"Fanning the Flame" I've painted this beautiful piece in vibrant earth tones. Let it unleash you inner strength. Fan your flame. Ignite your spirit! I'm offering several different paper print sizes, all with archival pigmented ink: 5x7 inches (~12x17cm) print 8x10 inches (~20x25cm) print 8.5x11 inches (~21x28cm) print 11x14 inches (~28x35cm) print 12x16 inches (~30x40cm) print I have a profound love and appreciation for the magical world and I am honoured to share its beauty with you. xo Tamara
The seventh chakra is the center of consciousness, pure awareness, bliss, and Divine connection. Learn how to balance and use its powerful color energy
I'd like to thank Celestial Elf for sharing this wonderful article about the Midwinter Solstice with us. You can read more about Celestial Elf and his amazing machinima film work in the Artist Interview we conducted with him earlier this year. The Mind Body Spirit Odyssey wishes all of our readers a happy Holiday Season and a wonderful New Year! In Ancient Northern Europe the mid-winter Solstice (between 20th/23rd of December) was called 'Earth Mother's Night', and as the shortest day of the year it effectively represents the turning point of the season. The Romans called this Sostice the Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun. The Roman midwinter festival of Saturnalia (17-25 December) celebrated Saturnus (god of fertility, harvest and time) and his wife Ops (Mother Earth). Whilst Temples and homes were decorated with stars and suns and evergreens symbolizing life's continuity, Processions of people with masked or blackened faces symbolizing the dark of winter danced through the streets, which has survived in the custom of 'Mummer's Plays'. Masters also feasted with their slaves and a 'King' was appointed from their number to take charge of the revels giving rise to the 'Lord of Misrule' of medieval Christmas festivities, which tradition survived into the 17th Century." In Northern Europe the winter festival was called the Yule (Juul). As the people thought the Sun stood still for twelve days in the midwinter, plunging Mother Earth and all her growing things into the dark, coldness of death, It was thought that spring could not come without their celebration of midwinter. During this time the Druids began the tradition of burning the Yule Log to conquer the darkness and to evoke the return of the Sun for the new year, the Suns divine male energy was needed to return and quicken the Earths sacred female energy for the Rebirth of spring. A Yule Tree was also illuminated with candles, to further this effort to attract the Sun. Therefore 'Yule' is the midwinter festival of light, as the length of daylight progressively increases after the winter solstice. Along with the Evergreen, the Holly and the Ivy and the Mistletoe are important plants of this season, symbolizing fertility & everlasting life. Mistletoe, also known as The Golden Bough (and called Allheal, used in folk medicine to cure many ills) was held sacred by the Druids and Norse people, who cut it with a golden sickle (symbolic of the Sun) on the sixth night of the moon. Both Druids and Romans hung sprigs of mistletoe in their homes and places of celebration to bring good fortune and peace & the Scandinavians would halt and call Truce in battle if they came across mistletoe in their Forests. In addition, its fertility endowing powers have by tradition created its modern role as a symbol of love (a man should pick a berry when he kisses a woman beneath the mistletoe, when the last berry is gone there should be no more kissing!). The myth of the Holly King/Oak King probably originated from the Druids to whom these two trees were highly sacred. The Oak King (Lord of the Waxing Year and identified with the 'wren' symbolizing the Old Year and Shortened Sun) kills the Holly King (Lord of the Waning Year, son and successor of the Oak King, identified with the 'robin redbreast' symbolizing the New Year and New Sun that begins to grow) at Yule (Winter Solstice). The Oak King then reigns until Litha (Summer Solstice) when the two fight again and the Holly King is victorious. The Holly King is