During these short, dark days let’s remember this ancient Christmas knowledge that illumination always follows darkness & that with love and compassion we will re-light our nations & lives...
Same to you and yours, Thom. And absolutely everyone and everything on our shared planet.
We are but one entity, individual parts of a grater whole. Perceived divisions are of our own making. May we all, without exception, find our way home to the light from which we originated. Across this beautiful improbability called life, let us not be ambivalent to the extraordinary which is consciousness - for I am not me without you, as you are not you without me. From the center of my heart, to everyone the world over, I am grateful to share our time here together. The light will return.
I'm taking an OLLI course based on this: Cosmic Roots -- traces the five-thousand-year conflict between science and religion -- and how it shaped our modern secular worldview. Told with rare clarity and striking insight, this fascinating and thought-provoking book focuses on the history of cosmology and its sister science astronomy.
One year at the Jewish High Holidays, I was a guest at a congregation comprised mostly of the physics departments at local colleges and all the sermons were about reconciling the uniform field theory with quantum mechanics, "Let there be...:
That knowledge will certainly keep us warmer in the coming weeks. I have a long list of ones who will appreciate your storied histories and forward this widely.
Have a very Merry solstice celebration and a very illuminated New Year!
Great stories! Happy Holidays to you!! I recall the German shamans tied a sacrificial human to that tree before they lit it. One less mouth to feed, I suppose, on those long winter nights.
Thank you for the uplifting tale today. With all the terrible news (TFG and Israel and …) I get down. This helps and reminds me of our living in Vienna through two winter seasons. Beautiful and peaceful - even took sleigh ride (ok snowcat) up Eisenbach
I don't entertain that thought. I just asked the question if the Republicans have a trifecta,ore even if Trump wins, what will America look like on Christmas 2025, Christmas 2029 and Christmas 2034.
If Trump wins the Presidency, and he could with the help of voter nullfication laws and Republican control of state legislatures. What will happen.
1. He will fire all cabinet heads, and issue an Executive order like the one he issued to create Schedule F employees.
2. appoint Acting cabinet heads, appoint acting heads of the Armed Forces that are cronies.
3. Destroy the civil service and the administrative state, with Bannon's help.
4. Exact retribution on all those who opposed, ridiculed and demeaned him.
5. Let loose his armed cult on the citizens. He already has the ultra conservative Sheriffs and Peace officers on his side.
6. Round up and put in concentration camps all he considers vermin and tainting the blood of America.
7. His cult in congress will rewrite laws that essentially make him dictator for life, his role model is the Kim's of North Korea, where the successors of the Dear Leader are his own sons.
He has already told us what he is going to do, has nobody been listening, is there anyone but a few who take him seriously.
Many were the Jews that didn't think that Hitler would or could do what he said he would do in Mein Kampf and his rallies.
Maybe it is time to pull our heads out of the sand, wake up and pay attention, we only have 11 months to save ourselves.
I agree! I think too many are complacent. I am terrified. I try to convince my own family members and they don’t want to discuss it. But I keep sneaking Substack newsletters from Thom, Robert & Heather. Maybe they will turn around.
We have to keep emailing the news stations and the editors of the papers. We can’t give up!
Wonderful summary Thom. Your research and several others (Heather Cox Richardson, Robert Reich, Joyce Vance) is a wonderful review of the history of these ancient traditions. Thank you for this gift. Will print and save... Wishing the "light" to illuminate 2024!
I immediately chuckled when I saw the picture of Saint Coca Cola (aka Santa Claus) rather than Sankt Nikolaus (attired as a bishop), Weihnachtsmann (Father Christmas), or a nativity scene. Indeed, there is little doubt that the Church of Rome aligned most of its Holy Days with dominant pagan feasts and rituals to promote religious conversions, and probably, to avoid confrontations with local pagan authorities. The religious-neutral term "holiday" itself likely has its etymological roots in "Holy Day."
But leave it to the USA to exploit celebrating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth to promote the capitalist spending-spree we experience today. Evangelicals eager to promote Christo-nationalism encouraged Congress to make December 25th a national holiday. Soon cities began to amplify Christmas gift-giving by adorning downtown shopping-area streetlights with elves, candy-canes, and snowmen. Today, the Christmas decoration fad has spread to people's front yards - now festooned with inflated snowmen, Santa's, and reindeer, replete with colored lights and Nativity Scenes.
