The Season of Returning Light
Esoteric Christian Kristmas Rite, the 12 Days Beginning at sundown on December 20th and ending at sundown on January 1, we will be celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas in our unique spirituality/faith and how it coincides with the other faiths of the world in a massive celebration of returning Light. Follow along here each day for the Days of Christmas observances |
Dec 20, Solstice Eve, Mother’s Night Dec 21, First Day of Kristmas Dec22, Second Day of Kristmas Dec23, Third Day Dec24, Fourth Day Dec25, FIFTH DAY Dec26, Sixth Day Dec27, Seventh Day Dec28, Eighth Day Dec29, Ninth Day Dec30, Tenth Day Dec31, Eleventh Day Evening of 31st, Twelfth Night Jan1, Twelfth Day *Offsite articles, must read: |
We rekindle love and kinship ties as the Light of the World returns.
“Jesus is the reason for the season,” says the cliche.
For Esoteric Kristians, Yeshua or Iesous is the reason for the season. But for much of the world, he is only one of many reasons.
Celebration at this time of year predates Kristianity. Yearly light-in-the-darkness celebrations going back thousands of years are the Jewish holiday Hannukah, called the Festival of Lights, and the Pagan holidays Jul (Yule) and Midwinter. There is a new African-American similar celebration called Kwanzaa, and an even more ancient celebration in the faith of the pre-Christian Romans, called Mithraism. All of these holidays were originally several days long and are based on the annual occurence of the Winter Solstice which comes every year in late December when the days are shortest, the nights are oh so dark and humankind longs for the light.
As Esoteric Kristians, we use each of these holidays (and then some) to celebrate Kristmas. Incorporating many traditions into one is called syncretic or multi-faith.
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear by Dr. Katia’s teenage daughter, Rhea
It Came Upon My Mind To Clear
from Offbeat Prayers for the Modern Mystic by Anne Sermons Gillis
(Sing to the tune of It Came Upon a Midnight Clear)
[VERSE 1]
It Came upon my mind to clear
those pesky thoughts of doom
to cancel all the shame and guilt
and give God’s love more room.
A good thought here
and a good thought there
an affirmation or two
and I can join with my holy mind
and keep love shining through
[CHORUS]
Let joy ring out in all my thoughts
and then my mind will sing,
and peace within will come at last
and I can have my wings.
[VERSE 2]
The love of God has pulled me out
and taught me how to sing.
It kept me safe and far from harm
clutched tightly in my angel’s wings.
There’s peace inside where stillness lies
there’s joy deep within
and I am blessed many ways
with abundance, health and friends.
CHRISTMAS
Christmas is the Christian celebration of the Christ’s birth. Interestingly, it is highly unlikely that Yeshua of Galilee was born in December. Yet it is not harmful to celebrate his birth at this time of year, because it is the birthday of the Light of the World, an ancient archetype Yeshua the Anointed fulfilled. The Hebrew word Messiah becomes in Greek, “Christ” or Krist and it simply means Anointed One. Yeshua certainly deserves the title Krist. During the reign of Roman Emperor Constantine who converted the Empire to Christianity in 325AD, the church authorities chose to celebrate Yeshua’s birth on the 25th of December both to keep with the cult of Mithras – the most popular faith of the people – and to overshadow any other Pagan or Jewish holidays being celebrated at that time of year. We, the Esoteric Kristian Church of the Way, choose to continue to celebrate at this time of year, not to overshadow the other religions’ traditions, but to join with them in celebrating essentially the same thing. We celebrate the God of Light, the Light of the World, coming forth from the womb of the World Mother. This is essentially what other world religions celebrate at this time of year, as well. We recognize that Yeshua was an incarnation of the Light of the World, and that his mother Mary was a channel of, or perhaps even an incarnation of the ageless World Mother, the Universal Mother.
If you’re into Zen Christianity, Vedanta, Buddhism or Eckhart Tolle’s esoteric spirituality teachings (my favorite!), keep in mind that Light of the World means AWAKENER of the World. Light wakes you up, doesn’t it? That’s why we close curtains and blinds during sleep. If you sleep in a car while traveling, you wake up come morning because Father Sun “gets in your face”. Light is the great waker-upper.
Yeshua’s teachings, his Way, certainly are an en-light-enment, an awakening.
In order to maintain fellowship with the larger Christian community, and to celebrate the birth of our God at a time that Nature shows the birth of the Light, we continue to celebrate Kristmas in late December, even though no one knows if baby Yeshua actually arrived on Winter Solstice.
A word about dates: the ancient Romans had the Winter Solstice pegged on December 25th, and it became the birthday of the god Mithras, who was also called Light of the World. Some early Christians chose January 7 as Yeshua’s birthday, because of an old Persian calendar that had Solstice on that date. December 25th was chosen to appeal to members of the cult of Mithras. We choose the more accurate December 21st, the actual Winter Solstice, to celebrate the literal birth of the Light of the World. The celebration actually begins at sundown on December 20th (some call this Kristmas Eve). This is also coincidentally when the ancient Celts began their twelve day Yule celebration, their calendar was actually more accurate than the Roman calendar in determining the Solstices and Equinoxes.
Advent
Advent is primarily a Roman Catholic holiday, and is the celebration of the coming of the Krist just prior to Kristmas. Advent is traditionally marked by lighting four candles for the four Sundays of Advent, the four Sundays that come before Christmas. There are typically three purple candles and one rose-colored candle, which are placed in a wreath called the Advent Wreath. Two purple candles are lit the first two Sundays, the rose-colored one on the third, and the last purple one on the fourth. Blue may be substituted for the purple. The Advent Wreath has its origins in pre-Kristian Germanic customs, with a few customs also coming from Judaism and the lighting of the eight Hannukiah (more accurate Hebrew word for the Menorah) candles. The purple Advent candles represent royalty and penance, while the rose-colored one represents joy and love. Another tradition of Advent is the decoration of a Jesse Tree. An ornament is added to the tree each day to remember the ancestors of Yeshua, who is from the line of David. (Jesse was David’s father). Yet another custom is one celebrated mostly by those of Spanish descent. It is called the posada, which means “lodging,” and it is a nine day ritual (Dec. 16-24) that commemorates the nine months of Mary’s pregnancy. A group of people will travel from house to house on their route, while the people in the houses act as innkeepers refusing them. Finally, at the last house, they are invited in for prayer and worship. All in all, Advent is a time rich in multi-cultural tradition.
Hanukkah
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is the newest festival on the Jewish calendar (but yet it still predates all of Kristianity and Islam!). Even though it is “only” 2100 years old compared to their 3500 year old festivals, Jews celebrate Hannukah as fervently – perhaps even more fervently than – their other festivals. Hannukah is derived from the Book of Maccabees, and it commemorates the eight-day celebration that occurred when the Jews were able to recapture and rededicate the Temple in 164 B.C. In addition to celebrating this military victory, it also celebrates a miracle. Apparently the Jews were only able to find one jar of consecrated oil, which was used to keep the Eternal Flame alight in the Temple. It should only have burned a day, but it ended up lasting eight days, long enough for more oil to arrive and be consecrated. In addition, two women are honored at this time of year: Judith, who saved the Land of Judah from being conquered by a general under Nebuchadnezzar; and Hannah, the mother of seven sons who died with them instead of bowing to a foreign idol. There is a plethora of information on Hannukah, please do research it. Hannukah is a celebration of light overcoming darkness (good overcoming evil, God’s chosen ones overcoming oppression) and is therefore a very rich part of our esoteric tradition.