still seen in some representations of the modern Santa Claus." Of the Wren itself (which was also called 'magus avium' - the magic or druid bird) this hapless bird was for many years hunted and killed on December 26 by young boys because it was recognized as a sacred bird to the early Druids. It was targeted by Christian believers as their Pagan purges were frequent and relentless. The boys would receive money as they paraded their dead trophies from house to house... The Nordic Yule began in the evening of winter solstice 20th-23rd December, with the sacrifice of a wild pig (boar) to Mother Earth. This gave strength to Mother Earth (Freja), so that she could give birth to her Son (Balder) on 24th of December who represented both the next generation and most importantly, light ie the New Sun (which was also echoed in the Rebirth of the Persian Sun God Mithrais {as well as the Greek Apollo} on 25th December, a significant date later co-opted by the Christian Church...) The ham as the Yule dish is particularly significant because in ancient times the pig was considered a holy animal and personification of Mother Earth, symbolizing her fertility. Thus the Yule ham is Mother Earth herself. Regarding such Sacrifices in these Ancient traditions; As they held that Divinity was inherent in all creatures as an expression of the God's powers within nature, so the most powerful of these rituals was when a God was sacrificed to share their divine energy. Those who ate of such sacrificial feasts received a part of the Deities divine power, just as the death of one creature gives life to others. For the ancient people such traditions were completely normal as they 'sacrificed' the seed in spring to earth, where it ‘died’, and later rose again to give life to many new seeds which in turn would both feed many people and beget many more new seeds. These principles are similar in theme to the Christian atonement sacrifice of Christ, the ritual of Eucharist and the Ascension. Be that as it may, I share with you now Bright Yule Blessings: Yule Blessings. Blessings to you from the Earth Mother. She is the Moon. She watches over all of us by. The light that she casts over the blessed earth. Walk her night lit path And happiness you will find at every turn. Blessed be! Blessings to you from the Sky Father. He is the Sun. He holds us up And brings us strength. Carry his sword To cleave the evil from your path And you will be unmolested. Blessed Be! Blessings to you from the Great Spirit. It binds us all together: Man to womyn; beast to beast; all. We are it and it is us. Blessed Be! May you have a wonderful Holiday. The time has come for the sun to be reborn He lies in his Mother's womb waiting... Awaiting his reappearance on this plane. Let us all rejoice in his rebirth and ours. Blessed Be! (by yusef) Merry Solstice, Happy Yule... After writing this post, a bit later I rewrote the famous poem The Night before Christmas and made the machinima film The Night Before Christmas Or Yuletide or Such.... to reinstate Odin and the ancient Norse traditions in place of Father Christmas per se.. which you can read by following the link above, or just enjoy the film below Follow the daily updates of the Mind Body Spirit Marketplace on Facebook
As humans we have to have spiritual, mental, and physical nutrients to keep us fit and strong. Spiritual nutrients includes prayer, a deeper understanding of the truths from the higher power, and ongoing cleanliness of the mind and body. The body is our temple and if we utilize substances, eat or drink bad junk, like too much alcohol or engage in injurious actions we'll suffer misery, pitiable health, and our life will shorten. Here are the secrets of healthy living that will change the way you feel about your body. In this book, you will learn all about: - A Quick Look At What Is Required - Healthy and Happy Helps - Be Happier To Live Longer - Supplements To Battle Aging - Exercise and Secrets You Can Have Better Success With Health And Life If You Discover Accelerated Health Lessons!
Learn how to meditate with crystals for enhanced mindfulness and spiritual growth in this comprehensive guide.
