Philzone.org Discussion Board: Archive 2004: Hep C Archive: Happy Winter Solstice

Happy first day of winter to all.

Celebrating Winter Solstice
by Selena Fox

Winter Solstice has been celebrated in cultures the world over for thousands of years. This start of the solar year is a celebration of Light and the rebirth of the Sun. In old Europe, it was known as Yule, from the Norse, Jul, meaning wheel.

Today, many people in Western-based cultures refer to this holiday as "Christmas." Yet a look into its origins of Christmas reveals its Pagan roots. Emperor Aurelian established December 25 as the birthday of the "Invincible Sun" in the third century as part of the Roman Winter Solstice celebrations. Shortly thereafter, in 273, the Christian church selected this day to represent the birthday of Jesus, and by 336, this Roman solar feast day was Christianized. January 6, celebrated as Epiphany in Christendom and linked with the visit of the Magi, was originally an Egyptian date for the Winter Solstice.

Most of the customs, lore, symbols, and rituals associated with "Christmas" actually are linked to Winter Solstice celebrations of ancient Pagan cultures. While Christian mythology is interwoven with contemporary observances of this holiday time, its Pagan nature is still strong and apparent. Pagans today can readily re-Paganize Christmastime and the secular New Year by giving a Pagan spiritual focus to existing holiday customs and by creating new traditions that draw on ancient ways. Here are some ways to do this:


Celebrate Yule with a series of rituals, feasts, and other activities. In most ancient cultures, the celebration lasted more than a day. The ancient Roman Saturnalia festival sometimes went on for a week. Have Winter Solstice Eve and Day be the central focus for your household, and conceptualize other holiday festivities, including New Year's office parties and Christmas visits with Christian relatives, as part of your Solstice celebration. By adopting this perspective, Pagan parents can help their children develop an understanding of the multicultural and interfaith aspects of this holiday time and view "Christmas" as just another form of Solstice. Have gift exchanges and feasts over the course of several days and nights as was done of old. Party hearty on New Year's Eve not just to welcome in the new calendar year, but also to welcome the new solar year.
Adorn the home with sacred herbs and colors. Decorate your home in Druidic holiday colors red, green, and white. Place holly, ivy, evergreen boughs, and pine cones around your home, especially in areas where socializing takes place. Hang a sprig of mistletoe above a major threshold and leave it there until next Yule as a charm for good luck throughout the year. Have family/household members join together to make or purchase an evergreen wreath. Include holiday herbs in it and then place it on your front door to symbolize the continuity of life and the wheel of the year. If you choose to have a living or a harvested evergreen tree as part of your holiday decorations, call it a Solstice tree and decorate it with Pagan symbols.
Convey love to family, friends, and associates. At the heart of Saturnalia was the custom of family and friends feasting together and exchanging presents. Continue this custom by visiting, entertaining, giving gifts, and sending greetings by mail and/or phone. Consider those who are and/or have been important in your life and share appreciation.
Reclaim Santa Claus as a Pagan Godform. Today's Santa is a folk figure with multicultural roots. He embodies characteristics of Saturn (Roman agricultural god), Cronos (Greek god, also known as Father Time), the Holly King (Celtic god of the dying year), Father Ice/Grandfather Frost (Russian winter god), Thor (Norse sky god who rides the sky in a chariot drawn by goats), Odin/Wotan (Scandinavian/Teutonic All-Father who rides the sky on an eight-legged horse), Frey (Norse fertility god), and the Tomte (a Norse Land Spirit known for giving gifts to children at this time of year). Santa's reindeer can be viewed as forms of Herne, the Celtic Horned God. Decorate your home with Santa images that reflect His Pagan heritage.
Honor the Goddess as Great Mother. Place Pagan Mother Goddess images around your home. You may also want to include one with a Sun child, such as Isis with Horus. Pagan Goddess forms traditionally linked with this time of year include Tonantzin (Native Mexican corn mother), Holda (Teutonic earth goddess of good fortune), Bona Dea (Roman women's goddess of abundance and prophecy), Ops (Roman goddess of plenty), Au Set/Isis (Egyptian/multicultural All Goddess whose worship continued in Christian times under the name Mary), Lucina/St. Lucy (Roman/Swedish goddess/saint of light), and Befana (Italian Witch who gives gifts to children at this season).
Honor the new solar year with light. Do a Solstice Eve ritual in which you meditate in darkness and then welcome the birth of the sun by lighting candles and singing chants and Pagan carols. If you have a indoor fireplace or an outdoor fire circle, burn an oak log as a Yule log and save a bit to start next year's fire. Decorate the inside and/or outside of your home with electric colored lights. Because of the popularity of five pointed stars as holiday symbols, this is a good time to display a pentagram of blue or white lights.
Contribute to the manifestation of more wellness on Planet Earth. Donate food and clothing to poor in your area. Volunteer time at a social service agency. Put up bird feeders and keep them filled throughout the winter to supplement the diets of wild birds. Donate funds and items to non-profit groups, such as Pagan/Wiccan churches and environmental organizations. Meditate for world peace. Work magic for a healthier planet. Make a pledge to do some form of good works in the new solar year.

