STAGES OF ASCENTION

© 2026 all rights reserved C.S. Roberts

Birth. We are born with all knowledge. We spring from the Akashic Nothing/Everything. We know why you came here.

We are then Reprogramed to be “human”. Those around us, family, friends, society, town/city/village, county, country make sure that we learn what is and is not acceptable…to them. Our Akashic information recedes to make room for all our new programing.

School.  We enter a phase of being schooled in what society as a whole, wants us to know, think, act, be. Our perceived life path is presented to us and browbeat into us so that we forget that we have choices. We have agency. We have sovereignty…all that information is well kept in the shadows. Waiting, patiently for us to remember and, possibly reclaim. Until then, we grow as we think we are meant to. We accomplish the goals set for us, within our perceived boundaries. Our “cant’s and don’ts” become our boundaries that limit our achievements and we are proud that we have met these goals. We have lived both up to and down to them and family either applauds or shake their heads and ask why not. We feel the responses and either give up or we try again.

Enlightenment. Here, if we have begun to realize what is really going on, our life lessons (You know, those mistakes that make us want to give up or want to go back and fix) begin to stick with us. We embrace awareness and, often, we become consciously aware of this and strive to see our pitfalls BEFORE we make them for the umpth time. Here, we are ready for our next leveling up.

Realization. At this stage we come to the understanding that we are not and never were just what we see in the mirror. We are much more. In actuality, we are a human self, overshadowing our Higher Self. Some call it a Divine Self, some call it a Star Self, but they are all the same thing. At this stage of things, we begin to reconnect to our Higer Self, Our Origin, that from whence we came. This Higher remembering brings us to our next big challenge.

Our Crucible. Just as in metallurgy, our crucible stage burns away all our dross. These are the impurities of body, mind and spirit that include everything that no longer serves our highest good and best outcome. Here is where we willingly embrace and participate in our own letting go. Before, things and people were taken from us in what seemed then to be random, unexpected events. However, at this stage in our Ascension, we realize exactly what and why this is happening. The freedom and uplifted response in our biology that we receive by this letting go causes us to look deeper into our selves for those things that are weighing us down and/or holding us back.

These things usually consist of old programing, ideas, feelings, false perceptions about everything, most especially us and our failings. Now at this stage, surprise, surprise, we find those things we thought we had defeated earlier. Here we see those particular illusions from a higher perspective and are better able to face them down and allow that final letting go.  We see through the illusions of all of this and from this higher vantage point, begin to perceive the actual cosmic truth.

Ascension. At this point in the process (remember here that though I am speaking to everyone in general, your timeline for this is yours. You may find you are alone in strange ways but at this   it all, you actually prefer this) we embrace and fully immerse ourselves in merging with our Star/Higher Self. Just as our thoughts, emotions, perceptions and mind-streams have elevated, so will our DNA as our Higher Mind kicks in. Our brain starts to become reconfigured to understand our higher vibrational concepts and perceptions. Our insights become clearer and more focused, and we begin to attract more like-minded and higher vibrational people. We all become way-showers for each other. Our conversations give new, higher-level perceptions and understandings to each other that raise the group even more. While this grows, we soon realize that we are letting go of our old world. We are entering the state of the Divine Don’t Give a Damn and we stop absorbing the lower fibrational world views with all that involves and that is just fine.

Here we begin repackaging our life. We get rid of “stuff” it still may hold significance for us but, it is now seen for what it really is, an old anchor. We can find a better home for it that makes your higher self (heart/mind) peaceful and happy. We are regrouping, nesting in reverse. We start to recognize new signs and patterns, we can now hear and see things (like false drama, artifice, and all our old, hurtful anchors, toxic empathy (in yourself as well as in others) for what they truly are. We also begin to recognize this letting go in others in our life and stop feeling hurt or upset by it. They have their process too and this is wonderful for them.

We now embrace changes that on the outside seem catastrophic but are, in truth, our Highest Good and Best Outcome and we great them with appreciation and gratitude. We desire less and less false stimulation like drugs, alcohol, false business, drama etc. and you crave more quiet, peace and introspection.  