Jul/Yule/Midwinter
The Nordic, Celtic and Germanic holiday.
In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from December 21, the winter solstice, through January. In recognition of the return of the sun, fathers and sons would bring home large logs, which they would set on fire. The people would feast until the log burned out, which could take as many as 12 days. The Norse believed that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year. — History of Christmas
Yule is where most of our own Anglo-Saxon Christmas traditions come from, such as evergreen trees in the house, fur-clad elves from snowy northern regions, flying reindeer, etc. This ancestral heritage we English speakers have inherited is important, and is part of the reason the Esoteric Kristian Church holds to the pre-Christian European tradition of using the Solstice date of December 21st to begin the Twelve Days of Kristmas.
Yule is the celebration of the Goddess giving birth to the Sun God, who begins his return to the land at this time. Yule has close ties to Celtic Christianity, the most well-preserved and prevalent of the Kristian traditions, which is why many of the Pistic Christmas traditions come from a much older Celtic Pagan tradition. Mainstream Christians usually deny that their traditions are Pagan – or else they renounce major portions of the holiday because it is too Pagan. However, Esoteric Kristians generally acknowledge and embrace the fact that our traditions come from more ancient roots which our Kristian ancestors were allowed to share in. Once upon a time, some of the Celts and Germanic European peoples revered the Kristian God alongside their other Gods. This was called the Dual Faith period, which sadly ended when Rome decided all vestiges of paganism had to be assimilated or wiped out. Likewise, some of the early Kristians revered the Celtic and Teutonic Gods as spirits or saints, or even as faces of the same God. In the British Isles, the Dual Faith period began just before the time of the legendary King Arthur and probably ended with his reign. Dual Faith was shattered by “puristic” missionaries who insisted their way was the only way. Yet many of the pagan traditions survived in Christian holidays such as kissing under the mistletoe, decorating evergreen trees, lighting Yule logs, and singing Christmas carols. Christianity truly has pagan DNA…
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is by no means an ancient celebration, it is approximately 60 years old, but we are including it here anyway. This is because it is an important part of African-American celebration at this time of year and once upon a time Kristianity was not ancient. It stemmed from Judaism. Once upon a time, Judaism wasn’t ancient, it stemmed from local religious practices. Once upon a time, Druidry wasn’t ancient, perhaps it stemmed from the people who escaped from the legendary Atlantis. Kwanzaa is a seven-day long celebration that begins on December 26th and ends on January 1st. There is one principle for each of the seven days, in this order: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. There are also three important colors of Kwanzaa: Black (for the face of the people), red (for the blood of the people shed), and green (for the hope and the color of the motherland). Kwanzaa is also a rich holiday tradition, which honors the light within each African-American person. For more information on Kwanzaa, see: http://www.globalindex.com/kwanzaa/
These are some of the world’s major winter-solstice holidays. Now here’s why and how we tie them all together in our Esoteric Kristian Kristmas Rite. First, our Rite is twelve days long, starting on the evening of December 20th, which is the beginning of the First Day of Kristmas, the 21st of December and ending with Twelfth Night (New Year’s Eve) and New Years Day. Yes, it’s a twelve day rite, but don’t worry, the ritual for each of the days is short and not time-consuming. For six out of seven of the Mystery School’s orders the Kristmas Rite is almost entirely Judeo-Kristian. The Order of the Northern Way, our “pagans,” and some Dual-Faithers, will be focusing upon the Northern European, (Celtic, Germanic, Nordic, Anglo-Saxon) aspects of the holiday. Beginning on December 26th, Kwanzaa prayers will also be included in the Rite for anyone (African-American or no) in the school who wishes to use them.
Why do we combine so many traditions into our annual Light of the World celebration? The Church of the Way doesn’t belong to any one ethnic group, (neither do most all of its individual members!) nor does it profess to be the one true faith. It is the World Church, the multi-cultured group of Kristian Believers. Another reason we combine multiple celebrations is because, though we follow the ancient Mysteries, we also acknowledge that we must adapt to modern times. As Nature has shown all of us, those things which do not adapt quickly become extinct. This is happening with the pistic (fundamentalist, purist, mainstream) religions, which refuse to adapt and let go of their biases. We, however, adapt in order to preserve the ancient Mysteries and make them relevant to the people of today. Portions of our Kristmas Rite would still have the very same meaning to the people two thousand years ago, but they are presented to a new group of people here and now in the dawn of the Third Millenium.
Essentially, this form of updating is what Yeshua the Anointed (Iesous Kristos) did when he summed up the Law with a short and easy to remember phrase: Honor Godhead, honor others. The people were sick of rigid legalism, so he gave them something basic. Was Yeshua’s “new law” any less true, any less ancient? No, because his simple summation is what the Law and the Prophets had been telling the chosen people all along.
Esoteric Kristian Kristmas Rite
Beginning at sundown on December 20th and ending at sundown on January 1, we will be celebrating our unique faith and how it coincides with the other faiths of the world in a massive celebration of returning Light. Tune in each day for that particular Day of Christmas’s observance…here are each day’s observances.
FIRST NIGHT, Dec 20
Solstice Eve, Yule Eve, “Mother’s Night”
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On the first day of Kristmas my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree…
Mother Night, Ancient Nativity
Today is a holy day for followers of the Norse Asatru / Viking religion. ‘Tis the night before Yule (Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year). This night is marked by ceremonies in honor of the Goddess Freya, motherhood, and female ancestors. The Old Norse Mother’s Night is a pre-Christian holiday that starts off the traditional twelve night Yule cycle later incorporated into Christian practice as the “Twelve Nights” of Christmas.
In Iran, the ancient Persian festival of Yalda Night, or the birthday of the sun, is still observed. Just as in many other cultures, lamps are lit and vigils are kept to provide strength to the newborn sun. – Jennifer Emick of
AlternativeReligion & Symbol Dictionary
Tonight is the night we celebrate the Blessed Mother (aka Heavenly Mother), spoken of cryptically in the medieval song as “the pear tree.” Northern European pre-Christians call this night “Mother’s Night” and reckon it as the first of the 12 Days of Yule. It is called Mother’s Night because this is when the Mother gives birth to the Light– the Winter Solstice “Light of the World.” Contemplate the cosmic womb, the creative feminine darkness of Chaos, sometimes called the Void which gives birth to the Light, the Cosmos, the principle of Order. Order is opposite of Chaos, Form is opposite Void, Masculine is opposite Feminine. We need both to sustain a sacred balance. Take a white or purple candle now and light it. Be sure not to have any other lights on. After you have lit the candle, say the following:
“O Blessed Mother, tonight you bring the Light of the World to us. He comes to join with the Earth and make her his Bride, and he comes to join with us and make us his Church. Thank you for bearing this Light, and watch over us on this night of darkness.”
