Imbolc and the Festival of Lights

Hello lovies,

I am very excited about this turn of the wheel, for it is so close to Imbolc I can feel it in my bones! This is a holiday celebrated usually the first or second of February, this year it falls on the second.

Imbolc or Imbolg depending on what part of the world you are from (or even how you learned the name) is the first of the spring celebrations in the Wheel of the Year.

Imbolc was the celebrated as the first signs of spring were beginning to appear. It was a time to celebrate the return of the sun, and the beginning of the end of the winter season. Because of Imbolc's connection with the Sun, Brigid/Brighid/Brigit is a common deity to work with during this holiday. Although there is no saying that you couldn't work with any Sun deity; Mithra, Apollo, Ra, etc.

Imbolc is of Celtic origins, and in Gaelic the word 'Imbolc' translates to "in the belly." This is a great metaphor for those who celebrate the wheel. In a sense we have been hibernating, focusing on our shadowself, staying low to the ground. As Imbolc approaches we are preparing to come back to our lighter selves.

No matter how harsh the winter, there is a light at the end. Whether you take it literally or metaphorically, it sends a very powerful message.

I mentioned Brighid briefly in my For the Love of Imbolc post, but I didn't really tell you much about her. Brighid is the Celtic goddess of hearth and home, she is patron to poets and bards, healers and magicians. It is also said that she was honored when it came to prophecy and divination. Because she has two sisters who share her name, she has the qualities of the triple goddess aspect.

Brigid/Brigit was such a popular figure in Ireland that when Christianity finally spread to Ireland that rather then trying to rid the land of her, Christians adopted her as a Saint, and she even got to keep her holiday, which is still observed today.

Because a similar holiday was celebrated throughout what we now know as the United Kingdom, Imbolc has gone by many names and is still celebrated all over the island. Some other names you might come across are Candlemas, Feast of Brigit, Oimele, Festival of Milk, Wives' Feast Day, St. Brigid's Day; just to name a few.

To celebrate this holiday people would put candles in every doorway and window and keep them lit all day long as a way to encourage the Suns return. Today while that might not be safe, people opt it simply leave all of their lights on all day, it might not be financially frugal so I prefer to burn yellow candles. Other colors that are popular during this time are light green, white, pink and brown.

 One of my favorite books to read around this time is called Candlemas Feast of Flames by Amber K and Azrael Arynn K. This book is chalk full of history of the character of Brigid in her many capacities and also explores the history of Brigid as well. The book also includes season crafts and games that you can do with the family, history of festivals and traditions that you can incorporate for your celebration, and of course recipes!

Some of the more common crafts that you'll see around this time of the year are Brighid's Cross, Brighid Corn Doll and Brighid's Bed, click the links for easy instructions on how to. One recipe I found that I am really excited to try is called Imbolc Butter Cake.

As I was browsing for other recipes for this holiday, I stumbled upon another blog called Greenhaven: A Pagan Tradition and they have an awesome page for recipes, be sure to check them out!

Please stay tuned as I will soon be posting on what exactly the Wheel of the Year is, what the different holidays are, and their dates for this year, as well as a few extra goodies.

May Brighid keep you safe and warm during these last weeks of winter.

Many blessings to you and yours,

Thealynn

©2013-2015 Thealynn

Lughnasadh and Lammas

Greetings lovies,

As summer reaches its height we here Through the Secret Door have been studying the holiday that is known as Lughnasadh - pronounced Luna-sa or Lugh-na-sa by some and Lammas by others. Are they the same holiday? What are they celebrating, and what does this ancient holiday mean to us today?

This holiday was one that I was excited to learn about simply because it's the turn of the wheel that I have the least knowledge about. And with good reason, for several centuries it was only celebrated in Europe and is still celebrated there, but for anyone else in the world, unless you're in the pagan community, you've probably never heard of it.

In doing my research of this holiday I was pleasantly surprised that more people are talking about this holiday than in years past. From the research that I've done it seems that these festivals were fairly obscure despite the fact that countries all over the world celebrate their own form of harvest.

