s cycles.

Winter Nature Communion

Grains and seeds, and the feeding of creatures have been associated with Yuletide holidays for hundred of years in Europe. To continue this tradition, gather some sunflower seeds in a large basket or bowl. Go outside next to the home or to a place frequented by wild birds and other wild creatures.

The family gathers around a bird feeder, a tree stump, a rock ledge, or other spot where the seeds are to be placed. Someone in the family serves as facilitator and guides the family in a Nature attunement meditation. First, the family silently focuses on the experience of being outdoors in the Winter at this Solstice time. Next, the family silently focuses on being part of the fabric of life of Nature. Then the family silently focuses on expressing appreciation for the beauty of Nature and the relationships with other lifeforms. Each family member then takes a handful of seeds and focuses on the seeds as symbols of life and as messengers of goodwill toward other parts of Nature.

Now, each family member in turn places the seeds in the feeder or on the stump, ledge, or other spot, and speaks an appreciation of Nature. After all the offerings have been made, the family joins hands and says together several times, “We are part of the Family of Nature!” The ceremony ends as the family in unison calls out “Happy Solstice!” or “Good Yule!”

Solstice Stories

The family can share Solstice related stories with each other. Parents, grandparents, and/or other older relatives can share how they celebrated Yuletide (Solstice, Christmas, New Year’s) when they were young. Parents and other relatives also can speak about their ethnic roots and share whatever they know of Yuletide folk customs of their ancestors.

If little or nothing is known within the living extended family itself about ancestral folk ways, prior to Solstice, one or more family members can do some research into customs connected with ancestral nationalities, ethnicities, spiritualities, and other cultural forms. Some places to check for information include bookstores and libraries, gifts shops with ethnic themes, cultural societies, folklore centers, museums, and multicultural centers at universities.

In addition to stories about folk customs connected with Yuletide, myths and legends connected with Winter, the Sun, and/or Renewal can be told.

To facilitate passing this family heritage on to future generations, the family may wish to tape record or videotape the story sharing.

Gift Giving

Across many cultures for at least several thousand years, gifts have been exchanged among family and friends at Solstice time. Even if the family already has a tradition of exchanging gifts at Christmas or Epiphany, some gifts can be exchanged on Solstice as well. Having gift giving occur over a period of time extends the holiday celebration and is a time honored tradition, as commemorated in the song “Twelve Days of Christmas.”

The Solstice gift exchange can take a variety of forms. When all family holiday gifts are displayed under the Yule tree for several days, each family member can select one gift with their own name on it to open on Solstice night or morning. In cases in which family members give each other multiple gifts, each member can select a gift to give each other member. Another method of gift distribution is to have family members place their names in a hat or basket, and when this is done, to each draw a name, which indicates the person to whom they will give a Solstice gift.

Still another alternative is to have a gifting experience unique to Solstice. A group of similar, yet distinctive small gifts, individually wrapped can be placed in a large basket or cauldron. There should be one for each family member. At least one extra gift could be included and this could be kept for the family as a whole or later given to a family friend. Some examples of gift groups include an assortment of pieces of tumbled agate or quartz crystals, a collection of animal figurines or exotic sea shells, an array of candles or bells, or a variety of pieces of candy or other food treats. Gift picking can be according to age: oldest to youngest, youngest to oldest; according to birth date in the year; by first name in alphabetical order; by lot; or by some other method. The gift exchange, when involving Nature gifts, can have an educational component. For example, if bird images are the gift form, the family can talk about each type of bird after each figure is unwrapped.

A good way to bring closure to the gift exchange on Solstice night is for the family to join hands together in a circle and spend a few moments focusing together on the sharing of love, a on-going gift that transcends time and physical presents. Focusing on appreciating each other strengthens the family as well as imbues the gift giving and other Solstice celebration experiences with a spiritual context.

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Pagan Yuletide Greenery

Pagan Yuletide Greenery
Craftway Circle facilitated by Selena Fox on December 12, 2003 at Circle Sanctuary land
from a work in progress © 2003 Selena Fox, Box 219, Mt. Horeb, WI 53572 USA

Kinds

from Evergreen “Yule” Trees – Pines, Fir, Spruce, others

from other Trees – Holly, Oak, Birch, Silver Fir, Yew, Juniper, Cedar, Fruit trees, others

from Herbs – Mistletoe, Ivy, Bayberry, Bay, Rosemary, Sage, others

from other Plants – Poinsettia, othersForms

living

cut & kept fresh

cut & dried

representationalHistory

Used for Winter Solstice time celebrations since antiquity — Roman, Teutonic, English, Egyptian, others

Use continued as part of Christmas traditions, but banned some eras & places due to their Pagan associations

Part of spiritual & secular December holiday celebrations in contemporary America & elsewhereSacred Uses:
Wreath – symbolizing the wheel of the year; placed on doorways, walls, altars, other places
Rituals of selection, creation, placement, removal, burning at Imbolc, Summer Solstice, or other times
Yule Tree – symbolizing eternal life force & World Tree; decorated with lights, sun symbols, other symbols
Rituals of growing, selection, honoring tree spirit, placement, decoration, removal, offering or burning
Sprigs, Boughs, & Garlands – symbolizing the continuity of life; used to adorn homes, altars, other places
Rituals of cutting, arranging, removal, burning or mulching
Mistletoe Amulet – symbolizing peace, friendship, affection; hung above door ways to protect home
Rituals of harvest, placement, home blessing, kissing under it for peace making, fun, good luck Mistletoe is often an ingredient in multi-herbal kissing ball used in similar ways
Yule Log Adornment – with Holly to symbolize old year passing & with other greens for continuity of life
Rituals of selection & placement on the Log, burning with the Log to welcome new solar year, good luck
Greenery Circle Making – symbolizing the Circle of Life & Yule season; outline ritual circle with greens
Rituals of harvest, placement, later removal & use in sacred fires
Evergreen Sprig Wand – symbolizing the Yuletide season, renewal, well-being
Rituals of harvest, uses for circle casting, purification, healing, energy directing, home blessing
Sacred Fires – dried greenery symbolizing the season & specified intention such as release or attraction
Rituals of fire starting, fire feeding, magic making
Crowns – of Holly leaves symbolizing Holly King, Holly Boy, & Goddess; of Oak Leaves for the Oak King, of Ivy for Goddess, God, Ivy Girl; of a mixture of greens symbolizing Yuletide
Rituals of creating, crowning, invoking, offering, aspecting, thanksgiving, celebration
Gifts – of living plants, herb teas, greens scented candles, motifs decorating cards, foods, music, art
Rituals of creating, selection, gifting, thanksgiving, friendship renewal & love
Greenery Meditation – using actual or visualized greenery symbolizing renewal of the Yuletide season

Rituals of healing, guidance, seasonal celebration

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Circle Sanctuary shall not be liable in the event of incidental
or consequential damages arising from the use of information supplied herein.
If you have any comments or questions about this webpage, please email our webmaster@circlesanctuary.org.