Yule Eve (Dec. 20) version for Order of the Northern Way Members
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Take a white or purple candle now and light it. Be sure not to have any other lights on. After you have lit the candle, say the following:
“O Great Mother, tonight you bring the Light of the World to us. He comes to join with the Earth and make her his Bride, and he comes to join with us and make us his People, his Kin. Thank you for bearing this Light, Great Mother. We ask thee to watch over us on this night of darkness.” (Think of the song O Holy Night, and perhaps watch this haunting Josh Groban version of it).
Winter Star Rite
Please join us to perform the Fellowship of Isis (FOI) Liturgy: the Winter Star Rite, from the Book of Dea.
Let’s each perform the Winter Star Rite, on Dec. 20, the day before the Winter Solstice (which is also the first day of Christmas). Since we are in several time zones, we each do the Rite at 8 p.m. our time zone. This way, those in the U.K. or in the eastern part of North America will be the first and will set in motion the wave of energy that will then travel to the Central part of the USA, then the Mountain Zone and so forth. This time-wave format is very empowering and might best be called “NOW-time” because we are all joined in the Eternal One Moment, the NOW. You are reading this, you are performing the rite and suddenly so also is every woman or man who has ever done so. Time bends and folds to meet you. It connects us.
DAY ONE, DEC 21 The First Day of Kristmas
(Winter Solstice Day, Yule Day)
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SOLSTICE NOTE: The precise moment of the 2024 Winter Solstice will be Sat, Dec 21, 2024, 4:21 AM EST, which is 9:21 a.m. Universal Time. The eight days of Hannukkah 2024 begin at sunset on Wednesday, Dec 25, and end on Jan 2, 2025.
The Winter Solstice is also called the Hibernal Solstice. The actual moment of solstice (“sun stands still”) has been very significant to mankind for millennia. Try to light your candle as near that time as possible.
See InfoPlease‘s article for a full explanation. And see Sky & Telescope’s description at “This Week’s Sky at a Glance“.
Offsite articles: December Solstice Traditions & Customs |
WINTER SOLSTICE: FACTS, FOLKLORE, AND MORE
Solstice is THE day this entire holiday season is centered around. It is the return of the light people have been observing for thousands of years, as Stonehenge and Newgrange Ireland (predating the pyramids) prove. Note this day is always also an astronomical event and is observed by science every year. The day of the Solstice should be the day of Christmas, but because the calendars of ancient Rome were are few days off, we got the 25th for Christmas. That’s okay, because it gives us a group of days to celebrate, a “season”.
Yule!
Today is the Solstice, aka the birthday of the sun (and umpteen sun gods). The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, after which the days grow increasingly longer. This day was celebrated by the ritual lighting of fires, feasting, cleansing and purifying rituals, and chanting and singing to encourage the return of the sun. The word “Yule” is believed by some etymologists to be derived from the ancient Norse word for wheel, signifying the turning of the “wheel of the year.”
Many ancient Yule practices are still celebrated in one form or another- the Yule log, the “Christmas tree,” the tradition of caroling, the use of Holly and Mistletoe, even “jingle bells” are vestiges of ancient Yule customs.
‘Today, Yule is one of the principal Sabbats, or religious festivals, in Wiccan, Asatru, and other Neopagan practices. In Druidry, it is celebrated as “Ardan Arthan,” or “Light of Arthur,” after the legendary King.’ – Jennifer Emick
OBSERVANCE: God comes to Earth. Physically and symbolically. We celebrate the Krist (symbolized in the medieval song as the partridge) born of the womb of the Blessed or Great Mother (in the pear tree).
- Listen to this ancient hymn of yearning for the Chosen. See if you can follow along with the Latin lyrics.
2. Take your candle again and light it. After it is lit, say the following prayer:
“O Yeshua/Iesous, Light of the World, you have come into humanity to join with it and make it holy. Bring the peace of your Spirit of Lux (Light), which is the Grace which was poured out on us from Heaven by the All-Father, who loves us so deeply that he sent his Holy Family to come and give of themselves to show us the true Way to happiness.” (Please note, Grace, pronounced Chana in Hebrew, is one of the “secret” names of the Goddess, Spouse of the All-Father. Note the “Ch” in Chana is pronounced like the ch at the end of Bach)
The Second Day of Kristmas
Kristmas Rite, Day Two’s Observance, Sacred Balance, the Veiled Goddess in the Shadows, Fun with ancient astronomy.
One member wrote: Thank you for providing the Kristmas Rite online. I did the first night’s prayers, but then was moved to put the candle, still lit, in the window of the second storey of my house. I’ll let it burn for awhile casting its sacred light into the wintry darkness. It’s a votive candle so hopefully it will last all twelve days if necessary!
After being unable to shake the peoples’ “pagan” celebrations of the Twelve Days of Yule and Twelfth Night the Church came to interpret those 12 Days in a totally Christian way. Instead of starting the count on the Winter Solstice and going to New Years Eve and Day, they kind of ignored those events and started counting on the 25th.
The Twelve Days by a different counting method according to the Anglican (Episcopal) tradition:
Christmas Day 12/25
1st day of Christmas 12/26 (first day of the “season” of Christmas)
2nd day of Christmas 12/27 (second day of the “season” of Christmas) etc.
The twelfth day falls on the feast of the Epiphany, Jan. 6, the mythic arrival of the three wise men at Jesus’ manger. I’ve always enjoyed Epiphany because it is a celebration of light made manifest in Christ, a symbol of being made aware of the love in Christ.
Just wanted to throw the mainstream Anglican bit into the pot!
Blessed Yule/Merry Christmas,
Thanks to Initiate Saules Meita for sending in the Anglican version of the 12 Days. To add further interest to the whole January 6 concept, there is historical evidence that the earliest Christians celebrated Jesus’ birthday on January 6 or 7 for three hundred years until Emperor Constantine changed the date to December 25 to coincide with the birth of his god, Sol Invictus (the Invincible Sun) and with the popular god Mithras’ birthday. One of Mithras’ official titles, by the way, was the Light of the World. And in yet another trivia tidbit we discover the Eastern Orthodox Church, especially its the Russian branch, still uses the old Julian Calendar which is 13 days behind, making Dec. 25th for them fall on January 7th on the modern (Gregorian) calendar. On January 7th this year as every year, all the old style Russian Orthodox Churches will celebrate Christmas Day.
SECOND DAY OF KRISTMAS PRAYER & OBSERVANCE
We dedicate Day Two to the two Divine Feminine members of the Godhead. The two Hehs in the Sacred name Yud Heh Vahv Heh. You know….two turtle doves. The dove has long been a symbol of the Christian and Hebrew Goddess as well as another famous goddess of the ancient world: Aphrodite. She is often called “the woman with the dove,” as is Rhiannon, a Celtic Goddess. Please have a look at the inspiring painting of Her (pictured right). The artist, Helen Nelson Reed, originally called this painting Aphrodite but then changed the name to “Rhiannon”. The dove is still there, no matter what Her name. She is the Magdalene, Mother Mary, Shekinah, the Feminine Holy Spirit, the Christian Goddess, the pagan Goddess, but whatever we call her, the painting is breathtaking. Check out Helen Nelson Reed’s other goddess paintings.
