Food For Thought

Is this the world we are allowing to be created for ourselves..? The legacy we will leave for our children and grandchildren..? Is it really so far from incorrect..?

Saturday Special Stones – Interrupted to Bring You - * Winter Solstice Celebrations a.k.a. Christmas, Saturnalia, Yule

* Winter Solstice Celebrations a.k.a. Christmas, Saturnalia, Yule *
by B.A. Robinson; Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance Found at Religious Tolerance

Overview

Religious folk worldwide observe many seasonal days of celebration during the month of December. Most are religious holy days, and are linked in some way to the winter solstice. On that day, the daytime hours are at a minimum in the Northern hemisphere, and night time is at a maximum. (In the southern hemisphere, the summer solstice is celebrated in December, when the night time is at a minimum and the daytime is at a maximum. We will assume that the reader lives in the Northern hemisphere for the rest of this essay.)People view other religions in various ways, and thus treat the celebrations of other faiths differently: Some people value the range of December celebrations, because it is evidence of diversity of belief within our common humanity. They respect both their own religious traditions and those of other faiths for their ability to inspire people to lead more ethical lives. Religious diversity is to them a positive influence. Others reject the importance of all celebrations other than the holy day recognized by their own religion. Some even reject their religion's holy days which are seen to have Pagan origins (e.g. Easter and Christmas). Some view other religions as being inspired by Satan. Thus the solstice celebrations of other religions are rejected because they are seen to be Satanic in origin.

Origins of solstice celebration

The seasons of the year are caused by the 23.5º tilt of the earth's axis. Because the earth is rotating like a top or gyroscope, it points in a fixed direction continuously -- towards a point in space near the North Star. But the earth is also revolving around the sun. During half of the year, the southern hemisphere is more exposed to the sun than is the northern hemisphere. During the rest of the year, the reverse is true. At noontime in the Northern Hemisphere the sun appears high in the sky during summertime and low in the sky during winter. The time of the year when the sun reaches its maximum elevation occurs on the day with the greatest number of daylight hours. This is called the summer solstice, and is typically on JUNE 21 -the first day of summer. "Solstice" is derived from two words: "sol" meaning sun, and "sistere," to cause to stand still. The lowest elevation occurs about DEC-21 and is the winter solstice - the first day of winter, when the night time hours are maximum.

In pre-historic times, winter was a very difficult time for Aboriginal people in the northern latitudes. The growing season had ended and the tribe had to live off of stored food and whatever animals they could catch. The people would be troubled as the life-giving sun sank lower in the sky each noon. They feared that it would eventually disappear and leave them in permanent darkness and extreme cold. After the winter solstice, they would have reason to celebrate as they saw the sun rising and strengthening once more. Although many months of cold weather remained before spring, they took heart that the return of the warm season was inevitable. The concept of birth and or death/rebirth became associated with the winter solstice. The Aboriginal people had no elaborate instruments to detect the solstice. But they were able to notice a slight elevation of the sun's path within a few days after the solstice - perhaps by DEC-25. Celebrations were often timed for about the 25th.

December celebrations by various faiths - ancient and modern

Ancient Egypt:

The god-man/savior Osiris died and was entombed on DEC-21. "At midnight, the priests emerged from an inner shrine crying 'The Virgin has brought forth! The light is waxing" and showing the image of a baby to the worshipers." 3

Ancient Greece:

The winter solstice ritual was called Lenaea, the Festival of the Wild Women. In very ancient times, a man representing the harvest god Dionysos was torn to pieces and eaten by a gang of women on this day. Later in the ritual, Dionysos would be reborn as a baby. By classical times, the human sacrifice had been replaced by the killing of a goat. The women's role had changed to that of funeral mourners and observers of the birth.

Ancient Rome:

Saturnalia began as a feast day for Saturn on DEC-17 and of Ops (DEC-19). About 50 BCE, both were later converted into two day celebrations. During the Empire, the festivals were combined to cover a full week: DEC-17 to 23. By the third century CE, there were many religions and spiritual mysteries being followed within the Roman Empire. Many, if not most, celebrated the birth of their god-man near the time of the solstice. Emperor Aurelian (270 to 275 CE) blended a number of Pagan solstice celebrations of the nativity of such god-men/saviors as Appolo, Attis, Baal, Dionysus, Helios, Hercules, Horus, Mithra, Osiris, Perseus, and Theseus into a single festival called the "Birthday of the Unconquered Sun" on DEC-25. At the time, Mithraism and Christianity were fierce competitors. Aurelian had even declared Mithraism the official religion of the Roman Empire in 274 CE. Christianity won out by becoming the new official religion in the 4th century CE.

