We’ve come to the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas and it’s time to “drum possibilities” because on this day, as the song goes, the drummers were drumming.
Why? What? Music ethnologists remind us that every culture has utilized the drum for a multitude of purposes to touch the heart and communicate emotions, actions and messages in a variety of ways: social dances, feasts, sporting events, religious rituals, prelude to war, ceremonies, weddings, births, funerals, etc.
When drummers drum, they are trying to gain interest or support in some way. In fact, the phrase “drum up” has become a favourite of people in business (drum up sales), as excuses (drum up an alibi or story), in advertising (drum up more customers) and yes, in politics (drum up support for a particular Bill / Amendment / Candidate), too.
As interesting as are the gain interest/support uses of the drum image, I’d rather “drum up” possibilities – opportunities to
… be creative
… do acts of kindness
… experience joy
… make a difference
… dream
… be involved in self-care
… ‘think’ and ‘respond’ before ‘reacting’
… imagine
… be hopeful
… find ways to keep the Spirit of Christmas alive throughout the year.
Journalist, English writer, poet, philosopher and lay theologian, G.K. Chesterton reinforced the hope that the Spirit of Christmas is lived every day by people of all religions and by people of no religion: “Christmas which is now over, ought to go on for the remainder of the twelve days … (in) our own topsy-turvy time we all hear such a vast amount about Christmas just before it comes, and suddenly hear nothing at all about it afterwards … I am going to plead for a longer period in which to find out what was really meant by Christmas and a fuller consideration of what we have really found.” <G.K. Chesterton>
Chesterton’s point of view is simple … Let’s keep Christmas alive in our hearts beyond this, the Twelfth Day of Christmas, so that Christmas isn’t just one day, or only for those who are Christians, or only for the Twelve Days of Christmas. It’s for us all to enjoy, to keep, to maintain throughout the whole year.
Even though the Season of Christmas draws to a close this night known as Twelfth Night – and yes, another Soulistry reflection about Twelfth Night will emerge later today – may the Spirit of Christmas continue to be alive every day!
Thank you for your encouragement of Soulistry and its blog,
Special thanks to calligrapher Cari Ferraro for permission to use her lovely work highlighting today’s blog, reminding us of the theme of each of the Twelve Days of Christmas, and to James Toose for permission to use his image of drummers.
‘Soulistry’ Reflections appear on the blog and on the Soulistry FB group throughout the year about a variety of themes, subjects and thoughts. If you have a subject/theme you are looking for, feel free to use the magnifying image and search.
On this day, the Eleventh Day of the Season of Christmas (part of the Twelve Days of Christmas), the Pipers were piping!
I was intrigued by the story of Scottish Infantryman and bagpiper Daniel Laidlaw who became known as the Piper of Loos in the Battle of Loos in 1915 in World War 1. When he was awarded the Victoria Cross medal for the courage he showed when facing battles, it was said that he was “an exemplar of grace and coolness under fire.”
Interesting phrase: “under fire.” The Piper of Loos was “under fire.” Not just him, but we all have experienced being ‘under fire’ in some way, at some time, in our life.
Many “have been under fire” battling physical fires because of climate change, electrical storms, arsonists or …
Many “continue to be under fire,” struggling with fires of different kinds … war … physical illness … mental illness … infections … broken relationships … poverty … disability … grief … misogyny … financial instability … addiction … broken relationships …religious … loss … intolerance … injustice … bigotry … jealousy …
And then there are the “under fire” experiences of “ism’s”: racism … sexism … classism … ableism … anti-semitism … ageism … heterosexism. And the list goes on.
And the world has been “under fire” with warring conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and elsewhere.
As this New Year unfolds and the uncertainty of the world continues, may the Piper of Loos and pipers of this day, offer encouragement to each of us to be “an exemplar of grace and coolness under fire” when we confront our battles. Courage is attainable.
Happy Eleventh Day of Christmas! May the Twelve Days of Christmas be a reminder that Christmas isn’t just “one day,” but can continue to be alive in hearts and lives every day – even beyond the Season of Christmas. 🙂
Merry Christmas – Tenth day! On this day of Christmas, the lords are a-leaping!
Leaping? Ahhhh, of course! They were young.
But, what about those who never could or can no longer physically leap?