Coke is still America's #1 soft drink, but most Americans today are likely unaware that the red-suited, chubby North Pole resident, with the long white beard was created as an advertising icon to promote Coca Cola sales. Christmas marketing, along with the holiday, seems to have so overshadowed its Christian roots to become a nationally-dominant secular secular celebration in which even people of non-Christian faiths exchange gifts on Christmas so their children do not feel left out on December 25.
So, Ho ho ho - let us not lose sight of what Christmas is really about - peace on earth and good will towards men.
Absolutely wonderful review and enhancement of what you have written earlier!
I would still love to have your research skills applied to Saturnalia and learning how that also influences Christmas traditions. It certainly influences Northern European cultures today in that December is realistically a half month of working and a half month of parties.
Same to you. You and John Flannery keep me grounded and sane as all these chaotic black holes try to suck us into the maelstrom of dis and misinformation. Hamas has done a bankup job of that and it has fueled terrible free raging hate toward Jews everywhere. Israel reeling from unthinkable atrocities reacted exactly as Hamas planned as they released their disingenuous propaganda campaign. Abbass and Bibi have to go but action and reactions are playing out, and costing thousands of innocent lives. Our leaders are floating the same old ideas. You can not kill an idea nor generations of miseducation in Gaza and the West Bank amidst a blood and soil madness.
I hope the light of reason will dawn and 2024 finally bring some new, and different creative thinking to these old patriarchs.
I also hope the Lenny biopic will end these simple-minded attempts by the Hollywood dream machine to capitalize on creative Genius which-thank heavens- still defies the likes of Bradley Cooper and his Jewface mawkish, caricature.
Wishing all happy reading of banned books and deep critical thinking.
Same to you and yours, Thom. And absolutely everyone and everything on our shared planet.
We are but one entity, individual parts of a grater whole. Perceived divisions are of our own making. May we all, without exception, find our way home to the light from which we originated. Across this beautiful improbability called life, let us not be ambivalent to the extraordinary which is consciousness - for I am not me without you, as you are not you without me. From the center of my heart, to everyone the world over, I am grateful to share our time here together. The light will return.
I'm taking an OLLI course based on this: Cosmic Roots -- traces the five-thousand-year conflict between science and religion -- and how it shaped our modern secular worldview. Told with rare clarity and striking insight, this fascinating and thought-provoking book focuses on the history of cosmology and its sister science astronomy.
https://www.amazon.com/Cosmic-Roots-Conflict-Between-Religion/dp/9811252475#:~:text=Cosmic%20Roots%20traces%20the%20five,and%20its%20sister%20science%20astronomy.
One year at the Jewish High Holidays, I was a guest at a congregation comprised mostly of the physics departments at local colleges and all the sermons were about reconciling the uniform field theory with quantum mechanics, "Let there be...:
Beautiful! 💫✨
What a gift you present to us today, Thom! Thank you for this piece, and have a wonderful Christmas!
Thanks, Thom. This is lovely, and I’ve shared it widely.
That knowledge will certainly keep us warmer in the coming weeks. I have a long list of ones who will appreciate your storied histories and forward this widely.
Have a very Merry solstice celebration and a very illuminated New Year!
At this time next year I sincerely intend to celebrate crushing the life out of the Tя☭mp era. But for now 🎄
Yes. The hearts of the people are cold. What relights the heart? We best find the flame and share it.
Great stories! Happy Holidays to you!! I recall the German shamans tied a sacrificial human to that tree before they lit it. One less mouth to feed, I suppose, on those long winter nights.
Knowledge and truth are the essential gifts needed in 2024. I know Thom will prepare and deliver them. That's my kinda of Santa!
Thank you for the uplifting tale today. With all the terrible news (TFG and Israel and …) I get down. This helps and reminds me of our living in Vienna through two winter seasons. Beautiful and peaceful - even took sleigh ride (ok snowcat) up Eisenbach
Seasoned Green Beans to all!
If Republicans take Congress and Trump the presidency in 2024
What will America look like
1. Dec 25, 2025?
2, Dec 25, 2029?
3. Dec 25, 2034?. Who will be President Sr, Jr, Eric, or Bannon,or Steven Miller?
Happy holidays and I hope it is not our last such.
William, don’t even entertain that thought.
I don't entertain that thought. I just asked the question if the Republicans have a trifecta,ore even if Trump wins, what will America look like on Christmas 2025, Christmas 2029 and Christmas 2034.
If Trump wins the Presidency, and he could with the help of voter nullfication laws and Republican control of state legislatures. What will happen.
