Symbols of Christmas

Each Christmas, we remember a story that began 2000 years ago and involves a very poor young woman, perhaps only fourteen years of age. Her name is Miriam, and she is engaged to Joseph, of royal blood and descendant of the line of King David. But she is met by a man, as angels in the Bible are ordinary men! She becomes pregnant and could be stoned to death for fornicating outside marriage, but Joseph marries her and her life is saved. When she is in the final stages of this first pregnancy, and suffers the discomfort of a long donkey ride with her husband, to pay their taxes in the homeland of their ancestor, King David. But her story begins far earlier, as a descendant of the royal line, Miriam is a princess - but in a land oppressed by a foreign army and with a puppet king on the Jewish throne. The two together could create a power base to jeopardise the puppet king and raise an army against the Roman oppressors. It’s a dangerous and very specific situation as Judah was desperate for a messiah. 

Away in a Manger

Mary and her husband Joseph were descendants of David, the first King of Israel, and they were both true heirs of that royal line. At the time of the birth of Jesus, Herod, a puppet king was seated upon the throne by the Roman oppressors. 

David was born in Bethlehem many hundreds of years previously. He was a a young shepherd boy, guarding flocks of sheep on the cold hillside. These were unblemished lambs that were slaughtered by the High Priest in the Temple of Jerusalem for the remission of sins. Mary's cousin, Elizabeth's husband, Zachariah, was that High Priest. They were too old to have children, yet, when an angel appeared and Elizabeth became pregnant, Zachariah was struck dumb for his unbelief in this miracle. 

Mother Mary’s Story

All saviour gods have virgin mothers! 

Mary and Joseph made a powerful team. Both of the royal line, their first born son would have been a contender for the role of king. Like many female visionaries, Mary was around the time of her menarche when she became pregnant by an Angel. Angels at this time were not winged. They were always men and their meeting often resulted in a pregnancy. But this illegitimacy of Jesus may have caused him embarrassment. Joseph was not mentioned in the gospels after the childhood of Jesus. Any what caused Jesus to be scathing and rude to his mother? She was a young mother, and maybe she was seduced and deceived  by one who presented himself as an ‘Angel’. 

Her correct name was Miriam and she was the daughter of Joachim and Anne in legend, and, from the canonical gospels, we are told that Mary’s story begins when she was described as a virgin - a young girl before her marriage. She would have been betrothed around the age of puberty and would have been living in an extended family living in Galilee, such as the tribe of Ephrahim. She would have sat by the river bank, watching the water ripple as the breeze created waves. This Galilee sea is shaped like a harp - it’s a beautiful and romantic setting. Whilst engaged to be married to Joseph, the Angel Gabriel is said to have visited her and told her she would bear a son who would become the prophesied messiah. Both she and her fiancé Joseph were of the royal line of Judah, and therefore their son would be the rightful royal heir. At that time, a ruthless puppet king, Herod the Great, sat on the throne who would do all he could to destroy the lives of Mary and Joseph.

The Angel Gabriel addressed Mary as a ‘most highly favoured lady’ and prophesied the life of the child  she was to bear. We have one of the longest verbatim texts in the New Testament to describe this meeting. These are Mary’s extraordinary words and they show Mary’s early mature spiritual ministry: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour: He has looked with favour on his lowly handmaiden. From this day all generations will call me blessed: The Almighty has done great things for me and ‘holy’ is his name. He has mercy on those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm and has scattered the proud in their conceit, casting down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, to remember his promise of mercy, the promise made to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children for ever."

How to make mulled wine

To make mulled wine, firstly choose a good red wine.

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add lemon/orange peel and a little fruit juice. Crush cloves and crush fresh root ginger, add them with bay leaves, some powdered all spice, cinnamon and nutmeg, and some star anise. Heat the mixture - not boil - but lightly bubble for 5 minutes. Put the liquid mixture through a fine gauze filter.
Add brandy and honey to taste.
Serve in a heated cup.

Confession: I pour my finished mulled wine into my favourite tea pot (used exclusively for mulled wine). It is ideal when entertaining to have a special pot and special cup for mulled wine.

Shortbread, oatcakes and Fingers of homemade bread with a wedge of cheese are ideal serving suggestions.

Christmas Past

The ancients observed the sun, moon and stars. They lived by nature and knew when to plant and when to harvest, when to feed the beasts and when to kill and salt. They would place a post in the ground to measure the length of the shadow cast each day. At midsummer and midwinter, the sun appears to stand still for three days, hence the name 'solstice' from the Latin 'stetit', when the sun appears to ‘stand still’.

Carvings on Long Meg in Cumbria are aligned with the sunset at midwinter. In 4AD the church changed the calendar so the equinox provided a consistent date. The date for Christmas was not changed. Many ancient stone circles are aligned with the sun festivals, such as Stonehenge, and Mays Howe.   

The sun was thought by the Greeks to be hauled across the sky each day by Apollo in his chariot. Christmas falls on 25th December rather than on the winter solstice because in the time of Julius Caesar, the calendar was obviously out. As it was based on the ancient Egyptian calendar that was 3000 years old in Julius' day, he introduced in 45BC the Julian Calendar. 

