And so to the new year
It has been an incredibly strange and complex year. Brexit; American politics; the black lives matter movement; a whole host of celebrity deaths; and that’s before we even get to the weird and wonderful news stories that leave you scratching your head. Indeed for some of us, the results of the year gone have left us feeling all too depressed and asking why bother. The point of Yule, which has just passed, and to an extent new years celebrations is to celebrate life; the returning of the sun; to enjoy the last of the harvest and have a massive feast, a fire, get drunk and be merry. Cultures from around the world have similar traditions to each other, albeit with different gods, reasons and belief structures. It is the similarities that we should be looking at, the things that we have in common, and shared ideas that can inform how we wish to behave towards others and towards ourselves. In a time of rampant war, misogyny and so much hate in the world, it is hard to look for the bright side of life. It is important that we acknowledge the darkness in this world and the bad things that happen. This makes it more important that we have compassion for others and try and understand what it is that others have been through and are going through. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could be a beacon of hope, a beacon of change and most of all, to look at the amazing things we as a collective can achieve, we might be able to push ourselves further and farther than before. This year, when you raise a toast to whatever it is you believe in, when you are surrounded by friends and family that you love and cherish, perhaps spare a thought of what it is you can do to make even the smallest change for the better, even if it is a charitable donation or an act of kindness. Let us all make this year not just about ourselves and the gods, let’s make it about being the best we can be! Wassail! By Nathan Tyers (Newark Pagan community member). Hearth and Home: The Newark Pagan Community does not accept any responsibility for the opinions shared by it's members.
