Greetings!

I have a theory that the modern-day commercial extravaganza we call christmas serves a dual function. For some, it still marks an important date in the christian calendar, and is a time of religious celebration. For many others, however, the religious symbols have lost their potency, yet I have a sense that the frenzy of shopping and feasting just might be a way of distracting ourselves from something else that lurks menacingly around the fringes of consciousness at this time of year........

It has to do with the absence of light, the barren starkness of the landscape, the cold winter air and the icy chill creeping through our bones. Long before this time of year was given a new layer of significance by christianity, the winter solstice was honoured as a crucial time of transition in the natural calendar. The rebirth of the sun has never fully given way to the modern variation celebrating the birth of the son.

As the solstice - 21st December - approaches, the vegetable world becomes increasingly dormant. Animals take refuge underground, slowing their metabolism to a near- deathly pace. Somewhere in the deepest recesseces of our biological memory, we still recall the trepidation felt by our ancestors as the light diminished to its lowest point in the year. It was a time for waiting. And watching. Conserving what little energy and resources were available. And trusting that the light would return and with it the warmth of the sun, softening the earth and freeing the sap from its winter prison.

Paradoxically, what our innermost nature most requires at this time of year is what we are most likely to neglect if we’re not careful. Solitude. Stillness. Rest. Hibernation even. Reflection. Contemplation. Turning our energies inward. Gazing at the stars on a clear winter’s night. Keeping the fires burning. Tending to simple tasks. These are what the soul yearns for during the short days and long nights of mid-winter.

May the christmas lights and candles serve to remind us of the great solar fire upon which we are so utterly dependant. May the vivid green leaves and vibrant red berries of the evergreen holly remind us of the deep renewal of life taking place during the dark days of winter. May the magical mistletoe, suspended between heaven and earth, remind us of our own divine-human nature.

Warm wishes to you all, Ian.