December 22nd, the Second Day of Kristmas
As the old, symbolic song says, “On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me: Two turtle doves…”
Please get your candle from yesterday. You may use it again, or you may use a new one. If you DO use a new one, be sure to light the first one, too. Some use twelve different candles all the way thru, others use one and call it the Solstice Candle. The tradition of the Yule log requires that a big enough log be cut so that it will burn the entire twelve days! It is appropriate, especially for you members of the Order of the Northern Way, to honor our ancestors’ religion by finding a candle that will burn twelve days. There are such candles available, but you’ve got to look around. If circumstances prevent you from leaving a single candle burning the entire twelve days, you can simply re-light the same one each evening.
Today is about the number TWO. It’s the 22nd of December and since this is a solar based holiday, not a lunar one like Easter, the second Day of Kristmas is ALWAYS on the 22nd. Lots of twos! Twenty-two is a Master number.
Today we revere the two Goddesses in the esoteric Kristian “pantheon.” The mother Shekinah Mary-God-Bearer (aka Heavenly Mother) and the Daughter Magdalene Mary-God-Bride. They are the two Heh’s in the Quaternity (Four-Part Godhead).
Light the candle (or candles if you are using two).
Speak the following out loud:
Oh Light that came before, comes again and will always return,
Remind me of your Feminine Essence,
Keep me on the balanced path.
She may be veiled,
She may be hidden in the shadows, but like you,
She longs to show us her face.
And also like you,
She is Returning
SACRED BALANCE
Then contemplate for a moment that God-the-Father’s face is said to be so bright that we cannot see it clearly, cannot even look upon it. Whereas God-the-Mother’s face is so veiled, so protected in shadows, that we also cannot see it clearly, cannot even look upon it. It has been the goal of every aspirant since the Merkabah Riders in the days of the Old Testament (pre-dates Kabbalah, we’re talking 3500 years ago) to “see” the face of the Divine. The word Merkabah means chariot of fire, and the riders of these Chariots of Fire would attempt to climb the heights of the seven heavens (go thru seven levels of mental and spiritual status, using seven levels of initiation) in order to see the Face of the One with the Ineffable Name. The ancient “king” Melchizedek (an immortal god-man sent from Heaven) was the first mystery school teacher in the Holy Land. His mystery school consisted of initiates called riders-of-the-fiery-chariot aka Merkabah riders. Their singular goal was to advance to the highest Heaven (“7th Heaven”) and see the Greater Countenance of the Godhead aka the Face of God.
A song I “heard” during a Solstice meditation in 2001 uses this seeing-the-divine-face theme:
I’m a-journeying*, I’m on my way
I must climb the heights to see thy face
When I see your face, your eyes
They pierce into my heart
My soul has found its home
On Solstice 2001, I also “received” a tune to go with it. In December 2021 while updating this very page, I was able to sing the melody to my 18-year-old recording-artist daughter, Rhea. We plan to place a video on this page of her actually singing it. We moved so her recording equipment was packed up, looks like it’ll be Christmas of 2023 before it shows up on this page.
Back in 2001, I “heard” several verses. One verse repeats the Jesuit motto: Ad majorem Dei Gloriam (Odd ma-YOUR-em Day-ee Glory-ahm) Latin, “All for the Greater Glory of God!”)
Another verse in Hebrew intones the names of the YHVH Godhead as follows:
Adonai Tsavayot, Yud Heh Vahv Heh
El Shaddai, Ado-Shem
Ha Shekinah, Asher-AH
Yahovah Yeshu-AH
Miria Magdal-AH
*2015 note: the word “a-journeying” could be changed in another verse to “awakening”
Back to Dr. Katia in 2001: When I’m too anxious or otherwise unable to focus on a long complicated prayer-song / mantra, I use another ancient mantra: “Show Thyself.” Repeat it over and over, Show Thyself, Show Thyself, Show Thyself, and you will realize the Merkabah Rider’s goal.
In this time of Advent, when God comes to Earth — brought by Goddess (who was already here!) — we have a better “chance” of seeing and manifesting God/dess. All the necessary elements for connecting with the Divine are built right in to Winter: brighter stars, cold weather creating forced inactivity, longer contemplative darktime.
Gazing into the faces of the God and Goddess in art, such as the gallery of Helen Nelson Reed mentioned above, is another way to access parts of your inner mind that can and want to uplink with the Divine Mind.
The word “mind” is used for all ye intellectuals (like me). But for mystical devotee soulful types, please substitute the word “soul” in the sentence above wherever you see “mind.” It will read “…is another way to access parts of your inner soul that can and want to uplink with the Divine Soul.” Now you physical oriented people, body-flesh-oriented folks, I don’t know if I can help ya. You can try to substitute the word, “body” in there, and it might just work. After all, we must constantly remind ourselves we are three-part beings: mind, body and soul.
Osiris (Orion) & Isis (Sirius) in December
Some Fun with Ancient Astronomy & Astrology
Speaking of brighter stars: Have you seen Osiris (Orion) and Isis (Canis Major) standing together in the south sky before midnight? They’ll be out again tonight, those two ancient God and Goddess symbols. Just look South between 10 and 11. If you go out after that, you’ll have to look South, and slightly west, and then lift your head up. Between 10 and 11 just look above the tree line and you’ll find them.
Osiris, also called Orion, is the famous group of stars with the three stars all in a neat row in its middle. Isis can be found by spotting the bright blue star Sirius just to the left of Orion (supposedly part of Orion’s hunting dog which “follows” him thru the sky). The rest of Isis’ stars are those of Canis Major. And at this time of year, they “stand” in the exact shape of the heiroglyph for Isis—you know, that funny boxy throne shape that means “Isis” in Egyptian heiroglyphs.
There is no doubt the ancients revered the star Sirius as Isis, not as “the Dog Star” as it later became when Arabic and Greek astrology/astronomy took over. It’s good to remember that Isis and Osiris were Inanna and Tammuz to the Sumerians, and Magdala and Yeshua to the earliest Christians. The nearby constellation known as Cassiopea to the Greeks, forms a throne-shape, too, or a letter M. This beautiful constellation which “wraps” around the north star is said to be Mary, the Mother of Yeshua, crowned and seated on her Throne as Queen of Heaven. Since her throne is also similar to the Isis hieroglyph, this constellation was called Isis Enthroned by some ancient astronomers.
Even more intriguing, Cassiopea and the North Star when viewed together, form the famous compass and book shape, the logo of freemasonry for five hundred or more years. As always, there is supposedly a secret teaching hidden there, having to do with Mary crowned Queen of Heaven. Sometimes the M shape looks like a W to me. But hey, the sky is relative depending on how you hold your head or whether you’re lying on your back and looking up like “true” stargazers do. I wonder if the 3 magi aka wisemen laid on their backs.
There is another esoteric teaching that the 3 magi are represented by the 3 stars in Orion’s / Osiris’ belt. See image below.
