Winter Solstice December 21 2024

 

Picture of Glenmore Lake Taken December 2024 by Judy Hirst

On this winter solstice, we celebrate that we are still alive and well given the terrible conflicts going on in parts of the world.

We celebrate that we are a place that people run towards, and not away from.

We celebrate our families, our friends, and our communities, for these are the anchors that hold all of us to the fabric of loving kindness and compassion.

We celebrate with food and conversation and song and quiet meditation.

Blessed be.

Blessings,

Judy

Winter Solstice - The Longest Night is December 21 2024

 The shortest day and the longest night – the time that our Ancestors called “mid-winter” is that time that tells us that Nature is still working.  If the day remained short, and the night was long, then the rotation of the planet changed.

Our Ancestors had elaborate rituals to ensure that the planet kept turning, or, as they thought, that the Sun kept revolving around the Earth.

The diagram below shows the angle of the Sun in the north.  Now, with all of the availability of science, we no longer look to the sky to see what will happen.  We have dropped doing the rituals and doing the work to keep the Sun going.  

Winter Solstice

Sat, Dec 21, 2024, 2:19 a.m.

Mountain Time

This post should give you several days to prepare for Solstice and to invite friends over for a meal, if that appeals to you.

Enjoy the Solstice.

Blessings, 

Judy

Welcome June 2024

Picture of Fairy Tree in the meadow in Fish Creek Park – from Caro and used with permission.

 

As we move into the month of June, two things always jump to my mind. One – this is the sacred time of weddings, and two – this is the time of the power of Summer Solstice. What makes June sacred is that the Goddess, Juno (Roman) also called Hera (Greek) is the sacred patron of maidens and women. It is she who blesses unions and blesses the conception of children. In fact Juno blesses all creative acts and her power is strongest in mid summer. She is profoundly feminine, and powerful. Legend has it that Juno causes the wealthy to share their wealth with poorer folks, or for good causes. All the rivers, streams, lakes and oceans are her domain in summer because of the life that is created from the water.

Summer Solstice is a time of gathering of family and tribe. It is a time to celebrate the feminine – the ability to endure and to create. It is a time of healing when we cleanse to make ourselves stronger; when we ask for blessings to prevent tragedy and to protect us and our projects and crops for another year. This is a time of abundance for the first of the harvest – lettuce, green onions, peas, beans, and herbs are now ready.

The full moon in June is called “The Mead Moon” for this is the best time for making dandelion wine and honey wine.   June’s emotions are about loyalty and bonding.  Our Ancestors also knew that June, with its unpredictable weather, is about enduring and continuing.  Healers often pick herbs at this time because the strong summer sun and moon are good vibrations for the harvesting of herbs for cleansing, strengthening, and for protection.

May your June be sunny and happy!

Blessings,

Judy

Winter Solstice Dec 21 2023

Winter solstice is a time to reflect on what you love to do, and find a way to make it happen.  When we are happy, our light – that spark of irrepressible energy that makes us all unique – shines brightly.  Solstice is about being inward focused and concentrating on expanding the self.

We all want success and well being.  Winter is the time to reflect on making it happen, and then offering up these energies at Solstice, to Creator, to make everything happen.

Here is a wonderful prayer/song for you to use today and all days when you need strength.

 

Yule Prayer Song

Mother Earth
I offer to you this song
For I am earth
and to the Earth, I belong
Mother Earth
help me grow as you need me to
Mother Earth
show me what I am here to do

Cause I am growing, I am changing
on this darkest day
I am growing, I am changing
in my darkest place
I am growing, I am changing
on this darkest day
I am growing, I am changing
in my darkest place
Blessed Be!

From - http://www.wicca-spirituality.com/yule-prayer.html
A Yule Prayer Song
-- by special Wicca Spirituality correspondent, Colombe

Many blessings,

Judy

Jaguar - A Spirit Animal

 

Picture of jaguar from www.animals-images.com

On Sunday, in our Solstice Celebration, several people had an encounter with a jaguar. 

Last night, as I was falling asleep, my Black Jaguar, who sits on my Sacral Chakra, popped in and asked, “Why don`t you write about jaguars as spirit animals?” So, today, I will write about jaguar.

Jaguar is sacred to indigenous people in South and Central America.  They call it “the animal that kills with a bite”`because the Jaguar kills its prey with a single bite.  Jaguar makes a loud coughing noise.  She is unable to roar.  

In Munay-Ki, Jaguar is a totem that reflects integrity, steadfastness, truth, and the ability to blend in with the day or the night.  Her skills include climbing, running steadily for hours at a slow trot, and keen night vision.  The people with this totem or spirit animal, are generally agile, loners and leaders, and very good orators.  Most Jaguar people are writers and thinkers, and do something to change the world.

Jaguar likes to live in caves, close to water, much like the hermits or isolated monks do. If she appears to you, she may be reminding you that in the Northern hemisphere, people should be moving into a hibernation or isolation stage in their life.  Winter is a time of regeneration.  This is a time to heal, to refresh the mind, and to contemplate one’s next steps.  When we don’t take this time, people get out of balance.

 

Black jaguar image from www.worldwildlife.org  

 

 

Have jaguar dreams tonight.

Many Blessings,

Judy

Truth From A Buddhist View

                                               Picture of wild lily by J Hirst in July 2023

When we had our Winter Solstice gathering, one of the things that we did was pull a card with one word on it.  That word is the thing that we will work on over 2024.  The card that I pulled was “Truth”.  Interesting to me is that stuff that I do every day is supporting that.  

