Winter Solstice, Celebrating Yuletide

/

Winter Solstice And Yuletide

The Winter Solstice draws near and is officially celebrated on 21 December. Since last June, the days have steadily grown shorter and the nights longer. On this date, we have the longest night of the year.

Once we pass the Winter Solstice, the nights turn around with a grand spiral and begin to shorten again. Each day stretches longer as we march toward spring.

Yuletide

Yule or Yuletide, is a derivative of "Yule time" meaning the season of Yule. It was a pagan religious festival observed by ancient Germanic peoples and was later absorbed into the Christian festival of Christmas.

Yuletide is accepted now as a period from 24 December to 06 January and is connected to the 12-day festival of Yule, later called Christmastide.

The use of the word, Yuletide, is first confirmed around 1475. In Swedish and Norwegian, you say Jul, and in Danish, Jól.

God Jul is how you say Good Yuletide, or Merry Christmas, in Swedish.

Celebrating Yuletide

Yuletide, in its earliest forms, was an important part of the Winter Solstice. Yule logs were brought into the house and kindled at dusk. The log would burn for 12 hours or even several days. It symbolized the protection of the light, to ensure it would return again in spring.

In England, it was considered unlucky to buy the Yule log. Money could not change hands to obtain it. It had to be acquired by other means, such as barter or as a gift. 

Yule logs were often gifted by landowners and decorated with pinecones and evergreen branches. In Cornwall, a figure of a man might be seen chalked on the surface of the log.

Keeping Of The Flame

Ashes from the Yule log were scattered over the fields as a blessing for successful crops. In Brittany, France, the ashes were thrown into wells to purify the water. 

Ashes were also used to make protective, healing or fertilizing charms. In Italy, these charms were created to protect against hailstones.

As the truncated days of winter draw near, we tender the flickering light of our candles and Yule logs. Symbolically, we protect the light to ensure it will survive the dark of winter, so that we may once again flourish in spring and summer. Rituals provide us comfort and meaning. 

Bûche de Noël Tradition

With the rise of Christianity, the celebration of Winter Solstice became wrapped in Christmas. In many countries, the old ways were sustained, but transformed.

By the 19th century, the Yule Log became a traditional Bûche de Noël  (Christmas Log) in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Quebec. A Bûche de Noël is a  delectable chocolate sponge-cake rolled up to resemble a log. Details are added, such as sugar holly leaves or little mushrooms created from marzipan or meringue. Creative decorations flourish amongst bakers with their log desserts.

If you don't have a fireplace where you can burn your Yule Log (and even if you do), making an edible Yule log is a great option. A chocolate Yule log dessert is a solstice treat everyone can enjoy.

Cycles Of Our Days

As darkness falls, we must sleep, and so too, the Earth must slumber.

As humans, we tend to view the world through our egocentric eyes and all that exists is only what we perceive and experience. But, in fact, worlds and universes flourish out of range of our view.

We zip through our yearly 365 days in 24 hour spurts. To the Earth, we can imagine that the cycle of a day is much longer than our own. Like the 24-hour day that we have, perhaps the Earth's "day" consists of an entire year.

Spring is morning, summer is afternoon, fall is evening, and winter is nightfall – a time for sleep, rest and rejuvenation. (Artwork by Wendy Andrew.)

In spring, the Earth will awaken again to greet the morn.

A Time To Nurture Ourselves

Winter Solstice reminds us to nurture ourselves with warm comfort foods. Chunky stews, thick spilt-pea soup and casseroles with butternut squash grace our tables.

During the cold of winter, we warm our bellies with mashed or baked potatoes dug from the earth. As we gather over hearty meals, we feed both body and spirit. 

Is snow falling outside your window? Time to curl up with a book. Finally, a chance to catch up on those novels that were set aside during the busy, outdoor activities of summer.

With use of TRT® hands-on, students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) nurture the light within. For the Winter Solstice, we focus on inner light , keeping our inner flame burning bright even through the darkness. 

God Jul, Good Yuletide and Happy Winter Solstice.

 

Saint Nicolas Has A Story To Tell

/

Who Is Saint Nicolas?

While living in Europe and spending time in France, I made a discovery. There was a flurry of activity associated with the date of 06 December and Saint Nicolas.

But, wait a minute. What was Saint Nick doing here instead of his usual haunt of 25 December for Christmas?

Saint Nicolas And Santa Claus

Naturally, I've known our modern-day American Santa Claus all my life, but I wasn't raised Catholic. I was unaware of Saint Nicolas, the saint, per se. .