Lughnasadh as the name suggests, recognizes and honors the Celtic god Lugh. Lugh was considered a sun deity and was also connected with warriors and was called Master of Skills. Among the skills Lugh possessed he was a master at smithcraft which was highly regarded since warfare was something the Celts often experienced.

Lugh's story is one that we have seen time and again throughout different mythologies. Lugh was born destined to overthrow his grandfather Balor who was ruler of the underworld. After his brith, Lugh was sent off for his protection and raised by his foster mother, Tailtiu.

It's mentioned in The Book of Invasions by Lebor Gabála Érenn, that Lugh becomes associated with grain after he holds a harvest celebration in honor of his foster mother. Thus as time went on Lugh was often honored with grains, corn, and bread.

In ancient times, Lughnasadh was often celebrated by a series of games and competitions and was a time to settle tribal matters as well as ritual to promote a bountiful harvest along with being the opening to the hunting season. Most believed that it was considered bad luck, and even disrespectful to harvest before the first day of August.

From what I have been able to surmise from my research, while Lughnasadh and Lammas may have been different holidays at one point, celebrated by different peoples in the British Isles, they are celebrated as one in the same today.

I'll continue to research and study this holiday to see what else I might be able to learn and I'll be sure to share here if and when I do. Or if any of you have information to share, please feel free to do so below!

So how does one go about celebrating this holiday? What if I want to honor this time of year but I don't feel a connection to Celtic deities?

Never to worry! Remember above when I mentioned that harvest festivals are celebrated all over the world? Well, that alone gives us the freedom to choose how specific you want to get with your celebration.

The word Lammas translates to 'loaf-mass' so any harvest deity could very easily be honored here. While I was doing my research I came across this handy list of different gods and goddess that you can check out!

Another way you can celebrate this time of year is to bake a loaf of bread! I know the task seems daunting but there are a lot of recipes out there that are beginner friendly. My circle and I are going to be taking the recipe from one of my newer books, Super Market Magic.

Not only does this book cover all of the eight holidays but it all goes into simple magic you can do with herbs and spices that you get in the grocery store. It's phenomenal, and I sincerely recommend it.

One activity that my Circle and I will be doing is making Corn Dollys, I found a great how-to video on Youtube, which I would recommend checking out. It's a fun activity not just for adults but kids too! Corn Dollys then remain on your alter until Imbolc to promote abundance through the dark time of the year. What's nice about this craft is that they can be as simple or as elaborate as you like.

You'll often hear about John Barelycorn during this time as well. John Barleycorn is a character from English folklore who represents the crop of barley that is harvested each fall. He also represents what can be made from barley; beer and whiskey, and their affects. There are several songs about John Barleycorn and his adventures which when looked at closely, correspond with the continuing cycle of nature; planting, growing, harvesting, and then death.

 Another common activity done during this time is of course decorating your sacred space. Decorating with reds, yellows, golds, browns, oranges are easily incorporated all over the house, stalks of grain, acorns, pine cones and large leaves are another easy and natural way to welcome the first harvest.

Another one of my reads during this time was Lammas by Anna Franklin and Paul Mason. This title is a little harder to come by without spending an arm and a leg-I happened to get lucky, and it has a lot of good information about how the harvest is observed all over the world and goes more into detail regarding Lugh.

Of course it also goes into dozens of recipes, crafts, games and rituals to be done in a group or solitary setting.

Being that this is historically a Celtic holiday, if you haven't already done so, now is a great time to read up on some Celtic mythology, familiarize yourself with these gods and goddess.

One thing that is very special about this year is that while Lughnasadh is always on August first, we have a Blue Moon July 31st.

This will be the last time that we will have a Blue Moon until January 31st, 2018. That's two and a half years! I'll be writing a separate post about that in just a short while, and once it's up I'll be sure to link it here.

Venus has also just begun it's retrograde and will be spending 40 days and 40 nights in its retrograde which only takes place every 18 months.