Your Spiritual Journey

“The real story today is to define what it means to be spiritual. This is the biggest story - of the century.”  Bill Moyers

We are all brought up with some kind of spiritual understanding, but how many give this topic much thought? We accept what we are told and yet, it governs our lives, and is the most important aspect of our lives. We make outer journeys everyday, but the inner journey is the most vital!

Even those who practice a religion are often not considering their spiritual path. What could this path be? Mainly it is doing what is right and having empathy with others, but how do we know how best to walk this path of righteousness and wisdom?

The Advent Moon - A Poem

“The Advent moon shines bright and clear; my soul waits -

These Advent nights are very long;

Our lamps have burned year after year,

And still their flame is strong.

‘Watchman, what of the night?’ we cry,

Heartsick with hope deferred:

‘No speaking signs are in the sky’,

Is still the watchman’s word.

One to another hear them speak,

The patient virgins wise:

Surely He is not far to seek,

All night we watch and rise.

The days are evil looking back,

The coming days are dim,

Yet count we not His promise slack,

But watch and wait for Him.

Weeping we hold him fast tonight,

We will not let Him go

Till daybreak smite our wearied sight,

And summer smite the snow:

Then figs shall bud, and dove with dove

Shall coo the livelong day;

Then He shall say ‘Arise, my love,

My fair one, come away!’

The Advent moon shines cold and clear.

We watch and wait.”

“The Advent Moon Shines Cold and Clear” by Christina Rossetti

Elegy - A Poem

                 The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,

         The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,

The plowman homeward plods his weary way,

         And leaves the world to darkness and to me.

Now fades the glimm'ring landscape on the sight,

         And all the air a solemn stillness holds,

Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight,

         And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds;

Grandmother - Advice

 Advice from the Grandmother 

Cure yourself, with the light of the Sun and the rays of the Moon.

With the Sound of the river and the waterfall.

With the swaying of the Sea and the fluttering of birds.

Heal yourself, with the mint and mint leaves,

with neem and eucalyptus.

Sweeten yourself with lavender, rosemary, and chamomile.

Hug yourself with the cocoa bean and a touch of cinnamon.

Put Love in tea instead of sugar

And take it looking at the Stars

Heal yourself with the kisses that the wind gives you and the hugs of the rain.

Get strong with bare feet on the ground and with everything that is born from it.

Get smarter every day by listening to your intuition, looking at the world with the Eye of your forehead.

Jump, Dance, Sing, so that you live happier.

Heal yourself, with beautiful Love,

and always remember.. You are the Medicine. "

Winter's Cloak - A Poem

Winter’s Cloak by Joyce Rupp

This year I do not want the dark to leave me. 
I need its wrap of silent stillness, 
its cloak of long lasting embrace. 
Too much light has pulled me away 
from the chamber of gestation. 

Wendy's Post Bag

Q: Dear Wendy: Do you have any recommendation about enlightenment? KC. 

Dear KC: Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.

Before enlightenment, vacuum carpet, wash up dishes! After enlightenment, vacuum carpet, wash up dishes! 

Dear Wendy: Four months ago, I split up from my partner, a woman with two young children from a previous marriage. She now has someone else in her life and I find I am missing her two children. Over the ten months we were together and I bonded with them, but now she is adamant that I am out of her life and cannot see her children. I feel embarrassed to mention it to my family. I am less likely to get involved now with anyone with children. Is this fair? DD

Wendy replies: Dear DD: Every situation is different and it does seem unfair from your perspective. I am sorry that you are hurting and that you are now feeling guarded with your next relationship, should it be with someone who has children. You are obviously a deeply caring person and your love will be appreciated by someone looking for kindness and commitment. But the mother must give her children priority and they now have their mum, each other, and a new parental ‘significant other’. She has replaced you, which is painful in itself and he would probably not want you around. I think you are grieving for the loss of this family structure. This type of loss is very common but goes unrecognised by many people so it would be useful for you to contact a caring counsellor who will understand what you are going through. I suggest: Cruse Bereavement Care: 0300 031 7757

Avicenna

 

Who was Avicenna?

Ibn Sina, known as Avicenna was a Persian mystic, poet, doctor, philosopher (980-1037) living at a time known as the Islamic Golden Age and is called the Father of Medicine. His 450 written works have 250 that survive today. His was the first Encyclopaedia of Medicine. His work involved chemistry, mathmatics, ethics and related topics. 

The Crystal Gazer - A Story

I wrote this "skit/parody" after a visit to Maxine Sanders at Clanricarde Gardens! I studied with her at a time when Alex was on the south coast. He passed while I was in her Moon Shadows group. For those who know Maxine, you might recognise her tutoring style!  

The psychic peered into her crystal and whispered "I see hardness about you. There is no true love of beauty... yes, dare I say it? There is death all around yoou and you do not see it... and loss, great loss... and here, at this time, you will meet with an angel.. an angel to guide you to your destiny. You must seek maturity and wisdom..." her voice became quiet, then inaudible. 

