Winter Solstice

"Life, death and rebirth are inevitable."
- Rig Veda

We learn from mythology, legend, and ancient texts that there
are four days of the year which are spiritually and religiously
sacred to all ancient peoples and indigenous cultures. These
four days are the spring and autumn equinoxes and the
summer and winter solstices.

The ancients aligned the windows of their temples, and key
stones of their sacred monuments, so that the rising sun
would shine through these windows or upon the points of
these key stones on these four sacred days. For each one of
these days signified a celebratory moment, and commemorative
Change, in the birth-death Cycle of the Sun during its annual
journey through the sky.

The Winter Solstice, occurring on about December 21st, has
come to be known today simply as the "shortest day of the year".
It is also the time of the year when the festival of Christmas, which
commemorates the Virgin Birth of "The Son", is celebrated
throughout the Christian and Catholic world.

However, to the ancient societies who celebrated and worshiped
the Winter Solstice for its Esoteric significance, the rising sun of
this special day represented much more than simply "the shortest
day of the year" and the birth of "the son"; it heralded in the birth
of "The Sun".

A familiar Christmas Carole reminds us of the significance of this
special and glorious day with the words: "Hark! The herald angels
sing: Glory to the newborn king". For in mythology and Symbolism
king, Gold, and Sun all refer to the same sublime entity and essence.

But what is so important that makes this one moment of the year
so spiritually and sacredly significant? Why do people throughout
the world, at this one specific moment of the entire year, stop all
that they are doing and honor this Son, this Sun, this King, this
Gold-Bearer?

Simply put, this is the exact moment of "birth", or "re-birth". It is
the defining moment when The Sun is "re-born" and begins its
semi-annual conquest of coldness and darkness. For it is at this
special moment that the coldness, darkness, and barrenness of
winter finally exhausts its power and is replaced by its victorious
and eternally opposing force: the warmth, brightness, fertility and
abundance of the emerging spring and summer months.

Religious texts speak of a moment when "the sun stood still in
the heavens". This moment occurs twice during every annual
solar Cycle: the summer and winter solstices. For nothing can
reverse its course unless it first comes to a complete standstill.

When the Sun "stands still" in the heavens at the winter solstice
this is the moment when it prepares to reverse its course and
begin its return journey to the lands of the north. A journey which
will eventually "stop" and end at the summer solstice.

The word "solstice" has its root in the Latin words sol which means
"sun", and sistere which means "to come to a stop; to stand still".
Therefore solstice means "the point, or time, at which the sun seems
to stand still".

This annual solar Cycle is also referred to in mythology and legend
as the sun-god Apollo's annual journey through the heavens.

In addition, we read in myths and legends of how the sun is
restricted by means of a rope, fence, or wall: a boundary which it
is forbidden to pass beyond. This mythological rope, fence, or
wall is the Tropic of Capricorn, which is its southernmost boundary
at the winter solstice and the Tropic of Cancer, which is its
northernmost boundary at the summer solstice.

Therefore, when we celebrate Christmas, along with all of the
"gifts" which we are presented with at this festive Time, let us keep
in mind that the True gifts we are receiving are the warmth,
brightness, fertility, and abundance of the upcoming spring and
summer months which are the result of the "rebirth" of The Sun at
the Winter Solstice.

See also: "The Sea Goat [Goat Fish] and Capricorn", and
"Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh and the Three Wise Men"

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2011

Virgin Birth(Symbolism, Mythology, and Mystery)

The doctrine of Virgin Birth is an extremely ancient and common
motif (theme) found in the numerous mythologies, legends, and
religions throughout our planet.

However, before we begin to explore the doctrine of Virgin Birth, it
is important that we understand the Alchemical, Hermetic, Gnostic,
and Esoteric meaning of the Word Virgin; a designation which
comes down to us from the earliest dawn of antiquity.

Virgin, or Virginity is the pure; the untainted; the unadulterated.
And the only True essence which fits this description of Virginity
is Spirit. Specifically, the Virgin is that Esoteric Spiritual essence
which is untainted or unadulterated by union with matter.

Therefore, Virgin Birth is Creation which occurs in the Spiritual
Realm. It is pre-manifested Thought of the highest degree.

One of  the oldest accounts of Virgin Birth comes to us by way of
the ancient Egyptian Mystery concerning Osiris and his wife-sister
Isis.

After Seth murdered Osiris, and cut his body into fourteen parts
which he scattered throughout creation, Isis scoured the entire
world collecting Osiris' parts in order to reconstruct the body of
her husband.  She was able to locate every part of Osiris' body
except one - his penis.

After she located all of Osiris' severed parts - save one - and
reconstructed his body, she then hovered over the reconstructed
body of her dead husband, became impregnated, and gave birth
to Horus.

This Ancient Egyptian Mystery illustrates to us that this was not
a physical birth. It was a Spiritual Birth; it was an Immaculate
Conception.

This Egyptian Mystery is the same Lesson which comes to us
by way of the Symbolic Trinity (Father, Son, and [Holy]Spirit).
It is also the same Lesson which comes to us by way of
The Three Gunas (Sattwa, Tamas, and Rajas). And, it is the
same Lesson which comes to us from Hermetic texts (Nous,
Chaos, and Logos).

In the Egyptian Mystery Osiris is the Father (the creator), Sattwa,
and Nous. Horus is the Son (the created), Tamas, and Chaos. Isis
is the Spirit (of creation), Rajas, and Logos.

A great deal of Symbolic Wisdom is contained within the Egyptian
Mystery of Isis and Osiris.

The slaying of Osiris is Symbolic of the end of one life, or Cycle,
so that another life, Cycle, or Incarnation can begin. As Osiris is
the Egyptian Neter who personifies re-Incarnation, He represents
the continuing Cycles of re-incarnation we must progress through
until all of our Inner Demons are slain and Spiritual perfection
is accomplished.

The number 14 represents the fourteen segments of the waning
moon, it is therefore Symbolic of the waning portion of a Cycle.

The fact that the penis of Osiris was never recovered by Isis
teaches us that the "birth" created between Isis and Osiris is
a spiritual and abstract creation which comes about by way of
Osiris "dying" in the physical and becoming transformed into a
higher essence so that His Seed can reproduce itself, with the
Spiritual assistance of Isis, on the next higher realm. This is
a continuing Cycle which forever repeats itself until Spiritual
completion is attained.

This continuing Cyclical principle of death, transformation, and
re-birth into a higher realm is the theme which is Remembered,
and honored, through the performance of Initiation Rituals and
Rites of Passage. It is this Spiritual and Esoteric process which
is represented by the Egyptian Symbol of the Ankh.

Isis, the Virgin, is the unseen creative essence which stimulates
creation, and re-creation, in the Spiritual, mental, and abstract
realms. Without the Spiritual stimulation of creative energy
which Isis provides, the ability to create could not exist between
the creator and the created. Therefore Isis Symbolizes the
Spiritual creative principle which is invoked in Initiation Rituals
and magical Ceremonies.

Horus Symbolizes the abstract, Esoteric, and Spiritual Creation
which is the result of Virgin Birth. And because Horus is the
highest essence which is created between Spirit (Isis) and the
higher and higher re-incarnations of Osiris, Horus is the Symbol
and essence of direct ascension. Horus Symbolizes the Path
which is available to, and can be Traveled by, the select few
who Choose to resolve all of their Incarnations in one lifetime.

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2011