A Very Mellow Christmas and Solstice
I celebrated the Solstice early this year. My UU Pagan group meets the first Sunday of the month, so we did a very early Yule celebration in which we toasted a change in the new year with mead, renewed our covenant with the earth and were annointed, and did a spiral dance. There were new songs and chants and feasting. We invited members from our town's other UU congregation, and a few came. It was nice.
A local shop had a winter solstice celebration, but it was basically a prayer and a bonfire. No elaborate ritual to be had.
I didn't do anything super Christmas-y. I think Jesus was an interesting teacher with many wonderful messages, but I don't consider him to be the son of God or anything, so Christmas is more of a cultural celebration than a religious one. I had lunch with my dad's side of the family one day and dinner at my sister's another. I skipped my mom's side to go to church on Christmas Eve, but then I backed out of it and lounged around the apartment instead.
I cleaned off my altar. I have a small ancestor shelf and then my workspace is the top of my dresser. I pared it way down. I have a small painting I did of my vision of the earth Goddess, a wand, my pentacle necklace, one large central candle, and representations of the 4 elements. I cleared off my mini-shrines to Inanna and Brighid, as well as the assorted oils and candles that had started to crowd out my space. I am focusing on simplicity and regular spiritual practice rather than on elaborate and sporadic attempts.
In all, it has been a relaxing holiday season.
A local shop had a winter solstice celebration, but it was basically a prayer and a bonfire. No elaborate ritual to be had.
I didn't do anything super Christmas-y. I think Jesus was an interesting teacher with many wonderful messages, but I don't consider him to be the son of God or anything, so Christmas is more of a cultural celebration than a religious one. I had lunch with my dad's side of the family one day and dinner at my sister's another. I skipped my mom's side to go to church on Christmas Eve, but then I backed out of it and lounged around the apartment instead.
I cleaned off my altar. I have a small ancestor shelf and then my workspace is the top of my dresser. I pared it way down. I have a small painting I did of my vision of the earth Goddess, a wand, my pentacle necklace, one large central candle, and representations of the 4 elements. I cleared off my mini-shrines to Inanna and Brighid, as well as the assorted oils and candles that had started to crowd out my space. I am focusing on simplicity and regular spiritual practice rather than on elaborate and sporadic attempts.
In all, it has been a relaxing holiday season.
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