A Star! A Star!

Shining in the night, it will bring us goodness and Light! It will bring us goodness and Light!

That was one of my favorite Christmas carols when I was a kid. Mostly because it was about the star heralding the arrival. Later, in university, I discovered that this is part of a birth myth for many Religious leaders. Lao Tsu, Buddha, Krishna, Jesus, Kokapelli...they all had a star or comet associated with their births. Makes one wonder if this isn't just code for "They are among us!" Ya, I know. Not the most original thought in the world....the great religious leaders were all aliens trying to wake humanity up so that we could join the intergalactic federation of planets.....so star warsy and star trecky.

But if it wasn't that, then what were they saying? Were the stars just aligned correctly for these particular births? Was is just that in order to make someone sound important in later texts they had to create some cosmic event to parallel the birth so that this person was one that "stood out amongst the rest"?

I don't know. I don't think anyone really knows. I happen to like stars of all kinds (well, other than Death Stars), so I utilize the image at my altar, in my home and definitely at Christmas. For me it is a reminder that beneath all the false humility that people pretend and play with, we are all a STAR!

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

Moments of Grace

"Within the sorrow, there is grace. When we come close to those things that break us down, we touch those things that also break us open." Wayne Muller.

At this time of year (Christmas) I always think about those who have lost loved ones. That is the most difficult part of the season. Not the shopping or the traffic or anything else that is just an annoyance. It is the deep sorrow of not having a loved one with us because they no longer walk this earth. It doesn't really matter how they left us. We know that they are in a better place, yes, as though that is any consolation for them not being here. What we miss is their hugs and their laughter and their quirks that make us laugh or shake our heads. This is a Spirit Energy Portrait of my grandmother, who died when I was quite young. You can see her profile (she is looking to the left) if you look closely enough.

What I often do to get through this myself, having lost a lot of family members over the last few years, is I light a candle and dedicate it to them. Unfortunately, I have a whole bank of tealights now. Although the circumstances may be difficult, it is also quite beautiful to have each person represented with light. After all, they have been embraced into the Light. This is just a small ritual. It is one that brings comfort to all those who are still here.

Many Warm Blessings

Trent

www.deerhornshamanic.com