The Origins of Christmas

First, Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it, and happy holidays to those of other beliefs.

Sometimes it seems that everyone celebrates Christmas as either a commercialized holiday for giving and recieving gifts or as a Christian holiday with the belief that it was the day that Jesus was born, but they generally aren't really aware of how December the 25th came to be called Christmas and why we have so many of the traditions that we do. Many of the reasons might surprise you...

First, it is very unlikely that Jesus was actually born in December. Biblical scholars believe that he was most likely born sometime in September--about six months after Passover.

Pope Julius the First declared in AD 350 that Christmas was to be celebrated on Dec. 25th. For some time before, Christmas had been celebrated on Jan. 6th.

There were several reasons for the choice of Dec. 25th. The feast of the Son of Isis (Horus) was celebrated on December 25 in ancient Babylon. Several traditions from this celebration have survived, most noteably the mass amounts of food and the practice of gift-giving. Also, Dec. 25th was the Winter Solstice on the Julian calendar, and was celebrated in Rome as the most important day in the celebration of Saturnalia. But probably the main choice for the date was because the largest pagan religion of the time, the sun-worship religion (usually refered to as a cult) of Mithraism also celebrated their most important holiday on the 25th of December, which was called 'the Nativity of the SUN". The date was also considered the birthday of Sol Invictus, the Invincible Sun-deity, in another popular pagan religion. The growing Christian church wanted their followers to be able to take part in all of the existing festivities and being able to still partake in such celebrations was a strong point in convincing people to convert to Christianity.

There are also countless other blended traditions in Christmas besides the choice of day. The popularity of mistletoe and holly stems from the Celtic culture of the British Isles where they were among the most revered all green plants as important symbols of fertility. They were often used in decorations of alters and around homes.

The tradition of Christmas carols comes from the Roman tradition of Mummers--a group of costumed singers and dancers who went from house to house, singing and performing.

The burning of the Yule Log, a tradition that has started to fade in the more recent decades, comes from the pagan worship of vegetation and fire, and is associated with magical and spiritual powers. Also, the most common translation of the word Yule is “wheel”, the wheel being a pagan symbol for the sun.

The idea of the Christmas Tree evolved from the Druid practice of using the tree as a religious symbol, which evolved into bringing evergreens into homes as winter-time decorations and symbols of eternal life.

When you go to turn on the CD of Christmas carols, open packages, or look at your Christmas tree, think about where the traditions have come from and maybe understand a little more about why We do the things that We do and remember that most of the things in this "Christian" holiday really aren't Christian in origin at all.

Why People Cut and How To Stop

This is sort of a tangent overview of cutting in general, why many people cut, some alternatives for cutters and ways to stop, and a few more personal comments. And yes, I know this is long--sorry. It needs to be said.

Cutting is becoming more and more common, or at least publicly acknowledged. It also seems to have been adopted as a cultural "norm" within several subcultures, namely groups (however inaccurately) termed "emo" or "goth" by the general populace.

First and foremost, though, cutting is not always an attempt at suicide. Granted, it can be, and is usually interpreted that way by psychiatrists because they have to err on the side of caution. However, there is a rather cliché quote that gets tossed around, which has some basis in truth--"Johnny Razor walked across the street to get attention, but he walked down the street when he wanted to get somewhere."

Why People Cut

People cut for many different reasons, but generally it starts as an impulse. Very few people honestly sit down and think about cutting before doing it the first time. More often, there is something that is so overwhelming and the emotions simply build up and build up until, before one knows it, they're cutting themselves as an attempt to release the emotions. With the physical pain and blood, etc, comes a sense of control and often sort of a euphoric daze, a feeling of "being somewhere else". The emotions build, and soon, the person cuts again, and then again, trying to reach for that release and sense of control. Fairly quickly, it becomes a habit, and then sometimes to the point of an addiction, where all the person can think about is that feeling.

Of course, that is the "popular" explanation for cutting. It isnt always the case, though--some people start to cut because someone they look up to cuts, and they want to be like them, or because they dont feel like they belong and that if they cut, they will find a place with other people who cut. Other people start to cut not because of some social or emotional pressure, but out of simple boredom and curiosity. Obviously, anyone with a blood fetish is much more prone to start cutting.

When people first start cutting, most of the time they dont consciously think of it as being a bad thing, but simply as a coping mechanism. Usually, though, they will know on some level that they shouldnt do it, and will most often try to hide the cuts or find some other way to explain them away ("oh, I must have scraped it on something" or "the cat scratched me" ). The fascination with the physical pain and control and release of emotions does strange things to a cutter's mind, and they will start to like how the cuts look, often "freshening up" the cuts, often with the mentality that it is something that they and only they know about and have complete control over. This, in turn, leads to only more severe scarring that has to be hidden. And, even if someone stops cutting, those scars will be with them for the rest of their lives.

