Guest guest Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 Dear Kumari ~ I am so sorry to hear that you experienced wounding around this joyful and sacred time. I too had similar wounding, but somehow was always able to hold Christmas close to my heart. Partly, I think when I embraced Goddess Spirituality and Earth Spirituality I learned how ancient this tradition was, as you say, and how much (if not most) was borrowed from pre-existing Goddess and/or Pagan spirituality. As a child, I loved playing dress ups. So, for me, in a sense, Christmas is a time to play dress ups with my house, even if only in the living room. I hold to the "longest night" idea of the Earth and all her beings turning inward during a time when outward growth in nature goes inward (in many places). I love it as a time, when after Harvest Thanksgiving (I also play dress ups with my house in the fall), we are still acknowledging the Harvest just experienced and the rebirth of the Growth and Harvest that will come 'round again. This year, I could not be with my family, except for my husband, so for awhile I was a "Scrooge." I wasn't going to even put up a tree. But as I took down my fall decorations, I began to replace them with my Christmas dress ups, and then I had to have a tree, so got a small artificial one. Many of the ornaments are a history of my life, as many were made by my own hand. And then there are lights ... everywhere, draped across the book cases and through the kitchen, along the back wall of the "studio" (we have what is called here a "live/work space" ... for artists), and of course, on the tree. Most of these lights are little stars, and excepting the ones on the tree, we have left the others up permanently. I have many different T-light holders, and I love to, on certain nights that just "feel" right, light most of them. So, kind of like the Yule light. Listen to the child within. Does she want to enjoy Christmas, put up decorations, see the pretty lights, celebrate the deep void that like rich loam allows the tiniest seed to sprout into rebirth. And the grown up who wants to have a Yule dinner with her fiance and celebrate the holiday with her fiance's family ... let her take the little one by the hand and tell her ... this year we will play ... or as Maa says in the video "Across the States,sing and dance." I pray that this year is a chance to begin healing those deep wounds, Kumari. Jai Maa Jai Swamiji ~ Linda Kumari wrote: I have wounds about Christmas. It makes it very hard to relax and enjoy it. Some years are better than others. This one is a bit hard. I have seen Jesus used as a weapon too often, sometimes against me. I have seen personally the way that preachers take advantage of believers who blindly follow them. I have seen a lot of hate and unrest promulgated by Christians who are very close to me. I resented them. When I was practicing a European Pagan path it was better. I could have my midwinter holiday - Yule, when the sun is reborn. I took comfort in the fact that the Christians borrowed much of their ritual from the old pagan ways. This year, I am not sure what to do. I will be celebrating Christmas with my fiance and his family. I am determined to have a Yule dinner with my fiance. I have so much rich tradition from Sanatana Dharma that it makes me very happy, but right now I feel a lack. There is an empty spot that won't go away. This is a sad time of the year in many ways for me, anyway. Should I continue with lighting a Yule candle for the 12 nights and allow myself to have a blended traditon? I have always striven to be consistant in what I do, but I think sometimes I am too rigid. It's pretty hard to give that attitude up. Any suggestions would be appreciated.One site keeps you connected to all your email: AOL Mail, Gmail, and Mail. Try it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2008 Report Share Posted December 18, 2008 So many wonderful suggestions! I don't know if I can do them all! All of them are beautiful. I have put up my banners and evergreens as I do every year. I am also in the midst of packing up and leaving my old life, so I can't do as much as I have in past years. But I am doing what I can. What matters most is that there are people who know exactly where I am coming from and have felt it in their hearts. We can go on and make it better than it ever was before. Om Jai Kali Ma! Om Namah Shivaya Kumari , nierika wrote: > > Dear Kumari ~ I am so sorry to hear that you experienced wounding around > this joyful and sacred time. I too had similar wounding, but somehow was always > able to hold Christmas close to my heart. Partly, I think when I embraced > Goddess Spirituality and Earth Spirituality I learned how ancient this tradition > was, as you say, and how much (if not most) was borrowed from pre- existing > Goddess and/or Pagan spirituality. As a child, I loved playing dress ups. So, > for me, in a sense, Christmas is a time to play dress ups with my house, even > if only in the living room. I hold to the " longest night " idea of the Earth > and all her beings turning inward during a time when outward growth in nature > goes inward (in many places). I love it as a time, when after Harvest > Thanksgiving (I also play dress ups with my house in the fall), we are still > acknowledging the Harvest just experienced and the rebirth of the Growth and > Harvest that will come 'round again. > > This year, I could not be with my family, except for my husband, so for > awhile I was a " Scrooge. " I wasn't going to even put up a tree. But as I took > down my fall decorations, I began to replace them with my Christmas dress ups, > and then I had to have a tree, so got a small artificial one. Many of the > ornaments are a history of my life, as many were made by my own hand. And then > there are lights ... everywhere, draped across the book cases and through the > kitchen, along the back wall of the " studio " (we have what is called here a > " live/work space " ... for artists), and of course, on the tree. Most of these > lights are little stars, and excepting the ones on the tree, we have left the > others up permanently. I have many different T-light holders, and I love to, > on certain nights that just " feel " right, light most of them. So, kind of like > the Yule light. > > Listen to the child within. Does she want to enjoy Christmas, put up > decorations, see the pretty lights, celebrate the deep void that like rich loam > allows the tiniest seed to sprout into rebirth. And the grown up who wants to > have a Yule dinner with her fiance and celebrate the holiday with her fiance's > family ... let her take the little one by the hand and tell her ... this year > we will play ... or as Maa says in the video " Across the States, " " sing and > dance. " I pray that this year is a chance to begin healing those deep wounds, > Kumari. Jai Maa Jai Swamiji > ~ Linda > > > Kumari wrote: > > I have wounds about Christmas. It makes it very hard to relax and > enjoy it. Some years are better than others. This one is a bit > hard. I have seen Jesus used as a weapon too often, sometimes > against me. I have seen personally the way that preachers take > advantage of believers who blindly follow them. I have seen a lot of > hate and unrest promulgated by Christians who are very close to me. I > resented them. When I was practicing a European Pagan path it was > better. I could have my midwinter holiday - Yule, when the sun is > reborn. I took comfort in the fact that the Christians borrowed much > of their ritual from the old pagan ways. This year, I am not sure > what to do. I will be celebrating Christmas with my fiance and his > family. I am determined to have a Yule dinner with my fiance. I > have so much rich tradition from Sanatana Dharma that it makes me > very happy, but right now I feel a lack. There is an empty spot that > won't go away. This is a sad time of the year in many ways for me, > anyway. Should I continue with lighting a Yule candle for the 12 > nights and allow myself to have a blended traditon? I have always > striven to be consistant in what I do, but I think sometimes I am too > rigid. It's pretty hard to give that attitude up. Any suggestions > would be appreciated. > > > > **************One site keeps you connected to all your email: AOL Mail, > Gmail, and Mail. Try it now. > (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new- dp & icid=aolcom40vanity & ncid=emlcntaolcom00000025) > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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