‘Leaping’ can involve more than ‘physical’ movement. Leaping can involve our mind and spirit. Leaping over limits, can open minds, nourish our spirit.
But what about the limits we place on ourselves? … the limits society puts before us? … the limits others place on us? … the limits the pandemic has brought?
We can still leap! When astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon, he set a gentle reminder that “one small step” for one person can lead to “one giant leap” for all.
When we ‘leap,’ others can be encouraged to leap over the limits they find blocking / restricting their emotional or spiritual growth.
But what if fear is what keeps us/them from leaping into the big decision: a house move … a project … a relationship … a particular job or volunteer activity … whatever!
Naturalist and essayist John Burroughs wrote: “Leap and the net will appear.” “The net will appear”! We can be creative in our leaping – even in this global chaos.
Let’s “leap” … ‘leap’ into action … ‘leap’ into healing … ‘leap’ into love … ‘leap’ into hope … ‘leap’ into joy … ‘leap’ into peace … ‘leap’ into personal growth … ‘leap’ into possibilities!
~~~ The Season of Christmas (Christmas Day to Epiphany, January 6th), offers a lovely stretch of time to reflect, enjoy, delight in, and consider how we can bring a little bit of Christmas into our life and the lives of others every day.
May the Twelve Days of Christmas be a reminder that Christmas isn’t just “one day” but can continue to be alive in hearts and lives every day – even beyond the Season of Christmas. 🙂
Yes, we’re still in the Season of Christmas and we’ve just begun a new year. What of this New Year? What of the future? The 1969 Nobel Prize in Literature winner, Samuel Beckett, wrote:“Dance first. Think later. It’s the natural order.”
Perhaps, on this the Ninth Day of Christmas, the “nine ladies dancing” of the Twelve Days of Christmas could offer some encouragement for the new year to look beyond negativity which may have carried over into this new year … dance!
But, how can we dance when there is so much negativity and fear? We can still dance … dance on our own: in the kitchen, in the entrance to our home, in the garage, in the Studio, in the bedroom, between the rooms of our home.
But what if we are not able to do that? What if we are in a wheelchair, need to use a walker/cane? We can still dance – in the wheelchair, with our walker/cane, in our imagination!
Dancing (even imagining ourselves dancing) is great exercise … for our body, our mind, and our spirit. When we are dealing with physical or emotional pain be that grief, depression, addiction, relationship issues, financial issues, housing issues, employment issues, war, etc., we are living with high levels of stress, our body becomes rigid and tight, our mind can’t think as well as it usually can, and our spirit is drained.
But when we dance and experience the joy of the moment, there is a release of endorphins which can lower physical, emotional and spiritual pain, give a natural ‘high’ increasing metabolism, blood and oxygen flow, and re-connect us to our spirit. In other words, dance can be a spiritual connection!
John O’Donahue, Irish author, priest, and poet was known for popularizing Celtic spirituality and this part of his “Beannacht” poem is a gentle reminder of the importance of dance to bring balance into our physical and spiritual lives.
Beannacht On the day when The weight deadens On your shoulders And you stumble, May the clay dance To balance you. [“Beannacht” is the Gaelic word for “blessing”]
Let’s nurture our spirit as this New Year unfolds and let the dancing ladies of the Ninth Day of the Twelve Days of Christmas encourage us (in the words by Sydney Carter set to the Shaker “Simple Gifts” melody ) to “Dance then, where ever you may be!”
May the Twelve Days of Christmas be a reminder that Christmas isn’t just “one day,” but can continue to be alive in hearts and lives every day – even beyond the Season of Christmas. 🙂
A new year has begun! People around the world are hoping, dreaming of, praying for a better year in health, finances, politics, the economy, employment relationally and an end to poverty, war, homelessnesss, addiction, loneliness. ~ What will we encounter in this new year? ~ What will we allow? Will we allow possibilities for self-growth? service to others? self-awareness? gratitude?
Will we let those days come-and-go without much thoughtful reflection as we simply “get through” the week?
Will the days of our weeks in the new year include physical activity? recreation? laughter? reflection? hope? exercise? creativity? sleep? work? love? simply be-ing?
Or, will we let the days be filled with boredom? busyness? restlessness? regret? an unwillingness to take a risk? guilt? an inability to let-go of stresses?