Your Mind/Body Connection – How Emotions Affect your Health - Have you ever noticed a physical reaction in your body when you experience intense emotions? Maybe you’re happy about seeing an old friend, or you passed
When I first saw Cristina McAllister's beautiful prints I was transfixed not only by her amazing sense of design, but also in the way she incorporated mystical themes and sacred symbols into her gorgeous Art Nouveau style work. A gifted illustrator, graphic designer, painter, and printmaker - I really don't think there is anything out of reach for this multi-talented artist once she sets her sites on it! Enjoy the interview - I hope you will enjoy Cristina's work and story as much as I did! ~ diane fergurson Air Spirit MBS: Can you tell us a little bit about your background? How you got started in art? Cristina: I was born an artist. I’ve been drawing since I could hold a crayon, and it’s always come naturally to me. As a child I was captivated by fantastic and imaginative imagery, inspired by animated films, comics and picture books. I taught myself how to draw by studying other artists’ work, experimenting and practicing constantly, creating my own stories, characters, costumes and creatures. I’ve had little formal art training. I took a few basic art courses at the local community college, which gave me a good foundation to build upon. A job at an art supply store gave me access to a wide range of mediums and techniques that I voraciously explored, constantly striving to hone my skills. My first art job was doing window displays at a comics shop. After that I did illustration and packaging design for a toy company. I had a few issues of a small press comic published, and worked for several years at a role playing game company doing fantasy illustration, graphic design, conceptual design and some writing. I’ve also done some children’s illustration, murals and pin-up art. Several years ago, I began to feel the need to do something more meaningful with my art. I enjoyed doing fantasy illustration, but I felt like it didn’t really have much to say, on a personal level. I wanted to produce more “artistic”, self-directed artwork. Of course, figuring out what I had to say and how to say it has been a challenging journey that I’m still on. :) Calliope MBS: The use of symbols in your work is really quite striking. How did you become interested in symbolic art? Cristina: Thank you. I’ve experimented with symbolism in my work for a while, mostly in the context of a more figurative style, and it tended to be very personal symbolism. I began working with traditional symbols in a more abstract, decorative style fairly recently. This style developed when my husband and I decided to build a gypsy wagon. He’s a maker – he can build with wood and metal, and fix anything. We combined our skills to create Calliope, a custom camper trailer that’s literally a work of functional art. The full story (with pictures!) can be found on my blog, here. When I started designing the artwork for Calliope, I was initially just interested in making her beautiful – my main focus was basically ornamental. But the more we invested in the project, the more I wanted to infuse some meaning into the artwork. That’s when I began researching traditional symbolism, seeking ways to visually express what was important to us through my artwork. I’d always had a passing interest in the subject, but this time I found myself captivated by the use of symbols throughout history by different cultures. Visual language can be very powerful, particularly if it has been well established in a culture. These days we have access to such symbol lexicons from around the globe, so there’s a lot of material to draw from. One thing that intrigues me is the prevalent and fundamental use of symbols in religious and spiritual contexts. It’s incredible how very complex ideas can be encoded in simple imagery. Numinosity I’ve also come to appreciate the notion of art beyond decorative, expressive or storytelling capacities. I began exploring the world of sacred art, such as mandalas, which can be a tool for focusing the mind, celebrating cherished ideas and communicating spiritual and philosophical concepts. I love the notion that a visual artwork can be both aesthetically beautiful and functional on a psychoactive level. The outcome of this new direction is a continually-evolving style that integrates elements of Art Nouveau, Celtic knotwork, tribal design and organic forms. This style allows me to incorporate traditional symbols, combine them in new ways and create original symbolic images. Shakti: Water Spirit MBS: Oh my! That Calliope is just gorgeous. You both must have had a great time designing it! I can see how your current, more decorative artwork has developed out of that. What are some of the materials you use when you create your pieces? Do you use stencils? If so, do you make your own? Cristina: The designs begin as hand sketches, which are scanned into the computer and finalized in Illustrator, which allows me to precisely control and adjust the imagery. The prints available in my Etsy shop are hand-pulled screen prints. I envisioned these designs in metallic gold on richly colored backgrounds, and after some research, decided that screen printing would be the best way to achieve this. Dore (my husband) and I educated ourselves on the process and got to work. He’s in charge of making the screens, which involves a darkroom and photosensitive goop – that’s his department! I do the actual printing on a simple press he built for me. The larger, variable-edition prints actually have unique hand-painted backgrounds. Each print is an original