So as you celebrate the first harvest, take a few moments to consider where you were this time two year ago, where you were 18 months ago.

Take time to relish and appreciate your accomplishments, and give serious consideration to what you have reaped in that time.

As we prepare to head into the dark time of the year, make the most of the sunshine and soak in as much as you can. Think about which seeds you've sown that have born fruit and which ones need more care.

Remember, there are several plants that take a year or even more after they are planted before they bear fruit. Which of your seeds are nestled safely in the ground that might be needing that extra time, and what can you do to help nourish them as they prepare to sprout in the coming spring?

Always be thankful for your blessings, and take heart that we are fortunate enough to live in a time where food is plentiful.

Many blessings of light, love, and abundance to you my dears,

May the gods and goddess shine on you and yours,

Thealynn

©2013-2015 Thealynn

Summer Solstice

Hey lovies,

I want to first apologize for missing the last two holidays; Ostara and Beltane-those holidays passed during my hiatus and unfortunately got missed when it came to being observed not only in my personal practice but here as well.

But I am happy to be back, and even happier to be preparing for the next turn of the Wheel-the Summer Solstice, also known as Litha.

This holiday might be one of the most well known outside of the pagan community due to the thousands of visitors to Stone Henge which is located in Wiltshire, England. The most noted visitors of the ancient monument are practitioners of the Druid persuasion, but it's estimated that the historic sight receives of 800,000 visitors per year!

Despite Stone Henge being in my top three places to visit before I do, we'll refocus on the topic at hand. By whatever name you recognize this holiday, June 21 makes the longest day of the year and the beginning of the summer season.

If you recall back in December when I was writing about Yule, the archetype of the Holly King and the Oak King as two halves of one whole: The Sun God. This perspective of the Sun God is Wiccan in nature and can be learned about here.

I really love this time of year because we're half way through the year, and with that in mind, I see it as a time of reflection. I think back to January when I was full of fire, and setting intentions and ready to take on this year.

With Midsummer just a couple of days away, I'm going to focusing on the next six months and all that I want to accomplish and manifest in that time. With the power of the Sun I feel my energy being replenished and I feel creative and motivated to celebrate all of the light or positive aspects of myself.

I've spent so much of the this year working on my shadow self, and bringing those aspects into the light so that I might work with them better, and release what's been holding me back.

From Litha, June 21 through August 1 which is Lammas orLughnasad which is the first harvest festival; I will be keeping my eyes on nurturing my goals and soaking up the strength and support of the Sun.

As far as old traditions go, one of my favorites is jumping over a fire-NOT SOMETHING I RECOMMEND YOU DO.

It was customary during this time to light large bonfires in dedication to the sun as during midsummer it was considered to be at its peak. On a small scale, fires were built where couples or individuals would jump over the flames stating what they wished to achieve or receive from the Universe. It was also believed that the hiring one jumped, the faster their wish would manifest.

Protection magic is something we also see a lot of during this time of the year, Litha is the last of the summer festivals which means that not far from now, the summer will be over and the days will grow shorter giving way to longer nights and colder weather. In preparation for the coming cold, protection amulets were a common craft and gift at Litha celebrations.

All manner of deity can be recognized during this time; sun and fertility deities both male and female. Crenunnos, Pan, Apollo, Ra are just a few gods associated with the Sun. Aphrodite, Freya, Cerridwen and Ishtar to name a few goddesses.
 
 As with the other holidays for the Wheel of the Year, I have a go to book that I use for inspiration, research, crafts, recipes, and even ritual ideas. The title of this book is Magical Celebrations Midsummer of the Summer Solstice by Anna Franklin.

This book has so much amazing information for even your every day practice, including lore, candle and fire magic, how to use a regular deck of playing cards as tarot cards, crystals and their meanings, making your own incense and oils-hands down one of my favorite metaphysical books. 

