sorry for my lack of daily posts, i've been a crazy woman. but here are some pics of my Winter Solstice Tree! i wanted to have a "green" christmas/winter solstice tree, because chopped x-mas trees are obviously not that green because they are dead and then take a really long time to decompose in land-fills. and fake x-mas trees are only good for about 4 uses and then never decompose and are made of toxic materials. there is the option to get a "live tree" which sounded the best to me, but i didn't have the time to search for a place that sells them and then i didn't know where i would plant it later. sooo, i was inspired by this post on The Kind Life to use one of my existing trees! i have a few potted ficus and palms, so joey and i browsed our collection, and settled on this lovely wacky shaped one to be our tree of honor to bring life and light into our home during the dark days of the Winter Solstice.
i know i sound a little wacko saying "Winter Solstice" but that is really what the "christmas tree" is! it was originally a Pagan ritual that was adopted by the Christians as part of their traditions to engage the masses of Pagans and it was just oh so convenient that Christ was born on the 25th of December, coinciding with the Pagan's celebration of the Winter Solstice. read more here and here
so here are my winter decorations, including my Advent table in the middle of my dining room table, which was a tradition that i've done since i was little, better explained in this poem (it's coming up on the last week, where i'll add humans to the table, probably pictures of family):
The first light of advent, it is the light of stones.
Stones that live in crystals, seashells and in bones
The second light of advent, it is the light of plants,
Plants that reach up to the sun and in the breezes dance.
The third light of advent, it is the light of beasts,
The light of hope that we may see in greatest and in least.
The forth light of advent, it is the light of man,
The light of hope, the light of love to give and understand.