work, the field behind the design painted with pastels in various colors and patterns. I really like the contrast of the very matte pastel texture and the shimmering gold ink. The smaller prints are printed on colored fine art papers or scrapbook paper, which I find suits my needs quite well. Its high quality, archival paper and you can find subtle patterns that add a nice dimension to the work, as opposed to a flat single color background. Alternate versions of some of my designs, as well as some which are too complex for our screen printing process, are also available as high-quality digital prints through Fine Art America: MBS: It sound like you and your husband collaborate well together! The prints, what size do you like to work with? Cristina: I’ve done a range of sizes, from “mini prints” (5” x 5”) to my larger mandalas, which are 14” x 14”. We aren’t really set up to do anything larger at the moment. But I think that’s a good size – big enough to grab your attention and present the details well, but not overbearing! I like to make a variety of sizes and price levels available. Metamorphosis Mandala MBS: What do you find so appealing about the printmaking process? Cristina: I used to just make original paintings, but I would put so much effort into one single piece and in order to price it to value my time, it would end up being more than most people were willing or able to pay. So – I have a lovely collection of original works adorning our home! Printmaking is a way for me to make my work more available and affordable to more people, and yet it still has the quality of being handmade by the artist, so it retains that creative energy. My style also lends itself to the medium – the crisp edges and complex patterns really shine through. Celestial Gaze MBS: What are you currently working on? Cristina: As far as new work, I’m currently working on a series called “Shakti”; very ornate decorative designs that include symbolic elements and female figures that represent various themes. I’m also working toward making my work more widely available through catalogs, other retailers or publishing companies that have more distribution. Ideally, I’d love to have someone who could do the marketing part for me, but that doesn’t seem to happen much in the art world these days, so it’s a DIY situation. I’m striving to get better at that aspect of my career. MBS: What is a typical work day for you? Do you keep "hours" and go to your studio like a 9-5 job, or are you less scheduled about it? Cristina: At the moment I have a part time job, which takes up the middle portion of my days. Generally, my mornings are spent on the computer checking email, maintaining my blog and Etsy shop, doing online research, etc. My afternoons are for working on new designs or making prints, working on other projects, errands, housework, etc. I tend to fluctuate between periods of intense art focus and periods of creative downtime. Sometimes my Muse hits hard and I’ll spend every available moment working obsessively on new designs. This weekend was like that – the weather was gorgeous, but I spent most of it on the computer working on my Shakti. I did manage to get out and get some fresh air and activity in, though. Namaste MBS: Your blog, website, Etsy shop - it sounds like you really do quite a bit online to help promote your work. I know so many artists who really still avoid the whole online aspect for their business. What has your online experience been like? Cristina: The internet is such an amazing phenomenon…it has opened up the world like never before. There’s the potential to connect and share with millions of people. The flipside of that is that there is SO much stuff out there! It’s easy to get lost in the clutter. You don’t want to “spam” people, but you DO want to let the right people know you exist – the people who can appreciate and enjoy your work. I think blogs like yours can really help facilitate that, and I’m excited about this opportunity to connect with your readers. One thing the internet is great for is getting feedback – from all kinds of people from all over the place. That can be very inspiring. Of course, it can be frustrating when you’re getting a ton of feedback and few actual sales, but I think it’s kind of a critical mass game. The more exposure you get, the more familiar you become to people, the more your work builds value on a collective level. I used to be kind of reluctant to put my stuff out there – afraid of the potential for people to just steal my images without giving me any credit or compensation. It certainly does happen, but I’ve come to accept that as sort of an investment. I just try to remember to put a watermark with my name and website on everything so people can track me down if they want to find out more! MBS: What advice do you have for those who wish to seriously pursue an artistic path? Cristina: Well, on a practical level, I would advise getting some fundamental business and marketing education, so you have some idea of the tools necessary for getting your stuff out there and dealing with the Making-A-Living aspect of an art career. On a creative level, I’d say never stop exploring and trying new things, new mediums, new styles, even if it’s just for fun. Every technique I try my hand at teaches me something and adds to my creative voice. Thank you Cristina Cristina McAllister's artwork can be found in her Etsy Shop, her website - Gypsy Mystery, and Fine Art America. She also does freelance illustration and graphic design work. For more information you can contact her at:[email protected] Follow our daily updates at the Mind Body Spirit Marketplace on Facebook and Tumblr.