Maybe this year, we could take each day of each week in the New Year and welcome, appreciate and honour it as a “Not-Yet-Opened-Gift”. In so doing, who knows what blessings could come our way!
Perhaps we might experience … MONDAYS that are Magical and Meaningful … TUESDAYS that are Tranquil and Truthful … WEDNESDAYS that are Wonder-filled and Wacky … THURSDAYS that are Thankful and Thoughtful … FRIDAYS that are Fabulous and Fruitful … SATURDAYS that are Sagacious and Spiritual … SUNDAYS that are Salubrious and Serene or more!
Perhaps you made a Gratitude Jar last year. If so, it’s time to open and read your notes. If you didn’t make one last year, or are unfamiliar with the Gratitude Jar, what better time than to begin now. Here’s how it works:
~ Find a special container, jar or glass vase ~ Each night, before going to bed, write “something” – a short note (see below for the “something”) about whatever it is that you’re thankful for that day, on one side of a slip of paper – literally a ‘slip of paper’ as you’re going to have 365 pieces of paper in your jar before the year is out <g>. ~ Indicate the date on the other side of the paper. ~ Put the note into the jar and don’t look at it until December 31st of next year. ~ On New Year’s Day, in a quiet moment, open the jar and read about your year that has just passed.
The ‘something’ can be a biggie or insignificant. … an emotion, an experience, a relationship, a gift (received/given), an insight … something someone did for you, or something you did for another, and in the doing, you were grateful to be part of it … a memory, a conversation, a quotation, an image, a book you’ve read, a song you’ve heard, a visit with a friend, a piece of music that stirred you. … a blog, a photo, a political decision, something that happened at work … a word spoken that touched your heart/spirit/mind, a colour with special significance … an ability that you’ve taken for granted most days, an experience, a walk you took, a moment in Nature.
It can be … anything!
No matter what kind of year you think you may have had, when the Gratitude Jar is opened, the slips of paper will reveal a plethora of reminders of a year where every day, there was at least one thing which tugged at your heart/mind/spirit and you wrote a “thank you” of gratitude.
Have you noticed that sometimes – we forget the blessing, the joys, the love around us, the moments that touch us because we focus on the yuck-of-life?
Sometimes – we ignore the wonders of the world around us, the things we take for granted, and focus our attention on the hurts and concerns.
Sometimes – we forget the things that put a smile on our face because we are upset, angry, frustrated, grieving, in pain.
Sometimes – we are in too much of a hurry to slow down and simply say ‘thank you.’ Meister Eckhart was born around 1260 and died around 1328. Theologian, philosopher and mystic, he wrote that “if the only prayer you utter is ‘thank you’, that would suffice.” So thanking someone can be a prayer.
Gratitude, an attitude of thankfulness, can bring blessings to our lives in ways we can’t even begin to ask or imagine.
When a New Year begins, there is an opportunity to open the door to new possibilities. One “possibility-door” is to experience each day from a posture of gratitude – an attitude of thankfulness. While there isn’t any scientific proof that simply recalling one thing you’re grateful for every day for a year won’t “rewire” our brain to be happy, who knows … it might really be true!
One way to begin to rewire our brain might be to get out a pen and paper, create a Gratitude Jar (or a Gratitude Journal) and get started.
When I made this little card, it was for a particular person but then I decided to make one for myself as a gentle reminder of an easy way to make my life richer by being mindful of the things/people/situation for which I am truly grateful — like each of you.
Your feedback here and on the Soulistry Facebook group (www.facebook.com/groups/soulistry) are gift.
Thank you for reading, subscribing, commenting, and encouraging me to “keep on, keeping on,” writing and posting the Soulistry reflections. 🙂
It’s January 1st. Happy New Year! And it is also the Eighth Day of Christmas.
On this day, while the ‘milking’ image (an image of nourishment) is front-and-centre, there are times when other images are associated with the milking image: being milked, fleeced, drained, exploited by friends, family, corporations, governments. When that happens, at the very least, our mind and our very soul / spirit can be compromised.
How can we disallow the latter which destroys our spirit, and encourage the former to nourish our spirit? Perhaps the words of Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s play offer thoughtful consideration: “Yet doe I feare thy Nature, It is too full o’ th’ Milke of humane kindnesse.”
