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The Yule Goat
The Yule Goat is a Scandinavian tradition that is believed to come from the story of Thor, who rides through the skies in a chariot pulled by two goats named Tanngnjóstr, or “teeth grinder” in Old Norse; and “teeth bearer,” or Tanngrisnir. According to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, it may come from the Indo-European practice of bundling the last sheaf of grain into bundles they called "goats," because it was believed they carried the spirit of the harvest. They would save these bundles until Yule.
You can watch a video about the Scandinavian tradition of the Yule goat and other traditions here.
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Mother's Night
According to Bede, the 8th century English historian, Anglo-Saxon Pagans celebrated Mother's Night, or Mōdraniht, on the day that we now call Christmas Eve. On that day, it is believed that women made sacrifices in honor of female ancestral beings and goddesses, usually in trio. There may be some connection to similar events among the Germanic peoples, such as the Disir, protective goddesses among the Norse, and the Matres and Matronae among other Germanic peoples. Religious scholar Rudolf Simek has drawn a connection between Mother's Night and the Norns - the three goddesses in Norse Mythology who control human fate.
Today, Mother's Night is celebrated on December 20th, and is considered the first day of Yule. Author Jenn Campus provides some ideas for ways to honor this celebration of one's female ancestors.
The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe has been attributed to the Norse. You see, the goddess Frigga placed a magical protection on her son Baldur that he could not be killed by any plant that grows from the earth. Loki, the trickster, learned that mistletoe does not grow from the earth, but from the branches of trees. With this knowledge, Loki made a spear of mistletoe and used it to kill Baldur. Some have said that even in her grief for the loss of her son, Frigga declared that mistletoe would be a symbol of love and that she would kiss anyone who walked underneath it. Historians, however, have not found evidence that this was in the original stories. The first actual reference to kissing under the mistletoe comes from an 1874 song. After that, the practice shows up in literature such as Dickens' The Pickwick Papers.
Perhaps the idea of kissing under the mistletoe is not so ancient as the tales of the Norse gods and goddesses, but I would like to think that maybe it is.
Art print from 1794: servants in a kitchen ready for a kiss under the mistletoe caption describes “Saucy Joe” who “rudely” kissed “Bridget the Cook.”
Credit: The British Museum |
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Thin Places in the Dark
Awaiting the Light
In October we talked about thin places and liminal spaces, where we exist on the border between worlds. Those worlds could be that of the living and that of the dead, or they could be the the world of physicality and the world of spirituality, between the human and the Divine. As we enter into winter, we are in a liminal space between the dark and the light. Midwinter brings the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and the longest night of the year in our hemisphere. As each sunrise brings us closer to that day, we find ourselves in the dark a little bit more. This is a literal liminality, as is the opposing day - the Summer Solstice - when the day is long and the night is short. Ancient peoples felt the shift in the atmosphere and in the qualities of heat and light at these times, and felt compelled to create rituals to mark these times. Celebrate the sun before it begins to diminish at Midsummer, celebrate the rising sun as a sign of hope at Midwinter.
The age old celebrations of the returning sun presented Christianity with a perfect alignment for the story of the birth of Jesus. It was no accident that December 25th was chosen as the day of Christmas by Constantine in 336 AD. For some time, pre-Christian Romans had celebrated the birth of Sol Invictus (The Unconquered Sun) on the 25th of December, which coincided with their festival of Saturnalia and the birthdate of Mithra, an Indo-European god of light whose cult was growing in popularity among Roman soldiers even as Constantine made Christianity the state religion. As the Roman Empire grew and Constantine's forces encountered various pagan traditions, it was easy to shift the locals into Christianity by syncretizing it with the local celebrations. By the 9th century, Christmas became a major Christian festival. By that time, it was impossible to untangle the interwoven threads of the various traditions that made up the Christmas celebration. The core of the many traditions was the celebration of light and the promise of new life. The ancient understanding of the world was that without the 'birth" of the sun, there would be no life. From the Christian perspective, without the birth of the Son, Jesus, there could be no life.
