Just Enough or It's All Too Much: SYMBOLS OF CHRISTMAS

Monday, March 5, 2012

SYMBOLS OF CHRISTMAS

Thursday, December 16, 2010
SYMBOLS OF CHRISTMAS
Here is another place in our civilization where Enough Is Enough:
The traditions of Christmas, many of which were inherited from the Pagan Winter Festivals, and many of which were spawned through the literature of Charles Dickens are, in my eyes, sufficient.
Coca Cola cans, Playboy Bunnies, department store logos, bows and wrapping paper, snowmen, a red-nosed reindeer, the Charlie Brown gang and the Grinch are among the many pointless icons that symbolize nothing more than excessive commercialism. Clement Moore did us a great disservice in turning Saint Nicholas and Father Christmas into Santa Clause. It is a cute story, but out of it, Madison Avenue created a whole litany of excuses to encourage more and more excessive spending each December.
The self-imposed stress of trying to live up to media images of the perfect Christmas result often times in illness and depression not to mention disappointment and the proliferation of greed in this and the next generation.
Bah Humbug is what this all sounds like, huh? Well, sorry.
Even though Jesus was actually born in either February or March, the Catholic Church chose December as the time we would all commemorate His advent. This was their attempt to obliterate Saturnalia and other mid-December festivals that long-pre-dated their influence. So be it.
What we actually now have is a month full of celebrations that includes Hanukah, Christmas, Mid-Winter Solstice/Longest Night, Yule and the new invention we know as Kwanzaa. I suspect there are others that I have not bothered to research.
I wonder if each day of life might be a celebration. celebrate the gifts each day offers from sunrise to sunset, from moon dark to moon full. Special times to honor and commemorate various sacred events might well be times of joyous celebration and of quiet contemplation, but I do not think that massive commercialism is a very sacred way to celebrate anything, except perhaps excessiveness, which many have made a way of life. It's enough, for me, to make note of the day, and if possible, enjoy a convivial meal or a special prayer or meditation to commemorate with gratitude the sacredness and special-ness of the given holiday.
I bid you glad tidings of great joy
Love, Victoria

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Coming Developments

As we develop this blog site, it should become easier to respond and comment. There is a lot to doing this and even more, for someone who is not technically oriented.
Soon, we hope to be adding a few appropriate and interesting ads that will hopefully interest this readership and thus support the continuation of this blog.
Clicking on an ad does not commit anyone to anything, it simply provides one with more in-depth information and opportunity to shop, to dream, to research and to wander about in virtual space.
It is our hope that the ads will be related to nature, natural living, natural health and wellness, animal welfare, small business, publishing, music, education, magick, movies, books, and other assorted gentle pursuits.
I am learning as I go along here, and have found that whatever ads eventually appear here, I will not be allowed to click on myself due to some perceived conflict of interest, so I will not necessarily be able to judge the appropriateness of any particular ad. I will rely on you, my readers, to keep me informed.
Be well.
V.

The Coffee Shop

Well, here we sit. Do you have your coffee? Or beverage of choice? We can imagine ourselves at one of those nice little round tables at Starbucks or at Panera's. Perhaps your town has an old-fashioned diner that serves the best coffee and pie in the world.
Let's talk about life. You can listen to me pontificate, reading my blogs. Please note, though, that I would like this to be a tete'a tete'; a conversation; a give and take. So, please comment. Argue if you wish, agree if you desire to do so, but know that we have just one guideline: Civility.
Civility allows for disagreement but precludes name-calling and foul language. Strong language to make a point need not be accusatory nor vicious. Solutions do not arise from head-butting. Only from sharing, thinking, and willingness to broaden one's horizons.
So, welcome and enjoy! Do they have rhubarb pie here?
So Mote It Be

CRYSTALS, STONES AND GIFTS FROM MOTHER EARTH

At a mere four-years old, I was crawling around in the Hogan's driveway searching among their large chunks of ordinary limestone gravel for the shapes I liked best. Squirreling them away in my pockets, I stole back to our house next door where my water color tray and brush was all ready and waiting for me with a jelly glass of water for dipping my brush.

Working studiously over a newspaper, I colored each of these chunks of gravel, even giving some of them dots to make them more unique. (Four years old, remember.)

Setting them to dry, I often took time for Kool-aid and Fig Newtons, then when the stones were dry, and I was done with my treat, I loaded them into my little red wagon and pulled them around the block, which was as far as I could go alone, not yet being allowed to cross streets.

I stopped first at Kemplie's house. Mr. Kemplie owned the local icecream parlor, where soft serve in wonderful flavors like lemon and peach was available on hot summer nights. Since it was mid-afternoon, he had not yet gone to work. I could count on him as much for his business as he knew he could count on Grandma and me for ours. He usually only bought one, and it was always solid colored. He liked the blue ones best. I tucked his coins in my pocket along with the gravel dust from my earlier harvesting expedition.

I don't recall all of the other houses I stopped at. I know there was one that I always skipped. Then back around to my street, at Bowen's house the lady upstairs gave me a few pennies for a yellow stone and one with dots. My big sale was also usually my last because Mrs. Dwyer was sweet and kind and I usually scored two nickels from her for whatever was left and she always ooooh'd and ahhh'd and said they were so pretty. Next, at Wassums' they often did not answer the door. When they did it was rather unpleasant, but sometimes I got a penny if I had a red one left.

So you can see, my love of stones began in early childhood. On any trip, my Mom and I always collected rocks. Dad complained about having to move our rock collections back and forth when we sought new housing.

Today, my collection is vast. Probably TOO MUCH, like so much else. But these are friends. Gifts of the Earth. Sometimes one of them becomes a gift to someone else, always with information on its healing properties and spiritual meaning.

The stones, either polished or raw, precious or semi-precious have attributes that make them useful for helping, healing or focusing on some particular issue.

An author named simply, Melody, has written a series of guides about stones and I recommend all of them. Love is in the Earth is the title and much useful and beneficial information is available therein.

Response-Ability

In no particular order, because they seem equally significant, we each have the following duties as living breathing beings:
To care for other living beings and our lovely planet tenderly, and with harm to none.
To be aware, cognizant and alert to the world around us. And to do so without agitating or looking for trouble. Just to live with our eyes open.
To be willing to do whatever is necessary to protect the innocent and to protect freedom.
For those of us who are blessed to be Americans, we must be diligent especially to protect our freedoms, our Bill of Rights, and to watch over our Constitution to assure that it remains strong and inviolate.
For those who are native to any of the other countries on Earth, it behooves you each to work to maintain or achieve freedom and liberty for all good people and to promote kindness and goodwill toward all. We are all members of the human family and viloence toward each other is disfunctional and unacceptable.
To be the best we can be at any given time under any circumstances. To be the best we have been created to be. We are not talking straight A's or any ranking thing like that. This means, to follow the guidlines for living as given to us by the Great Spirit and stipulated in the Golden rule. If you are in a culture or religious organization that does not have the Golden Rule, Google it. It goes like this: 'Do unto others as you would wish them to do unto you.' Simple, huh!

Just Enough or It's All Too Much

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Monday, March 5, 2012

SYMBOLS OF CHRISTMAS

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Monday, March 5, 2012

SYMBOLS OF CHRISTMAS

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Coming Developments

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For Your Health

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