Stopping Cutting

Most habitual and long-term cutters will directly tell people that cutting is a bad thing to do. Does that keep them from doing it? Not always--it is such a habit and addiction that often they end up cutting again, sometimes almost subconsciously. They often will encourage other people to never even try it, because they know the cycle that they can get caught in. That doesnt mean that people who cut are doomed to always keep cutting--there are ways to stop.
One of the first things with any addiction or bad habit that you have is to admit to yourself that you are doing this and that it is bad, and you need to stop. It sounds like a simple step. It's not.

The next thing that helps many people is to tell someone else about it. Keep in mind when you pick who you tell that many people, such as teachers, coaches, school counselors, public officials (cops, firefighters, etc), some health care providers, etc are required by law to report self-harming behaviors. Basically, this means that if you decide to confide in your study-hall teacher that you're cutting, you very well could end up in a psychiatric ward in a hospital for a few days to a couple of weeks, and people like your parents will be told about it. If you are scared that you are going to seriously injure yourself, then this is a wonderful way to get help. If you've just started cutting because you're bored and want to stop, it might not be the best option in the world. Also, dont think that just because you are over 18, you cant be committed to the hospital. In most states in the US, and I would assume also in some other places around the world, you can be held for anywhere from 24 hours to a week against your will if you are considered a danger to yourself. Also, some places cutting is legally considered an attempted suicide, with can be illegal (yes, I know it sounds stupid--it's illegal to try to kill yourself--but in places, that's the law). So, basically, tell someone you trust, and pick that person wisely.

Through talking with someone, you can usually figure out why you're cutting, be it overwhelming emotional stress, boredom, low self-esteem, whatever. Once you know what makes you want to cut, it's easier to recognize that and when you start feeling that way, consciously back away from wanting to cut and the situation itself, if possible.

There are also quite a few tricks and ideas that can help break the habit of cutting. One is wearing a rubber band on your wrist and when you feel like cutting, snapping the band against your skin instead. It still brings the physical pain, and is likely to leave some welts if you do it hard enough, but at least it doesnt leave permanent scars and the welts heal much faster. Slowly, you can try to use the rubber band less and less. Another, mostly for those who are fascinated with how the cuts and blood look, is to keep a red marker handy. It probably sounds somewhat insane, but often drawing red lines on your arm can distract you long enough to keep yourself from cutting. The principle behind this is that it keeps the majority of the senses of cutting without actually doing it, like a smoker trying to stop smoking by using empty pens instead. Repetitive motion is ingrained into the brain, and it can take a long time to break it. A third thing to try, and one that seems quite obvious, is to get rid of all of the things that you cut with. Knives, razor blades, safety pins, sharp scissors, etc. If you dont have it around, you cant use it. Go buy an electric razor instead of using ones that have blades. Use little kids' "safety" scissors that are too dull to cut skin. Everything and anything that you can think of.

Most importantly, know that you arent alone. Many people cut, and many people have stopped cutting. Once you do stop, it doesnt mean that you wont ever want to again, but you have the power over your actions and dont have to give in to the impulse. If you slide back a little and end up cutting again, just start over. Eventually, it'll get easier not to.

A Few Personal Notes

In case anyone is wondering through all of this why I seem to be on a soap box and to be preaching about this, when I'm sort of the neighborhood "Daddy" who doesnt do bad things...I have been, and therefore technically am, a cutter. I fell more into the category of utter boredom and a fascination of blood. To be somewhat stereotypical, I am a Sang and a blood fetishist--of course I've cut. Yes, I try not to make a habit of it, and yes, I have some scars from it. Personal experience has taught me to be that much more careful about what I do, and to be more careful how I interact with donors, as well as to respect them all the more. And because of what I have been through, I am that much more likely to try to convince other people to either never start cutting or to stop if they already do. This is also an invitation of an open door to anyone who does cut and want support in quitting.

~Isealdor~

Mabon

For the purpose of the education of the masses...

The Fall Equinox, or Mabon (pronounced several different ways, generally may-bon or mah-bawn), is the day where there is an equal amount of daylight and dark, and varies slightly from year to year because Earth wobbles slightly on it's axis. It is also called a myrid of other names such as Harvest Home, Alban Elved, or Winter Finding, The Second Harvest Festival, the Festival of Dionysus, Harvest of First Fruits, Wine Harvest, Feast of Avalon, Equinozio di Autunno (Strega), Alben Elfed (Caledonii), or Cornucopia. The Teutonic name, Winter Finding, spans a period of time from this Sabbat to Oct. 15th, Winter's Night, which is the Norse New Year. The Druids call this celebration Mea'n Fo'mhair and honor The Green Man, the God of the Forest, by offering libations to trees. The name Mabon comes from the Celtic God Mabon and means “son” in Welsh.