Buddhism:

On DEC-8, or on the Sunday immediately preceding, Buddhists celebrate Bodhi Day (a.k.a. Rohatsu). It recalls the day in 596 BCE, when the Buddha achieved enlightenment. He had left his family and possessions behind at the age of 29, and sought the meaning of life - particularly the reasons for its hardships. He studied under many spiritual teachers without success. Finally, he sat under a pipal tree and vowed that he would stay there until he found what he was seeking. On the morning of the eighth day, he realized that everyone suffers due to ignorance. But ignorance can be overcome through the Eightfold Path that he advocated. This day is generally regarded as the birth day of Buddhism. Being an Eastern tradition, Bodhi Day has none of the associations with the solstice and the themes of death and birth that are seen in other religions.

Christianity:

Any record of the date of birth of Yeshua Ben Nazareth (later known as Jesus Christ) has been lost. There is sufficient evidence in the Gospels to indicate that Yeshua was born in the fall, but this seems to have been unknown to early Christians. By the beginning of the 4th century CE, there was intense interest in choosing a day to celebrate Yeshua's birthday. The western church leaders selected DEC-25 because this was already the date recognized throughout the Roman Empire as the birthday of various Pagan gods. 2,3 Since there was no central Christian authority at the time, it took centuries before the tradition was universally accepted: Eastern churches began to celebrate Christmas after 375 CE. The church in Jerusalem started in the 7th century. Ireland started in the 5th century Austria, England and Switzerland in the 8th Slavic lands in the 9th and 10th centuries. 6 Many symbols and practices associated with Christmas are of Pagan origin: holly, ivy, mistletoe, yule log, the giving of gifts, decorated evergreen tree, magical reindeer, etc. Polydor Virgil, an early British Christian, said "Dancing, masques, mummeries, stageplays, and other such Christmas disorders now in use with Christians, were derived from these Roman Saturnalian and Bacchanalian festivals; which should cause all pious Christians eternally to abominate them”  In Mass-achusetts, Puritans unsuccessfully tried to ban Christmas entirely during the 17th century, because of its heathenism. The English Parliament abolished Christmas in 1647. Some contemporary Christian faith groups do not celebrate Christmas. Included among these was the Worldwide Church of God (before its recent conversion to Evangelical Christianity) and the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Islam:

During the period 1997 to 1999, the first day of the Islamic lunar month of Ramadan occurred in December. The nominal dates were 1997-DEC-31, 1998-DEC-20 and 1999-DEC-9. The actual date for the start of Ramadan depends upon the sighting of the crescent moon, and thus can be delayed by a few days from the nominal date. This is the holiest period in the Islamic year. It honors the lunar month in which the Qura'n was revealed by God to humanity. "It is during this month that Muslims observe the Fast of Ramadan. Lasting for the entire month, Muslims fast during the daylight hours and in the evening eat small meals and visit with friends and family. It is a time of worship and contemplation. A time to strengthen family and community ties." 4 Because Ramadan is part of a lunar-based calendar, it starts about11 days earlier each year. In the year 2000, the nominal date will be NOV-27. Ramadan is thus not associated with the winter solstice as are other religious celebrations. It is just by coincidence that it has occurred during December in recent years.

Judaism: Jews celebrate an 8 day festival of Hanukkah, (a.k.a. Feast of Lights, Festival of lights, Feast of Dedication, Chanukah, Chanukkah, Hanukah). It recalls the war fought by the Maccabees in the cause of religious freedom. Antiochus, the king of Syria, conquered Judea in the 2nd century BCE. He terminated worship in the Temple and stole the sacred lamp, the menorah, from before the altar. At the time of the solstice, they rededicated the Temple to a Pagan deity. Judah the Maccabee lead a band of rebels, and succeeding in retaking Jerusalem. They restored the temple and lit the menorah. It was exactly three years after the flame had been extinguished -- at the time of the Pagan rite. Although they had found only sufficient consecrated oil to last for 24 hours, the flames burned steadily for eight days. "Today's menorahs have nine branches; the ninth branch is for the shamash, or servant light, which is used to light the other eight candles. People eat potato latkes, exchange gifts, and play dreidel games. And as they gaze at the light of the menorah, they give thanks for the miracle in the Temple long ago." 13 Modern-day Jews celebrate Hanukkah by lighting one candle for each of the eight days of the festival. Once a minor festival, it has been growing in importance in recent years, perhaps because of the pressure of Christmas.

