Thanks, Jody. Another great article, with very grounded practical reminders.
What has helped me deal with the holiday season (which our European pagan ancestors celebrated as YULE), is remembering that (in the northern latitudes) this REALLY is the darkest and coldest time of the year, the time of retreating from the world and going inward. It's the time of year when, prior to electricity, and only a few generations back, people spent a LOT more time sleeping, resting and hibernating. The tradition of bringing evergreens into the house and worshipping them as a symbol of "life ever-lasting" sprung from the need to feed the hope that life would be renewed in spring, after the dark cold times ran their natural course.
The bizarre reversal of this natural order in our modern capitalism driven era, and the creation of a completely bizarre bunch of "traditions"--like shopping til you drop, and eating yourself silly with rich sweet gobs of food, is a truly insane and completely unnecessary stress-o-mania we have created for, and enforced upon, ourselves.
It is NOT what our bodies really need and crave during this time of year.
SO... my whole point is REVOLT against the dominant collective paradigm is where it's at, baby!



The only celebration I intend to have on the great mysterious solstice is to HUG a pine, or a spruce,

KISS my partner silly under the mistletoe,

and dance into our hibernating lair with him, wielding giant mugs of hot chai.