We study the stars & planets as signs and portents and ancient astronomy / astrology in our Eternal Order of the Magi.
The Third Day of Kristmas, Dec 23
The Twelve Days of Christmas song is full of esoteric symbolism. There are many theories and interpretations of its cryptic meanings. Here is one theory from the Catholic Information Network:
ORIGIN OF “THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS” An Underground Catechism
Very intriguing, but there is also evidence the song existed before the 1500’s, as far back as the early Middle Ages, and has pagan origin. Good for those persecuted Catholics, however, for using the song as a way to transmit their teachings. In like manner, the tarot deck was originally used to transmit underground esoteric Kristian teachings. The esoteric Kristians in France, where the tarot seems to have originated, were persecuted by the Church in Rome and had to make their own Catechism. Margaret Starbird has written a nice little book which completely explains this underground catechism,
Tarot Trumps & the Holy Grail.
Esotericists have courageously survived religious persecution and kept the teachings alive. I have a copy of the hard-to-find book
The Tragic History of Esoteric Christianity, the Church’s War Against
the Spirit of Sophia, by Sean Byrne.
Today’s Observance, for the Third Day of Kristmas, Dec 23rd
According to letters written between priests during the 1500’s, the persecuted Catholics mentioned in the article above, related the 3 French Hens to the three Theological Virtues, Faith, Hope & Charity. This may seem boring, but let’s dig deeper. Remember the Goddess of Wisdom, Sophia? She is mentioned in the Old and New Testaments and is surely a Hebrew-Christian goddess if ever there were one. According to Church tradition–mainstream Church tradition–Sophia is the mother of three heroic daughters, Faith, Hope & Charity. The icon on the right is an official icon of the Russian and Greek Orthodox Church. Sophia stands behind and above her three daughters, the virtues. Her hand gesture indicates, “Here I give unto you, these Three.” Notice her head is covered, as she is a mature woman, and the three daughters are bare-headed, indicating virginity. Their names are written in Church Slavonic (an ancient form of Russian) above their heads, and Sophia’s name is written to the right of her head. These Greco-Slavonic names are pronounced,
Sophia. So-FEE-ya, meaning, “wisdom.”
Vera. VYEER-ah, meaning “faith” or “belief.”
Nadyezhda. Na-DYEH-zhda, meaning “hope.”
Lyubof. L’YOU-bf, meaning “love,” or “charity.”
These are very popular names in Russia. Nadyezhda is the source of the nickname Nadia. Lyubof is also spelled Lyuba. The “f ” at the end of Lyubof is almost completely swallowed, it is so soft. The little redhead in the middle is Lyuba. Notice how she stands closest to her mother, as though emanating directly from her because Love is said to be closely tied to wisdom. In other icons, especially Greek versions of this family, Lyuba, called Charitas in Greek, is the tallest daughter because “the greatest of these is Charity/Love”. I like the Greek pronounciation of Charitas or Charite. It’s “Hari-tay” and the “H” is pronounced “CH” as in Bach or Loch. Nadyezhda (hope, spelled Elpis in Greek versions) is on the right with golden hair and dress. In the icon above Vera is the oldest, tallest and earthiest. She represents our ancient faith, and the people of earth who are “believers” (her name means “belief”). In Greek icons, Vera is called Pistis (means faith in Greek) and she is the smallest daughter painted. Smallest because you only need a little faith…a mustard seed will do.
This icon sits on my personal altar. We made the image of it you see on this page by scanning the actual wooden icon.
Instructions for Dec. 23rd’s Observance: Light three candles tonight (or if you are using just one, light it now) and say the following: “Mother of Virtue, Sophia-Wisdom, out of the darkness of mystery you come. Guide me to use wisdom during this dark time of year when the nights are long and suited to contemplation. From Sophia proceed the four great Virtues. On this night may the world contemplate you and your daughters, Faith, Hope and Charity. May they manifest in my life. I invoke you, Sophia, Vera, Nadia and Lyuba.”
FIFTH NIGHT (but 4th Day), Dec 24
The Fourth Day of Kristmas, Kristmas Eve
Think of the Star the shepherds saw on the legendary Christmas Eve, the Star the wisemen tracked.
Isis & Horus were the first Madonna & Child images, the star “Sirius” was really Isis to the ancient Egyptians and Israelites. She was the Great Mother Goddess.
Today’s Norwegians, (Viking descendants) are fine with Christianity. Their ancient religion had similar elements. Here are some Norwegians singing our song for tonight, There’s a Song in the Air, There’s a Star in the Sky.
Tonight’s Observance: Please light your candle(s) and go to this link and sing along. The gift of song is powerful, and ancient. Don’t be shy, just do it.
Cyber Hymnal version of There’s a Song in the Air. If your computer has no speakers you will not be able to hear the tune–that’s okay. Just read the lyrics carefully, and picture all the things and people mentioned (picture in your mind all the nouns). The lyrics are simplistic but very potent. [2021 UPDATE: it will not play automatically. You must now click on the little speaker symbol next to the words Karl P. Harrington, 1904]
Okay, so, it was two decades ago when we linked to the above corny organ music Cyber Hymnal page when CyberHymnal was cutting-edge and brand new (1999 and 2000). It was before YouTube existed. I can’t bring myself to remove the link above. You can still hear the song and sing along. So there. I also can’t bring myself to remove my comment “if your computer has no speakers you won’t be able to hear the tune”. In those days (1999 to 2008) NOBODY viewed or listened to ANYthing on their cellphones. This page you are reading was always viewed on computers, because smartphones did not exist until 2008.
Here is a 2008 version on YouTube by the Singing Nuns.
Nowadays YouTube “lyric videos” like this one have replaced the need for “ancient” websites like Cyber Hymnal, but we are an ancient Mystery School (ahem) so, yeah.
DAY FIVE, Christmas Day, Dec. 25
DEC. 25 — In ancient Rome today was called Natus Solis Invicti, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun, celebrating the start of the Sun’s northward return after the solstice with the promise of another spring and summer. Merry Sol Invictus! This was the date of the ancient Roman solstice holiday later taken over by the Christian church. (The solstice occurred on December 25th by the ancient calendar.) –Sky & Telescope’s News Bulletin – skypub.com
It’s Christmas, and you might have other plans, so we are very glad to see you here in the cyber sanctuary with us!
On the Fifth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me, FIVE GOLDEN RINGS.
If you know the song you may remember the emphasis placed on the Fifth Day. There’s a pause just before the Fifth Day, and another pause just before the words, five golden rings. Those three words are sung more slowly, dragged out, because they hint of a powerful, hidden meaning. This is of course the most important day of the Twelve Days of Kristmas, especially to those that wrote the song and didn’t know the Solstice actually occured on the 21st. During the Dark Ages, people thought Solstice still occured on the 25th, because long ago during the time of Yeshua, the Winter Solstice did indeed occur on what we would number 25 December. (In the Middle Ages when the song was written, the Calendars were all off a few days due to the recession of the Equinoxes. Some calendars were off a week or more, such as the Russian calendar off by 13 days).
