Winter Holidays

This holiday season has been a fantastic one, I co-lead our grove's Norse Yule Celebration. I worked with my hands and constructed the most complicated ritual gown I've ever attempted. I handcrafted my first paper mâché project ever; a 3D boar for oathing sacrifice to Freya. It was a great ritual, with great company. 

I always do an Annual Yule Feast on winter solstice for all of my friends. I've been doing this for over 5 years now as my alternative to Christmas. In my heart, the holidays should be about giving thanks for all of those people you care about and letting them know what they mean to you. 
I receive their love, their attention, their support ALL YEAR LONG. Far too often I am so busy that I cannot make time for them all, I cannot buy them all gifts for Christmas, there is no real way for me to show them the thanks they deserve. The thanks I feel in my heart.  
So I decided years ago that I can give them one night. I can give them my attention during this chaotic time of year, I can cook them a feast from my heart ( I love to cook) and I can give them the gift of company and good food in thanks. Its how I honor the relationship of reciprocity. they give, I receive. I give, they receive. 

It's all I can do, but it carries more meaning than a store bought gift can. 
We had dozens of people at my Solstice feast, people of many different faiths but we were all there for one thing, to celebrate our holidays and friendship. 
It was a beautiful thing. 

In addition to these events, I had one more special trip I wanted to make with my family before Christmas Eve would take over. I wanted to see snow. My husband, boyfriend, son and I drove the 2 hours to the mountain and even though it was dark out, the snow was so bright and we had so much fun playing with it's cold simplicity. 
Forget the malls, forget video games and movies, forget the presents under the tree. 
Those moments when everyone was laughing and playing in the winter snow were the best holiday gift for me. The sacrifice was gas money, but the reward was my heart expanding. 

The rest was a blur, Christmas Eve with my parents. So many presents and chaos. Christmas day, again, wrapping paper thrown around, chaos and drinking. There was much joyous celebration in the overly-Commercialized Christian *tradition* 

But whenever I felt overwhelmed, I would think of the night time snow and the near full moon over the three most important men in my life as they ran around throwing snow at each other. When winter was just THERE to experience, not to be bought, and with no crushing deadlines (aside from frozen fingers). 

When I felt overwhelmed, I'd think of my Solstice event and all of those faces I don't see often. I see their smiles and and the love in their hearts. I feel their hugs and gratitude and again, you simply can't buy that feeling. 

When I felt overwhelmed, I'd think of my Grove members and our Yule Ritual and Feast. There was so much merriment, so much dedication, so much energy and genune beauty in the room. Sure there were errors here and there, but my Grove members are some of the closest friends I have and we all celebrated together as one Tribe the way we wanted to spiritually. This is my Spiritual Holiday with my spiritual community and friends. 

This Yule offered me everything I could ever want this time of year and I will spend the next year showing my gratitude and practicing the balance of reciprocity, because that balance is so important in all things. With the birth of the sun again, my warmth and love rises yet another year, stronger and more vibrant than before.