John Denver and the Muppets sing the 12 Days of Christmas     Highly entertaining holiday music.  2nd only to Bob and Doug McKenzie’s version of this song.

 

 

Last year I released a Christmas album and wrote an entry about Christmas music.

So what’s the deal with this time of year? I feel strongly that there is great benefit to paying extra attention to your internal and external worlds at this time of year: the shortest days of the year and the transition on through to the next solar cycle. Our need for “cheer” and coziness at this time makes a lot of sense given the long dark and cold nights: what could be more natural? This pull towards indoor fires, lights on trees, sparkly ornaments, gift-giving and the company of those you love is only marred by one fact: all these things are poles on a dualistic scale.  In other words, although I personally support “giving in” to the pull towards these things (oh yeah, I forgot hot chocolate) it behooves us to remember that true joy, true peace and true universal love are states of being and not subject to the laws of duality, whereas these other things are.  They are kind of substitutes and pleasant in their own right unless and until they are not there for you anymore.  Freezing to death outside, alone in the snow seems to be at the other pole, for instance, from chestnuts roasting on an open fire, just for example.

This is why lots of people take on an “anti-Christmas” stance.  They may say they are championing anti-materialistic consumerism, correctly pointing out that our binging in this season is strongly anathema to the teachings of Christ, BUT—some of them are simply afraid of “happiness” and “good cheer” because they have experienced the loss of it too deeply at some point.  This is where real awakening comes in: the Star of Bethlehem, the Holy Spirit and a few other symbols from Christian mythology are strong reminders/pointers towards the internal light of divinity that is within us and is the source of unchanging Suchness or, in more Christian terminology, Love.  It cannot be lost, it simply Is.

“Sic Luceat Lux” (thus, let the light shine)