There is a marriage of sorts symbolized by those five golden rings. Those of you who are married, get your wedding rings ready because you’re going to need them in a minute. There is a relationship between God and Mother Church. And between God/Goddess and each of us individually. Our marriage to God/dess symbolizes the Divine Spark within each of us.
Also, gold is the symbol of royalty, and we as esoteric Kristians know that Yeshua wasn’t just figuratively a “king.” He was of the royal line of David which added the crime of treason to the charges against him, and added the sign, “King of the Jews,” to his cross. They did not write “Messiah of the Jews” on the sign. Because that was not an issue at the time. Caesar and Pilate feared a very specific thing: the possibility of a popular uprising placing Yeshua on the throne in Jerusalem as a king in more than name only. They preferred their puppet kings such as Herod and Herod Antipas.
It should also be noted that one of the things that set apart the devotees of Asherah, the Hebrew Goddess, was the wearing of a simple gold headband (or gold colored leather).
Instructions: Please find something gold that belongs to you and/or your family. A gold ring is great, wedding ring is perfect (see if you can get your spouse to take his or hers off and do this with you), earring or necklace if you don’t have any gold rings, and if all else fails, find some gold wrapping paper or something. Lay this at the base of your candle before you light it.
Light your candle, think of that Divine Spark, and your marriage commitment to the God or Goddess and say, “O Lord Yeshua, you are the King of Kings and the Lord of my Life. Your Bride, the Magdala, sits eternally at your side. Also at your side are our Creators, Abba and Eema, advising you on my innermost thoughts and feelings. You, O Lord, know my deepest longings and regrets. Heal my sorrows, fulfill my desires. Hosanna…Hosanna…Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Amen. Selah.”
Now for a musical observance again, please open your Cyber Hymnal to It Came Upon A Midnight Clear Organ Music.
For those with sensibilities to organ music in the “old fashioned” cyber hymnal, here’s a nice modern rendition of It Came Upon A Midnight Clear at YouTube. And this teaser of the Josh Groban version of the song — beautifully modified tune, gives ya chills. Angel workers, you simply must click and listen!
To learn the story behind this first American Christmas Carol (written 1849) and its connections to the abolition of slavery, to impending war with Mexico, and other rumors of wars: watch this video.
Using this same song in our Kristmas Observance tonight will bind all of us together, making us a cohesive congregation of esoteric Kristians sending up one thought, one voice, to the Heavens — and radiating it out and through all our fellow humans.
Notice the lyrics do not mention Yeshua’s birth, it’s almost not a Christmas song! But it surely speaks to heaven reaching down to us and humanity reaching back. Hopefully we reach back, that is and “send back the song which now the angels sing” as the lyrics say.
Note the last verse, it’s almost apocalyptic:
For lo! the days are hastening on, by prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever circling years comes round the Age of Gold;
When peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world send back the song which now the angels sing.
The Sixth Day of Kristmas, Dec. 26
In the United Kingdom and Australia, today is called Boxing Day and also St. Stephen’s Day. It’s also the first day of Kwanzaa.
One of our Mystery School Initiates from Northern Ireland writes: “We do indeed do all the Christmas trees and lights stuff over here – although some people take it more seriously than others, of course! Personally, I go for the minimalist approach! Both Christmas Day and Boxing Day (St Stephen’s Day) are usually spent with family over large dinners!”
Please light your candle again (or use a new one if that’s what you’re doing) and contemplate all the Kristmases that have gone before us, all your ancestors and the many many thousands of Solstices they lived thru, as well as the approximately 2000 Kristmases they experienced. Their lives were like yours, their hopes and mistakes, even hobbies and careers are in your DNA. You are the end product of all their striving. YOU are the future of your people, your family line. Now say the following: “Ancestors of mine, be ye Kristian, Christian, Pagan, Heathen or Jew: Join with me now as a link between generations, between worlds, a link between times and eons themselves. We are past, present, and future. We are NOW.”
We close with some Christmas trivia: Dec. 26th is called Boxing Day in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada and Australia, etc. Here’s the official definition: Boxing Day originated in 1833: the first weekday after Christmas observed as a legal holiday in parts of the Commonwealth of Nations and marked by the giving of Christmas boxes to service workers (as postal workers).
December 26th. First Day of Kwanzaa observance
Please consider the concept of UNITY, and light a black candle. Speak out loud these words:
“Father, Mother, you have united us as a race. We are proud to be of this race, we are proud both to come from the land you gave our ancestors and to live in this great land you have given us. Strengthen the bonds of unity between us, strengthen our love for each other and our common love for you. Amen.”
The Seventh Day of Kristmas
The number seven is a number that represents wholeness, completion, and perfection. So, on day seven, we celebrate the Divine Plan, which began on the first of the twelve days of Kristmas. The Divine Plan had many facets to it, but the main idea was that the Mother, the Son, and the Holy Daughter – incarnated as Mary, Yeshua, and Mary Magdala – would come to Earth and show us the true way to love, the true way to be the human family, to take the concept of sin and guilt away from us. It is true that they took death away from us, because they showed us that love conquers death.
On day seven of the rite, we celebrate the advent of the Divine Plan. The fulfillment of the Plan occurs every Easter, and with the birth of Yeshua Kristos, the Light of the World, the Divine Plan begins to be fulfilled.
Take the candle you’ve been using or a new candle, light it, and say the following prayer:
“O Father, in your Infinite Intelligence you devised the Divine Plan so that we would come back into union with you and the rest of the Creative Godhead. You parted with your Blessed Wife, and with your Son and Daughter, so that through the pain of your separation we might experience no further pain. We thank you for the gift of the Divine Plan, which truly does save us from guilt and negativity. Amen.”
Second Day of Kwanzaa portion: 27th – SELF-DETERMINATION (RED CANDLE)
“Spirit, give me the strength to be a powerful and positive leader. Make me your instrument, and grant that I may know the best path for myself and that I will have the strength to follow it. Allow me to become independent, and to be strong, in order to strengthen my people. Amen.”
The Eighth Day of Kristmas, Dec 28
Eight is a sacred number, usually deemed masculine in nature. It is one above seven, which means that it is “one above perfection.” It is also the double of four, which is the number of the YHVH Godhead, and so it could be seen as representative of the Godhead’s power in Heaven (first set of four) and on Earth (second set of four). Since in ancient Egypt, four is a number of perfection and completeness, it is both one above seven and the double of four, both numbers that in ancient numerological systems mean perfection.
And so, today we celebrate the perfection of the power of the Godhead, their control over the elements of the Earth and over Heaven itself. Here are the elemental correspondences of the Godhead:
Yahweh/Abba/Father – Air, East, Archangel Raphael
Logos/Yeshua/Son – Fire, South, Archangel Michael
Shekinah/Mary/Mother – Water, West, Archangel Gabriel
Spirit/Magdalene/Daughter – Earth, North, Archangel (A)Uriel
Of course the Godhead works together, so Yeshua when on Earth may have been able to exercise control over Earth, Water, or Air, but with the permission of those who hold that as their sphere of influence. The same goes for Magdalene, Mary, and the Father. But once upon a time, Yahweh was a Sky God, and in a larger sense, a Sky God he remains. So also does the rest of the Godhead remain in his or her primary role, creating a sense of balance in our Elements as well as in everything else. Sacred balance is what it’s all about.