In this Mind, Body and Spirit Transformational Programme, there are three different healing packages offered. Please note, this Programme is not suitable for everyone, if you are new to me, please contact me before you make a purchase. I make an assessment of your current circumstances on mind, body and spirit before agreeing to work with you, this involves a free 30 min Zoom meeting session. If you have been with me, please also contact me before your purchase as I can advise if you are ready for this journey and which journey would be best for you. The purpose of creating this Programme is for those who have been on the healing journey for a while and wish to experience healing in a shorter period, at the same time willing to do shadow and inner work at your own pace, in short, an intense healing programme. This Programme, particularly the longer one, is also suitable for those who show an interest or wish to pursue in getting into the helping-others field, for a more healed mind, body and spirit, able to assert a healthy boundary with others, a positive self-imagine (confidence, worthiness) and an integrated practice of self-love within the body in order to expand further. This Programme is tailored to specific requirements of each person, hence the Zoom meetings. It can address particularly to improve physical health, mental well-being, to shift that low self-confidence image, or enhance your overall mind, body and spirit bodies, or a combination of many, even the inherited patterns and behaviour using specific Ancestral Meridians points, the possibilities are not limited. The techniques and modalities required throughout this Programme are used in the much deeper sessions found in the same shop. As the saying whole is greater the sum of its parts, this Programme is way more powerful than individual deep sessions. Healing package 1 Duration: 1 1/2 months or 6 weeks Including: Initial 1 hour zoom consultation session. 4 sessions and 1 Zoom meeting at the end of the Programme. (2 Zoom and 4 sessions) Healing package 2 Duration: 3 months or 12 weeks Including: Initial 1 hour zoom consultation session. 6 sessions and 2 Zoom meetings during and at the end of the Programme. (3 Zoom and 6 sessions) Healing package 3 Duration: 6 months or 24 weeks Including: Initial 1 hour zoom consultation session. 12 sessions and 3 Zoom meetings during and at the end of the Programme. (4 Zoom and 12 sessions) Depending on the person, some Zoom reviews could be turned into sessions for further shifting. The dates will be preliminary agreed between us when the Programme is confirmed. The duration may be slightly extended to suit the healing progress. A written report will be sent after the session through email correspondence only. I use many different tool kits aid the session further. These could include healing creams, Bach flower remedies, crystals, essential oil, crystal essences, flower or plant essences, messages from card decks etc. At the end of each session, I will check the healing energies are integrated into your body, whatever undissolved is released into Mother Earth. Before I begin my first session of the day, the Sacred Space is open, to provide protection, safety and healing for both receiver and practitioner. It is closed at the end of the day. Every session and practice I conduct, they are protected by this Shamanic Sacred Space, calling out four directions, Mother Earth and Father Sun (and Grandmother Moon). This Sacred Space is used by Shamans for practicing fire ceremonies for New and Full Moons. All sales are final and non refundable. By proceeding to book you are confirming you are 18 years or over. Please note, you CANNOT purchase on behalf of someone for this session unless we have an arrangement. https://www.facebook.com/serenityapproach https://www.facebook.com/whisperingsoulshealing/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/922660525193898/?ref=share_group_link https://instagram.com/serenityapproachkinesiology?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA== https://line.me/ti/p/LgT447veFd Disclaimers Any information provided is NOT to be substituted for any professional/medical or legal advise. No guarantees are offered. I reserved the right to choose whom I work with as a client, in the case if the session is not suitable for your current circumstances or no contact can be made. A full refund will be given. Under no circumstances this healing is a medical replacement. If it is a serious condition, please seek medical help. Due to UK regulation, I have to tell you that this is for entertainment purposes only. Namaste 🙏
