Seeking Light in the Darkest Days

Seeking Light in the Darkest Days-Part Two

                                                Copyright 2003 by Kate Dennis/AmethJera

***

Day 8        

F

or Christians the season of the Advent of the Coming of Jesus the Savior begins: in Roman Catholic and many Protestant traditions the four weeks proceeding Christmas Day are marked by the placing of a wreath of greens decorated by purple and pink candles in churches and homes. Prophesy stories are read about the advent of the new age when their Messiah is born into physical being. A purple candle is lit for the first two weeks (purple being the color of royalty and reflection in the Christian Calendar). A pink candle is lit in the third week as a reminder of the motherly love of the Virgin Mary, mother of the child of God. It is a reflection of the love of humanity for one of their own. The fourth week, a purple candle is lit, signifying the continuation of the expectation of the Incarnation. In some traditions a white candle is placed in the center of the wreath on Christmas Day.

Many Pagan traditions have been adopted and assimilated by the Christian Church. The Advent Wreath is one of them. Greenery wreaths were common in pagan homes at all times of the year to signify the Wheel of the Year. Candles were added to decorate the wreath at various Sabats. The purple and pink candles of Christian Advent are quite appropropriate in a pagan home setting today to herald the birth of the Divine Child at Yule. Think of it as a circle of Light at the Coming of Promise.

“Father Creator, Mother of Love, bless all the circles of our lives: when we give rings in promise to one another, circles of friends and making sacred space. Be with us when our circle is broken, and when we ‘come around again’, and when our lives spiral inward and outward. Encircle us in loving arms.”

                                                                       

***

Day 9

W

hat color is your aura today? The true essence of the being is reflected by the light surrounding us. We reflect what and who we are, so I ask again…What color is your aura? How are you seen in the world by others? How do you see yourself?

“Creator of Life and Light, you have given the gift of life freely. Freely I offer myself and who I have become and who I am to others in return. Guide me in my personal and spiritual development. Change the color of my soul. Make me a window for the light to shine through.”

***

Day 10         

T

en days into the season and we are half way through of the time of anticipation. In the natural world the darkness of shorter days is fully established. Cold has set in. Trees that have shed their leaves show their skeletal branches. Animals have grown their winter coats; some have gone into seasonal hibernation. Animal too, we seek comfort and rest. We regenerate and grow in the relaxing darkness of long nights, awaiting the Light.

“Divine Child to come: Kindle a generous fire in our souls when the world is cold and gray. Make us warm in our hearts.”

***

Day 11

“My Soul doth magnify the Lord…”

- The first line of the Magnificat

I

n the opening line of this beautiful song attributed to the Virgin Mary, she sings her joy at being chosen as the human mother of the Divine Child of God. She reminds us of the majesty and glory of what will soon come to pass. This is the realization that even in the pain of labor, the Creatrix should give thanks. Mary has been compared to the Goddess as a counterpart in the mythology of the Birth of the Divine Child. Imagine yourself in her place for a moment, as the one who is about to give birth to possibility and promise in your own life.

“As  we are each a vessel to hold the blessings of this life, allow us to reach deep down into that place where we keep our intimate selves and bring out into the light  our own sense of divinity, so we maybe worthy co-creators with you.”

***

Day 12

“Hear the words of the Dark Lord, who was of old called Osiris, Adonis, Zeus, Thor, Pan, Cernunnos, Herne, Lugh and by many other names.

“I am He whose secret is that which opens the gates of life and death, and I am the guardian of the circle of rebirthing. I am the shadow in the midday; I am in the darkest places known and unknown. There I give repose and regeneration. Tell me your most inner secrets, and I will keep them under my wings.”

W

e have heard of the Dark Night of the Soul in common verbiage. It is portrayed as something to be feared, to be fought, to be railed against until the battle is won. In Pagan

tradition, darkness is only the opposite of light. It is assigned no attributes of loathing. Indeed, in many situations, it is the place to look to grow spiritually and develop our personalities. The darkness is a place of coolness from the heat of Life, a hiding place where regeneration can take place.

“Gracious God of Darkness: Restore our souls. Renew our spirits. Refresh our outlook. And when we become tired and overwhelmed in living, give us a sheltering place of comfort with you.”

***

Day 13  

I

n ancient times the Sun King - Sol Invictis – was the very sun incarnate. He was the giver of life, the cause of everything from making the plants grow into abundant harvests to the victory in war.He turned the tides of the Nile; it was he who was the protective patriarch of the people. The Sun King made the law and was the administrator of justice. He was the consort of the Mother, providing the seed of the Divine Child, who in turn became the Sun King Reborn. As we travel the spokes of the Wheel of the Year, the Divine Child born at Yule becomes the Young Lord in spring, who becomes the Lover at Beltane and the Sacrificed King at Lughnassah, the Dying Lord of Mabon, and the Dark Lord of Samhain…then to become the Divine Child once again. This is all possible because the gods are not held to the moral standards imposed upon humans by biology and society.

“Illuminate our hearts. Shine light into our minds. Renew our spirits.”

This would be a good opportunity for you to meditate on what the Divine Child archetype means to you:

-          Who is this Divine Child in regard to your personal spiritual tradition?

-          What importance does the rebirth of the Divine Child hold for you at this time of year?

-          Can you identify Divine Child archetypes in other spiritual traditions, and what do they mean in that context?       

***

Day 14

“…Ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and give love all in my praise…”

- Doreen Valiente, The Charge of the Star  Goddess

T

he season of Yule is not only one of devout meditation and personal examination, but of unbridled joy. The Pan pipes play and the wine of Bacchus flows freely. The Saturnalia, a Roman holiday of merriment and feasting was celebrated at this time. In England, the Lord of the Misrule held sway over the population for twelve days. So many examples of this celebration of the essence of life in the midst of the stark bareness of winter show the mood and will of the people. There must be joy –there must be!

“I will be happy today, Bright God, even if the sun is not shining. I will find happiness in my self, and when I cannot find it there, I will seek it out. There is beauty even in the muted colors of the world. Let me shine with what ever light I may find.”

[This excerpt is copyrighted 2003 by AmethJera.All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission of the author.]