Untold numbers of Earth's 6,873,117,938 people are just getting around to ending their celebration of the end of one calendar year and the beginning of this new one. However, at the root and foundation of our Earth-centered existence, it has been the Winter Solstice that has been the marker between the cycles of each year. This is an event that observes a change in Earth's seasons: one that impacts our lives in a huge way. This past week, the sun died and the Winter solstice proclaimed its resurrection. It is unfortunate, but the calendar year has drifted away - in both date and cultural practice - from the Earth and the grand astronomical dance in which it revolves.
On its surface, Winter Solstice appears differently in different parts of our common world. Its rituals, stories and customary practices vary from culture to culture. What is consistent is the recognition of a huge rebirth, interpreted throughout our many cultures as a sun reborn and a return of life-giving light.
With the birth of the sun, the Winter solstice marks a new beginning with Earth returning to longer and longer periods of light over darkness. There are many stories about this birth, the Christian being the birth of Christ the 'son' of God. One theory is that the choice of December 25 as the birth of Christ is a simple consequence of the troubles earlier cultures faced discerning the elevation of the sun in the northern hemispheres. Without sensitive instruments, it might have been impossible to see the changes that were actually taking place until several days after December 21. Consequently, celebrations for this event would occur around the December 25.
Also, there was the not-unimportant decision by Emperor Aurelian of Rome (270 to 275 CE) who chose December 25 to mark and allow for the celebration of a wide variety of Earth-centered spiritual stories, all about the birth of god-like men who were considered saviors. Dinoysus, Mithra, Helios, Perseus, Apollo, Baal, Attis, Hercules, Horus, Osiris and Theseus were all brought together and celebrated in the single festival called the 'Birthday of the Unconquered Sun.'
The celebration of Christmas, Winter Solstice, and the end of one year's cycle and the beginning of the next all spring from an Earth-centered base. To civilizations sometimes many times removed from the Earth upon which they live, this might come as a bit of a surprise.
Let us celebrate this New Year as the beginning of Earth's, and our own, new cycle. Let us take these first days of our New Year as our first steps in recreating ourselves and our world. Let us, however, do this with the insight and wisdom gathered from our years before.
May your 2009 unfold with grace, understanding, wisdom and compassion.
Steve Serr
No comments:
Post a Comment
You are welcome to post comments.