autumn twilight
… where the water meets the sea, between the worlds, within the void …autumn twilight
… where the water meets the sea, between the worlds, within the void …2007 ends soon…
It’s hard to believe that 2007 is almost over. Today is the 29th. George and I spent a good two or three hours cleaning the study and living room. Everything is in order, and it feels really good. I have that general feeling of well being that I get when everything is working out the way it should be.
I’ve spent far too much time surviving lately. It feels like I haven’t had time to just sit down and think, or talk with my family. Every minute has been spent worrying about one thing or another. Fulfilling one obligation or another. I have been feeling cast adrift, and I didn’t really know why.
I’m not sure I know the answer now, but I have some more thoughts. Daniel emailed my fellow students and I the other day on the subject of energy exchange. It’s a discussion of balance, appreciation, and recognition. I like to think that I understand energy exchange. In fact, I know I do. The process makes sense to me, physically, metaphysically, and esoterically. But I realize that I have not paid it the attention I should have, not truly.
I’m not saying that I haven’t been conscious of my debts in this world, nor that I haven’t taken the time and care to create balance where I can. But I do recognize that I have not properly invested in some elements of energy exchange. Most keenly, I have not invested in myself. I have not given myself the attention, recognition, and appreciation I need. I have not given my God(s) the attention they deserve, and so it makes sense that I feel adrift from them.
I recognize that there are reasons why the major religions of the world have contemplatives. It is because God, for lack of a better term, must have the focus of his devotees to work in the world. Contemplatives have the beauty of spirit to turn their thoughts solely to the glory of God. They create a void that God may fill with his acts.
We would do well to learn from these patterns. Though it is not feasible for me to turn my eyes to my gods each moment, I would do well to turn my eyes to them more often. And to my ancestors, and to my spirits. I would do well to honor them and myself by attention. As would you.
Every employer and employee should read this…
http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/careerist/40342
I love Penelope Trunk. This one isn’t new, but it’s awesome and great! I’ve followed a lot of these practices myself, and it’s worked thus far.
The Holiday Season:
So, it’s December the 25th. Christmas Day, well night now. This season causes some consternation (i love that word) in my world. Being pagan, I really don’t celebrate Christmas. I do celebrate Yule, but the modern trappings of the season are often looked down upon by other pagans. Gift giving doesn’t seem an appropriate act when celebrating the return of the light. 
So I have some of my pagan friends, who throughly detest the holiday and everything associated with it. And I have my family, who celebrate secular Christmas, being staunch agnostics. My brother, for instance, says “It’s the time to celebrate family and love, and give gifts to the people that are meaningful to you.” The quote may not be perfect, but that was the gist.
And I’m a little caught in the middle. I don’t like a lot of the trappings of the holiday. I hate that our culture places so much emphasis on it, and I hate what it does to people. No, not cheeriness. I hate how much stress and work and pain goes into Christmas. I know people who don’t want to go home for Christmas for no other reason then the amount of stress involved in it.
On the other hand, I love my families traditions. I love sitting around breakfast and going through stockings, and playing with puzzles and gadgets and watching the joy and surprise on my families faces. I love the opportunity to spend time with them for no other reason than being a family. I love arguing with my brother and teasing my father and laughing at my mothers technological mistakes.
I wonder why the dogma of the season is such a big deal. Why do people, pagan and non-pagan alike, have to get so caught up in the details. The Christians want to celebrate the day as a holy one, great, go to it. If pagans don’t want to celebrate it at all, or want to stick to what they believe to be more traditional Yule celebrations, that’s fine too. But why on earth does everyone get so stuffy and forceful about it? Why do they get offended that other peoples traditions differ? What’s wrong with the fact that my family always has a baked ham for Christmas dinner? What’s the deal?