Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Winter Solstice and Celebrating "Great Pine Ceremony"

As the Winter Solstice approaches, December 22nd at 1:08 am, I am again in a time of preparation to celebrate traditionally in the way of my Grandmother's People, the T'saligi, the Ceremony of Great Pine.

Let me share this sacred time with you, through the words of my Elder, Grandmother Pa'Ris'Ha:



"Great Pine is the Trusted and the Guardian of the Creations of the Forest and her Children. They are like our Chiefs, who are the same for Human Relations. As the moment of the Winter Solstice arrives, Mother Earth pauses a second and sighs a sound of release and Grandfather Pine picks up the service she requires in this time. While all outer impressions say the Forest is silent and barren, only the ones with ears to see and eyes to hear [Editor’s note: yes, she did mean ears to see and eyes to hear (as this is truly how we perceive…] can hear the birthing of the coming Spring in these first movements of Winter!

"The sap or life source of the Pine Trees begins at the moment of the shift, the pause of motion, Mother's sigh of rest and the shortest day when we are the farthest away from Nunda - The Sun - when the longest night of the Cycle begins. Such a powerful time!

"Out of the day of greater darkness, we are given the new life of Spring and birth. The Great Pines awaken the Forest to the upcoming days when all will come forth with their new garments of bright colors and flora. The Silence of Winter is loud and clear.

"It is a time for us to show our love and consideration. We make our determinations of what we want to accomplish with this new Cycle. Our time of introspection is a time of trustworthiness. A time of forgiveness. A time of healing. A time to make right relationships. We spend time making the Pahos, prayer ornaments - an ornament that has the vision we are seeking to fulfill. Each color and shape has purpose and direction. It is the object of our intentions - the object of our celebration for all that has been and is yet to come."
©2001 Pa’Ris’Ha. All rights reserved

(for more about Grandmother, visit www.parishaonline.com)

May all my friends and family know the joy and peace of this season.

Love
Deb

©2008 Deborah Adler. All rights reserved.

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