When the ‘milk of human kindness’ (compassion, care of self and others, empathy etc.) is expressed, there is less room in our spirit for negative ‘milking’.
We live in a Universe of energy. It can be negative. It can be positive. Each of us must determine – on what we focus our attention – on what we allow to preoccupy our thoughts – on what we let into our spirit. to experience each emotion and ask … How long do I hold onto the anger? … Do I allow hatred to absorb my thoughts? … Do I let fear absorb my energy? … Do I withhold forgiveness?”
On this, the Eighth Day of Christmas and a New Year begins, may we express the ‘milk of human kindness’ in our thoughts, words, social media posts, actions, prayers so we can be part of the transformation that is so desperately needed in this world.
Happy Eighth Day of Christmas and Happy New Year! May the Twelve Days of Christmas be a reminder that Christmas isn’t just “one day” but can continue to be alive in hearts and lives every day – even beyond the Season of Christmas.
When the seven swans went swimming, what did they encounter
… as they skimmed the surface of the water?
… as they paddled through waves that threatened to engulf?
… as they tried to stay afloat on the current that was driven by wind?
When we are swimming through life, what situations find us … skimming the surface of our feelings? … paddling through waves of fear that threaten to engulf? … staying afloat when life’s winds of physical pain, grief, loneliness, fear, pummel?
Tonight is New Year’s Eve Day. It’s a time when people hope and pray that the year’s difficulties, stresses, complications, wars – will no longer be present in the new year. It’s a time when the desire for personal transformation often motivates people to make New Year’s resolutions to develop a better work/life balance, improve relationships, change perception/behaviour.
Perhaps the seven swans a-swimming on this Seventh Day of Christmas can become a prompt to reflect on possibilities of personal transformation.
May this Seventh Day of Christmas be an encouragement to engage with our feelings, rather than skim the surface … discover ways to paddle through concerns we anticipate and encounter … stay afloat when life’s winds pummel us. As today is also New Year’s Eve, a separate “New Year’s Eve” Soulistry reflection will be posted today. So – Happy Seventh Day of Christmas/New Year’s Eve.
As always, you are welcome to share with others and comment here.
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The Soulistry Christmas reflection series is published each day during the Season of Christmas (Christmas Day to Epiphany, January 6th), offering a lovely stretch of time to reflect, enjoy, delight in, and consider how we can bring a little bit of Christmas into our life and the lives of others every day.
May the Twelve Days of Christmas be a reminder that Christmas isn’t just “one day” but can continue to be alive in hearts and lives every day – even beyond the Season of Christmas. 🙂
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It’s is almost New Year’s Eve – and then … a New Year begins.
How will you spend your time in the New Year? What will be done with the 24 hours of each day for the next 52 weeks … those precious 3,760 hours?
The Greeks used two words to explain the different dimensions of time: Chronos and Kairos.
Chronos refers to those chronologically-connected activities such as work school, volunteer events, meetings, medical appointments, doing the laundry, picking up the groceries, putting out the garbage, taking the children to their after-school activities, etc.
Kairos is elusive. It’s those treasured moments when we make time to simply “be”; when we get in touch with our true selves; when we see the ordinary about us and know, or at least wonder-about-the-possibility, that there is something/SomeOne greater than ourselves. Kairos is where challenge and opportunity meet and when creativity, compassion, love,spirituality interconnect.
Kairos refers to those moments we spend
sitting by the bedside of a sick child quietly reading a book
seeing a newborn baby
watching a caterpillar burst into a beautiful butterfly
noting the formation of clouds on the horizon
being reassured by the gentle purring of a cat or nuzzling of a dog
hearing a piece of music that sends shivers up our spine
receiving and giving a hug
having a smile returned by a stranger
enjoying the quiet prayer / meditation time in the tub or shower
being aware of the gift of our breath unassisted by mechanical means
holding the hand of someone who is dying
slowly eating a meal, truly tasting and appreciating the gift that it is
being away of the gift of our breath
creating something: a craft, painting, handmade card, anything
having fun in the kitchen: making jam, a casserole, or cookies you’ll share with another
gasping at the rainbow that arcs across the horizon
walking through a cemetery and being aware of the frailty and fragility of your life
laughing a deep, from the belly-kind-of-laugh
reading a portion of Scripture you’ve read countless times before or never having read before and having it
leap from the page with a meaning never before encountered or thought about
walking in and around a garden; planting, watering, weeding – gardening
receiving a gift from another who, for no reason, chose to bless your day by giving you a present of their
chronologica time or their kairos presence or material possession
hearing the word “inoperable” and giving love, creating happy and loving moments, being love to the one
about whom the word “inoperable” was pronounced
sitting in silence before the ocean or fireplace and hearing, in that silence, affirmation that you are a person that has been called into being.
