Athenaeum
A Place for study of the arts
In ancient Greece students of the arts gathered in the temples of Athena to exchange ideas, philosophies, and techniques.  The purpose of the Athenaeum in Ravenwynd is the same.  Here you will find things from many different traditions.  And we hope you will find something useful to you on your path.
The Holly and the Ivy
Yule is the time of year we "bring in the greens", though the meanings behind this are lost in the mists of time.  Perhaps we do it to remind ourselves that spring really will come or it is a way to combat the "winter blues".  Whatever the reason, the plants associated with this holiday season have their roots in a Northern European past.

The first image that springs to most people's mind is that of the Tannenbaum later the Xmas tree.  Popularized during the Victorian Era, this tree, either cut or live, took the place of the Yule log as more and more households converted to coal and gas for heating rather than fireplaces.  Candles, symbolizing the returning light and colored ornaments, along with lengths of strung popcorn, berries, which imitated the berries of the woods and paper chains denoting the continuation of life made the tree a centerpiece of celebrations both pagan and otherwise.

The Yule log, which traditionally had to burn for 3 days as does the full moon, was a symbol of the eternal aspect of light.

Mistletoe, sacred to the Druids, was originally a symbol of sacrafice, but came to be known for its' "aphrodisiac" properties and made sexuality an acceptable part of Solstice celebrations.

Holly, a companion to the mistletoe and symbol of the God, was originally a pagan symbol of rebirth, but came to be associated with Christ in the middle ages as a reminder of his crown of thorns and the blood shed on them.

Ivy, a symbol of the Goddess, was traditionally entwined with holly and so "rode the coattails" of the holly into Xian traditional decorations and song.

These are only a few of the major pagan plant symbols associated with this season and it is nice to see them live on in other traditions as well as our own.

 

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