We recognize our “perceived disabilities and impediments for what they were and are. They were and are tools for our own personal journey into and through the understanding of both ourself and those around us. We had to learn to live our lives despite them. We had to learn how to adapt, think and push through and make things work for us and, on this side of understanding, we are grateful for them. The big freedom here is we are no longer feeling either the guilt or shame that was probably associated with them in our lower vibrational life.

[To help clarify this point of you are wondering. My challenges were/are OCD and dyslexia. The OCD was me trying to find/create some control in a growing up environment where I had none. It was used to stay (looking) busy, to be pleasing to those people in charge of me at any given moment. It was a survival method that became an ingrown, programed habit until I had the awakening that I AM control, there is now and never was the need to find it. The Dyslexia stemmed from early confusion of conflicting information that rewired my thought processes. Should’s, couldn’ts and what will be tolerated VS how I really felt/thought and knew I could do. These taught me other ways to cope and deal with life. In the long run, I can now understand and help others. Get how that works?]

At this higher-level self-sacrifice NOW means the sacrifice of our lower self into the Higher Self, rather than to our detriment. Understand that I mean the two JOIN TOGETHER to work to our betterment and higher conscious awareness and understanding. Ther is no loss of anything except that which no longer serves our Highest Good and Best Outcome. When this happens, we crave only real truth, beauty and goodness. That deep visceral kind not the artificial stuff that is everywhere around us. The manipulation of humanity is abhorrent to us and the need/desire to explain ourself shrivels and dissolves.

For now, this is as far as my understanding and ability to parse it out goes. I hope you have found some light, some understanding here. I wish you well in your journey and remind you to always Do Peace, Be Love.

To Your Highest Good and Best Outcome, C. S. Roberts

 

 

 

 

 

From the Walk for Peace from Fort Worth Texas to Washington DC. by the Venerable Monks in 2026.  

IF YOU DON'T PICK IT UP, IT'S NOT YOURS (to carry). IT STAYS WITH THE OTHER PERSON. The Venerable Monks

 

LOVE & LIGHT VS FEAR & HATE

                                                                 © C/ S. Roberts 2/6/2026

The opposite of LOVE is fear and fear breeds hate and hate breeds darkness. LOVE is born of LIGHT and LIGHT defeats darkness every time. LIGHT IS NOT DEMINISHED IN THE SHARING SO SHINE AND SHARE!! C. S. Roberts

 

                                  

                          

                          

               UNITY CONSCIOUS/NON-DUALITY

                              © C. S. Roberts 2/6/2026

 I was asked an interesting question the other day by more than one person. "What do you think about Unity and non-duality?" And after some consideration I tell you that I am fascinated by the concept of the non-local, non-duality of both the cosmos and the mind. In my opinion, they are the same thing. I figure, if there is only oneness, then, there is only oneness. The connection to Unity Consciousness/non-duality is a powerful unifying force for me. 

When I do my astral work, I can connect to that Universal oneness, and because I am never really separated from it (except when I fall back into that fallacy that they are separate), my mission becomes effortless.

Building on this concept, I connect to it before anything else I do, before I teach a class, before I walk out my door, before I clean the house and before I sit down to write. What has happened is that it is such a habit for me that I find that it is affecting everything and everyone around me. Drawing into Unity/ non-duality (consciousness) is happening everywhere, more and more and it is my hope that conversations like this spread it even more.

Most people, until they learn better, live in the mindset of the illusion that all is separate and solid. However, the truth of it is that EVERYTHING is only vibrational interpretations that are translated through our senses. The things we think, see, and feel are only frequencies of different strengths, lengths and shapes that have been assigned different names, so people see them as things. Yes, thoughts, like sound and resonances are nothing more than frequency and they are not different from who is thinking them. By labeling them as things, such as, tables, animals, buildings etc., we all see that thing when we hear the name.

Resonance toning is the standard around sound body healing. This is a basic principle called entrainment that affects everything all the time. If humanity, is “off” (out of alignment) then the planet (or realm) is also. Just as our bodies resonate with rhythms, tones and frequencies, so does everything else in their vicinity.

Matter, like music is organized by wave forms and their frequencies. These follow complex geometric patterns such as square, rectangular, triangular, sawtooth and sine wave patterns that create a sympathetic relationship between the seen and the unseen. This is a profound effect we know as resonance. This is why the As Above, So Below concept is so powerful because as one resonates, so the other entrains and thus, we coexist. It’s called sympathetic magic because like calls like.  