Many are asking ’soul-questions’ these days, as concerns about our world (the wars, politics, personal/medical crises, climate change, gun control, treatment of refugees, abusive tweets by political leaders, on-line and in-person bullying, terrorism, the negativity, the anger, racism) overwhelm people, to the point that the ability to play, to delight in, to be amazed, to forgive, to be in awe, to be creative, to put love into action, seems to be lost.
Usually, we’re very good when it comes to the Chronos dimension of time. Some even have their New Year’s calendars already partially filled-in! However, the Kairos dimension seems to be more elusive. It doesn’t have to be.
As the New Year unfolds, let us make time to
smell the flowers
recognize healing and compassionate presence in another’s smile, touch, phone call, visit, letter, embrace, handshake, eye contact, tears
encounter intentional silence and solitude as ‘gift’
see beyond the immediate moment which might be one of stress, anxiety, fear
be mindful of a global connectedness: humanitarian concerns, climate change concerns, justice concerns.
What if, this coming year, we were intentionally and more intimately connected with Kairos, with our spirituality, might that
encourage us when we are discouraged?
bring healing to our world?
bring healing to ourselves?
move us into becoming more aware of the need of self-care and intentional moments of nurturing our spirituality and expressing ourselves creatively?
T.S. Eliot wrote that “Last year’s words belong to last year’s language. Next year’s words await another voice. To make an end is to make a beginning.” What a great way to enter a new year!
Amen. May it be so. Amen. Btw, ‘Amen’ is not necessarily ‘religious’. It simply means ‘May it be so.’
This day offers a gentle opportunity to reflect on the moments in our lives of birthing … aka “a-laying.” Consider the “a-laying” moments and situations when … a new idea was hatched … a unique thought came to mind … an alternative way of doing things emerged … a possibility became a reality … you realized that your ‘need to be needed’ took over your ‘need to care for yourself’ … taking “the road less travelled” challenged previous ways of thinking … ‘push came to shove’ and a decision was made … rebirth was experienced … ‘the light turned on’ inside and insight clarified the situation … your spirit was ignited with passion … you physically gave birth to another human being … your life was changed as you stood up for yourself or another
Consider the a-laying moments and situations when others were used to … gave you birth … drew you forth into creativity … breathed life into your hurts … taught you something you may not even have known at the time that you needed to know … brought healing to your body, mind, spirit … inspired you
On this, the Sixth Day of Christmas may we all ‘make’ time, not just ‘take’ time … to consider the “a-laying” opportunities this day brings.
As always, you are welcome to share with others and comment here.
And you are invited to subscribe to the 12 Days of Christmas series by going to the right hand top of this reflection. Subscribe to Blog via Email. Notifications of new reflections will come directly to you via email.
******************************************** The Soulistry Christmas reflection series is published each day during the Season of Christmas (Christmas Day to Epiphany, January 6th), offering a lovely stretch of time to reflect, enjoy, delight in, and consider how we can bring a little bit of Christmas into our life and the lives of others every day.
May the Twelve Days of Christmas be a reminder that Christmas isn’t just “one day, but can continue to be alive in hearts and lives every day – even beyond the Season of Christmas. 🙂
Have you ever wondered what the Five Golden Rings of the “12 Days of Christmas” song stood for? I have, but as there is no reference to them in the song, some “Soulistry” food-for-thought about what they might stand for.
May you be encircled by Five Golden Rings:
The Golden Ring of PEACE
… that passes intellectual understanding
The Golden Ring of JOY
… of living life to the fullest.
The Golden Ring of LOVE
… that is unconditional.
The Golden Ring of HOPE
… that never stops,
regardless of personal circumstances or global concerns.
And the Golden Ring of PATIENCE
for life to unfold
and remind us
of the importance of living in the ‘now’.