If you're curious to see what a couple of the recipes in this book look like, I found this site with the recipe and pictures. I think the Gooseberry Fool looks particularly scrumptious. 

I also found this amazing site for additional Litha treats! I don't know about you, but I might have to enjoy some Asparagus Stuffed Chicken, it just sounds so good! Summer Solstice Treats!
  

I am so looking forward to celebrating this turn of the wheel and as a special treat for all of you, I will be doing a three card oracle card reading of what the next three months will look like. 

Midsummer is a time for divination, and what better way to celebrate with all of you than to give you a special reading to say thank you. 

May you have a fun, magical and safe Midsummer.

Brightest Blessings to you and yours,

Thealynn  

©2013-2015 Thealynn

 

Wheel of the Year

Hello lovies,

I'm laughing at myself a little bit as I write this to you because I feel as though I am a little late to my own party. When I first started this blog, before the unexpected year and a half hiatus, I had always planned on incorporating the Wheel of the Year and why I find it to be so important.

Well, by the time this post is available for you to see, we will have passed two cycles with some of you not knowing why the heck I am talking about these holidays and some of you might not have even heard of the Wheel of the Year!

I'm sure that had I not been caught up in the rush and dazzle of picking up this project again I would have made this post already. But! As fate would have it, I have until now been completely wrapped up in everything else that has been going on, so I shall apologize for the time it took to get this post to you, and digress...

Other then the previous posts about the previous two holidays, and potentially mentioning it in passing, I have not really addressed what the Wheel of the Year is, and why as a practicing pagan, I observe said holidays.

Believe it or not, this will probably end up being one of my shorter posts. [Instert dun dun dun noise.]

The Wheel of the Year is really, what it sounds like. It is a calender that consists of the eight major holidays celebrated/observed by most pagans. There are the four solar holidays that are more commonly known as the four seasons which traditionally tracks the birth, death, and rebirth of the Sun. Spring and Autumn mark the quarters and are known as Equinoxes leaving Summer and Winter to make the halfway points between the year, and they are known as Solstices.

You may some times hear these four holidays called Sabbats, as well as the 'cross quarter days' as there are four of them, and they make a cross shape. Yep. (I'm feeling silly as I write this, sue me. :P ) These holidays consist of Midwinter/Yule (Winter Solstice), Ostara (Spring Equinox), Midsummer/Litha (Summer Solstice) and Mabon (Autumn Equinox) .

There are some pagans that only observe those four main holidays as they mark the seasons, which works just fine. Being someone who likes celebrating I like the idea of having the eight holidays, and that's just how I learned it.

In between those four main holidays we have what are called Esbats and they mark the lunar holidays which consist of Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas/Lughnasadh, and Samhain.

So if you were to put them in order of the Gregorian calender that we still use today, the list of holidays would look like this.

Imbolc
Ostara (Spring Equinox)
Beltane
Midsummer/Litha (Summer Solstice)
Lammas/Lughnasadh
Mabon (Autumn Equinox)
Samhain
Midwinter/Yule (Winter Solstice)

However, since many pagans (myself included) recognize Samhain as the Celtic New Year, most of us start our spiritual calender there. So instead, the list looks more like this.

Samhain
Midwinter/Yule (Winter Solstice)
Imbolc
Ostara (Spring Equinox)
Beltane
Midsummer/Litha (Summer Solstice)
Lammas/Lughnasadh
Mabon (Autumn Equinox)

Or even,

Midwinter/Yule (Winter Solstice)
Imbolc
Ostara (Spring Equinox)
Beltane
Midsummer/Litha (Summer Solstice)
Lammas/Lughnasadh
Mabon (Autumn Equinox)
Samhain

Keeping track of the sun, the moon and the seasons themselves were essential to substantial living in ancient times. Even today, modern farmers use the moon as an indication of when to plant what crops.

Regardless of how you want to order them, it all comes back around again, which is why it is likened to a wheel, and thus it became known as the Wheel of the Year.

As the year progresses I will be making posts about the different holidays, hopefully with enough time for you lovely readers to get what you might want if you're interested in celebrating!