In my study of all things Buddhism, I came across a little book called “The Little Book of Zen Haiku, Koans, Sayings” from Barnes and Noble, and edited by Manuela Dunn Mascetti.  Now, Koans are stories that are meant to be puzzling to help the student gain enlightenment after meditating on the story – sometimes for great lengths of time. 

The Koan that I am sitting with is called “Tipping Over A Vase”.  

Hyakujo wished to send a monk to open a new monastery.  He told hi disciples that whoever answered a question most ably would be appointed.  Placing a water vase on the ground, he asked, “Who can say what this is without calling its name?”

The Chief monk said, “No one can call it a wooden shoe.”

Isan, the cooking monk, tipped over the vase with his foot and went out.  

Hyakujo smiled and said, “The chief monk loses.” And, Isan became the master of the new monastery.

The point of the Koan is to show that truth, as symbolized by the water vase, can only be shown. The cooking monk makes this demonstration very effectively.  

One of the leadership tools that I used to teach in my Organizational Behaviour Class was “How to Refute Rumour”.  The only way was to ignore it, not comment on it, and show the employees what the truth was.  

Truth is healing! It gives us a spiritual peace.  We feel balanced and at one with all things… Nature is our friend.  Sadly, we as a civilization seem to have moved far from Truth.  Perhaps we have reached the furthest swing of the pendulum and we are now ready to start kicking over vases, politicians, corrupt CEO’s and Boards, to get at the Truth.

May you find Truth in all you do!

Many Blessings,

Judy

Celebrating Winter Solstice On Dec 10 2023

 

Picture credit to my brother.

Some folks have asked how we celebrate Winter Solstice.  Each year it is slightly different.  This year, I was guided to have our celebration early because of the weather ahead so we scheduled for the 10th of December.  Winter Solstice is about the shortest day and the longest night.  By having our celebration on the Sunday, 11 days early, we had a bit more daylight and we started early…at 4 PM. 

We have a group - our tribe - that comes to our meditations and celebrations.  Including my husband and me, we had 17 people in front of the fire.  Yes, we have a fire to light the way and to carry away all that we throw to it.

Our steps for the evening included:

1. Smudging everyone
2. Drumming
3. Welcome and quick overview of what will be happening
4. Opening Sacred Space
5. The theme
6. Breathing exercise to support the theme
7. Meeting the guides for this evening
8. Several quick meditations
9. Sharing Circle
10. Closing Sacred Space

The experiences that folks had were amazing!  It was fun for all of us.  The evening helped to wipe out some anxiety and restore balance.  The energy was so high!  It all felt right.

Blessings,

Judy

November 1 2023

 

November is the turning point of the season that brings us winter, even though winter really starts at the Winter Solstice in December.  We already have a goodly amount of snow in Alberta, in different places. 

November signals a time of slowing down, of gatherings like Fall Suppers and Thanksgiving in the United States.  It is when many summer and fall activities shut down.

November is a time of remembering…of wars fought, of loved ones who left this year, of warm summer days on the deck or beach with family and friends.  

November is a time for being grateful that the year has been good.  Or, in some cases, it has been challenging and we have learned from the challenges. 

November is when most of us start Christmas shopping to get the presents to send away, and to prepare for Christmas Day which is now 55 days away.  

When we hit November, we comment on how fast the year has passed and wonder what happened to make everything seem to move so quickly.

Many blessings,

Judy

Summer Solstice June 21 2023

 

Our Ancestors celebrated Summer Solstice because it is the longest day.  It is a celebration of the SUN, of planting and the beginning of harvesting strawberries, haying, and bringing in the first offerings of the gardens. 

Summer Solstice is the perfect time to work on self healing and to be kind to others.  The blessings of light are perfect for this time. 

Try this prayer:

Many Blessings,

Judy

Winter Solstice 2022

 

                                                   Winter Deer - By D. Hirst November 2022

Over the last twenty years, I have attended quite a few winter solstice events and hosted a dozen or so winter solstice ceremonies with my husband.  We love the time of the longest night as the celebration of the closing of Nature’s year and the welcoming of the new year ahead.  There is excitement about moving from a short amount of daylight to a day that gets longer light.

Past celebrations start with smudging all the guests and then creating a sacred space to hold the ceremony. After the sacred space is invoked, I lead several short meditations, we have some drumming and fire ceremony - even if it is the fireplace - and close with a sharing circle and then closing the sacred space.  After the ceremony, we have food and chatting and laughing.  

The ceremony, for me, is a tradition that helps me keep my spiritual balance through out the year.  It is a time where the camaraderie of the Tribe of people that attend our gatherings increases the energy of the prayers and meditations that we do, and, increases the energy in our house. 

I am grateful for our celebrations and togetherness.  I wish you peace, love, and sanctuary at this Winter Solstice.

Blessings,

Judy

Facts About December

 

                                                 Winter snow - Picture by Judy Hirst  

 It is December and Christmas is very close.  Do you know the following things about December?

1.  The Moon celebration is called "The Moon of Long Nights".

2.  During this time, the water is believed to be revitalized.

3.  The event of Winter Solstice, held on either December 21st or 22nd depending on the length of the year. This honours the longest night and the return of the Sun Goddess, Lucina.

4.  Our Ancestors thought that December was a time to  endure, for the elderly to die, and for the world, and their life, to be reborn.

5.  During this cold time of December, our Ancestors spent time on introspection and renewal - weaving new clothes, creating new tools, honouring the Gods and Goddesses.

6.  It is common for people to use this time as time of purification.  People have saunas and roll in the snow. Others participate in sweat lodges.  Some simply steam.  The hot and the cold are the balance to purify our bodies.

7.  The trees that we honour at this time are the family of evergreens - pine trees will be decorated for Christmas

8. The colour traditionally associated with Christmas was dark red.

Many blessings,

Judy