Biblical Mysteries Revealed

We know so much about the people in the Bible because their names give away so much about their life. In Biblical times, people were not expected to be individuals, but be exactly a replica of their father. Skills, knowledge and abilities were handed down the generations, daughters were like their mothers, boys like their fathers - but there were exceptions!

Because so many of the Aramaic names have been changed, we can easily lose sight of this simple information.

Oracle Card Reading - December

The first card I have chosen is from Nature's Whispers Oracle Cards by Angela Hartfield with individual artworks by Josephine Wall. It is titled 'Expansion'. A human hand reaches out into nature and the hand of a flower reaches back. The scene is of natural beauty, a sunset, of mountains, animals and plants. The reading tells us that everything is evolving and going through cycles, rhythms and phases. This is a time of new beginnings, and of inner development. Environmental issues are especially important to our Spirit. Your rest and self care will be needed during times of integration and processing. Spiritual growth and maturity are the wisdom to seek.


The second card is from Angels and Ancestors Oracle Cards by Kyle Gray with artworks by Lily Moses. I have chosen Spirit Fox with the subtitle: Trust Your Talents in Changing Times. Stay alert as change is in the air. The Red Fox is the author's favourite animal. It can live in urban environments or in the Arctic ice floes. It is resilient and intelligent but has been hunted for its beautiful fur. The fox helps you to overcome adversity of all kinds including unfair treatment. The experience of being threatened is one this animal knows well. Ask for the assistance of this power animal and you will be invited to come out of your den.

The third card is from Harmonious Tarot by Ernest Fitzpatrick with artworks by the Victorian Pre-Raphelite artist, Walter Crane. I have chosen card Zero, O, which is titled The Fool. The little white booklet in the pack provides hardly any information, so we must intuit its meaning. Here we see a young female dancing with a rope of white flowers and with a flower tiara in her hair. She is dressed in a flowing, gauze dress. I wonder if she is suitable attired! The crescent moon is hanging over the high mountain peaks. She is looking back to the dog at her heels. The dog might be warning her that any moment she could step over the cliff - but is the warning helping her I wonder! For you, today, the card means 'caution'. Look where you are going!

 

The last card is from Greek Mythology Oracle Cards by Alison Chester-Lambert with artworks by Richard Crookes. I have chosen the card of Orpheus with the subtitle Music. Orpheus was famed for the beautiful music he played on his golden lyre and he also had a wonderful singing and speaking voice. Music has the power to heal and console and provide solace to the most stricken heart. He encourages us to make music and to play an instrument. Here in this painting, he entertains the animals who come to him in peace and joy.

Oracle reading by Wendy Stokes: https://WendyStokes.co.uk 

John Birch - An Interview

Amazonian Rain-forest activist from the UK, John Birch, has developed an interesting method of raising money for charity! One morning whilst visiting Westminster Cathedral in Central London, John sensed the spirit of Jesus surrounding the entire building. Later that day, he attended an Eckhart Tolle seminar and was inspired to become a facilitator of an Eckhart Tolle Local Silent Group in his area of Blackburn, Lancashire. 

The Gospel of Mary

The Gospel of Mary! We do not know which ‘Mary’ this refers to, maybe the mother of Jesus or Mary Magdalene, but many give Mary Magdalene the credit. The Gospel of Mary is considered ‘apocryphal’ that is, it is not accepted by the established Roman Catholic Church. It consists of two small manuscripts from a much larger missing document, one in Greek from the third century, the other in a Coptic translation from the fourth. We have some sayings reputed to be from Jesus, and teaching about the nature of sin, evil and wrongdoing which relates to our physicality. 

John the Baptist’s Story

“Repent for the Kingdom of God is at Hand!” John the Baptist was a forerunner of Jesus, proclaiming  “Make straight his Paths,” “There is one who will come after me, whose sandals I am not fit to lace.”

We do not know very much about the teachings of the Baptist, but it would have included a vow of extreme poverty and humility. The character of the Baptist is thought to be modelled on Elijah who gave his cloak- a symbol for his responsibility - to Elisha upon his death. As Elisha succeeded Elijah so Jesus succeeded the Baptist who was of the Levite caste, of the line of Aaron and who served as Rabbis/High Priests. The rabbis took turns to attend the Jerusalem Temple, burning incense, sacrificing animals, tending the lamps, renewing shewbread, all pertaining to the 23rd chapter of Leviticus. John could have continued the privileged work of the high priest, but he chose to baptise pilgrims in the name of forgiveness in the Jordan. This was another type of priestly work, unrelated to the purchase and burning of animals, he was called a prophet not a priest.

Just as Abraham and Sarah bore a son in their elderly years, and Samson, the hero was born also of elderly parents, the Baptist was born of an angelic miracle. His elderly mother Elizabeth, a descendant of the high priest, Aaron, was too old to have the child she had always prayed for. Her husband, Zachariah was the High Priest of the Jerusalem Temple, of the eighth class, that of Abia.