Sorry, this is a real ramble, but here is my opinion about a subject I feel strongly about...
Tomorrow (sunday 21/12) at 23.03 hours, will be the 2014 winter solstice, traditionally celebrated at first sunrise (so sunrise on the 22nd December). Celebrating the Solstice is a huge part of our history which is sadly much forgotten by the masses these days. The difference between light and dark, heat and cold, food or no-food, reproduction or hibernation, means everything to us and all other animals on the planet. I feel strongly that this is something that we shouldn't forget in our age of central heating, lamps, fridge freezers and tinned food.
The solstice is and always has been celebrated by all humans around the world. It is the only thing that all cultures have a deep connection with since ancient times. Even before humans wrote books about gods.
This year especially, I have been so absolutely gutted at what some humans have done to each other in the name of their beliefs. Beliefs do help many people, but they are also powerful enough to divide and cause hatred, and result in some people killing each other in the name of it.
I am not a hippy! But to be honest, I feel so proud to be free of religion whatever form it takes, and I see and feel the wonder of the natural world in all it's greatness and that is enough magic right there. Animals give birth, massive trees grow and make homes for them, and tiny seeds grow into plants that makes more tiny seeds and feeds us ...and so on. When we die, we simply re-join the cycle again, our atoms will make up something different...for ever! It's just amazing, it is spiritual and I don't need to understand why it happens, because I am just a human, just like all the other animals, we are just a small part of all of this. In my scaled down way, I have evolved, my child has evolved, ...over billions of years so too has the earth evolved. This is the miracle of nature.
Some people (namely the UK government) believe that children should be taught good Christian values at school and should have daily worship to a god. I really don't know why. We can have values and good morals by just understanding our place in the greater picture. To have respect for others around us (human, animal, environment) and to be gentle to the more vulnerable and appreciate all that we have, that others don't. You don't need to believe in a book to understand this, just go outside and look around, it's all happening right now!
Peace and happiness to all! (yeah man) x
