Ramblings - First published December 2021
Ramblings from David
December 2021
The month of December, for many around the world, is a time where the festivities of Christmas become key to their thinking, planning and anticipation. The holiday sees an event of celebration that can transform the minds of people for a brief, or sometimes an extended period, taking them to places that support a warm optimism, joy, hope and even allow a little bit of magic to become part of their worlds.
Traditions, old and new, are embraced with a zeal of common unity which is enjoyed and accepted by many. As though there is a common mind that is “Christmas”, from within which, the joy of the season can be enjoyed. The spirit of Christmas is often talked about and to many it is a tangible force.
The preparation, and anticipation of the celebration, is where the sense of the Christmas spirit begins. Decorations, church activities, singing carols, arranging presents, making plans with others, deciding about food etc, all see a building of the spirit. But is it real? Lets look at Father Christmas/Santa Claus. Does he exist? If you ask a young child that question, many would say YES, and they would not be lying because they ‘know’ the truth. Ask an adult if Santa exists, NO would be the common answer, but they would be able to describe what he is, what he does, how he behaves, where he lives and what sort of values he has. In many ways Father Christmas does exist. Many parents try to emulate, in part, his qualities as they prepare for their children; in doing so take on the qualities of the imagined figure, which the young minds around them are so focused on. Almost as though a ‘lie’, told to children by adults, becomes the truth that drives their actions, and enjoyment of the moments - making the magical experience real.
Those who know the truth, or feel the spirit of Christmas, will be seeing a world through a collective mind that is different, to greater or lesser degrees, than someone who does not believe the same things to be true or of worth. Sometimes a warm hearted invitation can see such individuals unexpectedly, and happily, swept along by the spirit, finding themselves nestled in the collective mind. The nature of that mind is like a fabric that in a real sense contains those within, fuelling ways of thinking that enjoy and support the permanence of that particular way.
Christmas is a Christian Festival. The traditions however have been formed over centuries, with many amalgamating from very different traditions. Christmas Day, December 25th was not designated as the official date of Christmas until 336AD, during the reign of emperor Constantine. Prior to this, the birth of Jesus was celebrated at different times. There are some branches of Christianity today that still celebrate 6th January as the designated day. Pagan festivals, Norse traditions, the Roman Mithraic religion, Scandinavian shamanic practices and many more, have all contributed to the Christmas celebration that is seen in the modern day. Even the Fly Agaric mushroom, the images and past uses of it, has been attributed to some of the common folklore surrounding the Christmas celebration – including flying reindeer!
What has come together to form the modern Christmas celebration, mostly sits within the collective mind of things that are anticipated; understood as the things of 'Christmas', that are right and proper and enjoyed as such.
There are many collective minds. Family, friendship groups, regions, nations and international collective minds that serve to nurture ways of thinking and living. There has been a change in the world. A new Age. Humankind are being transformed in their minds to see a world which even just 75 years ago would be barely recognisable to many.
To exemplify this we can look at Bikini Atoll. One of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean, Bikini Atoll before 1946 was very much an example of a beautiful tropical island with a small population, rich sea waters with extensive corals. In 1946, the Cold War was developing and a nuclear arms race had begun. To cut a long story short, the US government decided it would be a good idea, under the banner of research, to destroy Bikini Atoll with nuclear bombs! After displacing 167 Marshallese, the US began its testing campaign with the detonation of a nuclear bomb 1st July 1946. There were 67 nuclear tests in total with 23 of them being at Bikini Atoll specifically. The general tone at the time was one of, great achievement, power and dominance. The news reports of the time spoke of a wonderful breakthrough and a landmark achievement. There was practically no deep level of consideration to the destruction of the environment, other than recognising the human inhabitants needed to be relocated. There was no respect or reverence for the life of the world.
People around the world saw what was happening. It was only just after years of war. The view of many at that time, saw the events from a different place. A place that to billions of people today would seem thoughtless or indifferent to the world. Nowadays, it is doubtful any western government would risk such an action for fear of the voter backlash. At that time however, the collective mind of some nations saw a different world. Were they wrong to do what they did? It is what happened, off the back of war, in an attempt to conquer fear, and possibly was shocking enough to steady the hand of any sane leadership from ever deciding to use the weapons.
What takes a man’s mind from deciding it is ok to blow up Bikini Atoll with nuclear bombs to considering radical changes in primary infrastructure and ways of living, to assume a harmonious place within the life of the world? A change that has happened within less than 75 years.
The answer is complex in its intricacies yet the principle is as broad as it can be. No life is independent.
The idea of conquering the world, showing no respect and consideration for the ecosystem, is fast becoming an old world attitude. The changes that need to be made to get near the aspirations of living at one with the life of the world, are far from accomplished. The collective international mind however has shifted, and now, more than it ever has, exhibits a ‘natural will’ to strive for the balance.
There is no doubt that humans have, for a long time, caused pollution and damage to the world around us, without thinking about the consequences. That said however, it is maybe the stages we have passed through, as a race, which were the necessary stages, that will help to assure we tread a path which is harmonious, and embraced by the world collective mind for being so. The recent gathering at COP 26 has seen many discussions and votes about the consequences of actions within the world – not as much about the quota but now more about the respect for life and the clear and clean advantages of throwing out the old ways. There has been a key change, a new stage, in the development of the collective mind. Are the changes a product of evolution? NO, is the cry from the realists – its just a change in understanding due to the science. YES shouts another – the mind has changed, the future generations will change. There are forces which guide humanities thinking and actions, more than some would ever want to know. Humanity however is not independent to the life of the world. The changes in us are aspects of changes in the world. There is a new Age. The changes seen, so far, are only the beginning.
The collective mind of Christmas was mentioned earlier. A nurturing, supportive framework to enjoy the spirit of Christmas. The new ways humanity is now attempting to develop to live in harmony with the life of the world, will also develop a collective mind, within which the spirit will be accepted and enjoyed, by the increasing numbers that allow themselves to be embraced by the tangible force. Whatever your beliefs may be, it would seem that the forces in life, God and the heavens, are certain that we should be cherishing life and the world. They are equally certain that we should be happy to make times special where we can feel free to celebrate. The global nature of the Christmas period makes it a special time for many. It gives the global mind a chance to relax and refocus.
I don’t know what you will be doing for Christmas but hope you will look for, and love, the magic of the season. Wherever you are and whatever you do, I wish you all a happy and wonderful time.
Merry Christmas!
Previous ramblings can be found in the archive. For last months, click the link: November 2021 Ramblings