Time for sleuthing. Off I launched on the trail. Saint Nicolas was actually a real person born in Greece and a remarkable 4th-century Christian saint who lived a long time ago from 15 March 270 to 06 December 343.

 
“In 325, he was one of many bishops to answer the request of Constantine and appear at the First Council of Nicaea. Nicolas was a staunch defender of the Orthodox Christian position, and one of the bishops who signed the Nicene Creed.”
 

The story of Saint Nicolas has a bit more flavor than our present-day Santa Claus. Finding the connection between Santa and Saint helped to explain how he came to have his nickname of Saint Nick.

The Story Of Saint Nicolas

If you spend any time looking at original fairy tales and at The Brothers Grimm, pre-Disney, you will find harsh renditions of these tales. Violent endings were commonplace and wickedness was, without apologies, very wicked.

Exploring these harsh-reality versions is fascinating and a peek back into time. My first taste of this was reading The Little Matchstick Girl, published in 1845 by Hans Christian Andersen. She died on New Year's Eve, sitting on the sidewalk, leaning against a building, frozen to death. The next morning, people walked by in their warm coats and gloves and scarcely gave notice. Life was as hard as nails in those days.

True to the storytelling of that time, probably the most important miracle of Saint Nicolas recounts a gruesome tale of a butcher who lured three angelic (naturally) children into his home. It was dark and they were lost after a day of gathering sticks in the forest.

The butcher happily welcomed them. He then proceeded to chop them all up, as only a butcher can, and store them in a big bin. Presumably for midnight snacks or to sell the meat to the unsuspecting villagers.

You can see their little shoes lined up after he has killed them in this illustration. Egads!

In the story of Saint Nicolas, the butcher chops up the children

The Miracles Of Saint Nicolas

Now, Saint Nicolas is one awesome saint. I mean, it's one thing to bring an intact dead body back to life. But to reassemble chopped up bits and bring all three children back to life is a top-of-the-line saint by anyone's standards.

And, that is just what he did.

He visited the village and stopped by the butcher's house. When the butcher offered him other meats, Saint Nicolas said, "No, I want what is in that bin!" He pointed three fingers and out came the revived children.

In the story of Saint Nicolas, he saves the three children

Penance For The Wicked Butcher

Don't think the butcher got away with it.

When the butcher begged for mercy, Saint Nicolas pardoned him, but on the condition that the now-repentant butcher would travel with him throughout the land as penance.

The butcher is known as Père Fouettard. Fouettard comes from the word for whip in French. Père Fouettard is usually dressed in black or dark clothes and he carries a switch to whip all the bad children.

Saint Nicolas brings treats for the good children.

Père Fouettard travels with Saint Nicolas with switches to whip all the bad children

Celebrating Saint Nicolas Day

Saint Nicolas Day is celebrated mostly in the northern parts of Europe as well as in Russia. Children place their sabots, wooden shoes, by the door or near the fireplace for Saint Nicolas to fill them with little treats.

However, instead of a sleigh pulled by reindeer, Saint Nicolas travels with a humble donkey. Along with their wooden shoes, children usually leave out a carrot or two as a tasty treat for their four-footed friend.

Saint Nicolas is often depicted walking with his donkey and Père Fouettard following behind, carrying his switches.

Just as our American Santa Claus will don an outfit and visit children, so too, will Saint Nicolas and Père Fouettard. French adults recount the visceral fear they felt as little children when Père Fouettard would visit their schools and villages. Well, with good reason... chopped up into bits would terrorize anyone.

In France, there is also Père Noël (Father Christmas) who appears on Christmas Eve, like our Santa Claus. They celebrate the day of Saint Nicolas and Père Noël also visits them with goodies for Christmas Eve, so they luck out twice in December.

The story of Saint Nicolas

Saint Nicolas – Patron Saint

Saint Nicolas is quite the active patron saint. After his amazing feat of bringing three children back to life, he is the patron saint for all lost children.

He is also the patron saint for sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, pawnbrokers and students in various cities and countries around Europe.

Lighting Our Legends

Students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) can use TRT® hands-on to become more in touch with their own awareness about the story. When studying history, your use of TRT® can put you more in touch with events. If you wish to go deeper, tales such as these are symbolic of energies of good and evil and even our own journey within.

Wooden shoes are placed in front of the fire for the Feast Day of Saint Nicolas

December 6 – Feast Day Of Saint Nicolas

What about you? Will you be leaving out your wooden shoes on the 6th of December for Saint Nicolas?

I know I will. Luckily, I was able to pick up some wooden shoes when I lived in Germany. I just hope he can find me now, in the United States, far from his usual stomping grounds of Northern Europe.

