How Are You Pagans?

[The Hammer]

This seems to be the running trend, so, without further ado:

How are you my fellow Pagans?

I am well, and just finished some Yuletide shopping. Now for lunch.

 

[The Hammer]

It's so quiet in here today.

 

[ValdresRose]

Landet av de jotnene. Takk for det.

 

[The Hammer]

Landet av de jotnene. Takk for det.

Nørsk?

 

[ValdresRose]

Nørsk?

Nei ja, men vi staver det norsk, ikkje Nørsk. Og du, hvor kommer du fra, da?

 

[The Hammer]

Nei ja, men vi staver det norsk, ikkje Nørsk. Og du, hvor kommer du fra, da?

United States. Northern west coast, Seattle, Washington.

 

[Quintessence]

I am just not doing any shopping this year. It's wonderful. Doing that has always clashed badly with my religion, and between family traditions falling apart due to deaths and the pandemic this year, I have all the excuses I need to just not do it. It's not that I don't like doing nice things for folks, but the rampant consumerism of this time of year is unwanted and against my religion. This year, for the first time in... well, probably ever... I can ignore all of it.

For me, Winter Solstice is a time of darkness, not of light. It is a time of silence, not of speaking. It is a time to transcend the self, a between-time, a between-space, liminal between being-not-being. The glaring colors and cheer of mainstream culture clashes so hard with that and this year, with all that's going on, I can ignore the lot of it and sit in silence and darkness.

Some probably find this strange, but I remember in my early days of discovering Paganism (Wicca specifically) it struck me as odd that there was all this talk about Wicca being about balance and yet Winter Solstice - darkest and longest night of the year - was still a celebration of light. So I said "nope, this is gonna be about darkness." And that has stuck with me into my Druidry.

 

[ValdresRose]

Hammer: I suspect I misled you about my origin, I was born on a farm in ND, and grew up in a solid Norwegian community but 1880 variety, I learned norsk since that was the language of my grandmother. Also, lived in Spokane, Inland Empire, for 17 yrs.

Quintessence: Yes, I am definitely with you on this. Actually I look forward to the Solstice because I know that the daylight hours will now become longer. For me, light is a great healer. I've often wondered why I don't face my reality and set Christmas aside; like you feel, admit it and just leave it the past. We say it's for the kids but that only prolongs the scamming.

 

[Bear Wild]

This seems to be the running trend, so, without further ado:

How are you my fellow Pagans?

I am well, and just finished some Yuletide shopping. Now for lunch.

Had a wonderful Yule/winter solstice/Christmas (with my wife who celebrates Christmas) thanks.