The time before the birth is a time of darkness and silence. It is a time when we take stock of who we are and who we are to become. With the birth of the Light, the promise of the future is revealed. When the literal sun rises, we know there is hope for Spring.
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Saint Lucy
Lucia (Lucy) was a young girl who lived in Syracuse, a city on the coast of Sicily, Italy from 283 - 304 A.D. There is little known about her other than the legend of her martyrdom. In fact, the only part of Lucy's story that is known is that a "disappointed suitor" accused her of being a Christian, and she died in Syracuse in 304. According to legend, Lucy was born to well-to-do parents. Her father died when she was 5, so her mother Eutychia raised her alone. Lucy's parents were Greco-Roman pagans, but at some point Lucy herself became a Christian and dedicated her life to Christ, promising to stay a virgin for God. She planned to donate the dowry that was set aside for her marriage to the poor. Her mother didn't know this, and arranged a marriage for Lucy with a pagan man from a wealthy family.
Eutychia had become ill with a bleeding issue of some kind, and was worried that Lucy would be left without anyone to care for her. When her mother told Lucy about this, she talked her mother into traveling th 50 miles to the shrine of St. Agatha. While the two women were at the shrine, Lucy dreamed that St. Agatha came to her and told her that she would become "the glory of Syracuse." In addition, Agatha told Lucy that her mother was healed. When she awoke, she found that it was true -- her mother was healed. Lucy then convinced her mother to let her distribute her dowry funds to the poor, and converted Eutychia to Christ. When the man Lucy was promised to heard about this, he reported her as a Christian to the governor of Syracuse. This was a time in which Christians were persecuted, and the governor ordered Lucy to burn a sacrifice to an image of the emporer. Lucy refused, and the governor ordered her to be burned.
The story is that when they came to get her, she could not be moved, even by a team of oxen. When they couldn't move her, they piled the wood around her, but then the wood would not burn. She was finally killed when they thrust a sword through her throat. Much later -- in the 15th century -- a tale was added to her legend in which either she gouged her eyes out to discourage a suitor who kept complimenting them, or they were gouged out as part of her punishment. Either way, it was said that when her body was prepared for burial, she had a new pair of eyes. Because of this, St. Lucy is the patron saint of the blind.
"Lucia" means "Light" in Latin, and as such Lucy is considered a bringer of light. She is also the saint of authors, cutlers, glaziers, laborers, martyrs, peasants, saddlers, salesmen, stained glass workers, and the city of Perugia in Italy. Her feast day in the West is December 13. Before the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, Lucy's feast coincided with the Winter Solstice. This is most prevalent in Scandinavia, where the days of winter are long and dark. On her feast day in the Scandinavian countries, it is the custom for a young girl to dress in a white dress and a red sash, with a wreath of candles on her head, and carry a palm. Sometimes she carries a tray of cookies and rolls while others sing songs. A blog by Patrick Murfin provides some interesting thoughts on how a Sicilian martyr became the center of a winter festival in Scandinavia.
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When the Christ child is born, we can see the promise and hope for our souls, and for humanity. Yet, before the birth, there is a time of gestation, and there is work to be done so that we will be revealed as spiritually healthy and ready to face the challenges that are also revealed with the new born Light.However, we don't really get to the healthy spiritual state if we don't do the work that is needed in the dark. In order to prepare the way for new life, we need to clear out the old mistakes, the old sorrows, the old regrets. We need to do the "shadow work," as Jung termed it. Deep therapeutic work should be done with the guidance of a professional. However, it is possible and perhaps necessary to do some of this work alone or with another person or a small group. All liminal times provide perfect opportunities for this kind of work with ourselves. Being in a time or place where we feel close to another world and/or to the Divine can open a door to reach into our psyche.