Native American Spirituality: 

The Pueblo tribe observe both the summer and winter solstices. Although the specific details of the rituals differ from pueblo to pueblo, "the rites are built around the sun, the coming new year and the rebirth of vegetation in the spring....Winter solstice rites include...prayerstick making, retreats, altars, emesis and prayers for increase." 9 The Hopi tribe "is dedicated to giving aid and direction to the sun which is ready to 'return' and give strength to budding life." Their ceremony is called "Soyal." It lasts for 20 days and includes "prayerstick making, purification, rituals and a concluding rabbit hunt, feast and blessing..." 9 There are countless stone structures created by Natives in the past to detect the solstices and equinoxes. One was called Calendar One by its modern-day finder. It is in a natural amphitheatre of about 20 acres in size in Vermont. From a stone enclosure in the center of the bowl, one can see a number of vertical rocks and natural features in the horizon which formed the edge of the bowl. At the solstices and equinoxes, the sun rises and sets at notches or peaks in the ridge which surrounded the calendar. 10

Neopaganism:

This is a group of religions which are attempted re-creations of ancient Pagan religions. Of these, Wicca is the most common; it is loosely based on ancient Celtic beliefs and practices. Wiccans recognize eight seasonal days of celebration. Four are minor sabbats and occur at the two solstices and the two equinoxes. The other are major sabbats which happen approximately halfway between an equinox and solstice. The winter solstice sabbat is often called Yule. It is a time for introspection, and planning for the future. Wiccans may celebrate the Sabbat on the evening before, at sunrise on the morning of the solstice, or at the exact time of the astronomical event.

Monotheistic religions, like Judaism, Christianity and Islam, tend to view time as linear. It started with creation; the world as we know it will end at some time in the future. Aboriginal and Neopagan religions see time as circular and repetitive, with lunar (monthly) and solar (yearly) cycles. Their "...rituals guarantee the continuity of nature's cycles, which traditional human societies depend on for their sustenance." 1 Prehistoric Europe: Many remains of ancient stone structures can be found in Europe. Some date back many millennia BCE. Some appear to have religious/astronomical purposes; others are burial tombs. These structures were built before writing was developed. One can only speculate on the significance of the winter solstice to the builders. Two examples are: In Maeshowe, (Orkneys, Scotland) there is a chambered cairn built on a leveled area with a surrounding bank and ditch. It has been carbon dated at 2750 BCE. Inside the cairn is a stone structure with a long entry tunnel. The structure is aligned so that sunlight can shine along the entry passage into the interior of the megalith, and illuminate the back of the structure. This happens at sunrise at the winter solstice. Starting in the late 1990's, live video and still images have been broadcast to the world via the Internet. 8 One of the most impressive prehistoric monuments in Europe is at Newgrange, in Brugh-na-Boyne, County Meath, in eastern Ireland. It covers an area of one acre, and has an entrance passage that is almost 60 feet (18 m) long. Above the entrance way is a stone box that allows the light from the sun to penetrate to the back of the cairn at sunrise on the winter solstice. Live video and stills from this site are also available on the Internet. It has been dated at about 3,300 BCE; it is one of the oldest structures in the world. 7

References:

Stephen M. Wylen, "Holidays Mark Victory of Light Over Darkness," The Bergen Record, 1999-DEC-2.

B.G. Walker, "The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets," Harper & Row, (1983), Page 166 to 167.

Charles Panati, "Sacred origins of profound things: The stories behind the rites and rituals of the world's religions," Penguin Arkana, (1996), Page 215 to 217.

Ramadan on the Net, Janet & Stewart Farrar,

"Eight Sabbats for Witches," Phoenix Publishing, (1981), P. 143 to 144.

Mike Nichols, "Yule: Circa December 21,"

Maeshowe images

Newgrange images

A. Hirschfelder & P. Molin, "The encyclopedia of Native American Religions," Facts on File, (1992). J.W. Mavor & B.E. Dix, "

Manitou: The sacred landscape of New England's Native Civilization." Inner Traditions (1989).

Selena Fox, "Winter solstice celebrations for families and households,"

"Find the equinoxes and solstices for a particular year,"

"Hanukkah: The festival of lights,"

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader's personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Witchcraft on ABCs "The View"

Well, I wasn't sure whether I should post this here or not, but based on the positive feedback I have received from other areas, I think I will.

I received the following email Thursday, but didn't actually read it until last night...

Hi all!

Not sure if anyone here saw today's "The View" or ever watches it. However, the hot topic was about Sarah Palin and her preacher who drove the witch out of the town. Well the Co-host Elisabeth said she was against witchcraft and agreed that it was okay he was preaching against evil and Whoopi agreed that it's okay to preach against witchcraft or any evil.

I think we should all write them a kind, not nasty letter to let them know they are very misled. You would think in 2008 that the bad stereotypes would be a thing of the past.

This is the link where you could write them.

