Solstice Eve Magic

I was fortunate to have been a reader for the Winter Solstice ritual hosted by the Unitarian Universalist church to which I belong.  Since I wasn’t able to make it to any of the rehearsals before the main dress rehearsal, I was simply assigned a part.  I ended up with a reading part that was the most relevant to me…that of bringing back the light.  Let me start at the beginning of the ritual.

After a short introduction and a song, a circle was cast with words from the Native American chief Black Elk and a song about circles (there were a lot of songs).  Then we began our descent into the darkness with Persephone.  The lights in the sanctuary had been shut off since the very beginning of the ritual.  The only lights were the quarter candles on the altar, the Sun candle on the altar, and some candles around the room for extra illumination.  This gave the ritual a very magical feel.  After Persephone’s tale was told, and her mother Demeter is explained to be bringing back the light, we brought the light back ourselves with song and candles.  We spread the light to the members of the audience and the lights in the sanctuary gradually came on.  The ritual ended with a circle dismissal and song.

Here are the words I spoke to bring back the light:

It was the longest night.

People gathered from near and far,

in small groups and large,

to share their fears and their grief

and the darkness in their hearts.

A year like no other, this was,

Testing us beyond what we’d ever imagined.

Day after day, week after week,

we found ourselves growing

and becoming sturdy

because we had no other choice.

And the Solstice fire was lit and the candles passed

and the light of the new year’s dawning

lifted our heavy hearts

and brought us brightness and hope.

These words are really relevant to me because not only am I more attuned with the Sun than the Moon, I have experienced a difficult year with the passing of my aunt and the failing health of my grandmother.  The year has definitely tested me, but I have had no choice but to grow stronger.  The rebirth of the Sun definitely gives me hope.

The altar was in the center of the room, with a Sun candle at its highest point and quarter candles below that.  There were additional altar candles lit when the time was come to bring back the light.  The altar was decorated with white paper stars, silver ball and star ornaments, white and silver beads, evergreen boughs, black and white fabric, and more.  It was beautiful.  There was even a decorated Yule log on a table off to the side.  Participants in the ritual (choir and readers) were allowed to each take a star home as a souvenir of the ritual and to provide blessings in each of our homes.  Mine is currently on my Yule/Christmas tree near the top.

It is hard to do justice to this ritual in words.  It was something that should have been experienced directly.  I was almost moved to tears a couple times during the spreading of the light because I was simply so full of joy and hope that my beloved Lady Sunna (the Norse Sun Goddess) was being reborn.  It is also interesting to note that I had trouble sleeping once I arrived home. I was up pretty early this morning for a weekend.  Of course, this may have been due to the iced tea I had before bed.  Perhaps a combination of both.

I was complimented multiple times after the conclusion of the ritual on my performance.  Even though I was (and still am) sick with a cold, I didn’t cough once during my lines and even sang along (with some strain) when appropriate.  My voice was a bit hoarse, but no one seemed to mind.  These compliments made me feel really good inside.

I am so glad I was able to participate in the Winter Solstice ritual.  It was a wonderful experience.  It sounds like it will be performed again next year.  I’m thinking about participating in the choir, but my transportation situation might make it difficult to get to rehearsal.

May each of you be blessed with peace, prosperity, health, and wisdom in the new year.  May we each kindle the rebirth of the Sun in our hearts as we watch the rebirth of the Sun in the sky.

Blessings, Rosemary

A blessed Winter Solstice to all! May the rebirth of the Sun inspire rebirth in each of us.

The Pagan War on Winter Solstice/Yule

***WARNING*** This blog post is solely my opinion and not that of any Pagan organization.  If you don’t like my opinion, we can agree to disagree.

This Yuletide, I’ve been seeing multiple Pagan friends posting things explaining that Christmas is an outgrowth of Yule and the Bible forbids cutting trees from the forest.  There is an overload of these images.  Why?

Can we not be content that Christmas is Yule with a different focus for Christians?  Why are we not having issues with Hanukkah?

Christians will continue to think Pagans and others who post things explaining why Christmas “isn’t” Christian means that we’re attacking Christmas.  If I were Christian, I’d be scared away by my friends’ posts!

It is true that much of Christianity is an outgrowth of ancient Paganism–but this was done for a reason.  If you wanted to convert people from their old, lifelong religion to a new religion that just appeared, it’s highly advised that you adopt some of the customs of the old religion but give them new meaning.  That way, the potential converts recognize some of their familiar practices and the new religion will seem less threatening.  It’s OKAY to recognize the roots of a faith, yet acknowledge the new meaning the faith has given those roots.

The title of this post refers to attempts by fellow Pagans to emphasize Christmas’s Pagan roots, which results in making Christians seem like they are “just pretending” as they observe their holiday.  Christians are real people, just like us, and they deserve the same respect that we are asking for.  Christmas has deep meaning for many people.  Pagans seem to be trying to devalue their deeply-held beliefs, which leaves Christians rightly offended.

I leave you with a few images that sum up my thoughts perfectly.

Blessings, Rosemary