JETHRO TULL LYRICS

"Ring Out, Solstice Bells"

Now is the solstice of the year,
winter is the glad song that you hear.
Seven maids move in seven time.
Have the lads up ready in a line.

Ring out these bells.
Ring out, ring solstice bells.
Ring solstice bells.

Join together beneath the mistletoe.
by the holy oak whereon it grows.
Seven druids dance in seven time.
Sing the song the bells call, loudly chiming.

Ring out these bells.
Ring out, ring solstice bells.
Ring solstice bells.

Praise be to the distant sister sun,
joyful as the silver planets run.
Seven maids move in seven time.
Sing the song the bells call, loudly chiming.
Ring out those bells.
Ring out, ring solstice bells.
Ring solstice bells.
Ring on, ring out.
Ring on, ring out.

Happy Winter Solstice to you. Very interesting post. Hang in there We luv you Peace Rob

Winter begins! very important things to remember about christmas. alot of people forget and get caught up in the money thing of christmas. I've given much of my time to a older jewish lady 79 that has lost her husband due to althiezmers a year ago, she's from mass out east and didn't know anybody here and always keept in touch with me over the years, I now keep an eye on her and she keeps her eye on me with this hep c, lot's of time lately I've taken her milk food or what ever she needs, this has made my christmas to see her smile!

Happy Holidaze Heppers!

My phellow phriends and phighters; keep up the good fight and don't ever give in to the darkness!

>Make a pledge to do some form of good works in the new solar year.


Keep same!

Love and Joy comfort you all!
peace!

Happy 12/21 -another symetrical number!! May our light and peace only increase!!!!

Greetings to all my Brothers and Sisters on this
day of the re-birth of Father Sun.
I have returned back to the Far North with a new
spiritual awaking on the Red Road, through my
ancient Odawan native american bloodlines and a
very uplifting and wonderful visit with a woman
and now best friend, on her Buffalow farm in Oregon. Besides the native american prayer flags
surounding the farm, there is a metal plack of
St. George the Dragon Slayer at the top of the
stairs in the house, very reasuring....
This last Sunday, I participated in my second
medicene sweat lodge, in the celibration of the
winter solstice...the re-birth of Father Sun and
the start of a new solar circle on our Mother the
earth. The four hour/four door event including the
passing and smoking of the sacred pipe (no MJ,I also celbrated 60 days clean and sober at an N.A.
meeting during this visit)and praying to the Great
Spirit for all the bad times and bad thoughts I had during this last year on Tx. and to pray for
only good times and good thoughts/vibes for my self and all my phriends in this new solar circle,
through songs and prayers. It is the way of the
Red Road and the way of my new Red Road community
in Oregon (which is made up of Natives,part-natives, non-natives, and Heppers & Deadheads alike). I will be leaving my beloved Alaska this
spring and will be floating on the Red Road as I
continue this Dragon fight through donor and HCV
awareness, going to shows, doing day sail/hepkat
kruises from a new dock on the columbia river only
three miles from the Buffalow Farm in Oregon, wether or not, if I'm on the very doable Tx. bus
ride. And I pray to the Great Spirit and the Four
Directions to all my phriends on or off or just
starting on the Tx. bus ride. We are all Warriors
in this Dragon Fight. SEA YA ALL LATER, Budley

Longest night of the year brought some wicked weird dreams.

Cold too...3 degrees this morning.

Budley My brother in solidarity,

Great to cya post. I too am proud to say a percentage of my blood is Taino Indian from Puerto Rico. I've been talking to my Mom a lot lately and she really has a lot to offer{history,herbal medicine from the rainforest and unconditional love. For this I have gratitude. You sound very centered.A big yippee for ya!!!!

Peace Rob