Now light your candle, and say the following prayer:
“O Abba, thank you for granting me knowledge in the year that is now passing away. I ask that you grant me even more knowledge, Heavenly Father, in the coming year. O Son, you have blessed me with loyalty and strength this year. Grant more loyalty and strength to me and to those I love. O Eema, you are the Mother of Love and Purity. Grant that I may be pure of heart, and that I will always love my neighbor. O Daughter, you are the Spirit of Wisdom and Mystery. Grant that I may know your secret ways, and that I will be wise in all that I do. All this I pray to the Heavenly Quaternity – the Father, the Mother, the Son, and the Holy Daughter. Amen.”
3rd Day of Kwanzaa portion: 28th – COLLECTIVE WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY (GREEN CANDLE)
“All-Father, grant that we may learn to work together for the betterment of not only our people, but all the peoples of the world. I pray that when one person makes a mistake, you will put the burden on the whole community. All burdens are lighter when more than one person carries it, so grant that we may carry all burdens together, as one people. Amen.”
The Ninth Day of Kristmas, Dec. 29
Today we honor the Teutonic Code of Nine, the code of honor by which the Asetro (Northern European pre-christian religion, also called “Old Norse Religion”) people lived and live. This Code of Nine is ancient, perhaps as old as the Judeo-Kristian Ten Commandments, and is a powerful code of right-living. In addition to having importance to our Asetro friends, it is also a code that can and should be enlightening to us. We should live by all codes of right-living. What one code does not cover, another code may, and so honoring more than one can be beneficial to us as well as the rest of humanity.
This is the ninth day of Kristmas to Kristians and the ninth day of Yule to Asatru/Asetro folk. The number nine was seen as sacred to the Asetro Teutonic tribes and Celtic tribes, because the number three was sacred and nine is the product of three times three. In Celtic myth particularly, the number three was a powerful number representative of their Triple Goddess: Maiden, Mother, and Crone.
Please read aloud the Code of Nine now:
1. THE CODE IS TO HONOR – Honor yourself with truth and fairness. Your word is your bond, give your word power by adhering to it. Honor your family and friends with reverence and respect. Honor your love and the way above all else. Honor is the mark of strength and nobility.
2. THE CODE IS TO PROTECT – Protect with savagery your blood and kin. Let no one or nothing violate your love or the way. Let there always be inequity in defense. Always protect thrice as fiercely as one is attacked. Protection is the mark of a warrior spirit.
3. THE CODE IS TO FLOURISH – Prosperity and growth are key to the survival of the way. Such is the mark of intelligence.
4. THE CODE IS KNOWLEDGE – Knowledge is power. Seek ever to expand the mind. Never stagnate, for knowledge is a gift from the Gods.
5. THE CODE IS CHANGE – Adapting and changing are important for growth and survival. That which cannot adapt or change is doomed to perish. Change is the mark of insight.
6. THE CODE IS FAIRNESS – Pay all debts, pull your own weight, always hear and consider all sides. Treat all others with equity and fairness. Expect the same.
7. THE CODE IS BALANCE – Remember the Law of balance; All that which you do or wish for, good or ill, shall return to you one day. Strive for the good.
8. THE CODE IS CONTROL – Never lose control to anger or be baited by hostility. Never strike a woman unless your very life hangs in the balance. Never violate the weak or innocent. Never tolerate those who do. Control is the mark of a disciplined mind, a sign of the greatest of warriors.
9. THE CODE IS CONFLICT – Those who follow the way must know the art of combat, weapons, and vengeance. War is a part of the path. Always be prepared for hostility. It is a destiny woven into the fibers of our people. Keep body, mind, and training up at all times. Have no remorse in the savagery of conflict. Win, prevail, and survive.
Now light your candle, and say the following prayer:
“O Light of the World, you give us these codes of right-living so that we may live in harmony with each other, in peace, and in safety. Give us the ability to follow all your codes of right-living, that we may become as holy as those prophets and wise men who walked the Earth before us. Amen.”
4th Day of Kwanzaa portion: 29th – COOPERATIVE ECONOMICS (BLACK CANDLE)
“Great Mother, help us to further the material interests of our people on this Earth. Help us to establish our people as a great and hard-working people, a people who cares about each others’ economic stability as well as the stability of the global economy. Allow us to persevere as a people in the world of finances. Amen.”
The Tenth Day of Kristmas, Dec. 30
In the old symbolic Kristmas carol, today is the day that we have “ten lords a’leaping.” Today is a day for rejoicing, the day before Twelfth Night, which will be a time of revelry in the knowledge that the Light has returned to the world, and Spring is officially on its way. The Darkness has not won. Today is the time to start thinking about your New Year’s Resolution(s), which you will need for the Twelfth day’s festivities.
So begin preparation for your resolutions now, and think of the things you honestly need to do to better yourself in the coming year. Think of them joyously, as something that will improve you by “leaps!” and bounds, not as a task that you don’t really want to do but should do anyway. Light your candle, and say the following prayer for help with your resolutions:
“Sophia, Wisdom-Mother, grant to me the ability to know what I must do in order to improve myself mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Help me to discover these needed resolutions, and to keep them in the coming year. Give me the blessings of faith, hope, and love in order to keep the promises I will soon make. Bless me now and always with your Holy Presence. Amen.”
5th Day of Kwanzaa portion: 30th – PURPOSE (RED CANDLE)
“Spirit, grant that our people will realize its purpose in this world and seek to fulfill that purpose. Grant that we may always work toward a common purpose, and that purpose will be the purpose you have given us. We trust in you, and know that you are Wisdom and will show us the way to the true meaning of our lives. Amen.”
The Eleventh Day of Kristmas, Dec. 31
Please Note: The Eleventh Day of Christmas turns into Twelfth Night once the sun goes down on Dec. 31st. This is truly a day of change, of transition, so therefore it is a time that is no time, a moment outside of time.
Kwanzaa portion: Dec 31st – CREATIVITY (GREEN CANDLE)
“Logos, grant that our people will be a creative people. You are the creative Word, which proceeds from the mouth of the All-Father and brings all things into existence. Grant that we may fulfill the role of our Creators on a smaller scale, that we may create the things that are pleasing to each other, others, and to you. Amen.”
PLEASE SEE BELOW IN THE 12th NIGHT SECTION, FOR THE REST OF TODAY’S OBSERVANCE.
TWELFTH NIGHT, New Years Eve, Dec. 31
This has always been a night of revelry and celebration. So you know what you gotta do. At least step outside your door (or open a window) and beat on some pots and pans to make a loud ringing noise. It is tradition, to “ring in” the New Year, and your ancestors will be alive in you tonight if you do. One cycle is ending and another is beginning. During the 12 days of Kristmas, Earth “turns the corner” in her path around the sun. Tonight is the night we consider this passage of time. Other nights we have contemplated the return of the Light, the re-birth and coming out of nurturing darkness and powerful chaos. Tonight we must align ourselves to the concept of Time. The 12th Night. Twelve is that strange alien number we use in dozens and in clocks. What is up with the 60’s and the 12’s? Why can’t we use 10’s like we’re used to? Our numbering system for telling time comes from ancient Sumerian, whose culture and religion are one parent of Judaism (Egyptian is the other parent).