This comes to symbolize balance, wholeness, harmony and completion. It reminds us at all needs balance to stay connected properly in order to work well.

This concept both represents and facilitates the divine or higher plain merging with the physical or mundane plain. This assists in the raising of all frequencies to their higher good and best outcome.

As you become aware of this as the truth of where you are and that is actually around you and at your disposal, you are put on notice to make sure that all is in alignment, so that your abilities in using resonance toning and sound healing to help yourself and others can increase. As you use this and become adept at it you may experience  the dissolution of all falsehoods as well as enhance your ability to see truth clearly. This can also help develop the ability to be seen or to be unseen as you require within the scope of your life choices.  As you become more aware of your personal entrainment with higher frequencies sympathetic magic, movement and emotions and your ability to merge with your desires will increase.

I hope this has answered questions and brought to life what which you may have only vaguely felt was possible. As you raise your personal frequency the universe will meet and assist you.  

Bright Blessings. C. S. Roberts

 

                                HATE AND FIRE

                                     ARE BOTH

                           FOUR LETTER WORDS

                                     C. S. Roberts, 2026 all rights reserved                                                      

 

Like arson hate begins as a targeted thing.  But, like a wildfire, hate will spread until it consumes the innocent. Like fire, hate often overtakes unintentional targets. Let’s talk about that.

Hate usually chooses a target while natural Fire does not choose.

Hate grows and spreads, so does Fire.

Hate causes flashovers that consume all it can devour as does Fire.

Hate will suck all the oxygen in the area so that bad decisions are made, Fire does that too.

Hate will smolder as does Fire, making both easy to restart. Once hate becomes its own, living thing, it too no longer chooses.

Hate’s intense, deep-seated biases and prejudices are the feelings that fuel the fires of this too often unrestrained emotion. It is driven by anger, contempt and disgust for anything or anyone that is perceived as different. These things can be a lifestyle, a belief, an action (usually misunderstood, misinterpreted or an unfounded assumption.) All of this is usually drawn from someone’s past. Whether born of abuse, manipulation, a toxic environment or devaluation, the stage is set for those persons to attack from their damaged past. Some folks realize this and strive to become better people but, more and more often, they do not.

To try to make themselves feel better they strike out in much the same way they were hurt in the first place, quite frequently not even realizing exactly what they are doing or why they are doing it. Soon, they meet others of like mind and heart, thus the smoldering embers of resentment burst into a conflagration of ugliness that will soon burst into the flames of unbridled hatred. As their coalition grows, the flames (of hatred) get hotter and less controlled.  This is as large a problem as a raging wildfire bent on consuming as much acreage as possible. It doesn’t choose what or where it burns, it just consumes. Hatred does the exact same thing. It is a conflagration of the mind, of the heart and, here’s the clencher, it also destroys the vessel in which it is housed. That vessel being you, the person holding all that hate.

This brings us to the question of how to stem the rampant spread of the stuff. With fire it is a relatively easy thing to remove one or more of the things that keep it going, fuel, oxygen and/or heat. With hate it becomes a very personal battle.

The dissolving of this oh so toxic emotion starts from within, down deep where it first began. Hate is not an emotion that is born with us, it is taught. This damaging lesson is brought about by many different things such as how we are treated as well as what we hear and see as children. The treatment we endure as we become thinking people. What we see as love. If we grow up in a hurtful, malignant unhealthy environment we can be deeply damaged.

The initial damage is not truly on us, however, to grow and learn enough to realize that it was such is, most definitely ours to recognize and do something about. From our deepest heart and mind most of us feel that something is not right, something is off and needs looking into. This is where healing starts because once you become consciously aware of these things, you CANNOT become unaware of them. Your job then is to figure out what is going on. Aks yourself where it came from and why do you think you hold on to it. Does it make you feel better to hurt others? Does it give you a sense of control? A sense of power over someone you see as less than? If so, I strongly suggest you find a therapist to help you see how to heal those feelings. Why? Because they breed hatred.

