Ritual

“Ritual” Christmas Prose 2015 by Erin O’Malley -Gift for Family and Friends

A bar of soap- essential for my daily ritual

Solid.  Fragrant. Tangible. Handle this.

It glides.  It slides.  It rolls.  Though slippery-I have some control.

Hardly aware what I'm doing while going through routine motions

Roll, rinse, repeat-splash, stroke, stir-

Over and over again-physically reassuring myself-“It's okay”.

Method to my madness-a set way of doing things-an order

Far exceeding requirements for cleanliness- finding comfort and security.

Ritual holding things together in a world continually falling apart

Forestalling chaos, if only for a moment- 

The world is not ending today...but the year is!

Year-end celebration-symbolic rituals holding Christmas together

Santa-the big round man from the North Pole, residing in his magical unseen city 

Taking to the skies with his big red planet-sized bag of wanted presents

Ascending and descending, all through the sacred night

Delivering goods under Christmas Trees topped with lighted stars.

I believe!

Christmas symbols and rituals born of Saturnalia-festival of lights-

December 22-assumed death of the sun god-rising 3 days later-daylight begins to increase

December 25-birthday of the unconquerable sun-The Christmas God

The tree-essence of life in the shape of the world mountain

Finding common ground with pagan symbol and ritual

One people -one quest for knowledge and truth

Can you see it?

Traces remain- Spectacular Signs-Northern Lights-

Remnants of an Ancient Sky from Golden Age

Polar Configuration-reigning over the North Pole

Saturn, Venus & Mars-Father, Mother, and Son

Mars, big red planet- condescending and ascending

Plasma tree pillar-connection between heaven and earth

Signs in the heavens-planetary motion- all testifying of Christ

"Thou hast had signs enough"

Cosmo-ancient Greek word for order

Order and ordinances-a set way of doing things

Trying not to just go through the motions in oft-repeated temple rituals.

Symbols, rituals- tangible reminders of unseen truths,

Not only cleansing but providing security

Families together-Father, Mother, Son

Safety from impending cosmic disaster

Reassuring everyone-It will be okay-don't fall apart-

Hold things together-forestall chaos... 

Through ritual