Sacred lands and holy times en El Norte

People all around our lifebearing blue planet Earth world, which is unique in all the immeasurably vast universe, consider this time of the year to be holy, potent and full of great portent; it’s a time when the “distinctions” between the natural and the supernatural are perhaps not as distinct as they usually are thought to be.

For one thing, the winter solstice is now occurring above the equator, when the day’s duration of sunlight is briefest and it is the longest wintry night of the year; conversely, in the world’s southern half, the opposite conditions occur for the summer solstice ‘down below.’

Here in the north, we will now witness the rebirth of extended sunlight, after the winter solstice. The solstices have, for many thousands of years, held deep spiritual and religious meaning and implications among the world’s peoples. And at this time in the north, it can be said that there is also an equation between hope and expectation for renewed sunlight, and hope and expectation from the many festivals of light that are being celebrated — including the Christmas Nativity, for the one whom many believe to be the light of the world.

As an aside, it is interesting to remember the time of the winter solstice of 2012 when a so-called “Mayan prophecy” that announced the “end” of the seminal Mayan calendar long-count system of time and thus arguably the “end” of the world caused a commotion and shook many people up. People even expected a worldwide conflagration from massive Solar disturbances, the coming against the earth of deadly Planet X, or Nibiru, and just about every other kind of catastrophe imaginable.

This rumored apocalypse did not happen, although some postulate that it is now happening in slow motion. It was just another of many such alarming “prophecies” that are raised every now and again, and many gullible people were exploited. The Mayans themselves presumably were bemused. It is said that the end of their calendar only marked the start of another count cycle, portending an opportunity for all of us to “start over” as good human beings.

The Mayans’ advice is timelessly apropos to what many consider to be a holy season of light, Advent and Christmas, as well as other spiritual celebrations of the light in many manifestations. And there are many seekers, including analytic scientists as well as religious mystics, who believe that there is both an inherent and as yet undecoded mystery — and a holiness — in the order of all that exists; and that the two are not necessarily to be considered mutually exclusive.

And many in our own lands of El Norte believe that even the landscape terrains of our high forested mountains and the lakes, streams, rivers, the volcanic desert plains and fertile valleys and the wide breathing skies and the living light of the powerful sun, are infused with and emanate a primal spirituality that influences the multiple religious and spiritual traditions of our ancient and recent and current peoples; and that are often melded in our wonderful feasts and faith celebrations.

The feasts themselves affirm and manifest that belief. Whether it is guarded ritual and ceremony of pre-Christian spiritual traditions that take place in very ancient sacred sites, or in the beautiful Pueblo Feast Days, or the Chimayo Santuario; or in the Islamic, Jewish, Buddhist, Sikh, Zen, or Hindu or other religious celebrations, the essential mutual spirituality of life and being is evidenced.

People come from all over the world to the fiestas and feasts of El Norte at this time of year to witness, to participate, and to be moved and inspired by the great transcending and holy spirit in the ceremonies, ritual, song, drum, dance, and devotional rituals like the Taos Pueblo Christmas Eve Vespers and midnight mass and the Christmas Day Feast, as well as other celebrations of this holy season in the towns, villages, cities, churches, mosques, synagogues and other sacred sites.

And in this season of the rebirth of the light we extend this blessing: “Lord of Heaven and Earth, continue to bless our world and every house and all who inhabit here. Fill them all with your Light. And may you, the newborn light of the creator most high, fill all humankind with peace, now and forever.”

Ahora, brinda todo El Norte y el mundo entero en la gloriosa temporada del nacimiento de Cristo, el buen conocido como el Rey de la Paz en la Tierra y en los cielos. Es la llegada de la esperanza en nuestro mundo, por la navidad del hijo del altisimo, Imanuel.

Ya sabemos que nuestro planeta Tierra esta obfuscado y lleno de obscuridad y perturbacion y desesperacion. Los tiempos de hoy no son muy diferentes de los tiempos previos, y en verdad se sabe que todo era casi lo mismo en los tiempos de dos mil y mas anios pasados en la historia humana.

En esos entonces, como hoy en dia, perseguian las guerras y la pobreza entre la gente, como tambien los hambrientos, y las persecuciones y oprimicion.

Casi todos esperaban que se les llegara un salvador, o un mesias, uno quienles traiera la justicia y el alivio y la libertad, a la humanidad.

Entonces, se recuenta que al fin llego uno, reconocido hasta ahora como el hijo del altisimo, el hijo de los hombres, el principe de la paz y de la esperanza, Imanuel, el Cristo Jesus.

Ahorita pasados unos cuantos dias, hubo las celebraciones por la temporada de Maria Santisima, madre de cristo, en las fiestas de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe y otras; la Guadalupana se demuestra encinta y esperando ella a dar nacimiento al mismo dicho Imanuel, hijo del altisimo.

Ahora, los creyentes de la tradicion Cristiana celebran la navidad de Cristo Jesus, en El Norte y en el mundo. Creen que su navidad fue la mas singular ocasion en toda la historia del universo; que fue la navidad en el mundo de la divina luz, la Encarnacion del Verbo Divino y el Amor del Altisimo, entre la humanidad.

Ese sentido sigue por esta fe de las gentes, como tambien la esperanza de la segunda venida del Cristo Mesias para la liberacion de las almas cautivas y para iluminar la obscuridad del mundo.

Esta esperanza se expresa en ciertas canciones Navidenas, como en estos verson de la cancion, “Esperando al Mesias”:

“Esperando, esperando, esperando al Mesias;/ Que nos ha de salvar, tierra y hombres que suenan;/ Porque Dios va a llegar... esperando. Esperamos Senor, tu venida de verdad;/ Esperamos a un Nino, que en belen nacera como nace en mi alma, si hay en mi navidad.” (Cancion popular, “Esperando, Esperando”, por Cesareo Gabarran)

Entonces, pues, “Que la Bendicion, y las Felicitaciones, de la navidad del Nino Cristo Jesus multiplique siempre por todo El Norte, y en nuestro mundo entero, tambien!”