Religion

but it also sounds a whole lot like my Solstice rituals. While we don't have a huge indoor space in which to worship, and often it's too bitter cold to be outdoors, I've taken to bringing in a single large stone, which is set in a circle of white and black candles. You meditate on the black candles (pain, troubles, etc), and slowly make your way around to the white candles, meditating on hopes, dreams, and love for all. Before ending your meditation, you touch the large stone, mentally and emotionally depositing all your pain and sorrow into the stone. At the end of the service, we take the stone across the street, and place it in a small stream of running water.

Usually, our rituals are joyous and loud. This is one of the two that are very quiet in my house. This Yule ritual, in particular, is one where instead of each of us adding to and taking energy from each other, we stay focused within ourselves for rebuilding.

While I've never heard of a Blue Christmas service, from the way everyone is talking, I think I'd very much like to attend one... Christmases are hard around here...