‘Tis the Season…’
By Kate MacLire.
’Tis the season to be jolly…’ but not always. After all it is impossible to always be jolly. Human nature, and all of nature, does not fit into one mode.
The lost meanings of some of the traditions we know today are often clouded by the consumer driven practices pushed by modern day society. We are being ‘sold’ a time of joy and celebration surrounded by mountains of presents and consuming enormous amounts of sugar. These heavily commercialised, over indulgent, at times competitive and arguably overwhelming aspects of the holiday season mask the realities of our normal lives. Modern day living drives our connections away from nature and the seasons.
Some may struggle with pressures this time of year - buying presents for friends, family, sending cards, family outings and gatherings which may not always be joyful for all. With the long nights and financial costs of staying warm over the Winter months, many have forgotten to celebrate and honour the Season in a way that connects these natural Winter hardships to help us navigate through them and ask for guidance and protection from Spirit.
Here are some examples of Celtic, Pagan or Norse traditions that our ancestors observed. Modern day shamanism (in my opinion) is a practice that adapts to the modern day whilst remembering and honouring traditions of our ancestors and indigenous shamanic practices from around the world. These are some of my interpretations, this is how me and my family remember and celebrate this sacred time of year.
Yule in Celtic, or Jol in Norse, is when we witness the longest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere. The 21st or 22nd of December being the Winter Solstice. It is a time to celebrate the promise of the returning Sun, to honour Life and Rebirth, and a time of generosity. We obviously have different struggles than our ancestors had during the Winter. For them food would have been scarce, homes were cold and dark, and life was more connected and exposed to the elements and harshness of Winter. That being said, the sentiment remains the same. It is the time of year to welcome the return of the Sun. Whatever your winter struggles are, observe them, seek help and guidance in the knowledge that the lightness is returning.
As a family and as practitioners we perform ceremonies and daily rituals to honour the Season and the Sun, that could be lighting a candle for Father Sun, holding a fire ceremony and/or giving gifts to nature in the spirit of reciprocity and gratitude.
The Yule log was not originally a frosted chocolate cake, it was a large branch of a sacred tree brought into the home and adorned with gifts and decorations then burnt on a fire in the heart of the home to bring good luck.
Trees were honoured for their special powers of protection from evil spirits. Evergreens, a symbol of everlasting life during the darkest most baron time. Our ancestors brought trees, mistletoe, holly and ivy into the home to represent new life and fertility. A reminder that the sun would return. Wreaths were placed at the door to keep the darkness at bay. We plan to decorate a tree and yule log honouring them in the traditional ways, and perhaps also enjoy a chocolate yule log!
The giving of gifts is common across all times of celebration throughout the year not just at Yuletide. Santa Claus, originating from the generosity of Saint Nicolas, gave gifts to poor children. In Norse traditions, Odin rode through the sky on his eight legged horse Sleipnir during Yule. Children left boots with food for the horse and Odin left treats for the children. We have chosen to give a few gifts to our children, and to tell them the truth about Santa - see my husband’s previous blog on this topic. The evolution of these traditions of generosity have in my opinion taken away the original intentions of the practice of giving gifts and instead fuel the system of consumerism and in some cases Santa (the idea of) is used as a tool to manipulate children to ‘behave’ categorising their behaviour into ‘good’ or ‘bad’. By labouring under this delusion children may be separated from the generosity of others towards them. Which in turn teaches them how to be generous to others.
Shamanism is the practice of direct revelation, I would encourage anyone pondering how to celebrate the holidays to use their own intuition and ask their helping spirits for guidance. Whatever and however you choose to celebrate, do what feels right for you.
’Tis the season to be…’
