Of Solstice and Gods
The Reason for the Season
Imagine living in what is now known as Sweden or Siberia or Norway during the “Dark Ages” and experiencing the shortest, coldest, and darkest days of the year without central heating. Or electric light. With nothing much to illuminate the long, frigid, Winter months except stories about saints and Gods and flying horses. In those times, people still believed in the power of beings unseen and the magic in plants and the sacredness of blood. They dreamt up ways to warm the spirit without heat and fire the imagination without light. These dreams would eventually become Solstice rituals which would then merge with Christianity and become Christian/pagan hybrid traditions. Eventually, these would transform into something sterile and deeply unsatisfying as the comforts of modernity swallowed them like a hungry beast. What remains today are the perfunctory and exhausting vestiges of these traditions stripped of meaning and purpose.
There is never a shortage of articles this time of year moaning about the commercialization of Christmas and the orgy of spending, gaudy decorations, and cheezy piped-in music that have become its hallmarks. But these artifacts could also be seen as anemic remnants of the ancient celebration of Saturnalia that brought much needed wildness and release from the often unrelenting and perilous grip of Winter. It is thought to have originated in Greece or Rome as part of Sol Invictus (Unconquerable Sun) worship and was adopted by (or emerged in parallel with) conquering Germanic tribes to which they added, or had already formed, their own seasonal related touches.
Remember the before times when office Christmas parties were de rigueur and there was always “that guy” (or gal) who had a few too many, flung his body around in an approximation of dancing, told lewd jokes, and insulted the boss? That guy should be given a crown and made temporary “king” not be made to hide out in his office until partygoers forget his drunken excesses as he was only channeling the spirit of Saturnalia. Bring back naked singing and now we’re talking! But even the meaning behind this annual gathering of peoples with at least one common purpose, dreary as that may be, is fading away along with so many others.
Take for instance the colors associated with Christmas: green, white, and red. Some attribute the origins of red and white ornaments against the backdrop of an evergreen tree with a certain species of mushroom (amanita muscaria) with magical powers that only grows under very specific conditions.
On Solstice Eve the local Shaman of the Kamchadales and the Koryaks tribes of Siberia would gather up these red and white dotted mushrooms and hang them on the lower branches of pine trees to dry, rendering them less toxic. When ready, they would use these powerful little morsels to take a spiritual journey to the Tree of Life, a large pine. Other associations with Christmas can be traced to this practice such as “flying” reindeer (they love to partake too!), bringing gifts down the chimney, and hanging stockings over the fireplace. Doesn’t whatever loving God who thought to make this transcendent plant available at the most needed time of year deserve to be remembered and honored?
It is fairly easy to find information about the origins of the use of evergreens and mistletoe to ward off evil spirits, Yule from the word for wheel representing the changing of the seasons, and the burning of the Yule log for 12 days which Celts believed was how long the sun stood still before beginning its return to full power. Yet how many still know about the legend of the flight of Odin and its relationship to the red and white of Christmas? At midnight on Winter Solstice Odin would be pursued by devils. In his mad flight to escape, his eight-legged horse would drip blood from its foaming mouth. Over time this eight-legged flying horse became eight flying reindeer living at the North Pole. Sound familiar?
It is tough to imagine the Gods being amused or fed by the egregious appropriation of once sacred rituals. Maybe they are the ones deflating the blow-up Rudolphs littering the suburban landscape well into February. Or maybe it is that old Germanic trickster Krampus knocking over plastic Santas while he is at it too. If connection to our Gods and Goddesses had not been vilified and even punishable by death it is doubtful that what was once revered and taken seriously would be receiving such charmless and grotesque treatment today.
When remembrance, deeply felt gratitude, and meaning is stripped away, what is left? Does adding even more frenzied activity to a schedule already devoid of time for reflection allow the Gods’ embrace when it is needed most? Modern people desperately need an alternative to quietly accepting a pale substitute for authentic connection and facing four more months of Winter gloom without the light of the Gods and Goddesses to guide us through to Spring.
Feeding the Gods
In the same way that humans are starving for meaning, purpose, connection, and authenticity, the Gods are starving for us to feed them our suffering, pain and joy. By feeding these ancient beings (Gods, Deities, Spirits, Ancestors, and even Elements!), we remember the interwoven fabric of reciprocity that makes life and community thrive.
In the olden days our ancestors turned inward through ritual ecstasies to help deal with the dark days leading up to Solstice. They explored the deepest darkness not as an abstract pain to medicate away but the birthing place of the light to come. We too can feel into the natural cycles of rhythm, of grief and loss and rebirth, if we do not distract ourselves from our own darkness
If we remember and allow ourselves to feel our own suffering, we can then gratefully and humbly unburden ourselves by feeding these feelings to the Gods and Goddesses. Lacking a direct connection to these beings, one place to start would be to look to Nature; Mother Earth needs to be fed more than ever and is perhaps the most forgotten Goddess upon which our very survival depends. Feed Her this Solstice by offering up your pain and your joy; your loving kindness; prayers; or a little of your time, energy and attention. Or offer her gifts: incense, smoke, beautiful art inspired by Nature, or leave a Christmas cookie under your favorite evergreen.
Working with the energies of Nature at this time of year helps reignite the spark within that must burn long and bright during this time of great Darkness. As we celebrate the Sun’s return, we should also ask for our own inner Sun to help us reconnect to ancient stories and practices. Fully embracing our Gods and Goddesses will take time, but to remember that we are starving for them as much as they are starving for us, is to take the first step.