Here are some guidelines to give you some ideas of how to help yourself and turn the broken parts into healthy, helpful thoughts and actions. WARNING; DON’T TRY ALL OF THESE AT ONCE. You will overwhelm yourself and fail. Take what time you need. You didn’t get in this situation overnight, you can’t solve it quickly.

As I said in the paragraph before this one, Educate yourself about you. Go ahead and ask yourself the hard questions. Pull your demons (kicking and screaming) into the light, that’s where they dissolve. Is it painful? Yes, AND it is healing because once you realize you aren’t alone in what feels like a hole you can’t get out of, you start to see light where you thought there wasn’t any.

Learn compassion and true caring for yourself as the miracle of life that you are. Most of us (especially women) were taught self- deprecation and to always put ourselves last in all things. How familiar is this, “Take care of your family first and then, if you have anything left, take care of you.” I tell you here that you can’t serve from an empty vessel. You MUST fill yourself so that you have strength and stamina for others. If you feel good about you, then this feeling shines out to others. Learn gratitude and appreciation for all that you have and all that you are. This lifts your spirits and the spirits of everyone around you. This positivity and gratitude crowd out feelings of resentment, jealousy and envy which are the building block of hate. Practice mindfulness about everything you do. Being mindful focused on good things rather than things that make you feel anxious.

Own your mistakes and learn from them. That is how we, as thinking people grow, learn better and do better. Without mistakes we would never know what went wrong in any given scenario. Own what is yours and don’t try to blame others. Blaming others is a sure way not to learn anything.

STOP DOOM SCROLLONG

Next, look long and hard at your personal biases and prejudices. Understand that these are learned behaviors. Anything learned can be unlearned, redirected and retrained, therefore, retrain yourself. This works because, if you understand others and why they are different, they aren’t seen as an obstacle to your safety and happiness. Learn about other cultures and their traditional behaviors as well as their learned ones. Just because we are different colors, have different religions, different celebrations, ways of dressing and different outlooks do NOT make us enemies. Consider this, we celebrate divergence and differences in other species, why not our own. Without them we would be extremely boring.

Teach kindness and discuss the rightness of allowing others to be themselves. It isn’t your job to control the world. All you have to control is you.

As you accomplish these steps you will be another mechanism in the ongoing effort to cool hatred, calm fear and restore peace and sanity to a very troubled species, the human race.

Do Peace, Be Love.

 

                                

 

 

 

 

                                   THE JULBOCKEN

                      Researched and copied from resources I take no credit                                        

The Yule goat's origins go back to ancient Pagan festivals. While a popular theory is that the celebration of the goat is connected to worship of the Norse god Thor, who rode the sky in a chariot drawn by two goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr, it goes back to common Indo-European beliefs. The last sheaf of grain bundled in the harvest was credited with magical properties as the spirit of the harvest and saved for the Yule celebrations, called among other things Yule goat (Julbocken).

This connects to ancient proto-Slavic beliefs where the Koliada (Yule) festival honors the god of the fertile sun and the harvest. This god, Devac (also known as Dazbog or Dažbog), was represented by a white goat, consequently the Koliada festivals always had a person dressed as a goat, often demanding offerings in the form of presents. A man-sized goat figure is known from 11th-century remembrances of Childermas, where it was led by a man dressed as Saint Nicholas, symbolizing his control over the Devil.

Other traditions are possibly related to the sheaf of corn called the Yule goat. In Sweden, people regarded the Yule goat as an invisible spirit that would appear some time before Christmas to make sure that the Yule preparations were done right. Objects made out of straw or roughly-hewn wood could also be called the Yule goat, and in older Scandinavian society a popular Christmas prank was to place this Yule goat in a neighbour's house without them noticing; the family successfully pranked had to get rid of it in the same way.

The function of the Yule goat has differed throughout the ages. In a Scandinavian custom similar to the English tradition of wassailing, held at either Christmas or Epiphany, young men in costumes would walk between houses singing songs, enacting plays and performing pranks. This tradition is known from the 17th century and still continue in certain areas. The group of Christmas characters would often include the Yule goat, a rowdy and sometimes scary creature demanding gifts.

A 19th century Christmas card

God Jul by Jenny Nyström.

