Illuminating The Human Experience, Celebrating Our Common Light
A Mystical Recipe to Four Weeks of Hope, Peace, Joy & Love, Seasoned with Routines, Rituals, and Myths from Yuletide, a Dash of Joseph Campbell, Spiced with a Higher Journey Inward to the Eternal.
Now join hand in hand, and together we’ll welcome the Yule, and pledge love and faith to each other, For we all are bound by the love that we share, Rejoice every sister and brother!
A HYMN FOR THE SEASON: O Yule, Full of Gladness (Arr. C. Jennings for Choir) · St. Olaf Choir · Jane Estenson · Nancy Shaw · Kenneth Jennings
If you value HOPE, PEACE, JOY and/or LOVE…then read on. This is for YOU.
Growing up without much stability - routines, rituals, and traditions, even celebrating around the holidays often felt confusing or even painful, and not a priority in my against-the-odds survival. They seemed hollow, steeped in obligations that I didn’t fully understand, and certainly wouldn’t last. For a long time, these moments stirred up feelings of disconnection and unresolved trauma, as if I was on the outside of something meaningful lasting, but unreachable.
It wasn’t until I began to explore the deeper purpose of ceremony and ritual that I realized how profoundly they could serve as anchors in life. Rituals, or routines, have the power to transform parts of ourselves, illuminate the path ahead, and create space for hope, peace, joy, and love. They can offer guidance in times of darkness—both within and without.
Now, each year as the Advent season begins, I invoke symbols and archetypes, much like Joseph Campbell encouraged in his study of the hero’s journey—or as the Christian tradition invites us to do—joining in a collective experience that celebrates our capacity to light up the shadows of our lives and our world. At the same time, I honor the ancestral wisdom woven into the season of Yule, the ancient celebration of the Winter Solstice. This tribal and pagan legacy reminds us of our deep connection to the cycles of nature, the turning of the seasons, and the timeless rituals that our ancestors used to kindle hope, warmth, and light in the darkest days. Through this fusion of traditions, I find a bridge between past and present, calling forth both personal transformation and a collective return to wholeness.
My personal tradition fuses Christianity, Mysticism, and Pagan Yule. I begin by making or finding a wreath from local materials—holly, ivy, and berries. I adorn it with golden stars, fresh apples, and special items that hold personal meaning. Then, I carve four candles to represent intentions for each week of Advent: Vision, Trust, Guidance, and Sacredness. At the center of the wreath, I place a white candle to gather all the intentions and illuminate them at the close of the season.
I’ve found that this simple, intentional practice creates a sense of belonging and a connection to the divine within and around me.
This year, I invite you to reflect on how we can light the way forward together through tradition, ceremony, and ritual.
“The ritual is the enactment of a myth. And by participating in the ritual, you are participating in the myth. Myth is a public dream, and dream is a private myth.”
– Joseph Campbell
Myths, as Campbell explains, are not just old stories or cultural relics—they are symbolic maps of the human experience. They offer universal truths about life, death, transformation, and renewal. Myths help us navigate our inner landscapes, awaken the mystic within, and connect our individual stories to something larger than ourselves.
Campbell often described myths as "clues to the spiritual potentialities of human life." In this sense, participating in rituals like Advent or Yule allows us to step into these ancient stories, making them come alive in our own lives. When we light candles, craft symbols, or sing songs, we are not just continuing traditions—we are engaging with archetypes and spiritual truths that can transform and guide us.
By intentionally weaving ritual and myth into our lives, we awaken our inner mystic. We see beyond the surface of everyday life to the deeper patterns of meaning and connection. Rituals become acts of illumination, reminding us of the sacred light we carry within and empowering us to share it with the world.
Rituals and Routines
Rituals and routines are not just acts of habit or tradition; they are deeply rooted in human psychology and neuroscience. Research shows that engaging in rituals—whether spiritual or secular—can reduce anxiety, enhance focus, and improve emotional well-being. A study published in The Journal of Psychological Science found that rituals, even when performed without specific religious beliefs, can create a sense of control and meaning, anchoring us in the present moment and fostering resilience.
From a neuroscientific perspective, routines help rewire our brains by strengthening neural pathways through repetition. This process, known as neuroplasticity, allows us to form new habits and ways of thinking, literally shaping our brains to align with our intentions. When rituals are infused with purpose and symbolism, they not only calm the nervous system but also open the door to higher states of consciousness—what mystics often describe as connecting to the divine or accessing inner wisdom.
Joseph Campbell reminds us that rituals awaken the mystic within (a pre-requisite for any renaissance, or regeneration), activating the archetypal forces that guide personal and collective transformation. In this way, rituals become a tangible pathway to tune into our inner mystic. And in times of great change—like the renaissance we are called to create—they help us envision, prepare for, and embody a world grounded in creativity, belonging, and renewal.
Cycles of Time: Anchoring the Eternal Within
Time, as we perceive it, is cyclical—a series of seasons, endings, and beginnings that mirror the rhythms of nature. Rituals, routines, and reunions provide us with anchors within these cycles, giving shape and meaning to the passage of time. They remind us that, while we move through temporal moments, we are also connected to something far greater: the timeless, eternal essence of who we are.
When we light a candle, share a meal, or gather with loved ones, we step beyond the confines of time and space into a realm where past, present, and future converge. These rituals are portals to our eternal home—a place where we are whole, connected, and unchanging amidst life's ebbs and flows.
