Putting Names to Phases
Well, all our vigiling worked! The sun is now rising earlier and setting later, with no end in sight until next Summer Solstice. My only regret about life continuing for another year is having to live through the insanity of a national election, not to mention the insanity of more 2012 predictions. Haven’t we had enough of the End of the World by now? I’ve still got pinto beans stockpiled from Y2K! In 2008 I think we should declare a moratorium on all wacky doomsday/super-evolution scenarios, especially those fueled by anything Daniel Pinchbeck says.
Anyway, that is not at all what I wanted to write about tonight. Instead, I would like to highlight a great new blog post by my friend Gus DiZerega. Bravely attending public Solstice rituals so you don’t have to, Gus managed to turn what could have been an occasion for heavy drinking into a really thoughtful essay on Pagan ritual and theology.
At the heart of the article are two issues that I would love to see discussed more broadly at a Remaining salon in the months to come: what is the role (if any) of science in Pagan invocation, liturgy, and meditation; and why exactly do we do ritual? Is it, as Gus says,
to bring a person into greater harmony with the Gods at many levels, to offer honor to them, to encourage their actual presence among us, to seek their teaching, and in some cases to do magickal workings.
Or is it for something else? Some political purpose maybe, or as Barbara Ehrenreich says, to fulfill our need for collective joy? There is a lot here to think about, and I do hope that the new year sees an increase in people thinking and talking about important issues, including these.
Meanwhile, may the dawning of the New Year bring you close to the numinous, and to all your loved ones. Stay warm, travel safely, and give thanks for all that is splendid in this vital, living world.