Exercise: Write down on a piece of paper all the things you did in the outgoing year that you regret. Did you hurt someone’s feelings, make some mistake you should have known better about, is there something you feel guilty about and need to get off your chest? Write it all down. Then fold the paper up and burn it. As it burns say, “Out with the old and in with the new. I am renewed tonight by the power of the Creators, my heavenly parents.”
Have a pot and a metal spatula ready, and just at the stroke of midnight, light your candle. (If you can manage it, it is good to burn your regrets paper with the flame from that same candle). Then go outside (or open a window) and bang like crazy on your pot. Think of all the rest of us doing the same thing! Think of the ancient Romans and Greeks who did this, too. Men, women and children—everybody gets to make noise. Ringing, ringing, RINGING—the music of the spheres. Now say the following:
“Oh Master of Time, merge with the fabric of my life tonight. Ring within, ring without. I stand in the threshold of past present and future. The veils are thin tonight, help me to catch a glimpse of you and your Lady as you lead the march. I will fall into step with you, taking up my banner and marking time with each tread on the spiritual path. I am right behind you.”
A word about New Years Resolutions….go ahead and start thinking of yours ‘cos tomorrow that’s what we’ll be covering.
Celebrate New Year’s Eve by Spotting the New Year’s Eve Star!
In 2006, Jack Horkheimer, famed astronomer, told us how to find the New Year’s Eve Star
Greetings, greetings fellow star gazers! Every year I encourage you to celebrate New Year’s Eve the cosmic way because if you happen to go outside at the stroke of midnight every New Year’s Eve you will see something very special which I like to call the New Year’s Eve star. Let me show you.
O.K. We’ve got our skies set up for 8 p.m. your local time this Sunday December 31st New Year’s Eve facing due south. And first like all good astronomers let’s draw an imaginary line from the due south horizon straight up to the zenith point overhead and then down the other side of the sky to the horizon due north. This line is called the meridian and it divides the eastern half of the sky from the western half. Now as our Earth slowly and endlessly rotates from west to east we are treated nightly to the grandest optical illusion in nature that of watching the stars appear to rise in the east, slowly travel across the sky all night long and eventually set in the west. And if you watch the stars every single night you will eventually deduce that the highest point any star reaches above the horizon in its nightly journey is when it is on the meridian.
Now this is very important to telescope users because the higher a sky object is above the horizon the better its telescopic image will be. So several years ago when I was researching which planets would be high up off the horizon for viewing that New Year’s Eve I stumbled across something which to me was and still is an amazing coincidence, something which I had never read about in any astronomy book. That coincidence is that no matter where you happen to be on New Year’s Eve, Sirius the brightest star we can see will slowly climb up the southeastern sky hour after hour and at midnight will reach its highest point almost on the meridian. Think of it, the brightest star visible from our planet reaches its highest point above the horizon at midnight every New Year’s Eve.
How wonderful, how poetic. Almost like a cosmic reminder that this most brilliant of stellar lights is welcoming in and shining on the New Year giving us all hope for a bright new beginning. And even better if you happen to miss it on New Year’s Eve because it’s too cold or cloudy out, don’t fret because Sirius will be in almost the same spot at midnight each night for the first week of the New Year. And think about this as you gaze up at Sirius this New Year’s Eve. While our Sun is a million mile wide, relatively cool, yellow star, Sirius is a much hotter almost twice as wide white star. And it’s very close cosmically speaking, only 8 1/2 light years away which means that when we look at Sirius this New Year’s Eve we will actually be seeing the light that left it 8 1/2 years ago in June of 1998 [adjust for the current year!]. So step outside at midnight New Year’s Eve and make your New Year’s Eve bright with cosmic light. Happy New Year and keep looking up!
* * * * * * * *
Dr. Katia adds: The beautiful bright Sirius has always been associated with the Egyptian Goddess Isis. The constellation Orion was called Osiris in the world’s most ancient astronomy. You can detect the names Osiris and Isis in the name Sirius. The ancient Egyptians designed a 360 day calendar with a special set of five days at the beginning/end of each year that were considered “time-out-of-time” and were heralded by Sirius. The appearance of the star Sirius — the Godess Isis to them — meant the annual Nile floods would come, bringing fertility to the land, staving off starvation. The Egyptians are the originators of the 365 day solar year unlike the lunar calendars of the Hebrews and other peoples of their time. They also reckoned a new day’s beginning as midnight, which the Romans later took up. This is unlike everyone else who began their days with dawn or dusk. And isn’t it just so durn coincidental that this moment, midnight, on this day, the beginning of each 365 day orbit, is also marked by the star Isis (aka Sirius)? How cool our “pagan” calendar is.
DAY TWELVE, New Years Day, Jan. 1
New Beginnings! Your slate is clean. Your page is white and new, nothing on it! This is the time to start fresh and send all guilt and self recrimination out the window. You are here and NOW. You don’t exist back then, not yesterday, not last year, but TODAY. There is so much ahead waiting for you, things to do, to think about, to make good on. Sieze the day, sieze the year! It belongs to YOU.
Resolve! So what is it that you want to accomplish this trip around the sun? A new orbit calls for new goals. How about exercising more? Resolve to quit any habits destructive to the body (i.e. smoking) or to the mind (i.e. cursing, using foul language). And don’t forget spirit, that third aspect of each of us. Do something positive for your spirit—resolve to study or meditate more, resolve to “see” the face of God/dess or to learn their Name.
Exercise: Write out some resolutions. Come on, do it, don’t just think about it. Actually writing them out sends a powerful message to your subconscious that you mean business, that you want to put yourself in the path of all good things, prosperity, abundance, health, security, harmony, no-fear, no-guilt and all that kinda stuff. If you are an anti-paper person, start a quick .doc file and type your resolutions out.
After you’ve finished, hold the paper in your right hand (or hold your right hand over your computer screen if you typed it in) and say, “This is me. I am resolved. Forward I go, swept along with the planet and humanity whether I want to or not. I might as well make use of these powerful currents of new beginning. I am resolved. O Creators, steady my hand, steady my mind, and steady my soul. If I fall back on any resolution, help me to pick up right where I left off. Let me not forget with the passage of time all that I have planned here during this holy season. When February comes I will still be resolved. Each first of the month is a mini-beginning and I will review my resolutions at that time, giving myself a morale boost (or kick in the pants) if need be. Thank you for strengthening my resolve by witnessing this contract I’ve made with myself and with You today. Amen. It shall be so.”
7th Day of Kwanzaa portion: Jan 1st – FAITH (BLACK CANDLE)
“Spirit, grant that our people will have faith in each other and in you. You are the conveyor of faith, the one who first gives us faith and then strengthens it throughout our lives. Never leave our side, you who gives birth to our faith, and never let us falter in our faith in each other, all of humankind, and in the Creative Godhead. Amen.”