Fortunately, the connections of the heart know no boundaries or distance. We'll be sure to find each other there.

Have a wonderful Saint Nicolas Day.

 

Cinderella, Kindness And Magic

/

Cinderella

Cinderella, the Disney movie, is coming in March 2015. Watching the promos, I cannot wait. The movie trailer made me a little teary-eyed.

Really. I even surprised myself.

Just look at this glass slipper. And I don't even like heels!

However, the Fairy Godmother tells Cinderella, "You'll find they're really comfortable." Frankly, I never argue with a Fairy Godmother.

I felt like I was 15 years old again. Magical possibilities and right-overcoming-wrong made my heart soar. This Disney movie trailer has all the right effects of swelling music and sparkling magic combined with a timeless story.

The Disney Movie Trailer For Cinderella


Chosen For The Part Of Cinderella

As I watched the video trailer, I found myself thinking, gosh, Cinderella seems so familiar. Who is that young lady? Even her voice seemed familiar. Wait, wait, don't tell me...

Oh, of course, beautiful Rose from our beloved Downton Abbey. British accent and all. What a perfect choice for this Cinderella movie.

What a thrill it must have been for her to be chosen for the part. Can you imagine it? Getting the call that said, "Yes, you've been selected among thousands to play the part of Cinderella."

Lady Rose, Lily James the actress, aka Cinderella, gracefully and delightfully evokes a sense of youthful awe and magic. I find myself believing, if only for a moment – "it could happen" – that wonderful suspension of disbelief.

Kindness, Goodness And Magic

I love the emphasis on kindness in this movie. We could all use a lot more kindness in the world. Even the Dalai Lama XIV talks about it in this quote:

Be kind whenever possible.  It is always possible.

Cinderella's mother shares with her a secret - "have courage and be kind" - which is wonderful advice for all of us. I, for one, would like to see kindness "win" more often.

I'm not particularly disposed to the idea of a Prince Charming coming to save me, in any literal sense, but I can certainly enjoy a story about it. These fairy tales are a part of my growing up.

Fairy Tales And Archetype

Fairy tales are universally appealing. They are old stories that have been handed down across the centuries and are told over and over again.  Fairy tales have archetypal energies that speak to something universal within us.

Good wins over evil; right succeeds after being wrongly treated. Having these energies enacted right in front of us appeals to our collective subconscious.

In literature, an archetype is a typical character, an action or a situation that seems to represent such universal patterns of human nature.

Carl Jung, Swiss psychologist, argued that the root of an archetype is in the “collective unconscious” of mankind. The phrase “collective unconscious” refers to experiences shared by a race or culture. This includes love, religion, death, birth, life, struggle, survival etc. These experiences exist in the subconscious of every individual and are recreated in literary works or in other forms of art.

Story telling is an important part of who we are. The stories comfort and entertain us and we bond together by sharing a common story line, nodding in agreement over the plot and outcome.

Even the highly commercialized Disney empire, keeper of fairy tales during the past century, has scored “direct visceral hits” with films that have captured the “power and the melodrama of the stories in their original form." -Maria Tartar

Photo of Cinderella dressed in her ballgown to go the ball. Image from Disney poster for the movie.

Cinderella goes to the ball. 

Applying Universal Energy To Archetypal Energies

Students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®), can direct energy to parts of the story that personally resonate for them. Every topic is touched on in Cinderella – the death of a family member, ideas of right and wrong, the downtrodden, love and redemption. Watching the movie while applying TRT® hands-on is a great way to stay centered and aware.

Maybe you have little ones who have to see the movie. TRT® hands-on during the movie is a great time to catch up on a little extra energy for you.

Relax And Enjoy The Show

Of course, it's also possible to enjoy the show and not worry about archetype or any other deeper meaning.  I like to sit back and use my TRT® hands-on to enhance relaxation and enjoyment of the movie.

As for me, I also have a small, magical ability to tell the future. I predict we will be seeing a lot of little girls in Cinderella costumes next Halloween.

 

Gratitude As A Daily Practice

/

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving holiday takes place in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November each year. It's a time of gathering with families and friends.

We give thanks and eat lots of food. The "lots of food" part is always important. It's a celebration of the abundance in our lives.

Thanksgiving is a non-religious holiday celebrated around the country. Most people have the day off and enjoy a paid holiday.

Gratitude Beyond Seasonal Holidays

Besides eating, giving thanks is a big part of Thanksgiving. Studies show that having a sense of thanksgiving and gratitude can make a difference in our lives all year round. When we're conscious of gratitude as a part of our daily lives, it has many benefits.

