My little Chinese Tiger-Lily
Happy Chinese New Year! On February 14th, the Year of the Tiger officially began according to the traditional Chinese system, which recognizes the cyclical nature of life. Both Lily and I were born in Tiger years, so I have high expectations for 2010. Next month I will be traveling to China, to visit Lily’s orphanage for the first time since I brought her home. Late last year, I suddenly began feeling the urge to go, and I didn’t know why, except to say that the timing felt ‘right’. It wasn’t until last week when I was thinking about Chinese New Year that I realized, that by the end of this Tiger year, an entire cycle in the Chinese Lunar system will have been completed since I first went to China. Chinese New Year has reminded me that cycles have their own timing, and where you happen to be in the cycle determines the appropriate action to take. It is wise to understand that this usually can’t be rushed. With our linear, hurried, make-it-happen mentality, it can be hard to accept the ephemeral notion that it’s just not ‘time’ for something to happen. By understanding and embracing the beauty of cycles, it can be easier to allow ourselves to flow with events as they move toward fruition. And now for us, the time has come to close one loop, and begin preparing for the next phase of our journey. We invoke the strength, beauty and grace of the Tiger as we begin what is sure to be an interesting year.
The First Gifts of Christmas
First Gifts of Christmas
“Behold there came, Wisemen from the East…saying where is he that is born? For we have seen his star in the East and have come to worship him…..And when they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, they fell down and worshipped him; and when they opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”
Have you ever wondered why the first gifts of Christmas included not one, but two, perfumes? Gold, frankincense and myrhh…..the gifts were the most valuable commodities of the ancient world. Gold, used then and now as money and adornment; and frankincense and myrhh, used as perfume, for religious ritual and for embalming. If seen only literally, these gifts make little sense. What would a baby do with a bit of gold and some pieces of resin?
Frankincense and myrrh are both resins hardened from the sap of trees. They are the living essence, the life force, of the tree distilled into a fragrant bit of material. Since ancient times, this life force has been used as the basis of perfumes and in religious ceremonies because the living vibration assists in opening the mind and heart. The Wise Men were giving the Christ Child the gift of a substance that would assist him in becoming what he was born to be: a living god. In the ancient world there was an understanding that these substances were not primarily about ‘smelling good’; they were a tool to raise consciousness.
Frankincense and myrrh are still used today in perfumes and incense and it is still a tradition to give wonderful perfumes to loved ones during the Christmas season. When chosen wisely, these gifts of perfume can be a source of joy and provide comfort and protection each day of the year. And it is not too much to hope that they can also help us become what we were meant to be.