Happy Holidays! Season’s Greetings!
May the Light that is born now expand in our hearts and lives through the years to come!
It’s Christmas Day and, like so many people in our northern latitudes, I am spending a few days with family. As in most households, the little ones are delighted with the many treats and gifts, while the adults, having barely slept last night, are doing today’s various tasks with moderation.
This being a Christian holy day and this part of my family being practicing Catholics, an overflowing church service was attended, where the appropriate carols were sung and the traditional story was told. This being a media-oriented culture and household, traditional films (like Polar Express) and music (via Pandora) have played in the background through the week. All my family being of a geekish nature, several of the gifts exchanged had references to star wars and dr. who, and books were the most common form of gift – several of which have already been read
My own spiritual path being interfaith, I’ve also helped lead several solstice-focused services and events over the past week, having honored Hanukah with my Jewish family and friends the week before. Tomorrow Kwanzaa begins among my African-American friends, and Sunday I’ll lead a service explaining it and the Greco-Roman origins of the “12 days of Christmas.”
May the Light that is born now expand in our hearts and lives through the years to come!
It’s Christmas Day and, like so many people in our northern latitudes, I am spending a few days with family. As in most households, the little ones are delighted with the many treats and gifts, while the adults, having barely slept last night, are doing today’s various tasks with moderation.
This being a Christian holy day and this part of my family being practicing Catholics, an overflowing church service was attended, where the appropriate carols were sung and the traditional story was told. This being a media-oriented culture and household, traditional films (like Polar Express) and music (via Pandora) have played in the background through the week. All my family being of a geekish nature, several of the gifts exchanged had references to star wars and dr. who, and books were the most common form of gift – several of which have already been read
My own spiritual path being interfaith, I’ve also helped lead several solstice-focused services and events over the past week, having honored Hanukah with my Jewish family and friends the week before. Tomorrow Kwanzaa begins among my African-American friends, and Sunday I’ll lead a service explaining it and the Greco-Roman origins of the “12 days of Christmas.”
I’ve always loved this time of year, but this year these holy days have taken on a special meaning for me. Ever since I became aware that we were in a transition from our old way of being (known variously as “the 4th world,” “the Piscean age,” “the empire” and more) to a new one (called, among other things, “the 5th world,” “the age of Aquarius,” and “the emerging culture”) I’ve seen our traditions in a new way.
When I learned that the transition would last from late October 2011 to late October 2015, with the winter solstice of 2012 being the most highly publicized stage in the process, I began to pay careful attention to all of these traditional activities – and the threads of common meaning among them.
Fundamentally, across the many holy days, this is the season of the return of the Light, of contrast between apparent darkness and the reality of continuing (even when barely visible) light.
This is, for all of us, a time to slow down and pay attention to the world around us – the wild storms and quiet beauty, the appearance of destruction and the renewal that follows, the long hours of dark and somber skies with the occasional break thru of brilliant light from the sun, moon, or stars.
When I learned that the transition would last from late October 2011 to late October 2015, with the winter solstice of 2012 being the most highly publicized stage in the process, I began to pay careful attention to all of these traditional activities – and the threads of common meaning among them.
Fundamentally, across the many holy days, this is the season of the return of the Light, of contrast between apparent darkness and the reality of continuing (even when barely visible) light.
This is, for all of us, a time to slow down and pay attention to the world around us – the wild storms and quiet beauty, the appearance of destruction and the renewal that follows, the long hours of dark and somber skies with the occasional break thru of brilliant light from the sun, moon, or stars.
This time of year is also, for many traditions, the end of one cycle and the beginning of a new one, a time when we acknowledge that new beginnings are possible – essential even. While calendars based on the moon begin at other times of year, calendars based on the sun begin when dawn and sunset once more begin their northward journey along the horizon, as the earth’s angle of rotation and revolution bring the far northern latitudes out of the shadow once more. Old ways are released so new ones may take their place – in our thoughts and actions, as well as our calendars, and the new way of being has long been represented as a newborn child – Chronos, the son of the Sun, the Christ – reminding us of love and light.
According to the ancient teachings, 2000 years ago the age of Pisces, the fish, replaced the age of Aries, the ram. At that time Julius Caesar’s protégé declared himself Augustus, Emperor of Rome, and established the Pax Romana – ending war and piracy around the Mediterranean. A new religion emerged then, based on the fulfillment of prophecies in the Hebrew scriptures, the first writings to tell us of a future different from the past. New technologies made travel easy and new ideas spread quickly – it took about 75 years for the new ways to be established, and Europe and the Americas are still living in the remnants of the Roman empire.
50 years ago a new generation, born out of the ravages of a worldwide war, reached maturity. They saw the devastation of that war and called upon the world to “make love, not war”. They saw the devastation being wreaked upon the water, air, and soil and called the world to celebrate our natural resources rather than exploit them for profit. They saw the heartbreak of social norms that forbade authentic wisdom and emotion and called for all to question authority. They saw a political process that was driven by money rather than the ability to lead and called for a true democracy. They saw, and participated in, the breakdown of racial barriers in institutions across the continent. It was the “dawning of the age of Aquarius” and both prophecy and forecast tell us that what they stood for then will become the norm by 2040, 25 years from now, and, like the innovations of Emperor Augustus and the Christians, will probably affect life on earth until about the year 4000.
