 For
most, it may be just another Thursday. But for others, it's a
time of celebration, introspection, anticipation and Christmas
in June.
An unusual combination of
celestial factors make today - and tonight - a special one for
Pagans, Druids, Wiccans, traditional healers and many other
followers of non-mainstream faiths.
First, there's the eclipse this
afternoon - of fascination to all, but of particular
significance to Druids, as is the fact that Mars is currently
closer to the earth than it has been for a long time.
Duncan, a Gauteng-based Druid
initiated in Ireland, says: "This conjugation of planets,
together with the eclipse, makes it easier for us to create the
energy to make a doorway into other realms."
Duncan will be performing a
Janus ceremony, named after the two-faced Roman god and known as
a deity of nature, and thus intimately involved with both the
living and the dead.
"It's an ideal time to
communicate, to send or receive messages." Says Duncan, who
explains that there are many realms the learned can peer into,
depending on their wishes. Or a practitioner may concentrate on
a particular realm in order to lay down a spiritual pathway to
the future.
"For example, doing a Janus
rite now would be perfect if you have friends who are emigrating
- your energy could help make their move painless and
successful."
Having Mars so close -
relatively speaking - to the earth is thought by some to
encourage negative or aggressive energies, so Pagans in the
Eastern Cape are diverting this energy.
They will be spending the
evening cutting mistletoe, apparently abundant in the Knysna
region, and using it in a cleansing ceremony in the rivers of
Kwa-Zulu Natal as part of their solstice ceremonies.
But mistletoe means Christmas,
right? Well…. Sort of. Tonight sees the winter solstice, the
longest night of the year, the pre-dawn of spring and, for some,
the celebration of the birth of the Sun King. Sound familiar?
Donna Darkwolf Vos, high
priestess of Kali and advisor to the National Council of the
Pagan Federation of South Africa, explains: "It was a scary
time, winter time. Mid-winter - lean months. People needed
assurance that spring would come."
Meat would have been salted
months before - over Samhain, or Halloween, when domestic
animals too large to spend months in barns were slaughtered.
Corn, barley, fruits and vegetables would have been harvested
earlier in the year, but concern over whether the provisions
would last until warmer weather came was always strong.
There are no records as to when
humanity first became aware of the regularity of seasons, but it
is thought that Neolithic folk, who carved moon phases into
bone, may have been aware of the importance of solstices.
"The eclipse is not of
particular significance to Wiccan, as it is part of the
continuous dance between the planets," says Vos, "But
the solstice is a time, psychologically, of birth and creation
and new ideas.
"People could now look
forward, and find the strength to cope with the adversities of
winter with the assurance that a change was happening."
Wiccans and other Pagans will
celebrate by gathering and exchanging gifts, an adaptation of
the ancient Roman celebration of Saturnalia.
"It is all very symbolic.
The exchange of gifts symbolises celebration and a history of
sharing."
Some celebrants of yule, the
winter solstice, may have a yule tree or log. These days, given
the restrictions of modern living, a yule candle can also be
used.
The yule tree would be an
evergreen - and other evergreens such as mistletoe and holly
were considered special simply because they did not fall prey to
seasonal changes.
A yule log would be an oak log,
since oak is a symbol of strength and the tree of the Sun God.
"We were battling to find a
venue for our gathering." Smiles Vos, "because we
insisted on taking our tree along."
The yule tree, adopted and
adapted by Christians to become what we now know as the
Christmas tree, was originally decorated with fruit, berries and
nuts. If a yule log was burned instead - the flames heralding
the return of warmth and light - the ashes were saved, as was a
small section of the log to be used the following year.
The emphasis on new beginnings
is echoed in current New year's resolutions.
Winter solstice celebrations are
also part of the cultural heritage of Pakistan and Tibet. Native
Americans also celebrated winter solstice rites, again to herald
the ending of the cold season and the rebirth of a season of
growth and plenty.
Thousands of like-minded
individuals have gathered in Zambia for Solipse 2001, a
"ten-day festival to celebrate the first full solar eclipse
of the new millennium, a gathering of like-minded people to
share ideas and dreams, and to work together to have a more
positive impact on our planet and the people who live on
it".
Zambian officials are hoping to
attract more than 20 000 tourists for the eclipse.
Here at home, a group called
heal South Africa has planned a national minute of prayer to
coincide with the eclipse and the solstice.
For all Pagans, the new moon
tonight heralds an auspicious time to begin new projects and to
consider one's future.
Traditional healer Zina Duze
says: "We are very aware of the phases of the moon, since
our power comes from the moon.
"I collect particular
medicines, which are affected by lunar cycles, or perform
certain rituals, at a new or full moon.
Although she was not planning a
particular solstice ceremony, Duze said, "I know that
tomorrow night traditional healers from all across the country
will be lighting candles and combining their energies to reach
their various goals - a new moon is always powerful, but the
confluences tomorrow night mean the energies are that much
higher."
And even gardeners are smiling
at the thought of the approaching end of winter and the
colourful bursts and chlorophyll thrills that will follow.
John Gie, a garden care
specialist who adheres to no particular religion, says of the
solstice: "It's nice to have a date to look forward to as a
symbolic point of change.
"Our work as gardeners will
change as the season progresses, until we once again see gardens
in their ultimate colourful splendour."
John will be celebrating his
solstice year dj-ing at a karaoke bar - perhaps some people's
idea of a really long night.
But as Vos says, "We see
the world as something that was given to us to enjoy, not to
destroy.
"There is nothing wrong
with responsible hedonism. We are not los, we are explorers who
have a responsibility.
"People who honour the
earth and respect nature, even if they do not adhere to a
particular deity, are Pagan. Wicca is a very small religious
part of a larger Paganism, which does not revolve around a deity
0 Pagans see the divine in nature.
"There are many people,
particularly in Cape Town, who are living Pagan lives without
even thinking about it…"
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