It is fair to say that many of us feel we have lost the meaning of Christmas whether individually or culturally, and that we have been consumed by the culture of consumerism. The season has been skilfully hijacked by powerful brands that have become iconic of the season. We discuss which supermarket chain will issue the “best” Christmas advert, and we relish the return of the Coke-a-Cola lorry with it’s re imagining of St Nicholas, who’s red outfit has become synonymous with with season.
The timing of the midwinter festivals, regardless of religious origin, are just that, midwinter festivals. They are born of a reverence to the dying of the sun and the astronomical year that it defines and the celebration of its return as a new year. The shortest day in the northern hemisphere is the 21st of December by our current calendar and what is interesting is that the days do not immediately get longer again on the 22nd. The length of day does not increase until the third day, the 23rd. This phenomenon is understood to be the origin of the many ancient, cross-cultural stories describing the death of the hero and the hero’s journey into the underworld for three days before they rise again, re born to the world.
The symbolic imagery of the birth of Christ at this time of year is the bringing of new light and therefore hope, into the world, and is a literal parallel to the astronomical return of the sun to the earth following the shortest day. This is celebrated today on the 25th as this was the date of the winter solstice in the Roman empire when Christ’s birthdate was agreed upon by religious scholars in the 4th Century.
There is a significant metaphorical extension to this which invites us to the opportunity to be part of this by letting the ‘old’ sense of ourselves die and giving birth to new parts which might serve us better. This is the essence of the New Year resolutions which have become equally diminished in terms of spiritual significance in our lives. Letting the old behaviours go is difficult and painful, this requires a hero’s journey of our own, although it typically takes considerably longer than three days for us to effectively integrate new behaviours in our modern world. Perhaps if we fasted in the darkness of deep cave for three days as our shamanic ancestors would have done, the new patterns would be accelerated, but I have not had the courage to test this for myself…
I will talk more about practical supporting strategies for change in the next newsletter and this will also form the foundation of the return of the Mental Fitness Community meeting on the 2nd of January. But for now, I simply invite you sit with the above reflection and consider the significance of this time of year to our ancestors, and how we might rekindle its original spirit into our lives. If we aspire to this, it might unlock a powerful opportunity for genuine enrichment and real potential to affect meaningful change in the year ahead.
And with that said, I wish you the absolute best for the season however you spend it.
Lorien
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