Have Yourself A Merry Little Solstice

GIVE AND GET THE GIFT OF ENLIGHTENMENT

Today – December 21 –  is THE day for 2010.

In the northern hemisphere it’s known as the Winter Solstice. And, given the seasonal differences, it’s the Summer Solstice in the southern hemisphere.

For observers in our neighborhood, this will be the day with the least hours of daylight and, therefore, the longest stretch of night.

Historically solstice celebrations have influenced the lives of many people over the centuries, through art, literature, mythology and religion. So, whether you officially “celebrate” today or not, you probably will (or recently have) observed the Winter Solstice in some way.

If you care to, you can find dogmatically neutral recaps at sites such as ReligiousTolerance.org or Beliefnet.com. There, and elsewhere, you can learn more about the wide range of solstice-related observances across time and cultures both extinct and extant around the globe.

Wikipedia lists 40+ that range from contemporary observances at science stations in Antarctica to Neolithic and Bronze Age practices in Europe and references in Western Hemisphere cultures that date back to 1800 BCE.

So, since Neolithic times, the return of the sun and the lengthening days represent the return of hope. Perhaps prehistoric man feared that the sun would keep on sinking until it went away forever.

I'm sure they knew it wouldn't. They were as intelligent as we. (They just didn't know as much). But it’s only human to fear the darkness. When the sun came back, fear receded and hope returned.

In our bit of the globe the December solstice occurs during the coldest season of the year. Although winter was regarded as the season of dormancy, darkness and cold, the coming of brighter days after the Winter Solstice brought on a more festive mood. To many people, this return of the light was a reason to celebrate that nature’s cycle was continuing.

At the Winter Solstice we all – without confronting the conflicting tenets of particular spiritual or secular beliefs -- can trace the evolution of our seasonal celebrations to origins in ancient nature rituals. We can acknowledge the primeval link to today’s widely practiced religions, monotheistic and otherwise.

And in this 21^st Century we can use all the tech and gathered wisdom and best thinking at our disposal to come to one inevitable –

SEASONAL TAKEAWAY: It’s still about the light. Beacons of hope. Moments of illumination. Glimmers of insight. The promise of brighter tomorrows.

Miracles of light and enlightenment. Whatever your traditions hold dear and celebrate and commemorate at this time of the year, we are all very much one in spirit. It IS a very small and very interconnected world after all. Daily it becomes closer still.

ACTION IDEA: Be enlightened. Know what you believe and why. Your core beliefs need to be your own, arrived at freely.

IDEA IN ACTION: Like exploring the history of solstice celebrations, look for evidence yourself. Dig down. Get back to the source as you gather facts. Make your decisions based on your informed research and insight. Decide what works for you and then --

Don’t hide your light; use it. It’s also a season for giving. And in the spirit of transitioning from darkness to light, one of the best gifts you can give at this or any time of the year is –

The gift of yourself

-- your love,

your time,

your thoughtful involvement.

This enlightened and enlightening present is something that everyone wants … one size fits all … requires no last minute shopping or trips to the mall ...  is essentially free … and, no wrapping is required.

It’s that simple. But it’s what those you care most about really want. And, when you ponder and understand the fullness of the concept, you’ll know that it’s the only gift of lasting value that you alone can give.

IDEA IN ACTION: Give the enlightened and enlightening gift of yourself, your love and your time and your involvement, unconditionally, now and throughout the New Year. You’ll soon realize this cost-free present will yield an abundance of riches for the giver and the receiver far greater than you could ever imagine.

One last cool thing about this gift: It’s a gift that’s sure to be “returned” to you in so many ways.

What more could a giver ask for?

So don’t even wait for an “official” holiday to begin.

I wish you an Enlightened Solstice … (belated) Happy Hanukkah … Merry Christmas … Joyous Kwanzaa …

“Peace toward men of good will.”

Happy holidays, one and all.

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing
8 Depot Square
Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373

tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S.  “Impart as much as you can of your spiritual being to those who are on the road with you, and accept as something precious what comes back to you from them.” Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) said that.