One thing I will share with you is that when I first started on this path, I had the WORST TIME trying to remember these holidays. If I was lucky and remembered it on the day of, I would burn a plain white tea light candle. It hasn't been until more recently that I have gotten better at planning ritual, or making yummy things to be devoured in honor of the holiday.

Most times I still only end up burning a candle and maybe saying a few words. Some times life is just too busy for us to do much more than that. But I figure that as long as I am setting aside just a few minutes, that's really all it takes.

I look forward to sharing more with you throughout this turning of the wheel.

Many blessings,

Thealynn

©2013-2015 Thealynn

For the Love of Imbolc

Hey there lovies,

You know how some times in life you find yourself looking and waiting for signs? You've come to a crossroads, there is a fork in the road, or maybe you find yourself lacking a direction. Maybe you have a direction in mind but you don't know how to take that first step.

I have been experiencing that feeling for that last few days. A HUGE change occurred and it left me feeling strangely numb. Initially there was a wave of various emotions, some I found myself fighting. And I say that because they were what I consider to be knee-jerk reactions. It's our go to response before we are able to really express what lies beneath it.

I have spent a few days pondering the events that have lead me to my current place. I've spent this time trying to sit, and listen to my gut, to my guides-much like I have encouraged you to do. I have received guidance and counsel, and as I have done all of these things I remembered that not only is the New Moon upon us, but so is Imbolc.

I had originally planned on only publishing one post for this holiday, but I think it's also important to share with you my experiences and love for this turn of the wheel. I still fully intend to do a separate post about rituals, crafts and recipes you can do for this holiday, that will be coming soon.

For now though I want to focus a little bit more on how aligning yourself with the wheel can not only be helpful in your practice, but also a very moving experience. Imbolc is potentially my favorite of the eight holidays that populate the wheel of the year. Probably because I have had a strong connection to the goddess Brighid since I was about eight.

My folks had just gotten married and we moved into a new family home. At that age I had a hard time sleeping in new places, so even though I was excited about the move, I was nervous about adjusting to life there.

My first night didn't start off too bad, but I was anxious enough to have trouble falling asleep. As I became frustrated all I could think was that this place didn't feel like home. When we had done the walk through together and I had picked out my room, I felt instantly comfortable in the space, so why was it different now?

Tears began to swell in my eyes and all I could think was how much I wanted to be held and comforted, but didn't want to seem like a baby by going to my parent's room. The tears began to fall and I was overwhelmed with the desire to be wrapped in a warm embrace. It was then that the heat kicked on, and as the room's temperature began to rise I felt a presence lower onto the mattress which had been placed on the floor for that first night.

I told myself that I was just worked up and it wasn't anything, tears still streaming down my face. A moment or so passed before I felt arms wrap around me and pull me close. I heard a soft cooing in my ear and had the sensation that I was being rocked back and forth. I could feel a cheek resting on my head and when I breathed in, there was a scent of barely, cotton and a soft smoky scent. Not how my mother usually smelled but I chalked it up to the new house smell.

A few moments passed and I began to calm down, thinking somehow my mother knew how I was up set, her room was above mine after all, and that perhaps she had snuck in. My tears dried up but I still felt overwhelmed by the new space. As I began to fall asleep I remember thinking that I didn't want her to leave. Just as if she heard my thoughts, I heard a soft murmur telling me that she would stay with me all night.

I slept soundly that night and when I woke up the next morning I greeted my mother with a hug. Breathing in her scent was the same as always, but it was no where near what I remembered from the night before. Rather than sounding like a imaginative child, I kept the night's events to myself. Going back down to my room I looked around,

"I'm not sure who you are, but it's okay with me if you stay."

And since then people who have visited the house have noticed the energy on the expanse of the property. When I visit home I am always welcomed with hugs not just from my folks, but also the house. It wasn't until several years later that I was discussing the energy of the property with my Dad that I told him who I thought it was. He agreed, and when he married his wife two years go come this February, there was a Brighid doll and bed on the hearth as they married in the family room of the house.

