The magic of Christmas

At midnight on Christmas Eve, I love to step outside and look upwards, opening myself to the heavens. I hold in my imagination that wonderful image of the angels shining and jubilating at the birth of the Christ child. If the stars are visible, so much the more wonderful.

Our family came for a visit. We lit the tree and sang some carols, accompanied by our son on the clarinet. Afterwards he called to thank us for the evening and said how much he'd longed for our grandsons to experience just this, the same magic he'd experienced as a child. You can surely imagine how touched I was by his words. They affirmed for me the importance of bringing such images to our small ones, true soul food that can bring strength for later life.

More on what we did on this occasion next time.
Till then, remember that we are still living in the grace of the Holy Days and Nights.

The Thirteen Holy Nights

During this time when the spiritual world can approach us in a special way, I tend to cut computer time to a minimum. So all I would suggest, is that you keep a dream journal until January 6th to see what the angels might want to reveal to you.

Here is an image from our home for you. Even if you don't connect to the traditional Bible story, you might be able to sense the new birth that the coming of the great Sun-spirit brings to us all.

Blessings, love and light,
Brenda

p.s. I took this photo early on Christmas Eve, so the baby is not yet in the waiting crib. But he's there now!

The Winter Solstice

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, the darkest time of the year draws near. Let's make the most of this experience! Why? Because these are the ways to live with the cycle of the year that help us to connect to the Spirit of the World, as I explained in a previous post.

Now, I'm very grateful for the blessings of electricity, the convenience of being able to flick a switch and have light whenever I need or want. But let's live a little in the darkness too. On these gloomy mornings I go downstairs to prepare breakfast and the only light I use is one under-counter light. Then when we sit down to eat, the candle is lit. Such a very different kind of glow! A child will respond with  reverence and take in the gentle contrast between soft light and dark day.

On a bright day we have the blessing of being up early enough to watch the sun rise, another attribute of this time of year. And in the evenings the tender pinks and mauves festoon the sky.

Today I'll be busy with cleaning and clearing. This helps me to prepare inwardly for the coming of the new. At the Winter Solstice I'll know that the daylight hours will begin to increase again, and that after the mysterious interval of three days, the Holy Night will be here.

Every parent's friend: St. Nicholas

Today we celebrate and expect a visit from St. Nicholas. So why do I consider him every parent's friend? Well, he can be a huge help for guiding kids' behavior because he has a big book where he notes down all they've done during the year, all the good things and the bad. He rewards the good with chocolate (or gold!) and the bad, with coal (also useful, actually, and an interesting metaphor when you think you burn it).

If you don't expect to have a real visit, it's fine to put out the shoes the night before so they can receive the gifts. Also, you might write a little note to explain where the child is going in a good direction, and where not.

I used this last during my children's teenaged years, although that grew to more of a letter than just a note. But I was always amazed how well they received the complaints, gentle nudges and of course, the praise. Maybe it was because that was somehow more objective and a little removed from Mom. A good rule to follow is, three praises/affirmations to one complaint/request!

Happy St. Nicholas day, everyone. It's okay to reward yourself too!

Preparing for Christmas

'Trim the hearth and set the table.'

That's what I did for the first Sunday in Advent, when the family came to share and mark the afternoon and evening with us. Maybe you'll recognize the lines from the Christmas carol 'People look East'. Mainly, I focused on angels, stars, candles and images of the Annunciation, postcards of art masterpieces that I've collected over the years. I also brought out some crystals, because each week we'll focus on one of the four elements, and for this first one, it's 'earth'.

However, before I began to bring out the Christmas decorations, I cleared the decks. That is, I put away things like the family photographs, and other knickknacks. Not that we have many of those around the place, but still.

And I dusted.

These two activities are connected with making space for the spirit of Christmas. I learned this preparation from a wise daughter, one time when she came to stay and offered to decorate our house. Which she did most beautifully. I was extremely grateful.

My apologies, but the second photo might make you feel a little dizzy. But you could think of the angle from which it's taken as giving you more of an angel's view! And note the blue cloth, which brings an inward mood.

This is a wonderful stable, isn't it? I found it on a neighbour's garage sale. Over the next weeks we'll add some animals, and Mary and Joseph will journey closer and closer.

A blessed Advent to you all.