During the 19th century the Yule goat's role all over Scandinavia shifted towards becoming the giver of Christmas gifts, with one of the men in the family dressing up as the Yule goat. In this, there might be a relation to Santa Claus and the Yule goat's origin in the medieval celebrations of Saint Nicholas. The goat was then replaced by the jultomte (Father Christmas/Santa Claus) or julenisse during the second half of the 19th century and early 20th century, although he is still called the Joulupukki (Yule goat) in Finland, and the tradition of the man-sized goat disappeared.The modern Yule goat

A Swedish Gävle goat (Gävlebocken).

The Yule goat in Nordic countries today is best known as a Christmas ornament. This modern version of the Yule goat figure is a decorative goat made out of straw and bound with red ribbons, a popular Christmas ornament often found under or on the Christmas tree. Large versions of this ornament are frequently erected in towns and cities around Christmas time – a tradition started with the Gävle goat in the 1960s. 

 

 

                         

                        YULETIDE CELEBRATIONS

                           C. S. Roberts and multiple sources

We celebrate Yuletide. It originally began way back in the day when I wanted to celebrate Yule instead of Christmas in order to learn more about and embrace that part of my heritage.

From the sagas, we encounter the terms jólablót (Yule sacrifice) and midvinterblót (Midwinter sacrifice), prompting a scholarly puzzle—whether they represent the same observance or distinct rituals. While caution prevails among scholars, I lean towards viewing them as synonymous. We also know Yule wasn’t always twelve days long. Today, the high holy tide is celebrated for twelve days. Whether this was because in some areas it was celebrated for that long originally or was perhaps some odd creation that came from blending old pagan time-keeping methods and calendars with the modern ones together the end result is the same. In contemporary times, the Yuletide is commonly observed by Pagans and Heathens from around December 20 to December 31, although variations exist. Many choose this period to align their rites with the astronomical winter solstice for simplicity. However, historical accounts, such as those from the German missionary Thietmar of Merseburg (born 975 – a xdied 1018 CE), reveal that in Denmark, Yule was situated in the month of January, even after the country's official conversion to Christianity several decades earlier.

It is customary NO work is done during this time; however, we are not offered this luxury in modern times.

MOTHER’S NIGHT – THE START OF YULE

Mother's Night, or Modraniht in Old English, is an ancient Germanic celebration held on the eve of the winter solstice, marking the beginning of Yule. It's dedicated to honoring the Matronae, ancestral mothers and goddesses. This tradition has historical roots among Germanic tribes, including the Anglo-Saxons. Mother's Night is considered a time to express gratitude to maternal figures and seek blessings for the upcoming year. It serves as the precursor to the twelve days of Yule, a festival observed during the winter solstice.

Mother's Night is associated with the female divine forces, symbolizing fertility, protection, and ancestral ties. It was a time when communities gathered to pay homage to their female ancestors, seeking their guidance and blessings. Offerings, prayers, and feasts were common during this celebration.

With the arrival of Christianity, Mother's Night became intertwined with Christmas Eve in some regions, adapting to the new religious context. Despite this, traces of the original pagan customs persisted, blending with Christian traditions. 

Yule, following Mother's Night, typically spans twelve days, each day representing a month of the year. It was a time for feasting, gift-giving, and various customs, contributing to the festive spirit during the darkest days of winter.

While Mother's Night may not be widely celebrated in contemporary times, it holds historical significance as part of the rich tapestry of winter solstice traditions and the cultural heritage of Germanic peoples.

THE END OF YULE – TWELFTH NIGHT & THE WASSAILING TRADITION

Twelfth Night marks the conclusion of the Yuletide season and falls between January 1st and 6th, depending on the tradition. It's the final night of the Twelve Days of Yule, culminating in festive celebrations.

One notable tradition associated with Twelfth Night is wassailing. Wassailing involves toasting and celebrating the health and prosperity of orchards and fields. Participants often move from tree to tree, singing songs and offering blessings to ensure a bountiful harvest in the coming year. The term "wassail" itself originates from the Old English phrase "Waes hael," meaning "be well" or "good health."

Wassailers typically carry a bowl of spiced ale or mulled cider, known as the wassail bowl, and pour some of it at the roots of the trees or on the ground. This act is symbolic of sharing good fortune with the land and encouraging fertility. The remaining drink is consumed by the participants, fostering a sense of community and camaraderie.