This piece, "Highest Expression Integration - Mind, Body and Soul", is intended to harmonise the unity consciousness that we hold within ourselves as holistic beings made up of mind, body and soul, as a bridge between the physical, mental, emotional and ethereal aspect of our beingness. **THIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT FOR DOWNLOADING ONLY** -------NO PHYSICAL PRODUCT WILL BE SHIPPED——— ♥ -------T H I S - D I G I T A L - P R O D U C T - I N C L U D E S: 1 scalable high resolution JPG image at a 7x5 ratio 70 height x 50 width | cm at 300 dpi 27.5” height x 19.6” width | inch at 300 dpi You can have the file of your choice printed at your local print shop or upload it to an online print service. You can also print it on your home printer. ♥ ------- I N S T A N T - D O W N L O A D: 1. To start your order, please purchase this listing. 2. After your purchase is made, you will automatically be redirected to the downloads page. 3. Payment will be confirmed by Etsy (usually within minutes). 4. The files will be delivered electronically within minutes of your order and payment. An email will be sent to the address you have associated with your Etsy account with a link for your download. You can also locate your printable files under "Purchases", within Etsy. 5. Download your file, save and print! o For customers that have an Etsy account, go to Your Account > Purchases and reviews and look for the order. o For customers that are guest users, you'll find a download link in the receipt EMAIL that will be sent to you after the purchase. For more info, please check the link: https://www.etsy.com/se-en/help/article/3949 ♥ -------- H O W - T O - P R I N T: o Print at home using good quality paper o Print at your local copy shop. o Upload to an online print shop. ♥ ------- I M P O R T A N T: o This is a digital item. You will not receive anything in the mail. o Digital items cannot be returned, so they can't be refunded - sorry. o The colors may vary from monitor to monitor! ♥ ------- W H Y - D I G I T A L - P R I N T S o No long delivery waits and shipping fees. o It’s better for the Planet by minimizing the carbon footprint ♥ o Using this file you can print on just about anything such as paper, card, canvas, clothing, homewares, etc. ♥ ------- N E E D - M O R E - H E L P? - Please get in touch, I'm happy to try to resolve any questions or issues for you. Thank you for visiting!
A mind + body integration is an important aspect of eating disorder recovery. Here are 6 grounding exercises that will help you reconnect with your body and mind.
As you might've realized from our publications on the Facebook group 'What in the $20 wish tattoo machine is this?' or the 'That's It, I'm Inkshaming' group, sadly, subpar tattoos are pretty common. Which makes the good ones even more admirable.
The artwork radiates a sense of balance and harmony, as vibrant hues blend seamlessly with delicate lines and intricate geometric shapes. The central focus is the Om symbol, revered in Hinduism as the primordial sound of the universe, representing the eternal essence and the ultimate reality. Its presence within the mandala symbolizes the unification of body, mind, and spirit. As one gazes upon this artwork, the eyes are drawn to the intricate layers and symmetrical patterns that unfold like cosmic ripples. The meticulous craftsmanship invites contemplation and meditation, encouraging the observer to delve into the depths of their consciousness and connect with the divine within.
I'd like to thank Celestial Elf for sharing this wonderful article about the Midwinter Solstice with us. You can read more about Celestial Elf and his amazing machinima film work in the Artist Interview we conducted with him earlier this year. The Mind Body Spirit Odyssey wishes all of our readers a happy Holiday Season and a wonderful New Year! In Ancient Northern Europe the mid-winter Solstice (between 20th/23rd of December) was called 'Earth Mother's Night', and as the shortest day of the year it effectively represents the turning point of the season. The Romans called this Sostice the Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun. The Roman midwinter festival of Saturnalia (17-25 December) celebrated Saturnus (god of fertility, harvest and time) and his wife Ops (Mother Earth). Whilst Temples and homes were decorated with stars and suns and evergreens symbolizing life's continuity, Processions of people with masked or blackened faces symbolizing the dark of winter danced through the streets, which has survived in the custom of 'Mummer's Plays'. Masters also feasted with their slaves and a 'King' was appointed from their number to take charge of the revels giving rise to the 'Lord of Misrule' of medieval Christmas festivities, which tradition survived into the 17th Century." In Northern Europe the winter festival was called the Yule (Juul). As the people thought the Sun stood still for twelve days in the midwinter, plunging Mother Earth and all her growing things into the dark, coldness of death, It was thought that spring could not come without their celebration of midwinter. During this time the Druids began the tradition of burning the Yule Log to conquer the darkness and to evoke the return of the Sun for the new year, the Suns divine male energy was needed