12 HOLY NIGHTS
A Time of SpiritualTruth
On the F Twelfth Day
of
Christmas
By ABBGAEL FISHER-LANG
The twelve 'holy nights' between Christmas and Epiphany — the day of the three kings, or wise ones — have long had special significance as days of spiritual truth. Each day is a gift ("my true love sent to me") as a part of the mystery cycle, or initiation process. The ancient song-cycle called "The Dream-Song, of Olaf Asteson" relates the dream experience of a young man during the 13 holy nights between Christmas day, of the "inner birth," to Epiphany, day of the "outer celebration."
.Even in our exoteric world, the 'holy nights' may offer us powerful dream experiences carving images which can help us over the threshold into the new year.
Each of the holy days of Christmas is con sidered a microcosm of the corresponding
month in the year to come. That is, the first day of January, the second day of February, and so on. Note the day's events, the evening's conversation, your dreams, even the weather patterns,and see the correlation of those personal and celestial events with what unfolds during the months of 1993.
T.G. Cfippen writes in "Christmas and Christmas Lore" (1923):
"It was thought that as the season of Advent, leading up to Christmas, represents the coming of God to man, the twelve days following Christmas and leading to Epiphany represented the coming of man to God."
The old English Christmas folk-song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," gives us a glimpse into a higher consciousness, through the succession of gifts offered by "my own true love."
From the first gift of the partridge (the spirit) in the pear tree (tree of life) to thelast gift of all, the musical elements, the "leaping of the lords" (celebrating the higher selves). The gifts offer beautiful images of a transformative journey from matter into the spirit and back again.
Such a beautiful and mysterious song, sung in full voice with all its internal melody changes, and unique numerical form, reveals to us how man develops his 'inner being' — his 'ego' — by receiving the gifts of "my true love" — Christ himself.
For more reading, I suggest "The Twelve Holy Nights and the Spiritual Hierarchies," by Sergei O Prokofieff (Temple Lodge Press). The Dream-Song of Olaf Asteson in "The Christmas Story Book," published by Floris Books (1988).
ABEGAEL FISHER-LANG is a professional storyteller with Roots and Wings Storytelling. For more information about storytelling, call Abegael at (604) 985-5168.
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