I anticipate watching my favorite movies with the childlike enthusiasm of a first time viewer.
I listen to Holiday/Christmas music on local radio stations and on my favorite web channel, Pandora.
I decorate my house with lights and every thing twinkly until my husband screams, "no more!"
I love looking at my tree, filled with precious ornaments, and thinking of times gone past and times yet to come. I leave my tree up until the first week of January and feel sad when it's time to take it down.
I send out Holiday cards, buy gifts and drink eggnog spiked with bourbon or Kahlua and sprinkled with a touch of cinnamon.
I burn Yule incense and honor the return of the Sun on the Winter Solstice.
I do all these things because I believe. I believe in the spirit of Christmas, the wonder of the Solstice and the childlike magickal spirit that keeps hope alive.
I admit for a while, I was conflicted.
How could an earth-based Pagan woman, who believes in the Goddess, the Divine Feminine, enjoy Christmas?
That question rocked my world for a long time, until I returned to the Source and realized where a lot of our "Christmas" traditions come from. I realized I was actually honoring the spirit of the Holiday its truest sense, by celebrating Christmas in the secular sense, and that made my heart very happy.
I wish people "Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and a Blessed Yule," and feel goodness in my heart when I am wished the same.
At this time of year, there are so many reasons to be sad or conflicted. Not everyone finds joy in this season, or celebrates the same way. And particularly in the U.S. this year, lots of us have reasons to be dismayed.
However this is exactly why our ancestors took such glee in celebrating the light that banishes the darkness.
May you find peace and joy this season, in small ways and large. Remember to breathe, laugh when you can, share a smile, and count your blessings. May the spirit of the season light your heart and hearth.
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