Church of Understanding

The Wheel of Time

 

Since ancient days, people have celebrated the passing of time. Most religions have festivals and rituals that mark significant moments, both of the lives of individuals, and the passing of a year. We celebrate the coming of spring, and the bounty of the harvest. There are many people in the world, with time passing in opposite ways, but often the celebrations have similar qualities, particularly in America, where cultures have co-mingled for so many years.

 

When we talk about The Wheel of Time, we tend to break it down in our minds as Spring, Winter, Fall and Summer. We have specific celebrations, or milestones, that occur during each season, depending on our cultural background. For example, the New Year begins for most of us on 1 January, however if you have children in school, they may celebrate the New Year with you, but for them it really begins on the first day of school.

 

Celebrating The Wheel of Time is unique to each of us, with some common factors. We all require a time for harvest, but that will be different depending on where we live. America actually has two periods of harvest with many plants plucked during late Summer, but the bounty being in the Fall. We also tend to celebrate family at several times throughout the year. We like the Summer for family reunions, but spend most of December trying to get everyone together.

 

Because we are a Modern Age, with people in different seasons, but closer in communication, it is time to re-establish The Wheel of Time:

 

The New Year: Because we (currently) have a shared calendar, it can be agreed that, although there are milestones that re-new us, 1 January is the beginning of the New Year. This is not strictly universal, and can be expected to change at some advanced period, as timekeeping usually does. It is appropriate to celebrate this time by looking back on the past year, with both gratefulness at our good fortunes, and sorrow for our losses. It is just as important to look towards our future and set new goals for ourselves. This is a time to self-check, and set our feet upon the path we believe appropriate. This can be done at any point of the year, but this date is a collective time in which to do so both as individuals, and as a society.

 

The Coming of Spring: There are many wonderful celebrations from Beltane and Easter to one of my favorites, Mardi Gras. These are various forms of celebrations of a new beginning. We cast off the doldrums of an earthly winter, and rejoice in the warmth about to come. Planting season is upon us, not only that we may harvest food for our bellies, but within our bellies, and within our minds. We do not reflect as much on the past, but look towards a brighter future with great celebration. This is the time we throw open all the doors and windows and clean out the negative energies that have been cooped up during the cold, and refresh our homes as well as our bodies and our soil.

 

Mid-Summer: Preparing the harvest is not all fun and games. We may start with a celebration, but then comes the work that leads us to where we want to go. Summer is a time of hard work and hot days. The heat stifles as the cicadas start to sing their warning song, “Winter is nigh!” Most of the crops are planted, and we should take time to stop and share of ourselves and our labor. It is not good to work for the self alone, but to give aid to those who cannot plant for themselves. The seeds you plant may not be in an actual garden, but in the mind of someone in need. Take time to rest, but take time to give as well.

 

Bringing in the Harvest: One of my favorite times of year, the bounty bloats people with joy as they finally get to feast on their labors. It is a time of hard work, shared, when done well. The abundance of one can be traded with the abundance of another, and meals are often the result of a harvest well done. This is the time for butchering and canning, preparing for the scarcity of Winter. This is also a time to salvage what we can of pleasant weather, and open our windows and doors before they must be closed tight against the chill. A time to gather and to share, this is also a good time to lay aside projects for the cold months ahead.

 

Mid-Winter: The world is at its coldest, and in the current age, so often is our hearts. We are told we must give, even when it hurts, and gather or be thought of as uncaring. Instead of raucous gatherings of extremes, this should be a time of quiet reflection. Safely gather those close to you and share the time life is often too busy for. Winter is a time of quiet peace. It is a time to stop and breathe, not to bustle through unsafe weather maintaining standards of a society at its extreme. Keep the chill of Winter outside, and the warmth of your hearts within, as you share memories and projects left undone. The New Year will begin again, and with Spring will come much work. Take time to enjoy the quiet.

 

There are other times and milestones within the Wheel that are unique to each of us. Some may celebrate all birthdays, while others chose specific ones to make a holiday. Children going to school certainly have an inner Wheel in which their parents participate. Culturally there may be specific holidays requiring certain rites. We each have our own unique Wheel of Time, as well as that we share with the rest of the world. This is just a guideline based on the generalities people have faced since the beginning age.