Write to ABC

Being the curious (and occasionally outspoken & opinionated) creature that I am, it piqued my interest. I clicked the link. It took me a little while to find the referenced segment (click "Video" at the top, then click on the clip titled "Blessing") but I almost wish I hadn't. I'll admit I don't watch The View  I barely watch tv at all, but I am familiar with several of the co-hosts, particularly Whoopi, and I am seriously disappointed.

I followed the "Ask A Question" link at the top of the page, as I felt a need to make my disappointment known. Here is what I sent. I would appreciate any comments or feedback any of you might have.

I recently watched the video of your show from 9/25, the segment titled "Blessing." Up to this point, I have held the members of this panel in a fair amount of respect as well-informed, intelligent and talented individuals. I am therefore deeply disappointed to hear my religion referred to as "evil." Yes, I am a practicing witch. I am also a mother, wife, grandmother, aunt and sister. I am married to another practicing witch. We are both law-abiding, tax paying, GOOD people. I work 40 hours a week, my husband usually 55-60. I have seen my husband spend the last money he would have for some time to come to buy a complete stranger a tank of gas because this man claimed to be stranded and without money. I have seen him work a 15 hour day, then go spend another 8 hours helping someone move, because he was the only one this person knew who had a truck. Until last year, once a week, he would work a 12-15 hour day, then drive to his Grandmother's house (a good twenty miles from our home) to cut her grass for her as she could no longer do it herself. The only reason he no longer does it is that she has passed away. We constantly receive comments on how kind and polite our five year old son is - not things usually associated with "evil" people. We are striving to raise HIM to be a GOOD person, too. Teaching by example - giving to those who don't have, even when they are too proud to ask, offering assistance and friendship with no strings attached, being as kind to a stranger as you are to the persons you love most in the world, not passing judgment on someone without knowing all the facts, and attempting to learn about the things we don't understand, so there is one less thing to fear because of ignorance.  We go to work, pay our bills as best we can, offer what we have, and try to make the world better for having been a part of it. We don't preach to others, we don't judge based on skin color - including skin color voluntarily changed (meaning tattoos), clothing, hairstyle, speech pattern, occupation  (regardless of what it may be) - we have friends in many fields including everything from homicide detective to stripper to business owners. We don't make assumptions based on a person's sex or sexual preference, nor do we automatically shun people who are ill, regardless of the illness or the cause. And we most certainly don't pass judgment on others because they believe differently than we do. Our circle of friends includes  Baptists, Lutherans, Catholics,  and I'm fairly certain many other faiths. Different isn't evil, it's different.
Because a small minority of people calling themselves something, in this case witches, do things that are not acceptable by any standard, shouldn't be cause for you to jump to the belief that witchcraft is evil. Following that logic, one could say that all Christians are evil, based on the actions of men such as John Wayne Gacey, Dennis Rader, David Berkowitz, and Jeffrey Dahmer, all of whom were perpetrators of undeniably evil acts on a large scale. All of whom also claimed Christianity as their faith, and several of whom were considered by friends & acquaintances to be "Fine, upstanding community members and good Christian men."
I am personally offended by the remarks made by the co-hosts of this show, as well as offended on behalf of all the citizens of this country, and the world, who have decided (usually based on much research and serious self-examination) that Christianity is not a belief system they can have faith in. Remarks made to an audience of millions, which will be taken to heart by many who saw this show. Remarks which will do much to strengthen the stereotypes and misconceptions already in place and accepted by many people. Remarks with no basis in fact, and which showed a lack of compassion, consideration and knowledge. When a person is in the position these ladies are in, influencing the opinions of many, many people, perhaps it might be beneficial to think before speaking, and make sure one is well informed on the subject being commented upon. It never reflects well to be seen as uninformed, narrow-minded, thoughtless, discriminatory and derogatory.
I truly wish people would take the time to learn about a subject - this one or any one - before they start making blanket statements like "Witchcraft is evil." I am a witch, my husband is a witch, one of my children is a witch, one is not, and the other may or may not be - that is a decision he will make for himself when he has the information he needs to do so. Many of our friends are witches, or Asatru, or Pagan or Heathen or Buddhist or nothing as far as a label regarding faith is concerned. I am not evil. My husband is not evil. My children are not evil, nor are my friends. I feel a public apology would be appropriate, but not sufficient. I also feel the time should be taken to try to lessen some of the misconceptions and superstitions surrounding MY beliefs. Misconceptions & superstitions you have either intentionally or unintentionally strengthened...
I appreciate the time spent on reading this comment, and hope that maybe it will have a positive effect on someone in a position to make a difference.
Thank You

So, whatdya think, was it too much..?

BB

dawtch....