I never told anyone that story until now. Very few places I have visited have had a similar energy to them. Expect for one, when I went to visit my uncle and cousin a year and a half ago in Washington. When I was on the train home I felt homesick, I didn't want to leave.

Because of this new found freedom I am making plans to visit again within the next couple of weeks which will probably mean that I will be taking a short sabbatical from posting, but when that decision is officially made I will let you know.

Now, I'm sure you're curious as to what exactly brought all of this on.

I have talked about Anni before with her Youtube channel. She recently did a video about Imbolc and I got emotional watching it. In her video she describes how from Samhain to Yule is a quiet time and how in that time things die, and then come Imbolc, we begin planting the seeds of our intentions. And how we ourselves are seeds. We are slowly coming out of a time of rest, the world is starting to wake up.

She talks about a period of foundation, releasing what we have outgrown and what no longer serves us. When we arrive at Imbloc we enter a space of becoming, of growing. That we possess within us the power to decide how we are going to proceed through the rest of the year.

This brought me to tears. She reads a poem to us the last line of the poem states, "We are not leaving, we are arriving."

Those words struck a chord so deep inside of me because ever since my move two years ago I have had this feeling of trying to leave the past behind. Even in my work of releasing fear there has been this same sense.

As Imbolc approaches I realized that I will be done leaving, and I in fact will be arriving-to the rest of my life. When I decided to be open to the Universe, I meant it, not exactly knowing to what extent it would accept.

I keep hearing the same phrase over and over again, "Don't miss the forest for the trees." Every time I hear it, and am filled with just that more resolve to follow my heart and my path for they are quickly becoming the same.

The first time I heard the saying was during a meditation a few months ago from one of my guides. As I was doing a year-round oracle card reading for myself, the very first card held the exact same message. January for me has been all about focusing on the big picture, not getting caught up in the tiny details that have led me to the forest, and to be firm in my decisions as I chose how to move forward this year. February cautions me to ration myself and my resources because when March comes, that is the time of new beginnings, when my new adventure will really begin.

I will admit that I am holding my breath a bit as I don't know exactly how things will unfold, but I am trying to trust that it will all serve my highest good.

I look forward to this New Moon as it is a Super Moon which means that the moon is closer to the Earth so it will appear much larger than normal. Because of this, it also means that any intentions that are being set or magic being worked (if that's your thing), because we will be receiving more of the moons rays, it will had an extra oomph to what you are working on.

If you have not already done so I would encourage you to check out the ritual I wrote for this new moon, and you can read all about it here.

I want thank you all so sincerely for being on this journey with me. When I feel myself falling a little bit I imagine holding hands with those who support me, and I draw upon their energy to help lift me back up, just as I do for them when they ask.

I have a vision in my mind of what will transpire, where I will do on this new adventure. With every word that I type, with every thought I bring it that much closer to my reality just as the moon pulls in the waves and tides.

If you have a vision dears, do not give up on it. It can be yours.

Sending you light and love,

Thealynn

©2013-2015 Thealynn

Yuletide

Good evening lovies,

Prior to my last post, I took a little bit of a break from writing to give myself a chance to breath and to refuel a bit. When I sat down to write Behind Door Number One, I was a little nervous to do so, and it really did take a lot of energy out of me.

I am so happy I did though, because not only was I able to face a darker truth about myself, I am much more able to see how it's been affecting different aspects of my life and it's not so easily swept under the rug.

So, before I jump into the topic for tonight, I wanted to say thank you for being a support of that piece of my journey. Even if you're reading all of this months later, I still appreciate your presence. I would like to send everyone who has read or will read that post, and everyone who deals with similar trials a heartfelt energy hug. Thank you.

~*~

Now, this is a topic that has been on my mind that last few days, and while I have so many things that I want to write about, I feel like this is the perfect time to talk about this particular subject.  It even came up during work this afternoon, and while I had absolutely no intention of writing tonight as fatigue is not a fun friend, I simply felt compelled to do so, and well, here I am!

