Winter Solstice
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In my work I see people who are hungry for life's meaning and who are waking up to this ancient wisdom. I am encouraged and hopeful as our culture is also awakening to the deeper truth and spiritual meaning that underlie our physical existence. With knowledge comes power.
Have you ever wondered if there were more to the holidays we celebrate than simply tradition? Did our ancient ancestors preserve a narrative to guide us to live in harmony with spiritual truth and find what empowers us? Could there possibly be power in aligning with celestial forces to manifest and affect matter in this Earthly dimension?
Many of us gather on December 25 to celebrate Christmas, the Christian holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus, “The Light Of The World”, “The Son of God”, “The World's Savior”. It cannot go unnoticed that Jesus’s illustrious birth corresponds to our celestial sun’s illustrious birth on December 25th. On this day, our tilted Earth orbits furthest from our life-giving sun, causing the shortest day and the longest night of the year.
The sun progresses 1° per day, with Winter and Summer solstices marking the furthest points and the equinoxes marking the middle points. During the three days between December 21st and December 25 the sun is at its darkest ebb, and appears to stand still on the horizon at sunset, solstice has Latin roots, meaning "sun stand”. After those three days of “darkness,” the sun resumes its path, growing larger and larger, up to its apex at Summer solstice.
The Ancient Egyptians perceived the sun as a sentient being and as a resurrecting deity, personified as the hybrid male offspring, comprised of half god and half human. Begot by God’s seed or Holy Spirit, and born to a human virgin mother, the Christian son of God was the savior of humanity who brought the good news of eternal life. This theme of a resurrecting son of God, born to a virgin mother on Dec 25th, is known by many names besides Jesus — here are a few:
Egyptian God-Man Horus, born Winter Solstice of The Virgin Mother Isis.
Greco-Roman God-Man Mithras, born Dec 25th of The Virgin Mother Amanita.
Hindu God-Man Krishna, born Dec 25th (and other days) of The Virgin Mother Devaki.
Buddhist God-Man Buddha, born Dec 25th (and other days) of The Virgin Mother Maya.
Babylonian God-Man Tammuz, born Dec 25th (and other days) of The Virgin Mother Ishtar.
From the vantage point of the early 21st-century, it seems our culture is rich in material things and bankrupt in great wisdom. But things were not always this way — in ancient times, architecture and allegory were teaching tools employed to instill guidance and solace for this earthly sojourn. As Descartes ushered in the Age of Enlightenment in the 1600’s, we replaced the mythical and symbolic mind with the logical and scientific mode of thinking. But did we throw out the baby with the bathwater?
This question has haunted me since I was young, and is what provoked me to research indigenous and religious traditions and spiritual philosophies around the globe. My investigations took me from the megalithic structures of ancient Egypt, England and Mexico to the myths of the ancient Romans, Meso-Americans and Chinese. My conclusion? The epic struggle between the darkness and light of earthly existence, as well as the inevitability of physical death and the promise of everlasting life, are ubiquitous as central themes.
This annual celebration of the sun’s death and rebirth or resurrection, embodies the theme of our life on Earth. It represents our descent from our “real” home (with “God” in the Spirit World or Afterlife) into 3-D matter and incarnation in the physical world, or Earth, and back again. This important wisdom has been taught through stories and celebrated throughout history during the solstices and equinoxes. In our current paradigm, these guiding principles have all been all but lost. And the cornerstone of wisdom that, we are eternal spiritual beings who are reborn of this world, has been all but eclipsed.
With the generous gift of the return of “The Son/sun of God”, and his nursing rays, Mother Earth would sprout her seeds, her crops grow and people could survive. By understanding the symbols that are hidden in plain sight, we can have access to timeless wisdom to help guide our life, plant our heart’s desire, and have faith and confidence that we are eternal. It is reassuring that the season’s feelings of generosity and the “Spirit of Giving” that was revered by the ancients is still alive and well today.
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With her intuitive drawing technique, Jane deForest often draws exact renderings of unseen people, animals and remote places, in an original art piece for clients to keep. For almost 20 years, Jane has worked with personal and business clients all over the world. Jane de Forest has studied with a Lakota Shaman, Buddhist teachers, at Rhode Island School of Design, and has journeyed to sacred sites in Peru, Bali, and Egypt.
Jane’s pro bono & volunteer work includes; facilitating communication for children with special needs, her “save the bees” project in Ecuador, and Director of Portland, IANDS (International Assoc. Near-Death Studies) Her multiple-award winning book: Love Never Dies-A Psychic Artist Illustrates True Stories Of The Afterlife, is an entertaining first-hand account of people reunited with loved ones and animals in the afterlife.