The Christian season of Advent is a particularly powerful to do some of this work, as it coincides with the growing darkness. Taking time to meditate on our lives and work toward revealing what we need to clear out from the last year will help us identify where we have blocked ourselves and where we have grown. This can be done in various ways, from taking a 4-week Advent study, setting up our own schedule based on the themes of the Advent season, or simply by taking the time away from the cacophany of the outer world to sit with ourselves, seeking what we need to let go of, asking ourselves what we no longer need. Journaling these thoughts and spending time with them or talking with another who is also doing this work for themselves can help sift through the information that has been revealed in this work.
Allowing ourselves the time and space to do this work over a few weeks time will bring us to the longest night. On that night, we can bring together all we have decided to leave behind: negative thoughts, unwanted behaviors, regretable words, or even material things. On that night, we can rid ourselves of their power over us and determine that they no longer hold us in thrall. Then, with the rising of the sun and/or the rebirth of the Christ in us, we can see before us the promise of our new lives. We can also see and acknowledge the challenges we will face going forward, and garner the strength to see it through.
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An Advent Guide for Shadow Work
You will need 5 candles: 1 white and 4 purple OR 1 white, 3 purple and 1 pink. Set them up in a safe space where you can be alone. They can be set with an Advent wreath, but it is not necessary. You can do this each day during the week or one day for each week of Advent. If you do the work every day, you will focus on the theme for the week. The first Sunday of Advent has just passed this year (November 28), so you will want to start as soon as possible this week. You can play soft meditative music or work in silence. You can do this alone or with another person or a small group. You will want to snuff out the candles at the end of each session.
Week One - Hope: Light the first purple candle only. Meditate on what you hoped for in this past year, and what you hope to achieve in the coming year. Spend 15 or 20 minutes considering this. When the time has passed, write down your thoughts. If you are alone, brainstorm ways you have achieved your hopes for the year, and places or events that you feel impeded your way. Have you been "your own worst enemy?" If so, how? If you are with others, discuss this together.
Week Two - Peace: Light the first and second purple candles. In your meditation, consider times throughout the year when you have been in conflict with others and with yourself. Have the issues been resolved? Have they been set aside, continuing to create distress and conflict in yourself? Do they come between you and others? Consider times when you have felt at peace with yourself and others. Think about how that feels, and how you could bring that feeling into the continuing conflicts. After 15 or 20 minutes in contemplation, write down everything you can recall about what came up for you. Again, brainstorm ways you can bring more peace into your life, both internally and in the world. Discuss if there are two or more of you.
Week Three - Love: Light the first and second purple candles, then light the pink one. Meditate for 15 or 20 minutes on the meanings of love. What is it? Is it a feeling, or is there more to it? Who have you loved and shown love to throughout the year? Who has shown love to you? Have you acknowledged them? Have you brought love into the way you interact with others in general? What has stopped you? How can you overcome the barriers? After the meditation, write down your thoughts. Once you've written it all down, brainstorm the ways you can bring more love into your life, both for yourself and for others. Discuss with others who are with you.
Week Four - Joy: Light the first and second purple candles, then light the pink one, and finally the last purple candle. In your 15 to 20 minute meditation, consider joy. what is joy? Do you bring joy to others in some way? Do you feel joyful on a daily basis? When have you felt most joyful over the past year? What have you done that has brought joy to others? What has stood in the way of bringing joy into your life? Again, write down all you thought of in the meditation and brainstorm ways you can bring joy into your life and the lives of others. Think of the little things and the big things. Write down what you think has impeded you, and what you think needs to be let go in order for joy to enter your life. Of course, discuss with the others, if there are any.
