I love the word ‘epiphany.’Epiphanies are those “ah-hah!” moments in life when we suddenly ‘understand’ … ‘get it’ … ‘gain insight’ into the nature or meaning of something (or someone) we hadn’t grasped or understood previously.
Many around the world are celebrating the Season of Epiphany beginning today, January 6th. Its origin began long ago, when it is said that a star guided three Magi to travel great distance to pay homage to the baby Jesus.Not surprisingly, the image of a star is often seen as a metaphor for bringing light in the midst of darkness … a darkness of any kind: physical, emotional, spiritual, political, financial, vocational etc..
In the western and northern parts of the world, it is winter – a time of darkness. Throughout the world, with the growing rise of ‘strongman leaders’, the light of democracy is slowly being extinguished. Welcoming the Epiphany through images helps to bring light to ourselves.
I’ve been enjoying “light” since the beginning of the Season of Advent: …. Royal blue lights appeared four weeks before Christmas (for the Season of Advent). … Red and green lights were added for the Season of Christmas and its Twelve Days of Christmas. … And just before heading off to bed last night (Twelfth Night), the coloured lights were removed and white tiny lights for the Season of Epiphany took their place. In this part of the world, which is usually dark, rainy and gloomy, I find that this ‘tradition’ helps me dispel some of the dreary-weather and dreary-politics of the world.
What about you? How can you encourage Epiphany to make a difference in your life this year? Perhaps you could
… Choose aS.E.W. to guide you in the coming year. During the Season of Epiphany, I choose a S.E.W. (Star Epiphany Word) which I hope will guide me in some way to a transformative self-growth epiphany. Last year, my S.E.W. was the word “create.“ I wanted to *create* … create more Soulistry reflections … create special handmade cards for friends and shut-in’s … create change in my health … create more opportunities to play … create ways to bring light into the world around me in terms of kindness, compassion, social justice. This coming year, my S.E.W. word is “open.”A separate Soulistry reflection about the S.E.W. can be found at https://www.soulistry.com/blog and search for “S.E.W.” … Weave tiny white lights around your home as a gentle reminder to welcome the Light that comes into the world through ordinary people who bring kindness, caring, gentleness, peace, patience, goodness, compassion, love, hope. The tiny white lights encourage me to give thanks for the ‘bearers of light’ especially the ‘bearers of light’ in hospitals, care facilities, ambulances, paramedics, fire and police stations.
… Make handmade origami stars. They’re easy to make (YouTube has easy-to-follow videos), are a creative outlet, simple to do, and remind me of the Star the Magi decided to follow. Over the years, as I have worked on and strung the paper stars in various places – across windows, across mirrors, suspended from leaves of large indoor plants – I invite them to be a metaphor that I be guided in making wise decisions.
… Light some white candles and bring light into the darkness of the winter evenings. A gentle, contemplative act and invites a gentle peace in my home and within my soul. ... Think of ways you couldbe the light in the world around you and bring the light of patience, generosity, forgiveness, gentleness, self-control, thoughtfulness, goodness, compassion, kindness to others and your self so that work of Christmas doesn’t stop with Christmas. As educator, theologian and civil rights leader Howard Thurman wrote: “When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with their flocks, the work of Christmas begins: to find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among the people, to make music in the heart.”
While the Season of Epiphany can last anywhere from 40 to 63 days (because the date of Easter changes each year), for however long the Season of Epiphany lasts, may it be a Season of Light in your life and this pandemic world, and in its own way, continue “the work of Christmas.” Happy Epiphany!
Every year during the Season of Epiphany (the season in Christianity that remembers the star that is said to have guided the Magi to the Christ Child), I love to choose a “Star-Epiphany Word”: SEW. My SEW is a word I hope will ‘guide’ me (as a star) in the coming year to ‘epiphanies’ and “ah-hah” moments of life.
The word I’ve chosen for this year is ‘OPEN.’ I want to be ‘open’ to what the Creator / Universe / By-Whatever-Name has for me in terms of personal growth, relationships, expansion for “Soulistry”.
I want to be ‘open’ to possibilities, learning, sharing, networking and …
What about you? What word do you choose to guide your year? What will you be SEWing? It could be anything!
Write the word down and when something happens to confirm your SEW in the coming year, make a note of it in your journal. At the end of the year, read about your SEW and see how you chose the word that was right for you because you are intentional about this choice so whatever word you choose, it will be the right word for you.
Twelfth Night is a festival for those following the Gregorian calendar that takes place on the last night of the Twelve Days of Christmas and marks the coming of the Epiphany tomorrow – January 6th.
What is Twelfth Night all about? Twelfth Night is a night of celebration, partying and merriment where a Twelfth Night cake with a bean or coin inside, (aka King’s Cake in both the UK and the Netherlands; Martha Washington’s Great Cake in the U.S.) is ceremoniously presented and eaten; a crowning of mock royalty happens; lots of music, plays, puppets, theatre and singing; and wassail, a toast of spiced ale or cider (or hot apple juice/cider with a cinnamon stick for flavour) is offered for good health. Yummmm!
In some homes, it’s an excuse for everyone to dress-up a la masquerade. In other words, Twelfth Night is an opportunity to feast, and play, be silly and have fun!
Historically, around 1601, William Shakespeare wrote his ‘Twelfth Night’ play, a comedy, as entertainment for the close of the Season of Christmas and set the stage for the Twelfth Night feast with Orlando’s words: “If music be the food of love, play on; give me excess of it.” In 1849, Queen Victoria marked Twelfth Night with an abundance of music, theatre performances and dance for her court which the populace began to imitate.