This time of year can bring a lot of mixed emotions, as it can be a very complex time for a lot of people. The holiday season in America has gone through many phases, and it certainly has not slowed down.

The month of December can be complicated. It's a very special time of year for a lot of folks, and I don't mean just the warm and fuzzy stuff.

There is a political, religious, secular, and emotional aspect for about the last six weeks of the year, if you want to include Thanksgiving. You have a variety of holidays celebrated by a variety of faiths all on a different level of commitment. There is traveling, and money flying everywhere and potential family obligations (depending on how you feel about your family). It can be the most wonderful time of the year. It can also be a very heart heavy time of the year, filled with loneliness, heartbreak, hunger, and a feeling of inadequacy.

I have been very fortunate in that for the most part, this time of year has been a very happy time of year for me, full of love and laughter, time spent with the people that I love. There have also been times when it didn't feel very joyful at all.

There were times that I spent without most of my family, and I relied on my friends and the family of my ex, whom I loved very much, and still do, but it's not quite the same.

I think most of us can say that though. "...but it's not quite the same." This time of year can make us long for what no longer is, or what could have been.

As I look around my little hobbit hole, I do not have festive decorations. No tree or lights or knick knacks. And it does make me a little sad, I love this time of year. One of my favorite things about this time of year is the decorations, overall they just make me feel happy and peaceful. Despite the lows that I have experience in my life, as short as it has been, I have always had a special place in my heart for Yuletide.

The holidays can get a little complicated for those of us who practice a faith differently then our families. Mine is kind of split, I have some who are very Christian and believe that Jesus is the Reason for the Season, and then there are those who also celebrate Yule.

During work this afternoon I had a customer say something along the lines of "I would say 'Happy Holidays' but I don't want my head bitten off."

I gave her a sincerely puzzled look and ask her, "Why would anyone bite your head off for that?"

She went on to explain that she had noticed people being offended, and correcting her with "Merry Christmas." I nodded in understanding and shared with her that I always say 'Happy Holidays', and that if someone says 'Merry Christmas' in return, I give them a warm smile and return the sentiment. Because while I might not celebrate Christmas religiously, I celebrate it in a secular manner, and that for me it's more about spending time with family.

My assistant manager and I talked a little bit about it after the customer had left, and she expressed how she was offended when people insisted on 'Merry Christmas' bringing up the point of Hanukkah, and so on, and being someone who didn't believe in anything, she felt it was inconsiderate.

Rather than getting into a distracting conversation, because we were at work, I left it where it lay, comfortable and happy with my stance on the subject. Because at the end of the day, regardless of which holiday you observe, I hope that there will be time with loved ones making memories that will last a life time. As mine certainly have, and will.

Growing up it was Christmas, and some of my favorite memories are of Christmas time with my family, decorating the house and the tree, listening to Christmas music-which I still do. Of course now it has a very different meaning to me. As fun and appreciated as presents are (because seriously, who doesn't love getting presents) this year I am going to be focusing on a very spiritual aspect.

So this holiday season, I am going to be celebrating holiday tradition of spending time with my family, for Christmas and my grandfather's birthday which falls on the Winter Solstice-something I still giggle over. As a part of a new tradition, I have decided that I will light a candle for everyone I know that is missing someone during the holiday season. I will take a piece of paper and write down their name and honor those whom I love, and the ones that they love.

 I will also be welcoming the birth of the sun, as it will shine the way for the new year and all of the amazing possibilities that lay before me. I said before that this will be my last year of living in fear, so as the moon wanes, I will finish the work I started on the full moon. I will finish releasing all that I have holding onto that no longer serves me, and when the new moon arrives, I will be ready to fill the empty space that the negativity left with light and love and positivity.

May you be surrounded by love and light this holiday season,

Many blessings to you and yours,

Thealynn


©2013-2015 Thealynn