Life Force Arts Ensemble

The Wheel of the Year. Time, not linear but circular. Round and round we go, and have always gone. Since the beginning of time, humans, of every faith and culture, have found time best tracked in circles. Humans have created stone circles aligned with the seasons for at least 200,000 years. Everything in life falls comfortably somewhere upon the spokes of the wheel of time. The times of day, the seasons, the astrological calendar, the trees and symbols of the Ogham, Alchemy, Festivals, ages of human life, the colors, musical notes, emotions, tides. All of time, all of creation.

This is what we will explore in this year-long series of painting classes held once a month. Eight of our sessions will focus on the seasonal festival: Imbolc, Ostara, Beltaine, Summer Solstice, Lughnassadh, Mabon, Samhain and Yule. For these sessions, we will create acrylic on canvas paintings.

Four of our sessions will focus on the Wheel of the Year Template as a whole. In these sessions, each participant will use ink pens, markers, paint, and collage on acetate sheets to create a multi-layered depiction of a personalized Wheel meaningful to their own life path.

Our theme for December 15: Yule  - December 21 (Winter Solstice)

At Samhain we honored, celebrated and welcomed the descent into, and return of, the dark - the beginning of the New Year, acknowledging that all beginnings emerge from darkness. At the Winter Solstice we reach the depth of that darkness with the longest night of the year. Darkness has reached its peak.

In his book The Pagan Family, Ceisiwr Serith says, "Now we start to wonder: will this continue? Will the Earth grow darker and colder as the Sun disappears into the south until only darkness is left? But at Yule a wonderful thing happens. The Sun stops its decline and for a few days it rises in about the same place. This is the crucial time, the cusp between events. The Sun stands still, and everyone waits for the turning.

"In our heads we know the light will return. But in the darkness of Winter, can we be sure? Do our hearts believe what our heads tell us? Will the light keep its promises? We all have moments of darkness, when we don't know how much deeper we will go before the light starts to return (or even if it will). The world has moments too; it understands us, and lives as we do.

"The Sun does start north again and the light comes back. In the world, in our lives, the light comes back. This is indeed something worth celebrating, and it has been celebrated throughout the Northern Hemisphere in remarkably similar ways." 

The Festival of Rebirth and The Return of the Sun (Son) With the end of the longest night the dark is defeated with the Return of the Sun, the return of light, hope and promise. The Goddess gives birth to the Sun/Sun God. The Sun begins to wax and the days grow longer. All that is hidden will begin to emerge. This is the Sun's birthday! And it really is time to celebrate! The Holly King rules over the dark part of the year from Midsummer to Yule, he is God of the Waning Year. At Yule he surrenders his life to the young light Oak King, God of the Waxing Year and his twin, who rules over the light part of the year from Yule to Midsummer. Both rule for half of the year, both fight for the favor and love of the Goddess and both surrender their life force for the well-being of the land. In truth, they are one.

Yule, or Winter Solstice traditions are many and generous, and are shared not only with Christianity with the birthday of the Christ Child, but with many pre-Christian Pagan traditions and indeed more recent ones. It is difficult sometimes to identify their sources, but they are all very familiar in our Western culture even if we don't always recognize the symbology behind them.

All materials will be supplied and no previous experience is necessary. The class will begin with a smudging and guided meditation, and continue on with the painting session. Each session will include a central space arrangement of items that speak to the season and the spoke upon the wheel that is our focus for that session.

Additionally, each student will be provided with a computer file, and a link to a YouTube Playlist that features a wide variety of supportive documentation on The Wheel as it appears in its many varied forms and focuses: images of Circles, Mandalas and Wheels of the Year from a wide variety of cultures and locations as well as stories and legends from around the world to be used as reference material for their study.

Preregistration is required due to material and supply orders that must be placed.

Sunday, December 15, 2 - 5 PM: Yule

LFAC has FREE PARKING in Central Savings bank parking lot