Midwinter and Christmassy themes (part one)

‘Once upon a time, when women were birds, there was the simple understanding that to sing at dawn and to sing at dusk was to heal the world through joy. The birds still remember what we have forgotten, that the world is meant to be celebrated’ (Terry Tempest Williams)

‘The Christ birth story is our story. The marginalised, the dispossessed, the homeless and the refugees, are at the heart of this tale’ (From Last Christmas, curated & introduced by Greg Wise & Emma Thompson)

As the festive season is approaching I have started reading Christmas related things and have engaged with an exercise to do with past midwinter traumas and losses and distracting mishaps so as to free the present from the burden of past events and to increase awareness of cyclical patterns and repetitive stories that have lived underground for too long.  In her book When Women Were Birds, Terry Tempest Williams writes ‘we are quiet because there is a history of abuse and harm committed toward those who tell the truth. Marriages are shattered. Families are broken. Judgments are rendered. The woman stands alone. Our stories live underground.’ Oftentimes articulating and naming experiences and the stories and lies that bring us to the truths moves us towards deeper acceptance and increased presence. In the previous post I referred to our agentic capacity at any given moment. One factor that can contribute positively to agency is presence, and even if desirable options may not be visible immediately, deeper presence connects us to a more resilient aspect of ourself. Each new realization and ability to stay with increases our capacity for clarity and presence.   Read more……….. Notes