Your Secret Santa
Plus an invitation to a workshop this Saturday
Inside: Merry Yule! Stay tuned for some thoughts on Christmas traditions, celebration reminders, and an invitation to my Hermit Year: Cards of the Year workshop Saturday at 11am PST.
We live in a culture seeking purity; we aspire towards single origins, even when they rarely (if ever) exist.
If you’ve ever visited the internet, you’ve probably heard about how the Christmas tree has its origins in pagan Germanic Yule traditions with evergreen trees decorated with candles to celebrate the return of the light on Solstice.
You may have also heard about how St. Nicholas was actually a 4th century Turkish holy man who gave gifts to prostitutes in the stockings they hung out of their windows as laundry.
Somehow, by the 16th century St. Nick was conflated with SinterKlaas, an elderly Dutch dutch holy man who gave gifts in the winter.
St. Nick then morphed again, into the figure we now see riding Rudolph in fake snow sprayed Walmart windows everywhere when he was crossed with the British medieval Father Christmas - a rosy cheeked merry making fellow - in the 19th century.
Cultural traditions don’t hold still. They don’t have single origin. They are not pure. But that doesn’t make them any less meaningful.
Rather than being a result of the spirit of season, our festivities co-create that spirit. In other words, this season is festive because everyone participates in making it so.
Since we get to collaborate in producing the holiday spirit, that means we also get to CHOOSE what we celebrate and what we call attention to.
This Saturday at 11am PST I’m holding a cards of the year workshop to mark the transition from the Strength Year (2024) to the Hermit Year (2025).
Honoring our cards of the year can help provide an imaginative framework to connect you with your imagination, the cultural traditions of witchcraft, and tools you can work with to shape the future you want to create.
To join me in this workshop, become a Yearly or Founder’s level subscriber - the workshops are included free in the cost of membership.*
Note you can also buy the workshop series as a one off (for $12 more than a yearly subscription here - but the yearly subscription is a better deal).
Sending my love and best wishes to all of you for the holidays!
xo,
Amanda
*Scholarship subscriptions are available for those in financial need. Email us at guardian@oracleoflosangeles.com for more info.
Holiday Season Reminders
Whether you’re rocking your festivities alone, with your cats, with your besties, or with your whole motley crew of a family, here are some reminders to help you make the most of it. (And if you ARE alone this Christmas… no you’re not. Remember all your witches are out here loving you and so glad for your light in the world).
Make it minty! Even if you’re just staying in and watching a Charlie Brown Christmas Special, mint makes everything wintery.
Take some time this holiday season to write yourself your Winter Solstice letter for next year. I provide you with detailed instructions here.
If you have a little time to yourself, pull out your Capricorn Season Witch Guide (link in here) there are a bunch of fun activities you can do in there with family, friends, or on your own!