Twelfth Night is also associated with various customs, including the removal of Christmas decorations and the Twelfth Night cake, which might contain a hidden bean or pea. Finding the hidden item in the cake traditionally brings luck or designates the "Lord" or "Queen" of the night's festivities.

Overall, Twelfth Night, with its wassailing tradition and other customs, serves as a lively and symbolic conclusion to the Yuletide season, blending both ancient and more recent festive practices.

THE ‘MEAT’ ~ ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS

The Coming Light, Fire and the Yule Log:

While bonfires are commonly associated with solstice celebrations, in the Northern Tradition, there are unique folk customs involving the yule log and the ashen faggot, particularly in modern England. The ashen faggot consists of bundled branches burned in lieu of a traditional yule log.

BONFIRES hold significance in Yuletide celebrations for several reasons, rooted in both historical and symbolic elements.

Winter Solstice Celebration: Yule marks the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. Bonfires are lit to symbolize the triumph of light over darkness as the days begin to lengthen after this point. The fire represents the sun's returning strength, bringing hope and renewal.

Pagan Traditions: In ancient pagan traditions, especially among Germanic and Norse cultures, Yule was a festival celebrating the Wild Hunt, a supernatural event led by deities or spirits. Bonfires were lit to ward off evil spirits, ensuring protection during the darker months and inviting the return of light.

Cleansing and Purification: Fire is often associated with purification and cleansing. Lighting bonfires during Yule is a symbolic act of purifying the old and welcoming the new. It represents a fresh start and the cleansing of negative energies.

Community and Unity: Yuletide bonfires historically brought communities together. People gathered around the warmth of the fire, fostering a sense of unity and shared celebration during the cold winter nights. The communal aspect of bonfires strengthens social bonds.

Continuation of Ancient Customs: The tradition of Yuletide bonfires has persisted through the ages, adapting to various cultural and religious shifts. Even as Christmas replaced many pagan practices, the use of fire in celebrations endured, connecting modern festivities with ancient roots.

In essence, Yuletide bonfires serve as a powerful symbol of light, warmth, and community, reflecting both the cyclical nature of the seasons and the enduring human desire for hope and connection during the darkest time of the year.

YULE LOGS have a rich history and hold significance in Yuletide celebrations for various cultural and symbolic reasons:

Pagan Origins: The tradition of burning a Yule log has pagan roots, particularly in Germanic and Norse cultures. The log symbolizes the sun, and burning it during the winter solstice represents the triumph of light over darkness, with the promise of longer days ahead.

A Symbol of Life and Renewal: The Yule log is often chosen from a tree that represents life and vitality. Burning the log is a symbolic act of releasing the stored energy of the tree, allowing it to be transformed into warmth and light. This process signifies the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.

Warding off Evil Spirits: In medieval times, it was believed that the Yule log had the power to ward off evil spirits and bring protection to the household. The act of burning the log was seen as a way to ensure good fortune in the coming year.

Continuity and Tradition: The Yule log is often selected with care, and a small piece of the previous year's log is sometimes kept to kindle the new log. This continuity symbolizes the cyclical nature of the seasons and the connection between past, present, and future generations.

Feasting and Celebration: The Yule log burning was accompanied by feasting and merriment. Families and communities would gather around the hearth, sharing stories and celebrating the return of the sun's light.

Christian Adaptation: As Christianity spread, the Yule log tradition was adapted into Christmas celebrations. Some would place a large log in the fireplace, while others would create a smaller version, often made of wood or even cake, to be burned ceremonially.

The Yule log is a powerful symbol of the winter solstice, embodying themes of light, life, and continuity. Its burning is a ritualistic and festive practice that connects people to ancient traditions and the cyclical nature of the seasons.

LIGHT holds profound significance in Yuletide celebrations, rooted in both historical and symbolic contexts:

Winter Solstice Symbolism: Yuletide marks the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. The use of lights, including candles and fires, symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness as the days gradually lengthen. This is a powerful metaphor for hope, renewal, and the promise of brighter days.

