I say “Happy Holidays” in honor to all the traditions, which includes those who may feel diminished by such a felicitation. It’s inclusive, not exclusive; respectful to all while diminishing none. More so, I say it as an acknowledgement that there is truly something special about this time of year. There is a reason that so many significant holidays fall at this time of year. Dozens of ancient cultures built huge monolithic structures precisely aligned with the moment in time when the sun stands still for a day, the day we call Winter Solstice.
We presume those ancient cultures possessed no diesel-driven behemoths capable of moving stone blocks weighing tens of tons. We ponder over the evidence that indicates that these blocks were transported from tens of miles away, precisely carved, and set in positions that remain for thousands of years. New technology and new focus are revealing more and more of these structures, and many below sea level upon the continental shelf, which dates them at least as old as the ice age.
There is a reason that so many ancient cultures invested huge time and resources for such structures, and a reason so many holidays are celebrated at this time — holidays that have roots in ancient times. Christmas, for example, is an amalgam of numerous traditions, many of which have origins in European and Siberian indigenous cultures. But as Christianity became the adopted religion it was necessary to coop those traditions, to transform them into a Christian holiday so as to diminish the potential association with ancient indigenous cultures — ancient cultures who understood that there is something special about this time of year.
For most of my life I’ve had a problem with the way Christmas is celebrated. As a result, I’ve clashed with family over the means by which we take part in it. Every year Maria and I dialog about it, and over time I’ve surrendered to the need for loved ones around me to celebrate it in a way that feels gratifying to them and at times uncomfortable to me, and compromises have been found. It’s the commercialization of Christmas that I mostly have a problem with, as many people do.
But this year I’m feeling something altogether different. This year I’m connecting with something ancient. Born of the huge change in lifestyle Maria and I have undergone over the past two years — from city living to remote homesteading. Living in the high desert of Western New Mexico, 70 miles from the nearest hardware store or grocery store larger than a gas station convenience store. Our electricity comes from the sun. We heat our home with wood. Wood that we cut and split. We pump water from a well into a cistern once every six weeks or so and catch water from roofs where possible. Our roads often require a 4-wheel drive to navigate, and sometimes are too muddy even for a 4-wheeler. We store enough food for at least one month of living. And so on . . .
All this to say we are living remote, reclusive lives now — which means we are much closer to nature. By necessity we pay constant attention to the weather and length of days. In this time of late fall early winter when the days are the shortest, it is necessary that we plan our days around the sun so that we may accomplish our outside chores in the time provided. When a snowstorm is moving in there is preparation. When we experience consecutive cloudy days we turn every electrical item off that we can so as to preserve our battery power and make it to the next sunny day without damaging the batteries.
We discuss and strategize around weather and length of days all the time. It’s just the way of this life. It also means we spend quite a lot more time outdoors than we did living in the city. And it’s changing us in subtle ways. We don’t just orient ourselves around nature, we feel nature more deeply. We feel aligned with the seasons. And as the land and climate changes, so do we.
Which means that this time of year, this Winter Solstice, is having a noticeable effect on us. These shortest days of the year have brought us to a place of slowing down, going within, being gentle with ourselves, reflecting, transforming, and healing. It’s the darkest time, which engenders an ability to connect with our shadow portions and perceive them with greater clarity. More so, we are feeling that the energy of this time is providing us with an opportunity to let go of more of those things that no longer serve us so that we may enter the new year with newfound clarity, depth of understanding, and vigor for all that life may bring.
And so, in this light I say, Happy Holidays!
To our Zuni friends who are deeply immersed in their ceremonies of healing and fasting, to our Navajo friends and relations practicing their Yei Bi Chei dances, to the Cherokee holding their Stomp Dances, to our Jewish friends and relations celebrating Hanukkah, to our Christian friends attending Holy Mass and celebrating the birth of Jesus, to those of war torn regions revitalizing hope in these few days, to all those the world over, this is our time of healing and renewal.
Blessings to all.
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