1. He will fire all cabinet heads, and issue an Executive order like the one he issued to create Schedule F employees.
2. appoint Acting cabinet heads, appoint acting heads of the Armed Forces that are cronies.
3. Destroy the civil service and the administrative state, with Bannon's help.
4. Exact retribution on all those who opposed, ridiculed and demeaned him.
5. Let loose his armed cult on the citizens. He already has the ultra conservative Sheriffs and Peace officers on his side.
6. Round up and put in concentration camps all he considers vermin and tainting the blood of America.
7. His cult in congress will rewrite laws that essentially make him dictator for life, his role model is the Kim's of North Korea, where the successors of the Dear Leader are his own sons.
He has already told us what he is going to do, has nobody been listening, is there anyone but a few who take him seriously.
Many were the Jews that didn't think that Hitler would or could do what he said he would do in Mein Kampf and his rallies.
Maybe it is time to pull our heads out of the sand, wake up and pay attention, we only have 11 months to save ourselves.
I agree! I think too many are complacent. I am terrified. I try to convince my own family members and they don’t want to discuss it. But I keep sneaking Substack newsletters from Thom, Robert & Heather. Maybe they will turn around.
We have to keep emailing the news stations and the editors of the papers. We can’t give up!
Yep. We have 11 months to save our selves and our soul.
Ivanka can sit on drooling daddy’s lap and run the show with Jared and his Saudi Friends.
Wonderful summary Thom. Your research and several others (Heather Cox Richardson, Robert Reich, Joyce Vance) is a wonderful review of the history of these ancient traditions. Thank you for this gift. Will print and save... Wishing the "light" to illuminate 2024!
I immediately chuckled when I saw the picture of Saint Coca Cola (aka Santa Claus) rather than Sankt Nikolaus (attired as a bishop), Weihnachtsmann (Father Christmas), or a nativity scene. Indeed, there is little doubt that the Church of Rome aligned most of its Holy Days with dominant pagan feasts and rituals to promote religious conversions, and probably, to avoid confrontations with local pagan authorities. The religious-neutral term "holiday" itself likely has its etymological roots in "Holy Day."
But leave it to the USA to exploit celebrating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth to promote the capitalist spending-spree we experience today. Evangelicals eager to promote Christo-nationalism encouraged Congress to make December 25th a national holiday. Soon cities began to amplify Christmas gift-giving by adorning downtown shopping-area streetlights with elves, candy-canes, and snowmen. Today, the Christmas decoration fad has spread to people's front yards - now festooned with inflated snowmen, Santa's, and reindeer, replete with colored lights and Nativity Scenes.
Coke is still America's #1 soft drink, but most Americans today are likely unaware that the red-suited, chubby North Pole resident, with the long white beard was created as an advertising icon to promote Coca Cola sales. Christmas marketing, along with the holiday, seems to have so overshadowed its Christian roots to become a nationally-dominant secular secular celebration in which even people of non-Christian faiths exchange gifts on Christmas so their children do not feel left out on December 25.
So, Ho ho ho - let us not lose sight of what Christmas is really about - peace on earth and good will towards men.
Absolutely wonderful review and enhancement of what you have written earlier!
I would still love to have your research skills applied to Saturnalia and learning how that also influences Christmas traditions. It certainly influences Northern European cultures today in that December is realistically a half month of working and a half month of parties.
A video is worth a thousand words: https://suespeaks.org/take-trip-santa-ride-youve-never.
Same to you. You and John Flannery keep me grounded and sane as all these chaotic black holes try to suck us into the maelstrom of dis and misinformation. Hamas has done a bankup job of that and it has fueled terrible free raging hate toward Jews everywhere. Israel reeling from unthinkable atrocities reacted exactly as Hamas planned as they released their disingenuous propaganda campaign. Abbass and Bibi have to go but action and reactions are playing out, and costing thousands of innocent lives. Our leaders are floating the same old ideas. You can not kill an idea nor generations of miseducation in Gaza and the West Bank amidst a blood and soil madness.
I hope the light of reason will dawn and 2024 finally bring some new, and different creative thinking to these old patriarchs.
I also hope the Lenny biopic will end these simple-minded attempts by the Hollywood dream machine to capitalize on creative Genius which-thank heavens- still defies the likes of Bradley Cooper and his Jewface mawkish, caricature.
Wishing all happy reading of banned books and deep critical thinking.