In my opinion, aside from the
obvious festivities, there are many worthwhile goals that can be
experienced during the holiday season. It can be a time for healing and
closure, and ultimately a time to prepare for the "birth" of new ideas
and new manifestations.
We can...
Seek greater
spiritual understanding of Christmas
Discover how
Christmas can grow our consciousness
Be lifted beyond
the commercial aspect or remain true to higher values while dealing
with the financial aspects
Remain centered
and peaceful during the holidays
Overcome a
feeling of sadness that affects many at this time of year
Have or find a
place to gather and share with like-minded people if we don't have
families
Receive some joy
if we need it or give some joy if we have it to share
As my contribution toward that
end, I would like to share some of my free flowing thoughts about the
holidays...
THE MEANING (AND NOT) OF CHRISTMAS TO ME
I don't get involved with the
holidays from a commercial or consumerism standpoint. Personally, I
would rather give gifts and greetings at any time during the year and
not because of ritual or a feeling of obligation. I'm not a scrooge,
mind you. It's just that I believe that all of the wonderful feelings
of peace, joy, love, goodwill - well, shouldn't these ideas be
cultivated at all times? Isn't that a worthy goal for any time of year?
One year, a forum member whom I
had known from posts over time suddenly decided to offer his help to me
in a technical area of the Internet. Why? He said it was because the
holiday season brought this out in him. I did appreciate his offer, but
I don't grasp why the "season" has to be the prompt for our goodwill
gestures.
Christ
Consciousness
I do understand and respect the
religious connotation of Christmas, but I prefer to concentrate on the
spiritual aspect - developing the birth of a Christ Consciousness - a
universal consciousness of love that encompasses all faiths and all
humanity. I respect any religious path as long as it remains true to
what I always believed was the common denominator of all great
religions - the love of our Creator and love for our fellow man -
unconditionally. I found a new thought definition of Christ
Consciousness as "The spiritual and mystical experience of the unity of
all the universe. To attain cosmic consciousness is to see the universe
as God and God as the universe, and everything as part of this whole."
Christ Consciousness also
includes the deepest understanding of spiritual and Universal law. The
word Christ comes from the Latin "Chrîstus", and from the Greek
"Khrîstos", which means "anointed," to choose by or as if by divine
intervention. I believe that our understanding of spiritual law is our
connection to the Divine.
Now some of you might find my
chosen path and reference to Christ Consciousness and certain
scriptures interesting, since I was born and raised Jewish as a young
girl.
Winter Solstice
The Winter Solstice, also known
as Midwinter, occurs this year on December 21 in the Northern
hemisphere and marks the beginning of a hemisphere's astronomical
winter. Interpretation of this event varies from culture to culture,
but it is commonly recognized as a time of rebirth involving festivals,
gatherings, rituals or other celebrations. Many cultures celebrate a
holiday near the winter solstice; examples of these include Christmas,
Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Years, Pongal, Yalda and many other festivals of
light.
Birth...rebirth.
Have you ever
wondered why Christmas and the birth of Jesus falls on December 25th?
In Part Two of this holiday message, I will share with you the most
"astronomical" and "heavenly" interpretation of this most famous of
births. When I first read about this decades ago in the writings of one
of the most brilliant teachers of manifestation laws, I was stunned.
This year, I will share it for the first time. Stay tuned for Part Two.
Giving, Joy and
Mass Mind Thinking
It appears to me that the
commercial aspect of the holiday has overshadowed its true meaning and
leaves much of the population stressed, overtaxed and overextended
financially. I opt for finding my center of peace and staying right
there.
I think the holiday rituals are
more conducive to large families and especially children and this is a
wonderful opportunity to bring families together - IF we are instilling
the right ideas into our children's minds and teaching them true values
instead of letting the commercialism mold their characters.
On a forum, someone asked:
"What if every day was joyous,
like this holiday season?"
Why not? It's a decision.
Outer circumstances should not
affect our happiness and well-being (and joy). It all comes from
within. We really can feel joyous at any time or the opposite at any
time. It's really a choice.
I also believe that there are
many people who do not experience joy during the holiday season. They
are filled with tension and stress - and I do not believe it's
necessary. But most people are like lemmings and they follow the crowd
instead of listening to their own guidance. Statistics have shown that
many people are very unhappy at the holidays.
The
kingdom of heaven is within.
And
EVERY day is a gift.
If people wouldn't get caught
up in the commercialism and instead gave of themselves - perhaps make
gifts (which can be very meaningful), or buy according to their ability
to buy and not spend money they don't have, or not create debt or spend
beyond their means to incur debt, wouldn't you think they could create
more joy while everyone else is lamenting after it's all over? Bring
the real meaning of the holidays back instead of getting caught up in
the mass mind thinking and consumerism. We need to stop listening to
the media and instead listen to ourselves - our inner voice that knows
the truth. People are hypnotized by the media and mass mind thinking.
How about the thought of being
debt free in January? Now there's an answer to some joy. :-)
Years ago, I used to buy
expensive gifts for my corporate clients. Then I decided to take a
certain amount of money and donate it to a charity. I would send my
clients cards and tell them I have donated on behalf of them. You would
be surprised at how well received that gesture was.
Another idea...If you are on a
budget and you are going to give gifts, then why not buy them during
the year when the sales are on. Be a practical and wise shopper and
when the holidays roll around, you are all set. Smart, relaxed, debt
free and generous. :-)
Spiritual
Celebration
Christmas and New Year's is a
special time of year for me, but in less common ways...
It is a time for reflection and
renewal. I love to use this holiday time to organize, declutter,
streamline my possessions and my environment and release unnecessary
elements to prepare for the "birth" of new ideas and new manifestations.
The spiritual celebration of
this holiday for me is based on the teachings of one of the greatest
teachers of all time - the healer, the mystic, the metaphysician who
gave us a philosophy of living based on true spiritual law (which must
be interpreted correctly but most often is not) and the key to all
manifestation:
"And
all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall
receive."
That is the greatest gift we
could ever receive.
The greatest gift I believe I
could ever give to you - to anyone - is to help you understand this law
and the ability to use it in your life.
I hope you will accept this
gift from me year round in lieu of the fanfare and ritual during the
holiday season. I do however, offer my warmest blessings to you and
your loved ones during this season and truly hope you will find your
own center of peace - the "peace that passeth all understanding" - and
stay there.
~
Marilyn
Young Marilyn wearing Star of David
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