On 2005-12-22 11:55:00, cleveland wrote:
"In theory, I find all of this pagan/wikkan/earthy spiritual stuff interesting...in practice, I find the adherents...strange.
Adherents? Yeah. Students? I generally like students of all the old practice and lore. I'm not like really hooked on the subject, but I'll look over whatever falls under my nose. Ever wonder why ever culture in the Northern hemisphere has some kind of sacred rite around the Winter solstace? Ours is off now by about 3 days now. But the birth of the Christ tradition sounds a whole lot more like the Nordic solstice traditions surrounding the re-birth of the Sun after 3 days in the tomb than the Roman the census. And wasn't that usually done in the Springtime? Right around April Fools' Day, the Roman New Year. It became foolish for anyone to celebrate it once the pope won those wars and Constantine started his "missions".
All these people may well have been dead wrong about the nature of life, the universe and everything. But something prompted them all, relatively independently, to mark these days especially and to celebrate w/ gifts, food and unusual kindness and friendliness.
Why?
One reason, I think, is that this time of year is very hard on some for a variety of reasons. I have this very nice little old lady on my kid's paper route. Normally, she's very proper. Particular about how her paper is delivered and firm about it. But pleasant and proper and usually cheerfull. Last night, she called me up to tell me how good and sweet and mature my kid is and how sorry she couldn't afford to tip her better.
That lead to reasons why. It's a hard story, and very common to ppl around their age. She just really wanted/needed to talk to somebody.
And that's the point of the kinds of celebrations we all have this time of year in the northern hemisphere, isn't it? Check on family, friends and neighbors. Make sure they're not all despondent and isolated. It's cold out, make sure they have heat. There's no better excuse in the world than the Winter Solstice to have a party (or crash one!) and reenforce precious ties.
BTW, according to this site:
http://pharmacraticinquisition.com/The shamen of old in the extreme north used to deliver Fly Agarics on Christmas/Solstice. Evidently, this was one of those traditions that the heathens didn't give up easily. So, as any good religion or conquoring culture will do, they spun their own myths around it and made the laws against it blue.
I can tell you from experience that, given the right mindset and good physical health to start with, I've found no better cure for the Winter dulldrums than a nice chicken noodle soup w/ some mushrooms. This is not part of my yearly celebration. This year, I didn't have the time or need to even check for them at the right time of year. Who knows? Maybe I never will again :wink: But I can easily understand why wise old shamen might hand these things out as gifts at this time of year to the people in their care.
Faith is a cop-out. It is intellectual bankruptcy. If the only way you can accept an assertion is by faith, then you are conceding that it can't be taken on its own merits.
--Dan Barker, author and former evangelist
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Drug war POW
Straight, Sarasota
`80 - `82
