A Little Bit of Light
Ritual is wrapped up in much of what has been passed down and has influenced my belief systems. I’m a big fan of ritual and tradition. My brother, Shufy, teased me when we were kids calling me “such a traditionalist.” I’ll take it.
Although more than one tradition finds meaning on Halloween or All Hallows Eve, I recently learned that the Celts considered October 31 their New Year’s Eve. The harvest was finished. Things would have been put up for winter. Home fires were extinguished to gather around a community bonfire. Predictions might be made. They would light a torch from that main bonfire as a symbol to light their hearth fires - a new beginning.
Think about the saying an apple a day will keep the doctor away which dates back originally to 1866 in Wales. In a recent episode of Lore, the host investigates stories behind the meaning fruit has had and certain accompanying traditions. The apple has played a large part in many stories, and some are not so welcoming. Snow White, in one version of the Grimm Brothers tale, bites into the Evil Queen’s apple and dies. Some apples are sacred, protected and come with a cost.
The Celts might bake a token or a coin to be discovered. Depending on the token or the coin, meanings would differ. People relied on these customs. When they listened to predictions, they may have wanted certainty when the days were darker, possibly being afraid that it wouldn’t be as light again.
Autumn going into winter is a time to appreciate the abundance of the harvest, a time for restoration and rebuilding, a time to honor traditions in order to feel grounded, possibly safe, a sense of community. The light shortens.
I live in a place where we get to experience four seasons, and the leaves have been beautiful this year. A little over a month ago, Hurricane Helene brought destruction to Western North Carolina. No one could have predicted the sheer volume of water and what would happen. We live in an area where we wouldn’t expect something like this. I remember reading early on after the hurricane that the amount of water was like filling up the Dallas Cowboys’ arena 51,000 times. Trying to tell us to be prepared for that would be like trying to tell Iowa to prepare for a tidal wave.
There really are no words to capture the level of destruction. Bryan and I experienced minimal impact. We went into helping others pretty quickly and that felt good and then it felt heavy and then we had to rest. And then we started over and did it again. Survivors’ guilt is tremendous, and the collective grief is palpable.
Life goes on anyway. Impossibly, sometimes, it feels and yet the routine of the ritual of Halloween with neighborhood children coming today to knock on our door and say trick-or-treat offers some normalcy. It’s where some light can get in. I can admire their costumes, tell them how impressive they are and give out more candy than I should into their hands.
Normal is a long way off.
In the meantime, however, there is an opportunity to invite a new tradition this year.
If you want to help, there are local organizations like BeLoved Asheville, Haywood Street Congregation and Manna Food Bank which I’m sure could benefit from your donations. As the River Arts District was particularly impacted, Love Asheville from Afar would make a difference in the lives of artists who lost everything.
Particularly going into the holiday season, maybe use that website when shopping for teacher gifts or other people in your lives. You will be supporting a community that is going to be healing for quite some time as well as sharing the beauty of their art with others. I plan to do this.
While volunteering after the hurricane, people who have shared that time with me filling out FEMA applications were generous with their stories.. The stories were good ones, and the details were immense. We still managed to laugh and find our way. That’s a little bit of light.
Try this:
Where is the light getting in for you just now?
What is one tradition, ritual or belief that feels like a returning to at this time of year?
How would you describe abundance in your life today?
Let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at fsconsulting2013@gmail.com