By engaging in these sacred acts, we honor the cycles of time while also transcending them, touching the infinite part of ourselves that exists beyond the here and now. This is the power of ritual: it grounds us in the present while awakening us to the eternal, offering a profound sense of belonging and connection to the rhythms of the universe.
Let this season’s rituals remind us not just of where we are in the moment, but of who we are in the vast, unfolding tapestry of existence.
Using Advent as a Portal to a Higher Journey Inward
Advent is often seen as a time of anticipation, a season of waiting for something greater. But what if this season could be about discovering that greatness within ourselves? What if the light we seek is already inside us, waiting to shine?
Christ’s words, “You too shall do greater things than I,” remind us that the divine power we long for exists within. Advent, then, becomes a time to awaken to this truth—a moment to celebrate the sacredness of our inner light and the ways it can guide us, our loved ones, and our world toward belonging, connection, and growth.
This inward journey is reflected in outward rituals. Lighting candles, singing songs, crafting ornaments, and gathering around food are not just seasonal customs; they are symbols of the grace we carry within us and share with others. These acts connect us to something greater—whether it be the divine, the universe, or simply the love we create and receive.
This time-lapse captures the Advent Procession service at Salisbury Cathedral in 2015. In total over 1400 candles are lit, starting with the Advent candle at the west and then spreading the light throughout the building.
It was photographed and edited by Ash Mills - www.AshMills.com
The Candle Ceremony: Lighting the Way Forward
In my practice, the Advent candles symbolize four essential themes: Insight, Wholeness, Knowledge, and Trust. Each week brings an opportunity to reflect on these themes and invite their energy into our lives.
First Week: The Vision Candle - (Insight)
Theme: Envisioning the life, world, and the kind of human we want to create (BE).
Ritual Idea: Take time to visualize the good things you want to see unfold in your life and the world by creating a wreath to place as an altar in your home. Adorn your wreath altar with decorations, and reminders to symbolize, and reflect, the hope and possibilities that your inner vision exists right now in whatever way is most powerful for you, your truths, and your beliefs.
Affirmation: “I create space for beauty, possibility, and unfolding. I hold a vision of love and light for myself and all beings.”
Result: HOPE
Second Week: The Holy Candle - (Wholeness)
Theme: Cultivating inner trust that you are part of a greater divine plan.
Ritual Idea: Place personal tokens on your wreath altar (like candles that represent words, a photo of you as a child smiling, a meaningful item from a loved one, or berries and flowers as an offering of gratitude) on your wreath or altar. Spend time in quiet reflection, trusting that you are whole and complete.
Affirmation: “I am whole, healthy, and in harmony with all things. I trust in the divine plan that unfolds through me.”
Result: Peace
Third Week: The Guidance Candle - (Knowledge)
Theme: Reconnecting to the heart as your guide. Knowing there is more to you than meets the eye.
Ritual Idea: Light a candle in the middle of your wreath altar and reflect on what guides your choices. Let your heart lead the way. Write down ways you can act with kindness and gratitude this week and commit to one small act that spreads joy.
Affirmation: “I trust my heart to guide me. I open myself to the unseen forces of love and gratitude that light my way.”
Result: Joy
Fourth Week: The Faith Candle - (Trust)
Theme: Invoking the love that you are, and that exists. Honoring the sacredness through the unconditional love that flows through all things, and knowing all things extend from, and flow back to, the source of that love.
Ritual Idea: Write a love letter to yourself as your future or higher self, or someone you care about, or to the ancestors of light, ascended masters, guides or choir of archangels. Describe how holding this vision was important to you, those you love and paved the way for it to become manifest. GIFT, or decorate your sacred space, and those in it, with symbols of abundance and beauty, signs of celebration—everything has come to fruition. The future is now.
Affirmation: “I am sacred, divine, and woven into the fabric of unconditional love. I embrace the gifts of beauty, grace, and abundance within and around me.”
Result: Love
Candle Colors:
The colors of the Advent candles—purple, pink, and white—carry deep symbolic and mystical significance, guiding us through the spiritual preparation of this season.
Purple represents introspection, spiritual awakening, and the call to align with our higher purpose. It’s the color of preparation and vision, inviting us to go inward and connect with the divine within.
Pink, traditionally used on the third Sunday, signifies joy, gratitude, and the blossoming of hope. It is a reminder to celebrate the beauty in life and the light that grows brighter as we move forward.
White symbolizes purity, unity, and divine grace. It is the culmination of the journey, gathering all the intentions of the season into a single flame of illumination and wholeness.
Each color adds a layer of magic and meaning, creating a palette that reflects the transformative journey from darkness to light, both within ourselves and in the world around us.
Celebrating Our Light: Why Rituals, Routines Matter
Rituals, and routines, like celebrating the Christmas holiday by lighting Advent candles or decorating a Yule wreath, are more than traditions; they are acts of devotion. They create sacred space, ground us in the present, and remind us of the light we carry within.
In a world often consumed by chaos and distraction, rituals offer a path back to ourselves—a way to reconnect with the divine, with nature, and with one another.
This season, as we light candles and adorn our spaces, let us also light the candles of our hearts. Let us embody Vision, Wholeness, Guidance, and Trust—not only for ourselves but for those around us.
May this Advent and Yule (or whatever you choose to celebrate) be a time of deep inward reflection and joyful outward connection. May we illuminate the darkness and celebrate the grace that flows through all things.
What rituals or traditions will you practice this season? Our community at Under One Sky would love to hear about them. Let’s walk this journey of light together.
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But most of all…Have fun with it.
Clap and sing. Celebration bring. Tis the Season. Happy Yule. Merry Christmas.