Christmas was given its particular position on the calendar to divert attention from the old Winter Solstice celebrations of Saturnalia. Most of the familiar Christmas themes like Santa Claus, Christmas trees, mistletoe, Yule Logs, and gift giving are all vestiges of the earlier ‘so-called pagan’ traditions. This is further corroborated by Manly P. Hall who writes, “Saturn, the old man who lives at the North Pole (Winter Solstice), and who brings with him to the children of men a sprig of evergreen (the Christmas tree), is familiar to folks under the name of Santa Claus, for he brings each winter the gift of a New Year.” The political implications of how a new religion, or government, will superimpose their beliefs over previous ones, are obvious, and have happened repeatedly. However, on an esoteric and metaphysical level, the transformation of Winter Solstice and the ‘Pagan’ New Year into the Christian celebration of the birth of the son of God brings out yet another feature of Winter Solstice; the death and rebirth of the spirit and consciousness symbolized by the Sun/Son. Prior to the Christian era, numerous ‘mystery schools’ and rites of initiation existed with themes of death and rebirth, including the Mithraic, Dionysian, and Orphic. Lying at the root of these stories is the God, miraculously born, who then sacrifices himself, or is sacrificed, going into the underworld to procure some benefit for humanity, to then be miraculously reborn again. The birthday of these “Gods” was always the Winter Solstice. The Solar light symbolically dies as it approaches Winter Solstice, so we could then say the physical world is the Winter Solstice of the Spirit. At the Winter Solstice, spirit and consciousness makes its deepest descent into density and matter or darkness. Yet, the Light is poised and ready to return. The saying, ‘it is darkest just before the dawn’ comes to mind. This is when people take vigil, offer their prayers, work the ceremonies, and then celebrate the return of the light. This is how the birth of the Sun becomes the birth of the Son. #teachtruth #nomoremyths #newage #newbeliefs #newworld #twelvejewels #knowledge #wisdom #understanding #truth #justice #equality #food #clothing #shelter #love #peace #happiness
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 18:06:21 +0000
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