Winter Solstice???

I always try to resolve the temperate zone's interpretation of the Wheel of the Year and our tropical experience. In my need to create a Craft with Caribbean traditions, I sometimes reflect on the great waking up of this land we live on at this time. It seems that we have a creative waking up as our artists and creators prepare for the most creative time of the year.

All the island's creative energies are poured into the time between now and Candlemas..... we truly come alive.

In thinking about creating a tradition unique to us, I see this as the awakening time, when we are most in touch with the higher Creative power ....

I also see the period between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice as the Festival of Lights...... drawing from Divali and Christmas Lighting up traditions......

I do not know if the Caribbean Wheel of the year can relate to eight Sabbats. But we can definitely relate to the aligning of the Solstices and Equinoxes in the refining of our own Caribbean Tradition....

Any thoughts on this people? Anyone up for a debate?

IMBOLC

Sometimes you get so caught up in life that unless you have the barrage of media reminding you of a date, you may forget. Such is the case with IMBOLC and me, we have a shaky relationship.

While the majority of the Wiccan Community is celebrating the beginning of Spring....well...we have no spring here. So what exactly are we celebrating.

My analysis of this time when the Goddess' time is longer than the God's comes from the atmosphere around me at this time. I feel the creative energy. For us here in Trinidad, this manifests as Carnival, an outpouring of Creative spirit in song and costume. Creative venture are very much attached to the element AIR, the thought behind the venture, the idea on the astral level.

This gives it the colour Yellow for thought and orange for creativity.....

The Angel is Raphael, the runes are BEORK, ING and ANSUR, and the full moon approaching I had dubbed "Air Moon"

I also thought attention needed to be paid to the Dark Moon after the Air Moon, to be used to remove blocks associated with creativity. The God Bacchus has his energies ripe for us at this time, but as a release valve on any blocks or negative energies in the country. Bacchus pulls us back down to earth to remember to enjoy life, as it is a gift we are granted only for a time.

Local foods associated with this time are Bananas, oranges, citrus, peppers, pumpkin, eggs and fish. These associations are from the fruits whose energies are fruitful at this time, and also foods with the same symbolism. The Herbal Associations, and guide for inscence are lemon grass, lime bud , and mint. The Planets are Mars and Venus.

PLease understand that these are my considerations for this time as it relates to our island, and not found in any book etc, but are from careful consideration and meditation on the Sabbats.

If anyone has any comments on them, I will be happy to hear. Perhaps we can develop our own local Wiccan focus, and share with whoever comes to the Craft.

Winter Solstice

Sunday 21st December marks the Winter Solstice for 2008.Wiccans observe this event as a Yule. This night is the darkest and longest night of the year. It marks the end of the Dark Lord's rule, and the eventual coming of the Light. The Days begin to grow longer from here, and thre is an evetual evening out of the time when all is at balance. The traditional celebration for Yule includes most of the elements of Christmas, the tree, the witch globes (balls on the tree) and lights (converted to electricity...)The symbolism of the Green tree in the midst of winter is that death is soon replaced by life, Life (the force itself) never dies, but regenerates into other energies. The Balls on the tree are a symbol of the ever turning forces of the solar system (yes, the planets) and the lights, are individual souls on different branches of Life's entity....each soul sparkling with their own energies. Each decoration is a gift which we achieve from experiencing life.....whether it be a joy, a lesson, an experience......... The colours of Yule are Red - Passion, Vitality returningGreen --everlasting life and new growthSilver - Earth mysteries, spiritualityGold - Richness of Life returning, prosperity There is a tradition of storytelling Yuletides pass, the italian witches peak of BEFANA, a witch whch leaves a token and sweets in the children's stocking. These are a bit different to the gifts from Santa Claus. Befana's gifts are meant to belessons to encourage spiritual growth. Children may get something usefull, or something to jar their behaviour (rocks!) Families had a tradition of lighting a Yule log, using a bit of coal left over from last year's log. The eternal line of yule log fires light the hearth in the home. When the log had burnt, one bit of coal went into a box decorated with red and green...till next year. This marks the last Moon Cycle- in Caribbean Wicca its the end of the Sun Moon Cycle.....its time to herald the Sun Again....(dry season.....) and the powers of yellow........ Yule Blessings to you and your families.

Samhain Approaches

Its coming, the new start in the wheel of the year, Samhain. As a Wiccan, I have found that the Caribbean observance is a different thing. I usually observe the passing alone, quietly casting my circles and working on my goals.
Now, the spiritual lonliness has me reaching out to other like-mindd people for the purpose of sharing thoughts and ritual practices.

Why Wicca....because it speaks to what was lost. The sense of ancestry, of conforming with nature, of living in harmony with the land were are on. We seem to be fighting every step of the way. We fight the rain, the floods the landslides.... our mistreatment of the land leads to mistreatment of each other. The balance is no longer sought.

This time of the year marks the return to darkness, and by this I mean that the darker part of the 24 hour cylce is longer than the day. Our focus turns to the night...the illuminating powers of the moon and stars, and the energies they bring to the Craft.
Samhain, the veil thins, the dead and the living can reach out to each other, acknowledge the cycle and begin again. The dark time is one of reflection, of assesing ones purpose, of incubating in the womb, as the god is incubating in the womb of Mother Earth.
Wicca calls us to acknowledge both parts of ourselves, and intergrate them into a fuller, wholer person......
I practice privately, and I seek guidance from the ALL. This can only be found in sparks from the ALL...which can be sought in the gods and goddesses here on earth.

All I seek is community... online or otherwise.