Sermons

TALK “The Gifts of Winter Solstice”

 The gifts of Solstice include trees and plants, food and decorative herbs, and of course, fire – bonfires and hearth fires and candlelight. Each element of an ancient Solstice celebration had a spiritual, health, or practical gift to offer.

Many trees and plants were traditionally important to the celebration of the winter solstice (on December 21). Think evergreens, yew, oak, birch, mistletoe, holly, rosemary, pine, and ivy.

Yews represented the death of the old year and were a connection between this world and the next.

Oak trees were revered for being long-lived. Even though they were not evergreen, they were symbols of eternal life and considered a source of protection, strength, and endurance. In Celtic tradition, the entire trunk of an oak tree was kept burning for 12 hours on the eve of the solstice. If the fire did not go out, it meant the household would be protected and have an abundant harvest and good health in the coming year. A piece of that log was saved and used to start next year’s fire because, as the old log was consumed by the flames, any problems from the old year were thought to go with it.

Birch trees symbolized new beginnings.

What do the ancients say about the evergreen trees?  Perseverance, honesty, truth and courage – these are the characteristics of these winter trees.  The white pine – plentiful in Maine – grows tall and straight – a pillar of strength.   Grouped together, they are a symbol of friendship. As they never lose their green vibrancy - they are a reminder of the life-long connections we share with our friends.

Furthermore, their evergreen nature signifies hope, promise and renewal in the midst of the long, dark winter months. Celebrations and rituals centered around the evergreen, setting intentions for the upcoming abundant spring.

The ancient Celts recognized the evergreen’s ability to outlive and outlast most other trees, and so gave it representations of resilience and longevity. The evergreen  survives in torrid conditions, and is able to survive in challenging weather as well as substandard soils. Truly, they are the symbol of endurance and determination.

Holly and the Holly Tree are symbols of Solstice.  The holly that looks like the picture we have of it in our minds is mosty cultivated and grown on the west coast of the USA.  There is native Maine holly growing wild places.

In ancient European cultures, the holly tree symbolized the waning sun commencing with the summer solstice and the oak tree symbolized the waxing sun commencing with the winter solstice. The Druids believed holly’s evergreen nature made it sacred and that it remained green throughout winter to keep the earth beautiful at a time when deciduous trees shed their leaves.

Holly was used for decoration throughout homes, hanging boughs of it over entrances to peoples’ homes or as wreaths of holly that were hung on doors. Placing a ring of holly on doors originated in Ireland, though holly wreaths were also given as gifts by the Romans during Saturnalia. Holly, green with red berries, was one of the few plants still beautiful at this time of year. It gave the poor a means of decorating their dwellings. Decorating one’s home with holly was believed to bring protection and good luck to the inhabitants in the coming year. The “prickles” on the holly leaves were also thought to snag evil spirits before they could enter the home.  Some people used holly bark to make a syrup to cure coughs; others hung it over their beds to produce good dreams.

Ivy and Mistletoe
In addition to holly, ivy, and mistletoe, were believed to bring protection and luck, and thus, were hung over doors to keep out misfortune. Ivy, which also stood for fidelity, healing, and marriage, was worn as a crown or fashioned into wreaths and garlands for decorations during the winter months.

Cranberries are often associated with this holiday and symbolize the “earth’s abundance.” Sharing the cranberry blossom invites the receiver to extend kindness to the giver.

Rosemary, an evergreen shrub in warm climates, was called the herb of the sun.

Colors of Solstice
Some of the most traditional seasonal colors have their roots in age-old customs.

Red ~ Prosperity and Passion
Red is the color of poinsettias and holly berries. During the season of Yule, red is often associated with passion and sexuality. However, for some people, red indicates prosperity.

For Solstice, deck your hall with red ribbons and bows, hang garlands of holly with its bright red berries, or position a few pretty poinsettias on your porch to invite prosperity and good fortune into your home.

Green ~ Evergreen Magic
Use green to invite prosperity and abundance. Choose an evergreen tree that speaks to you and decorate it with fruits and ribbons and garlands of berries. You can hang evergreen boughs and holly branches around your home. Green is also the color of rebirth and renewal. Hang greenery over your bed or around your quiet place to encourage renewal and sweet dreams.

White ~ Purity and Light
If you're using white in your Solstice celebrations, consider incorporating it into rituals that focus on purification, or your own spiritual development. Hang white snowflakes and stars around your home as a way of keeping the spiritual environment clean. Add plump white pillows filled with herbs to your couch, to create a quiet, sacred space for your meditation and reflection.

Yule Log
The familiar custom of burning the Yule log dates back to earlier solstice celebrations and the tradition of bonfires.

The Yule log in ancient times would come from a Yew tree or an Oak tree. Today, we often see Birch Yule Logs – as felling a yew tree or an ancient oak is not recommended.  Our Yule logs are beautiful and are often adorned with the gifts of Solstice – red, green and white candles or ribbons and sprigs of evergreen, holly or ivy. Our log does not burn for the whole time between Solstice and the New Year as it may have once.