According to the ancient teachings, 2000 years ago the age of Pisces, the fish, replaced the age of Aries, the ram. At that time Julius Caesar’s protégé declared himself Augustus, Emperor of Rome, and established the Pax Romana – ending war and piracy around the Mediterranean. A new religion emerged then, based on the fulfillment of prophecies in the Hebrew scriptures, the first writings to tell us of a future different from the past. New technologies made travel easy and new ideas spread quickly – it took about 75 years for the new ways to be established, and Europe and the Americas are still living in the remnants of the Roman empire.
50 years ago a new generation, born out of the ravages of a worldwide war, reached maturity. They saw the devastation of that war and called upon the world to “make love, not war”. They saw the devastation being wreaked upon the water, air, and soil and called the world to celebrate our natural resources rather than exploit them for profit. They saw the heartbreak of social norms that forbade authentic wisdom and emotion and called for all to question authority. They saw a political process that was driven by money rather than the ability to lead and called for a true democracy. They saw, and participated in, the breakdown of racial barriers in institutions across the continent. It was the “dawning of the age of Aquarius” and both prophecy and forecast tell us that what they stood for then will become the norm by 2040, 25 years from now, and, like the innovations of Emperor Augustus and the Christians, will probably affect life on earth until about the year 4000.
In the past year we’ve seen the beginnings of the shift. They’ve showed up as, most visibly, great climatic changes. These changes alone will drive us to live and think in different ways. The people who live from their hearts and use their hands and heads wisely will thrive, while those who depend on authority to take care of them may lose much, as lands are flooded.
We’ve also seen a widening gap between those who choose to live for money or power and those who live in alignment with their heart’s knowing. Right now it looks like an income gap, a great divide between the “haves” and the “have nots,” but that is an illusion – what the “haves” have is numbers in a computer and pieces of printed paper with nothing to back them, but which give them access to some resources. What the “have nots” have is skills and loving relationships that will keep them going, regardless of what happens to those numbers or pieces of paper. This is the wisdom of the “red neck” who builds a home and family in a community with skills learned from previous generations; it’s the organic farmer, the eco-forester, and the “hippy gardener” who are learning these things for the first time.
We’ve seen the breakdown of “modernization” in many lands, especially among the Muslims who feel attacked by westerners who have come into their lands with bomb-dropping drones and feminism and demands that they create a “modern” government that will work with western governments. We’ve seen aboriginal, indigenous peoples take a stand against the environmental degradation and imposition of economic and social restrictions by the “modern” western governments who took over their lands. We’ve seen people seek popular support for the most powerful leadership position in the world who have no training, experience, or education for the job, but speak clearly and harshly about what’s wrong and what should be done and so win the minds of fear-filled people.
We’ve also seen a widening gap between those who choose to live for money or power and those who live in alignment with their heart’s knowing. Right now it looks like an income gap, a great divide between the “haves” and the “have nots,” but that is an illusion – what the “haves” have is numbers in a computer and pieces of printed paper with nothing to back them, but which give them access to some resources. What the “have nots” have is skills and loving relationships that will keep them going, regardless of what happens to those numbers or pieces of paper. This is the wisdom of the “red neck” who builds a home and family in a community with skills learned from previous generations; it’s the organic farmer, the eco-forester, and the “hippy gardener” who are learning these things for the first time.
We’ve seen the breakdown of “modernization” in many lands, especially among the Muslims who feel attacked by westerners who have come into their lands with bomb-dropping drones and feminism and demands that they create a “modern” government that will work with western governments. We’ve seen aboriginal, indigenous peoples take a stand against the environmental degradation and imposition of economic and social restrictions by the “modern” western governments who took over their lands. We’ve seen people seek popular support for the most powerful leadership position in the world who have no training, experience, or education for the job, but speak clearly and harshly about what’s wrong and what should be done and so win the minds of fear-filled people.
But when the darkness seems to surround us, we need to remember: the seeds of a brighter way have been planted. The apparent dark of winter has been covering them, but a new light has been born: the daughter/son of the Sun, the Christ-consciousness, the One Mind of humanity, the Light of Love. And this new light is calling us into the next stage in humanity’s development.
A few years ago, as I came to understand all of this, I was compelled to write a book, which I called Make the World Go Away. In it I laid out the process that I and my students have used to help us leave behind ways of thinking and acting that no longer work for our well-being and that of the world, to replace them with new thoughts, new patterns of action that lead us to light- and love-filled lives. It was my way of helping the seeds of the new way of being to germinate.
So today, as the changes we’ve anticipated for years begin to be felt, I sit here on this dark night of December, aware that behind those clouds a full moon is rising and that many people I care about have felt the unexpected warmth of sunshine this afternoon. I understand what’s happening in the world around me and I know what I need to do…
… focus on the Light of Love in, through, and as all that is, always.
Anything less will bring forth more appearance of darkness. Anything more is impossible.
May you know, always, the Light of Love that is your life, your peace, and our shared inheritance.
Blessings always,
R
A few years ago, as I came to understand all of this, I was compelled to write a book, which I called Make the World Go Away. In it I laid out the process that I and my students have used to help us leave behind ways of thinking and acting that no longer work for our well-being and that of the world, to replace them with new thoughts, new patterns of action that lead us to light- and love-filled lives. It was my way of helping the seeds of the new way of being to germinate.
So today, as the changes we’ve anticipated for years begin to be felt, I sit here on this dark night of December, aware that behind those clouds a full moon is rising and that many people I care about have felt the unexpected warmth of sunshine this afternoon. I understand what’s happening in the world around me and I know what I need to do…
… focus on the Light of Love in, through, and as all that is, always.
Anything less will bring forth more appearance of darkness. Anything more is impossible.
May you know, always, the Light of Love that is your life, your peace, and our shared inheritance.
Blessings always,
R
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