According to research from the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, an increased sense of appreciation can benefit our health and wellness with better sleep, lower blood pressure, happier relationships, and increased resiliency.  Some researchers have found that practicing gratitude can strengthen our immune system.

 
“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ”
— Thorton Wilder
 

Four Ideas To Share Gratitude With Others

Given these positive effects, perhaps we should get busy practicing gratitude. This is a perfect time of year to tune up our efforts.

Gratitude isn't only about looking around and seeing what we're grateful for – our service and activities are also a part of gratitude when we share with others.

For the holidays, we can:

1) Volunteer at a winter homeless shelter.

2) Spend time with the elderly in a Senior Center or a nursing home.

3) Donate time at a local reading program for children.

4) Provide services for rescue and animal shelters. They are always in need of volunteers to help.

Make Gratitude A Part Of Your Daily Life

Students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) have an excellent way to expand upon gratitude within the simplicity of the use of the TRT® hands-on. 

In The New Expanded Reference Manual of The Radiance Technique®, Authentic Reiki®, Third Edition by Dr. Barbara Ray, Ph.D. — the entry on Gratitude is found on page 106:

GRATITUDE - In higher consciousness refers to an inner energy which expresses from within, with no external cause, spontaneous feelings of wholeness, of fullness, of radiance.  The Radiance Technique® accesses this inner energy which has within itself the quality of gratitude, different from lower energies of cause and effect.  Gratitude is an energy of the soul, of the Inner Heart. For accessing and expanding upon this quality in you, use for extended times in Front Position #1. 

 

Four Ideas To Expand Your Gratitude

Since gratitude makes a significant contribution to our well-being – here are some ideas to help as gratitude reminders.

1) Tape a note to your bathroom mirror to remind you as you are getting ready for work or going to bed. Something for which you are thankful.

2) Create a gratitude journal. Jot down something you are grateful for and write a a few lines about it.

Maybe you have artistic talents? Perhaps you would rather draw or photograph a little reminder of gratitude?

3) Buy a notebook for art journaling of gratitude. The image in this post of Gratitude is a practice is an example of art journaling. 

4) Take a photo each day that captures your sense of gratitude. It doesn't have to be grandiose like traveling to a foreign, exotic land. Your photo can be from your own backyard.

How about the curve of your kitty's tail?
The floppy ear of your dog?
Maybe a leaf found on your path?
Perhaps a photo of a coffee drink?

 If you have gratitude for it, go for it.

 

The Berlin Wall Falls, Dreams Are Rebuilt

/

The Berlin Wall Falls Down

It's November 1989.

The Berlin Wall, built in 1961, came down.

Ripped down by the people.

The Berlin Wall comes down - East German soldiers look on 

I remember the day well, reading about it in The New York Times as I rode my commuter bus into work in the financial district of San Francisco. I was utterly amazed.

If you had asked me back then, in the 1980s, if I thought The Wall would come down, I would have answered, "Yes, someday, but not in my lifetime."

And then, there I was, in my lifetime, with a fallen wall.

You see, it seemed for my whole life, I'd only known of that Wall being up.

 

West Berlin, East Berlin

I visited West Berlin and that Berlin Wall when I traveled to Northern Europe in the winter of 1983.

I know, that's a crazy time of year to go, but that was our only downtime when I was singing with the San Francisco Opera Company. It was the break between performance seasons, before the next round of rehearsals that would begin in April.

My journey into West Berlin came by a round-about-way – from Moscow on the train. I had stayed 10 days in the Soviet Union (not Russia in those days) and was coming back out from behind the Iron Curtain.

(It's funny, because now we easily and simply say "Berlin" – but, back then, it was clearly either West Berlin or East Berlin. A single Berlin did not exist.)

Below is the Ampelmännchen – pedesterian stop signal used in East Berlin.

Stop! East And West Cannot Meet

I stayed in a modest pension, run by a quiet man in his mid-40s. He served us soft boiled eggs in ceramic egg cups at breakfast. I got to talking with him and he disclosed that his mother lived on the other side of The Wall. He had not seen her in over 20 years. This was not a time of easy-access home computers, FaceTime or Skype internet telephone calls.

He could not go to the East; she could not come to the West. That is, not until she retired. Then she could go to the West and stay there, thank-you-very-much, so the East would not have to pay for her retirement. He described the situation with such sadness.

When The Wall fell, six years later, I directed radiant energy to my hotel man and his mother, hoping that they were happily reunited. I didn't have his name or address anymore.