Yet the custom of the Yule Log symbolizes the shifting of darkness to light. The Yule log begins to burn on the longest night of the year, and as it continues to burn each day it brings more warmth and light with it.

I invite you to consider all these gifts of Solstice as you plan your celebrations and rituals between now and the New Year. As you hang your greens, remember they are gifts of prosperity and friendship. Light your candles of red, green and white and know that ancient fires burned in the same hope for the return of longer days, renewal of spirit, and good health in the coming year.

Let these gifts be a constant reminder to you during the dark days ahead that winter is full of life, abundance, and protection.  When you see the tall green trees with their fresh color and tall strength, whisper or shout a prayer of gratitude for their presence in your life.  When you see the holly berry or the winter berry, remember kindness; the kindness you receive and the kindness you share.  We are surrounded by blessings this Solstice Day.  The sun will return.  There is light.

Let the gifts of Solstice shower you with good energy and good will.

As you share these gifts with others, know that you too are a gift of life and light to the world.

And so it is.

READING ~ Winter Solstice by Rebecca Parker

Perhaps
for a moment
the typewriters will stop clicking,
the wheels stop rolling
the computers desist from computing,
and a hush will fall over the city.
For an instant, in the stillness,
the chiming of the celestial spheres will be heard
as earth hangs poised
in the crystalline darkness, and then
gracefully
tilts.
Let there be a season
when holiness is heard, and
the splendor of living is revealed.
Stunned to stillness by beauty
we remember who we are and why we are here.
There are inexplicable mysteries.
We are not alone.
In the universe there moves a Wild One
whose gestures alter earth’s axis
toward love.
In the immense darkness
everything spins with joy.
The cosmos enfolds us.
We are caught in a web of stars,
cradled in a swaying embrace,
rocked by the holy night,
babes of the universe.
Let this be the time
we wake to life,
like spring wakes, in the moment
of winter solstice.

TALK ~ “Finding the Light”

The outside world is so different in the dark.  Our eyes need time to adjust.  Our pace is slowed considerably - - making certain we are sure-footed and not likely to stumble or fall over a rock or root and less likely to get whacked in the face by a branch.  We listen more as sight is less.  The sounds of the night seem closer in the darkness.  I attune my ears to detect the smallest sound of critter or owl moving through the night.

In winter, I walk in the dark with our chocolate lab, Cedar, both morning and evening.  Even at 11 years old, she is much better at making her way in the dark than I am.  She has slowed, but not too much.  Her nose and her ears tell her what she needs to know.  If she can’t see me, she follows the sound of my voice and the same whistle call she has heard since she was 8 weeks old.  And she comes back to me – if she wants to.  Lucky for me, she usually wants to.

I love to walk with whatever light the stars and moon offer.  Sometimes the lights in the immense dark sky are bright, other times barely noticeable through the cloud cover.

Finding the ambient light in the midst of darkness can be tricky.

At first it doesn’t seem like there is any light.  It feels like you can’t see at all – nothing, not even your hand in front of your face.  Gradually, with patience and practice, you learn to walk in the dark early morning and late evening hours.  You learn to be still and calm in the dark until your eyes and ears adjust and then you may have enough confidence to proceed on your walk.

If you are not very good at walking in the dark, it’s not good to be alone.

Bring your friend.     Bring your dog.  Bring a flashlight.

This week, we celebrate the Winter Solstice – on Wednesday in the middle of the afternoon.  It is the longest night and the shortest day.  There is immense darkness on this sacred day.  This day, a walk in the dark is a sacred act because it gives witness to the turning of the wheel of the year from growing darkness to growing light.

A walk on this Solstice night may be for you an act of reflection, gratitude, anticipation, or invitation to simply savor all that this season has to offer.  If the dark is too much, take a light – a candle in a jar or a flashlight.  If you choose, take a companion. Sometimes, having a trusted companion is a good idea.  Kindness. Patience. Stillness. No need to talk, just walk together as another Solstice begins to bring the light back – to the world and to each of us.

Know too that you already have all the light you need, the divine spark within you; the spark that will provide the light you need to carry on from this year into the next.

Let your light shine as a beacon of hope for the world.

Let your light shine as a sign of truth and justice and equity.

Let your light shine so that others who are having difficulty finding their way might see your light and be guided by it.

Rebecca Parker:

In the immense darkness
everything spins with joy.
The cosmos enfolds us.
We are caught in a web of stars,
cradled in a swaying embrace,
rocked by the holy night,
babes of the universe.
Let this be the time
we wake to life,
like spring wakes, in the moment
of winter solstice.

In the immense darkness that will surround us on Solstice night this week, may you feel the joy spinning within the cosmos and may you be cradled and rocked by this most holy night.

May Solstice blessings fill your heart and your hearth with the warmth and love of friends, family and the One Love that will never let you go.

Blessed Be.   I Love You.   Amen.