The morning of the Solstice sunrise OR Christmas morning - In Christianity, the fifth candle is usually called the Christ candle. If you happen to identify with another tradition or are non-religious this candle could be called the "Enlightenment" or the "Illumination" candle. For that is what it is. Today you will like the candles in the same order that you have been, ending with the white candle. Instead of beginning with meditation, take some time to review all you have written over the past four weeks, considering what might be your biggest impediment to spiritual growth. If you are in a group, don't discuss this yet; quietly review the work you have done until now. After about 10 minutes, begin your meditation time. This time, quiet your mind. If you begin to have concrete thoughts, don't try to force them to go away, but allow them to pass. Focus on your breath, then release yourself to experience the quiet within. Sit in meditation for 20 minutes. When the meditation is complete, go back to your writings, and spend some time writing down ways you think you can bring together the values of hope, peace, love, and joy in your life. If you are part of a group, discuss. This might be a chance to create a list of spiritual goals for the coming year. Don't call it "Resolutions." Resolutions are hard to meet. Be realistice but hopeful. Shine a light on your best self!
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My Friends,
I hope this finds you all doing well physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and pray that you find something useful, interesting, or uplifting in Brigid's Arrow. Remember that if you'd like to see older issues, you can click on "Past Issues" when you open the newsletter in your web browser.
It's hard to believe we've reached this point in 2021. Although this is the November issue of Brigid's Arrow, I'm wrapping it up on December 1, looking toward 2022. Although I semi-retired from my "day job" late last year, 2021 has been a year of transitions in that arena, causing me to work much more than expected as I trained for a new department, filled in to help other departments, and substitute for a co-worker who is out on maternity leave. On the one hand, this means that Covid-19 has not negatively affected me financially. However, it has, of course, had an effect on my available time to bring this newsletter together on a reliable schedule. I share this as my way of explaining the tardiness of this issue (and a couple of others this past year). I do have to say that it's been a bit more steady than past years!
The next Second Sunday in the Park will meet December 12 at 10 a.m. at Skyline Park in Mesa. The address is 655 S Crismon Rd, Mesa, AZ 85208. Please join us as we discuss the topic: Celebrating the Light.
Whether we are two or more, there should be inspired discussion. Bring a chair or a mat to sit on and a bottle of water if you wish. Masks are welcome if you prefer. We will set up with plenty of room for social distancing.
For those who cannot make it due to distance or other reasons, a review of the conversation will be posted at my message blog at some point after the meeting. You will be invited to share your thoughts on the subject in the Discussion Group.
Until then, go forth and " be excellent to each other!" Have a wonderful month!
Bright Blessings,
Rev. Suzy Cherry, Parish Priest/ess
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Brigid's Hearth is an outreach project of Brigid in the Desert UAIC. We seek to meet the needs of the poor and working poor who receive assistance from food banks and crisis organizations. While food banks are able to provide food staples to those who struggle to make ends meet, there are a number of items that are often forgotten. At Brigid's Hearth, we collect these items and provide them to local non-profit organizations for distribution. If you live far from the Phoenix area, please donate to organizations in your area. we do not seek any special recognition from the organizations; however, we would like to keep track of donations on behalf of Brigid. Please send a list of items donated to Pastor Suzy at the email below. To see what we collect and how to donate, click on the picture to the right.
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Statement of Ministry
Brigid in the Desert has its roots in progressive, inclusive Christianity. Into that, we bring complementary teachings and practices from other traditions. In this way, we seek to learn the teachings that bring us together across traditions while continuing to honor the rights of others to practice and believe in their own way.
We acknowledge the value of respectful and compassionate ecumenical, interspiritual, interfaith, and multicultural dialogue, and seek to live our lives according to the spark of the Divine within ourselves.
As a resource for Life Event Celebrations, Brigid in the Desert offers services to those who are spiritual as well as those who are not, because in our own spirituality, we recognize the value of each and every person on this earth. We value the lives of all sentient beings, and honor them as they are in this world. This includes the LGBTQIA, Autistic, and other Neuro-Divergent communities.
We invite you to join us in our online discussion on Facebook. If you prefer, you are welcome to simply follow along at one of the links below.
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