The Rebirth of the Child of Wonder The word solstice literally means: "sun stands still." This is the bi-annual event in which the sun appears to stand still. But, what does this mean? Well, for most of the year the sun can be observed rising and setting each day in a steady procession north or south. But at the summer and winter solstice the sun, for three days, rises and sets at the same point on the horizon. In other words it appears to 'stand still.' Therefore, it seems, time stands still. To the mystic the horizon is the plane of the infinite, where the heavens and the earth unite in a sacred embrace. It is where 'The Great Above' meets the 'Great Below,' and where, throughout the ages, the entrances and exits of celestial bodies were noted with varying degress of interest, interpretation and celebration. The winter solstice, in the northern hemisphere is the moment when the sun ends its long journey south and begins its return trip north. A moment of stillness in the frozen dark of the suns shortest days. Mythically, the sun god visits and returns from the underworld and thus is reborn to begin again the cycle of birth, youth, marriage, fecundity, aging and death of the god or god-king. To the mystic these are not simple notions or stories but rather metaphors for an inner process, the transformational journey of death and rebirth. In addition, it is the moment of renewal: the rejuvenation of the child of wonder. ***** The ancient Magi, priests, priestesses, and mystics followed the course of the sun and stars with the aid of lithic structures such as Stonehenge and at New Grange. Civilizations as diverse as the Egyptian, Mayan, Chinese and Native American built such structures for use as ritual sites. All placed great importance upon the winter solstice because of this convergence of mythic and cosmic significance. Since the solstice is a moment of cosmic stillness it provides an opportunity to access the eternal., the transcendent and the divinity within ourselves. Ritual, fasting, dancing and celebration have been employed throughout the ages and remain today tools for union with the spirit. The fact that the winter solstice begins the Yuletide season, a roughly two week period of magic and celebration, confirms its added significance. This was the time in Western and Eastern civilizations when gods were born. In the Roman Empire, before Augustus Caesar and before Jesus, December 25th was the official birthday of Mithra, the Bull of Heaven. Mithraism came orginally from Persia but grew to be a major religion within Rome. The birth of Jesus was assigned to the 25th for political reasons by Emperor Constantine in the fourth century, in hope of unifying his empire and the two rival faiths within its borders: Christianity and Mithraism. It should be noted that December 25th on the Roman calendar was the winter solstice. Apollo and Attis also held this as their day of birth. And again in ancient Egypt, the gods Osiris, Isis, Nepthys, Set and Horus were said to have been born on the last five days of the year. Horus, of course, was the divine child of the virgin goddess Isis and was the savior of the Egyptian peoples. The celebratory season of Yule is what we call the Christmas season. Christmas traditions survive from earlier pagan festivals such as the Roman Saturnalia where society was turned on its head and peasants became rulers and nobles turned to peasants for a day. Holly and gift giving were also borrowed from this feast which ended on the winter solstice. The Roman tradition, in somewhat decadent form, prevailed in Britain and America until the 19th century when wild raucous, drunken celebration and feasting marked the yuletide season. It was a time when pent up forces in society were released in an unconscious drive toward death and rebirth. And in some way too a search for the Divine Child. But Christmas traditions as we know them are Germanic in origin. Reindeer, mistletoe, a chief jolly elf with all his elves, and most importantly, the tree. The tree holds the spirit of the returning god of the forest green, Attis. Attis returns in magic and splendor on the winter solstice. So whether its Christian or Pagan, Christmas and Yuletide begin at the winter solstice - the rebirth of the divine child, the eternal 'O Holy Night.' Happy Solstice Love, Elliot