ONLY A BABY CAME
Only a babe to bear the shame,
Only a babe with love his name,
Only a lowly, holy baby came.
– Only a Baby Came by Natalie Sleeth
It is through the music of Christmas, old and new, sacred and secular, traditional and avant-garde, that the magic and mystery of the birth of the child stirs and fills my heart.
While this seems to be exclusively a Christian story, I believe it is a retelling of the ancient stories crafted to teach the deeper spiritual meanings of the winter solstice celebrations observed by many cultures for centuries before the advent of Christianity.
This year, it occurred to me to explore the story as I explore the deeper meanings of my dreams. From a gestalt perspective, every person, every physical item, every action is a facet or symbol of some part of the dreamer. Yes! You are the child, the manger, the animals, the angels, the shepherd, and the maji. You are even King Herod, who ordered every child under the age of two to be killed in an effort to protect his power.
I work with my dreams using a gestalt method, meaning that I have conversations between the parts! For me, it all adds to a deeper understanding of myself, and enriches the wonder and awe of the birth and rebirth of love and of faith in the universal cycles of life.
My solstice wish is that you also discover the wonderous baby, with “love his name,” within you and welcome them into your life with joy.
Happy Solstice,