Many well-known painters depicted the frivolity of Twelfth Night: … Peter Brueghel the Younger painted “The King Drinks” showing the King drinking to himself, a costume procession, general feasting and merry making … Jan Steen, (known as the most prolific of Twelfth Night artists – six on that theme!), focused on the role of music, symbolism of the Epiphany star and the waffles that are served royalty on Twelfth Night, and even included eggshells littered on the floor in one of his paintings. And poets like Robert Herrick’s 1660 “Twelfth Night: Or, King and Queen”): “Now, now the mirth comes” got into the celebration of the festival.
Let’s re-discover the Twelfth Night, bring some celebration and festive merrymaking into our lives, and welcome the light of the Epiphany when dawn breaks in the morning … in spite of the political tension in many countries.
Or maybe, let’s re-discover Twelfth Night because of it all. … pick up the phone and call a friend … let social media be the bridge for you to celebrate Twelfth Night. … or simply put some apple juice in a pot on the stove, add a cinnamon stick and when it’s been cooking for a while and has “cooked down”, pour yourself a cuppa and as you gently sip from the cup, consider celebrations in your life in the past that brought you joy and dream of celebrations in the future. … get dressed up – make a crown and put it on your head and crown yourself king/queen for the night. 😉
Soulistry-Artistry of the Soul offers reflections throughout the calendar year. If you are looking for a particular subject, theme, holiday – whatever – type the word into the Search bar https://www.soulistry.com/blog
Tomorrow – we welcome the Season of Epiphany and its themes of light and images of stars. And yes, “Soulistry” will offer reflections throughout Epiphany. Stay tuned. 🙂
Have you ever noticed a mysterious series of letters and numbers which looked like a math equation, inscribed in chalk over a doorway (or at your church, or at the home of a friend) at/around January 6th – Epiphany – and wondered “What is that?”
It’s called “Chalking the Door.” And as some ‘chalk the door’ on the eve of Epiphany, on Epiphany itself or sometime during the Season of Epiphany, thought it might be interesting to explore its origin, what it means and why it could be a fun ritual for individuals/families to do. So, here goes. 🙂
Some “chalk the door” (literally write on or above the entrance of their home in chalk) with a particular inscription of specific numbers/letters which changes each year. This year, the inscription is: 20 + C + M + B + 25 Here’s a quick ‘translation’. The letters “C, M, B” can represent yhe initials of the Magi (Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar) who were reported to visit the baby Jesus on January 6th, or they can represent abbreviation of the Latin phrase, Christus mansionem benedicat which means “May Christ bless this house.”
The “plus” “+” signs are said to represent the Cross of Jesus. The “numbers” change every year.- The “20” at the beginning and the “25” at the end represent this current year: 20 (2000) plus 25 (+ 2025). Next year the inscription will be “20 + C + M + B + 26”.
“Chalking of the door” is a centuries-old ritual throughout many parts of the world and can be a wonderful family activity and spiritual practice, invoking the Creator’s blessing and protection on all who live/work/visit the home. In some respect, it is similar to what Jewish people have done for centuries when they attach a mezuzah to the front door/doorpost in response to a mitzvah (a commandment) believing in protection for those who pass through the door.
When to do the “chalking of the door”? Some do it on New Year’s Day. Some do it on Twelfth Night. Some do it on a day of their own choosing between New Year’s Day and Epiphany. And some do it on Epiphany (January 6th). The actual date of the “Chalking of the Door” isn’t the important thing. Being intentional, making the time to invite and welcome the Creator’s presence and protection, is the focus. How does the Chalking of the Door ritual unfold? – You’ll need a chalk (and a board/cardboard if you don’t want to do it on the actual door). – Write the inscription on the door (or board if you’d prefer but chalk washes off so write it on the actual door if you can. 🙂 – Let others in the home know about it so they can be there. – And, you’ll need a hammer and nails/tacks to put the inscription on/over the door
The ritual (writing the inscription on/above the door and offering a short prayer) can be done by one person who lives in the home; it can be shared by people living in the home; and an ordained person can be invited to preside at the ritual. There really is no formal way of “chalking the door” and no particular date when it’s done other than ‘sometime in the Season of Epiphany.’ It’s a custom, a ritual, which we make our own. So – “Do your own thing.”
Chalking of the Door Prayer It can be informal (use your own words) such as “May all who enter this door be welcomed with peace and lovingkindness. May all who leave this door be blessed and manifest the peace and lovingkindness wherever they go. So be it. Yes. So be it.”
It can be semi-formal (something similar to the following) “Holy One, Creator, God, (I/we) ask your blessing on this entrance and home and upon all who live here (work / visit here). May they may be blessed in ways that will be nourishing to their body, mind and spirit. May peace dwell in this home. May laughter and joy be experienced. May kindness, patience, thoughtfulness, and respect be present in conversations and actions. And may All That Is Good be present in the waking and sleeping of all who dwell herein. Amen“
It can be formal, based on an ancient Celtic prayer (below): “God who is Three, God who is One, give blessing to the house that is here. Bless it from roof to floor, from wall to wall, from end to end. May your Spirit alone dwell within these walls to bring joy and laughter. We call upon the Sacred Three to save, to shield and surround this home. The circle of God around it. The peace of Christ within it. The life of the Spirit above it this day and night and every night. May the Triune God be the protector of this place. Peace be here in the name of the God of love. Welcome be here in the name of the Christ of peace. Joy be here in the name of the Spirit of life. God who is one. God who is three, bring light for the day and rest for the night. We call upon the Sacred Three to welcome, guide and nurture all who enter here; the Circle of God around friend and stranger; the Peace of Christ within it; the life of the Spirit above all who stand at the door this day, this night and evermore. Amen.” <adaptation of Celtic prayer by Christine Sine, used with permission):
May the “Chalking of the Door” be a blessing to all who read it on a front door and a blessing to all who decide to “chalk the door” this year.
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.
