The Winter Solstice

At the age of 13 (maturity and attendant Bar Mitzvah, if we'd been Jewish), Marcus was confirmed in an Anglican church while we were visiting Cardiff - and I began my own journey down the pagan path.

I'm not sure whether I'm a formal "Wiccan," or a simple "wiccan." Though I'm familiar with Gardner, Buckland, and Cunningham, I can't claim having been initiated in any particular tradition.

From my experience, I think I verge on being a "natural." Bad episodes of telekinesis activity around puberty, clairvoyance under stress, precognitive dreaming, and telepathy. Added to this, a psychic awareness and empathy - especially with "ghosts."

As I said, these have been my experiences.

Naturally, then, the pre-Christian religions interested me. The formal structure of air, earth, fire, water, and spirit resonated with me - as did the commonalities of most religions. Similarities of mythos and the broad range of similar gods in the Norse, Greek, Egyptian, Roman, Sumerian, and Judaic pantheons made it clear (at least from an intellectual standpoint), that there must be some eternal kernel of truth. For the same ideas to suddenly (and in some cases, simultaneously) arise in disparate cultures . . . that, I think, was the work of a greater being.

The Solstice this year was a wonderful one for me. In the morning, I visited with Marcus at his grave, as I do on all holidays. That evening, I met with my usual gang of like-minded pagans at the fire-pit on the beach, and we caught up, talked, sang, laughed, and drummed. Everyone I knew there welcomed me back, and the newer folks sort of eyed me, wondering who I was.

I'm reminiscing about all this because it's the day after the Winter Solstice: the death of the Oak King and the birth of the Holly King.

Death and birth and the two are one and the passing away is the coming into being.

Or, as a Christian might think of it, a form of resurrection.

The Norse had the myth of Baldur, the sun, being born in the spring and dying in the winter, reborn each day.

The Christians have Jesus being born in the winter and dying in the spring, resurrected eternally.

So as the Oak King passes, bend your knee and offer obeisance.

Blessed Be,

Todd