After The Berlin Wall, Reunification

Even though it was fiercely desired, reunification was no easy feat. A lot of history had to be reconciled and East and West differences in thinking and attitude had to mend. No longer would manufactured goods say made in West Germany on the bottom – only Germany existed now (and again).

Granted, I speak as an outsider. I am not German, only German heritage. But, while The Wall was up, my German friends confided with me how they experienced a deep, dividing schism in the psyche of the German people. They often spoke about the need for enormous healing for Germans from both sides.

25 years later, long, good strides of healing have been accomplished. Isn't it interesting that German Chancellor Angela Merkel is originally from East Germany?

They said it would take at least one generation to fully reintegrate East and West in spirit, some said it would take two. We've passed one generation now.

I recommend taking a look at this article by Spiegel Online, with its wonderful gallery of photos showing the same place before and after The Wall.

Do you remember The Berlin Wall falling down?

 

Imperfections As Part Of The Path

/

Imperfections And Acceptance On The Path

 
“We must be willing to be completely ordinary people...,
which means accepting ourselves as we are without trying to become greater, purer, more spiritual, more insightful.
If we can accept our imperfections as they are, quite ordinarily, then we can use them as part of the path.
But if we try to get rid of our imperfections, then they will be enemies, obstacles on the road to our self-improvement.”
— Chögyam Trungpa
 

From the book The Myth of Freedom by Chögyam Trungpa.

Does the line “willing to be completely ordinary” make you cringe even just a little bit?

Competition In Everything

Being ordinary isn’t what we’re taught in our society. Competition reigns supreme in our outer world and that means you’ve got to be greater, better – no matter which game you're playing.

Run faster, leap higher, stay up later, have more projects than the other guy, and yes, shine brighter, be more enlightened, than your meditating neighbor. You'll find competition even in the "game" of meditation.

Naturally, we are all growing and striving to be the most authentic that we can be — and yes, we want to lessen or even eliminate our faults.

But, the first step is the acceptance of who we are?

Well, how could we begin without it?

Finding Acceptance Within Ourselves

On days when you are being particularly hard on yourself, the above quote is a nice reminder to be more gentle. Students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) can support themselves on the path with ongoing use of TRT® hands-on.

Use of TRT® supports us to be the observer. It’s like turning up the lights in a darkened room. With increased light, we’re able to see more clearly.

TRT® hands-on helps us to relax into a deeper awareness of ourselves.

 

Freedom On The Path

The fact that Chögym Trungpa chose the title The “Myth” of Freedom is a bit daring, don’t you think?

Isn’t that the dream of all meditators — to be free? Free from it all? And yet, many of our teachers remind us that the path of meditation is not an escape.

There’s no escape from ourselves.

What is freedom? Where is it? Is it inside or outside of us?

Open portals are all around us.

Step through the gateways that you find in your meditations.

 

Stones On Fire

/

Stones Are Burning

Here is a poem of burning stones and silence by Thomas Merton.

In Silence

Be still.
Listen to the stones of the wall.
Be silent, they try to speak your

name.
Listen
to the living walls.

Who are you?
Who
are you? Whose
silence are you?

Who (be quiet)
are you (as these stones
are quiet). Do not
think of what you are
still less of
what you may one day be.

Rather
be what you are (but who?)
be the unthinkable one
you do not know.

O be still, while
you are still alive,
and all things live around you

speaking (I do not hear)
to your own being,
speaking by the unknown
that is in you and in themselves.

I will try, like them
to be my own silence:
and this is difficult. The whole
world is secretly on fire. The stones
burn, even the stones they burn me.
How can a man be still or
listen to all things burning?
How can he dare to sit with them
when all their silence is on fire?

Thomas Merton had quite the wide-ranging life from agnostic to priest. His background covered a lot of physical ground as well from France to New York, to England, Rome and Thailand.

This poem evokes an inner fire that burns within all that is. Everything that comes into existence springs forth from an inner fire of God or the whole of existence.

Burning Stones On Fire

“The whole world is secretly on fire...”

Merton asks how a man can be still and listen to all things burning.

We are numbed to the point of deafness by the never-ending noise of this planet.

The man-made cacophony created by every type of machinery known-to-man is out of balance with nature and our natural rhythms. We keep slipping away from anything that is natural, all the while insisting it is "normal."

To hear the burning, you have to listen with care.

The Radiance Technique® And Poetry

Students of The Radiance Technique® (TRT®) can meditate with this poem. 

You could also apply TRT® hands-on as you read the poem and see what meaning it holds for you. You could apply your TRT® at the throat center as you read this poem. Or, perhaps with your hands in your heart.

“Listen to the living walls...”