Myth, Mystery, Magic and Miracles
December 21 is the winter solstice marking the longest night of the year. For the Chinese it is called Dongzhi or ‘winter arrival’ as it marks the official start of winter. The days will progressively grow longer to bring balance and harmony between yin and yang on June 21. It is also the day the Kitchen God goes to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor on the conduct of a family. Interestingly in the west we also believe our behaviour is monitored as to whether we were naughty or nice by our friend in the red suit.
Sparkling lights, ornate shop windows and the sounds of carols fill the air. Infectious good cheer, long school breaks, festive food and ‘happy holiday hugs’ abound. At no other time of the year are the feelings of happiness, love, excitement and brotherhood expressed so freely. The dark cold nights of the northern hemisphere are rich with mystery, myth, magic and miracles.
I do not know of any adult who still believes in the myth of Santa however we keep it alive generation after generation until the magical appearance of presents under the tree is revealed. One year my brother attached a horseshoe to a fishing rod and plopped it in the snow on the roof outside his bedroom window. In the morning he excitedly said ‘Santa’s been here…’ The truth was out, the bubble burst however the mystery still remained.
Magic is performed by humans while miracles are events that are physically impossible or impossible to confirm by nature and are attributed to the presence of a divine power. The Bible has numerous examples of miracles such as Jesus’ conception. In the movie Miracle (awesome by the way) the USA hockey team overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to beat Russia in the 1980 Olympics. Sometimes we believe miracles only happen to others I think otherwise.
Miracles happen everyday, change your perception of what a miracle is and you’ll see them all around you. Jon Bon Jovi
Albert Einstein said There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. So To live at all is miracle enough. Mervyn Peake
The miracle is not to walk on water or in thin air, but to walk on Earth. Walk in such a way that you become fully alive, and joy and happiness are possible. That is the miracle that everyone can perform....If you have mindfulness, concentration, and insight then every step you make on this Earth is performing a miracle. Thich Nhat Hanh
PS Midnight December 24th to dawn January 6th is regarded as a microcosmic experience of the macrocosm. It is a time to connect and correlate the cosmic and yearly rhythms, to contemplate our connections to our future. The ancients believed the 12 days of Christmas were a portal to the heavens and therefore the future.
‘In the darkness of winter’s night, when the great breath of the Earth Mother finds its greatest point of inhalation, human beings are afforded the grace to touch into both magic and miracle. In the pause between her mighty in-breath and out-breath there is a still point of rest. This still-point has long been known as the Holy Nights. In these blessed Nights, the angels circle the globe as if in a great cosmic dance. They long to speak to listening human hearts. Throughout the ages the ‘listening ones’ on earth have heard the angelic chorus; they have received messages of Peace and Love. What is received during these sacred days and nights, resounds a thousand-fold in the year that follows. In this year before us a great light is striving to find willing human hearts. May we each be the listening ones during these Holy Nights. May we work with angels.’ Claudia McLaren Lainson
Rudolf Steiner, believed that at this time the veils are the most thin between the spirit realm and the human realm. And as such was the best time to set intentions, to plant seeds and to go inward in prayer and meditation. Join me on Dec 21 in the journaling class to receive instructions how to do so during this magical period.