Historically, Mabon was celebrated on September 25th, since the equipment to accurately determine the true date of the equinox each year wasn’t perfected yet nor widely available. As was very common as the Catholic Church tried to stamp out paganism and convert the general population, the 25th became a holiday under the name of 'Michaelmas', the feast of the Archangel Michael. A bit of a tangent side-note is that the church also assigned the four cross-quarter days to the four gospel-writers, and for a while the vernal equinox was called "Gabrielmas". It must also be remembered that the Celts considered a day to be from sundown to sundown, so the September 25th festivities actually began on the previous sundown (our September 24th).

Mythically, Mabon is the day of the year when the God of Light is defeated by his twin and alter-ego, Goronwy, the God of Darkness. Autumnal Equinox is the only day of the whole year when Llew, light, is vulnerable and it is possible to defeat him. Using astrology as a guide, and a metaphor, Llew now stands on the balance of Libra/autumn equinox, with one foot on the cauldron of Cancer/summer solstice and his other foot on the goat or Capricorn/winter solstice. He is betrayed by Blodeuwedd, the Virgin (Virgo) and transformed into an Eagle (Scorpio).

Having defeated Llew, Goronwy takes over Llew's place, both as lover to Blodeuwedd, the Goddess, and as King of our own world. Although Goronwy sits on Llew's throne and begins his rule immediately, his formal coronation is not for another six weeks, occurring at Samhain (Hallowe'en), or the beginning of Winter, when he becomes the Dark or Winter Lord. He takes Blodeuwedd as his wife and she conceives, setting the stage to give birth at the Summer Solstice to Goronwy's son, who is really another incarnation of himself, the Dark Child.

Llew's sacrificial death at Harvest Home also identifies him with John Barleycorn, spirit of the fields. Therefore, Llew represents the sun's power and the sun's life in the corn. Often this corn spirit was believed to reside most especially in the last corner of the crop to be harvested, which was dressed in fine clothes, or woven into a wicker-like man-shaped form. This figure was then cut and carried from the field and usually burned.

Incidentally, this annual mock sacrifice of a large wicker-work figure (representing the vegetation spirit) may have been the origin of the misconception that Druids made human sacrifices. This charge was first made by Julius Caesar (who may not have had the most unbiased of motives), and has been re-stated many times since. Also, it is quite obviously a connection between religious beliefs and the practice of scarecrows in fields.

A short article about celebrating Mabon in modern times, when very few people have their own crops, etc, can be found here and a site with some food recipes and a basic example of a Mabon ritual can be found here. Also, for people with children who probably wont want to sit through all of the talking involved in a traditional ritual, here are some ideas for activities that you can do with them.

Happy Mabon!

Hello, World

I truly hate the obligatory intro posts anywhere, but particularly on My Own sites. I would love to think that the majority of people who stumble upon this will already know Me, and so an introduction would be unnecessary, but more likely the case will be that people stumble onto this when trying to find out about Me, so it's unfortunately a requirement.

I am Isealdor. I go by Isealdor everywhere, and use the same 3-4 emails everywhere. They are easily verified, and most places I am are at least vaguely interconnected. On a few occasions, people have found it amusing or desireable for whatever reason to use My name elsewhere. If they arent using the emails sirelestat [at] juno.com, isealdor_de_gaelia [at] yahoo.com, or AIMs of isealdorgaelia or isealdordegaelia, then it isnt Me. However, if you do run into someone impersonating Me, it always amuses Me to find out about them, so feel free to send Me a message about it. Also, if you have any questions, comments, or vaguely intelligent rhetorical statements to share, you're also welcome to send Me messages. Recognize I'm busy, and may not always have much time, but I will get back to people when things are sent My way.

I am most well known as a leader figure in the vampire community. I am the resident Admin of The Vampire Realm of Darkness (vampires.nu), hereinafter called, generally affectionately, the Realm. I am also a member of the Voices of the Vampire Community (VVC), a tech admin on a couple of the Smoke and Mirrors forums, run the dalnet irc channel #vampirerealm, and Op a number of other channels. I'm also at least registered on most of the other major vampire forums, if people feel they must contact Me on them rather than via IM or email. Recognize that if it's not IM/email, the Realm, S&M, or on dalnet, it may take Me a bit to get back to you.

In addition to My involvement in the vampire community, I'm rather active in the local and nationwide paranormal research and investigation communities, spend mass amounts of time working on various websites, and am working on two degrees.