As promised we present our Advent post.
The work below is similar to that which we have performed in previous years during the Advent Season. Should you wish to accompany us on this years Advent journey, you will be most welcome.
We understand that many of you will not wish to follow a traditional Christian path asking: “What has Advent to do with me?” Our focus here is upon a ‘Spiritual Advent’, which can be practiced/performed by those from any tradition.
Those who wish to make the Solstice their focal point, will need to begin working during the week beginning 25th November, so as to have four clear weeks in which to reach completion. Those who wish to retain the four Advent Sundays will need to start the work on Sunday 1st December.
Advent means ‘coming’. It is an anglicised version of the latin adventus, which is in turn a translation of the Greek word parousia, meaning presence or arrival.
The ‘Christian Season of Advent’ marks the anticipation of the Coming of the Birth of Jesus Christ/the Christ Child. We do well to remember that Christianity is just over 2000 years old, whereas the ‘Winter Solstice’ marking the darkest time and the rebirth of the sun, has been celebrated for much longer. Whether Odinist or Roman Catholic, you cannot fail to find significance in the joy of anticipation which exists during this season. Devotional types may pick out a singular theme to work with, we at SRTB will be taking a Noetic multi layered approach, which encompasses the Solar/land cycle, World Teacher/Logos & Transpersonal elements.
The Advent Season marks the rebirth or renewal of the Indwelling Light (the Light/Christ within us.) The birth of Sol Invictus/the Golden Child. The Descent of Sophia/the sacrifice of spirit into matter & the Sun cycle at Midwinter, with its anticipation & preparation of the feasting & celebrating, before the lean, hard times. For as the light is rekindled the worst weather is yet to come.
Several years ago we devised the following work, constructing altars & spending each evening in meditation, reflecting upon the meaning of the season; its significance both esoteric & exoteric. It was a powerful experience which enhanced our understanding of Advent.
If you plan to work outside of the Advent Sunday cycle, adjust the dates in accordance with your tradition or preference. From experience we feel it is more productive to begin the work on a particular day and then perform the next part of the work on the same day during the following week and so on. The concluding work being done on Solstice itself; most importantly there needs to be 4 candle/theme meditation periods before the 21st, with the central candle being lit on that date.
The themes for the work are HOPE, LOVE, JOY, PEACE. These are not just aspects of our lives, they are embodied qualities of the archetype, being or energy, whose coming is anticipated. You may wish to work with those deities, elements, archangels, evangelists, elemental kings, etc. which correspond to each of the four themes.
Schedule: (following traditional Advent Sundays)
Light incense of your choice at the start of each session i.e. (Frankincense, Pine, Myrrh etc). For those allergic to incense replace with an acceptable substitute.
Sunday 1st December light candle 1 Meditate/Reflect upon HOPE
Sunday 8th December light candle 2 Meditate/Reflect upon LOVE
Sunday 15th December light candle 3 Meditate/Reflect upon JOY
Sunday 22nd December light candle 4 Meditate/Reflect upon PEACE
Tuesday 24th December light candle 5 Meditate/Reflect upon ARRIVAL
Once lit allow your candle/T-light to burn for five minutes minimum. Each week you will need to light the next candle from the preceding one, increasing the number of lit candles so as to symbolically increase the light. At Solstice/Christmas Eve you will end the work with all five candles burning.
We at this stage engage in a communion to mark the moment of arrival.
The candles may be of one colour OR you may use the 3 + 1 system with the 3rd candle being different. The central candle (5) can differ in appearance from the others i e. a votive, vigil candle or a lamp etc.
Our work here concentrates on the more spiritual aspects of the Season. It is regrettable that in our more secular society, the advent calendar has become a countdown to the arrival of the ‘gift giver’ and the number of shopping days left till Christmas!
Wishing you all Light & Love
SRTB
Sang Rouge Terre Blanc 
Thank you so much for this beautifully daring and inspiring post. The work of understanding seemingly contrasting spiritualities through shared archetypal forms is so important now, and as ever, you have delivered beautifully. I will work with your advent candle meditations this season as I construct my Christmas altar. It’s refreshing to hear your wisdom and I look forward to tuning in for more! 🙂 Welcome back.
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Thank you, as ever, for your very kind remarks. We really do appreciate such comments and find them very encouraging. Quite agree with your sentiments on the need to understand “seemingly contrasting spiritualities” too.
Sally, we don’t know if you are planning your Advent schedule to culminate at the Winter Solstice or on Christmas Eve. We’re assuming, particularly following events at Samhain, that you will be following the cycle of Advent Sundays ending on the 24th December. That’s the schedule we ourselves will follow this year. If you are agreeable, perhaps we could ‘connect across the aether’, as far as our Advent celebrations go. There’s no need to do this at any set time, but as we are engaging in our celebrations on the Sundays, we could just bring each other to mind for a few moments. This way we will know that we are all performing the same candle lighting and theme meditations, and are sharing in the joy and anticipation of Advent. Let us know what you think.
Holland & Flannery, SRTB.
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Hello, thanks for your comments 🙂 Yes, I’d really love to link in for the advent meditations, please. It’ll be a transformative experience and helpful to know that we’re working together. I’ve got some friends who will be linking in too. I’ll send you a pic of my altar when it’s made.
This documentary on CS Lewis http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/bigscreen/tv/episode/b03jrw5j/ and dramatisation of his conversation with Tolkein http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzBT39gx-TE are very inspiring on the theme of understanding seemingly contrasting spiritualities. I’ll be posting some thoughts around this soon. Happy Advent!
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Wonderful! Thank you for the links as well, both of us here are admirers of CS Lewis. Radio 4 recently did an audio adaptation of The Screwtape Letters for the Book of the Week.
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Ooh thanks, that’s good to know, I’ll see if I can still listen to it. 🙂
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Reblogged this on Articles, Advice and More and commented:
One of my favorite blogs (there are so many!) – But I just love this message and wanted to share. – thanks H&F
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Thank you for your kind comments. We’re really pleased you enjoyed our Advent post and we’re very flattered that you thought it worthy of a reblog! Blessings to you LJ.
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it was my pleasure to both read and reblog. blessings to you all.
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Hello! I’ve been reading through your blog, and it is really very informative, and well thought you out. Thank you for liking a couple of my posts on my tiny little blog, hopefully I could help provide a little light on the path that I am also walking.
It seems our paths line up fairly well, as I read through this blog. Very good stuff here.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
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Thank you for your very kind comments, they are very much appreciated. We ourselves have a background in Qabbalah study, Ritual Magick and Tarot. This is reflected more in our forthcoming magickal preliminary course, than it is perhaps here on our blog. You’re developing an enjoyable and informative blog over there and we certainly look forward to making further visits and reading future posts. Keep it up! Blessings to you swordofserpents.
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Pingback: Advent – HOPE | Inner Nature
Thanks for visiting my blog! I wish I would have seen this post sooner in the season. Even so, this gives me something wonderful to incorporate next year.
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You beat us to it, Owyl. We were actually over at your place adding a comment to your excellent ‘Spirit of Christmas’ post and while you were over here! Your words on our Advent post are very kind and encouraging. Thank you. Such comments are very much appreciated.
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