Pagan Traditions: In pagan traditions, especially among Germanic and Norse cultures, the Yule festival was a time to celebrate the Wild Hunt and the return of the sun's strength. Lighting candles and fires during this period was believed to aid the sun's renewal, ward off evil spirits, and ensure protection during the dark winter months.

Christian Adaptation: As Christianity spread, it incorporated various pagan customs into its celebrations. The symbolism of light, representing the arrival of Christ as the "Light of the World," became integral to Christmas traditions. The lighting of candles on an Advent wreath and the use of lights in Christmas decorations continue this tradition.

Saint Lucia’s Day: The pre-Christian practice of bringing light to the darkest night is seen in Saint Lucia’s Day. Celebrated in various cultures, this day involves the use of candles and lights to honor Saint Lucia, embodying the theme of spreading light during the longest night.

Decorative Illumination: Beyond symbolism, Yuletide lights contribute to the festive atmosphere. Decorative lights, both indoors and outdoors, create a warm and celebratory ambiance, fostering a sense of joy, community, and togetherness.

Candle Traditions: Specific candle rituals, such as the Advent candles or the lighting of the menorah in Hanukkah celebrations, have become integral to Yuletide customs. Each candle lit represents different aspects of the season, adding layers of meaning and tradition.

In essence, the importance of light in Yuletide celebrations spans cultural, religious, and historical dimensions. It encapsulates themes of hope, renewal, and the enduring human desire to find warmth and illumination during the coldest and darkest time of the year.

Some Heathens, though not a practice I personally follow, observe a ritual structure as outlined below (variations exist, with some emphasizing different gods on different nights rather than virtues):

1 ~ Mother’s Night

2 ~ The Winter Solstice/Yule

3 ~ Virtue – Courage

4 ~ Virtue – Truth

5 ~ Virtue – Honor

6 ~ Virtue – Fidelity

7 ~ Virtue – Hospitality

8 ~ Virtue – Discipline

9 ~ Virtue – Industriousness

10 ~ Virtue – Self-Reliance

11 ~ Virtue – Perseverance

12 ~ Twelfth Night

I choose to celebrate the following:

1 ~ Mother’s Night

2 ~ Yule

3 ~ Earth ~ the Element & Freyr (prosperity, sunlight, fertility of the land), Freyja (love, beauty, fertility), Sif (fertility, the Earth, guardian of family), Nerthus (fertility, the Earth, agriculture), Gefjon (fertility, plowing, agriculture), and Gerðr (beauty, the Earth).

4 ~ Air ~ the Element & Sunna/Sól (personification of the Sun), Máni (personification of the Moon), Dagr (personification of day), Nótt (personification of night)

5 ~ Fire ~ the Element & Loki (associated with fire), Surtr (fire giant), Bragi (passionate God of poetry and eloquence)

6 ~ Water ~ the Element & Ægir ) associated with the ocean & sea), Rán (associated with the more unpredictable and dangerous aspects of the ocean), Rán's Daughters/Nine Wave Maidens (associated with the ocean's beauty and allure), Jörmungandr (the Midgard Serpent)

7 ~ Ancestors. Night PJ/Movie Night, when the children were young, we used to let them open one gift each (PJs) and then one gift the family would enjoy together (movie). We look thru photographs and watch family videos.

8 ~ Healing ~ Eir (associated with healing and medicinal arts), Mímir (knowledgeable of medicinal herbs and remedies), Thor (protector for the health of a community), Sága (associated with history and storytelling = mental health) Cookie Night, make and deliver cookies to friends and family.

9 ~ Norns ~ Urd/Wyrd (associated with the past), Verdandi, (associated with the present), Skuld, (governs the future)

10 ~ Wintertide ~ Skadi (associated with winter, mountains, and skiing), Kári (associated with the wind). Ornament Night, when the boys were small we used to make ornaments for our friends and family)

11 ~ Álfar ~ Dökkálfar (Dark Elves), Ljósálfar (Light Elves), Magickal Creatures (Dwarves ~ skilled magickal craftsmen, Hulder ~ female forest spirits, Níðhöggr ~ dragon, Valkyries, Fylgja ~ supernatural entity or spirit associated with an individual, Nokk ~ water spirit known for its ability to shape-shift and often appearing as a horse

12 ~ Twelfth Night

I hope this gives you incentive to embrace the true meaning of the season!