to return and quicken the Earths sacred female energy for the Rebirth of spring. A Yule Tree was also illuminated with candles, to further this effort to attract the Sun. Therefore 'Yule' is the midwinter festival of light, as the length of daylight progressively increases after the winter solstice. Along with the Evergreen, the Holly and the Ivy and the Mistletoe are important plants of this season, symbolizing fertility & everlasting life. Mistletoe, also known as The Golden Bough (and called Allheal, used in folk medicine to cure many ills) was held sacred by the Druids and Norse people, who cut it with a golden sickle (symbolic of the Sun) on the sixth night of the moon. Both Druids and Romans hung sprigs of mistletoe in their homes and places of celebration to bring good fortune and peace & the Scandinavians would halt and call Truce in battle if they came across mistletoe in their Forests. In addition, its fertility endowing powers have by tradition created its modern role as a symbol of love (a man should pick a berry when he kisses a woman beneath the mistletoe, when the last berry is gone there should be no more kissing!). The myth of the Holly King/Oak King probably originated from the Druids to whom these two trees were highly sacred. The Oak King (Lord of the Waxing Year and identified with the 'wren' symbolizing the Old Year and Shortened Sun) kills the Holly King (Lord of the Waning Year, son and successor of the Oak King, identified with the 'robin redbreast' symbolizing the New Year and New Sun that begins to grow) at Yule (Winter Solstice). The Oak King then reigns until Litha (Summer Solstice) when the two fight again and the Holly King is victorious. The Holly King is still seen in some representations of the modern Santa Claus." Of the Wren itself (which was also called 'magus avium' - the magic or druid bird) this hapless bird was for many years hunted and killed on December 26 by young boys because it was recognized as a sacred bird to the early Druids. It was targeted by Christian believers as their Pagan purges were frequent and relentless. The boys would receive money as they paraded their dead trophies from house to house... The Nordic Yule began in the evening of winter solstice 20th-23rd December, with the sacrifice of a wild pig (boar) to Mother Earth. This gave strength to Mother Earth (Freja), so that she could give birth to her Son (Balder) on 24th of December who represented both the next generation and most importantly, light ie the New Sun (which was also echoed in the Rebirth of the Persian Sun God Mithrais {as well as the Greek Apollo} on 25th December, a significant date later co-opted by the Christian Church...) The ham as the Yule dish is particularly significant because in ancient times the pig was considered a holy animal and personification of Mother Earth, symbolizing her fertility. Thus the Yule ham is Mother Earth herself. Regarding such Sacrifices in these Ancient traditions; As they held that Divinity was inherent in all creatures as an expression of the God's powers within nature, so the most powerful of these rituals was when a God was sacrificed to share their divine energy. Those who ate of such sacrificial feasts received a part of the Deities divine power, just as the death of one creature gives life to others. For the ancient people such traditions were completely normal as they 'sacrificed' the seed in spring to earth, where it ‘died’, and later rose again to give life to many new seeds which in turn would both feed many people and beget many more new seeds. These principles are similar in theme to the Christian atonement sacrifice of Christ, the ritual of Eucharist and the Ascension. Be that as it may, I share with you now Bright Yule Blessings: Yule Blessings. Blessings to you from the Earth Mother. She is the Moon. She watches over all of us by. The light that she casts over the blessed earth. Walk her night lit path And happiness you will find at every turn. Blessed be! Blessings to you from the Sky Father. He is the Sun. He holds us up And brings us strength. Carry his sword To cleave the evil from your path And you will be unmolested. Blessed Be! Blessings to you from the Great Spirit. It binds us all together: Man to womyn; beast to beast; all. We are it and it is us. Blessed Be! May you have a wonderful Holiday. The time has come for the sun to be reborn He lies in his Mother's womb waiting... Awaiting his reappearance on this plane. Let us all rejoice in his rebirth and ours. Blessed Be! (by yusef) Merry Solstice, Happy Yule... After writing this post, a bit later I rewrote the famous poem The Night before Christmas and made the machinima film The Night Before Christmas Or Yuletide or Such.... to reinstate Odin and the ancient Norse traditions in place of Father Christmas per se.. which you can read by following the link above, or just enjoy the film below Follow the daily updates of the Mind Body Spirit Marketplace on Facebook
