Packing Up the Christmas Decorations

Today is a good day to take down the Christmas / Yule decorations, and un-decorate the Tree.

In the process I am coming across ornaments and other things that have stories connected with them.

This one, for instance...that Philip made.  There is no date on it. Maybe first grade?  He had a wonderful first-grade teacher who did many fun and creative things with the class.

Here is another hand-made ornament that looked very cool, was probably fun to make, and very pretty (I think!)  It was made from holiday potpourri that included red and green wood shavings (which might have been scented at one time) with some sparkly stuff, ribbon bits, etc.  Did this come from  Miss Jan at North Park Nursery School?  or from grade school (Newberry)?  or maybe it even came from the Rosary College (aka Dominican University) alumni Christmas party, which the kids loved to attend.  There was usually an activity of this sort.  Rosary offered a very good early childhood program, and their activities for small kids were great.  This may have come from one of those holiday parties.  alas I wish I could remember.  Even worse, I do not remember which child made it.  Does anyone want to step forward to help me out here?

This next one was made by a professional artist, Peggy Larson, whose son Ryan attended North Park Church Nursery School with Alek.  I can't recall under what conditions Peggy gave this to me....She sold her artwork in many places.  Her house turned into a delightful country Christmas boutique every winter.  Or perhaps she brought them to school as gifts...or maybe it was even at Ryan's birthday party (searching my memory to see if it took place right before Christmas, and did she offer them to guests as favors?)  my memory is the worst...

december 19, 2010

Today we lit the 4th Advent Candle, the yellow one for Earth.

Philip selected a great story called The Christmas Tree Club, by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey (1875-1961).  
It was about a girls' club that  did good deeds for needy children.  A good way to achieve a meaningful Christmas!


We set the figures of Joseph and the Ox in the creche.  Joseph is like Osiris.  He is a loving and protective father who provides good, dependable and stable material conditions for his children to grow up in.

Ray also selected a story, because we were not sure Philip would have time to look for a story.  The story Ray chose was called The Wooden Shoes of Little Wolff.  Because the story involved shoes, which is how we can walk all over the earth without hurting our feet, it corresponded to Earth...also because we ground (or "earth") ourselves through our feet.)  The story was also about the cause and effect of how caring deeds create magical results.

 

December 12, 2010

On the third Sunday of Advent, we lit the green candle, representing Water.

We put Mother Mary in the creche.  She represents Water because she is like the goddess Isis, whose symbol is the River Nile.  she is the Water of Life.  She refreshes and activates whatever she touche, just as water revives and activates the earth and the sleeping seed within it...and just as baptism welcomes and signifies the new life our souls have taken on.  She was given a message by the Angel Gabriel, who is the Archangel of Water.  Her milk kept her baby alive.  He foated in her waters before he was born.

Water signifies the soul, dreams, the psyche, emotions, intuitions, and feelings.  Water is not as bright as Fire and Air, which correspond respectively to South and East.  Water corresponds to the West, the sirection of the setting sun, and also the land where our sould go after death.  It is a place of the two lands, where we must control the light and the darkness, especially as the darkness gets stronger as the sun goes further west.

Here is a story about  Water:  "The Christmas Spirit," by William W. Hassler.

November 28, 2010

It is the first Sunday of Advent. 

Our Advent candles are of the colors of the 4 elements: earth, air, fire, and water.  During these 4 weeks before Winter Solstice, we honor these elemental realms, which represent stages of spiritual evolution and levels of being.  It is about Spirit coming down to the world of matter; the Word becoming Flesh.

We started with Air, and lit a blue candle representing the air and the sky:

Air is the highest level.  It is the realm of thought.  Everything starts with an idea.  We placed an angel in the manger, to represent the star in the heavens that guides us, and which represents our ideals and our highest truth.  It is this truth that comes down into denser levels of being, and eventually is born into the material world. Also, angels are depicted with wings, like air creatures such as birds:

We sang the Advent song ("O Come O Come Emanuel") then we lit the first candle, blue for Air, and recited "Winter is dark yet each tiny spark brightens the way to Christmas day.  shine little light and show is the way to the bright light of Christmas day."  then we sang "see the little candles shining shining bright O how we love to see their light."  

Then we read a story honoring Air.

It was taken from the book Winter Tales From Poland by Maia Wojciechowska.  It was called "Seven Black Crows," and illustrates what happens when you are not careful what you wish for.  It shows the power of an idea...for good or for ill.  It also features crows, birds of wisdom and the air.

Enjoy this story, which we share with you!

Santa Lucia Day 2010

Happy Lucia Day, everyone!

Philip baked a batch of delicious Lusse Kattor (Lucia rolls).

Ray had to leave for work around 3:30 a.m. sohe missed the beautiful candlelit house, fresh buns, enchanting choir music, and fresh gingerbread coffee, thanks to yesterday's severe snowy weather.

2010 has just been that kind of a year.