Spirituality and the Seasonal Creep

No....it's not time yet...wait your turn!

It's amazing to me how many Pagans/ Wiccans/ Witches, etc seem to be the worst proponents of Seasonal Creep. It had actually been defined as an environmental or climate change that brought about conditions of the upcoming season sooner than usual.  Lately, in our modern culture it has taken on a new definition as retailers have begun telling us earlier and earlier that you need to shop for your holiday goodies to get the best deals, and thereby have extended the seasons. I've heard sales announced as the Christmas Creep has already begun and it is only August.

What I am speaking of, however, is more like Spiritual Seasonal Creep. The condition in which Nature based religions and spirituality stop living in the moment and/or with the natural cycle and instead fast-forward toward holidays, seasons and celebrations that are coming soon.

This really grinds my gears. I mean, seriously...it really does...

I love celebrating my wedding anniversary, but it comes once a year and I'm okay with that. I also love Halloween/Samhain and Dia de Los Muertos....and I'm okay with waiting till that time of year comes around as well. I can enjoy those cultures, art, and celebrations all year round if I choose, but I'm clear that the days themselves happen on very specific days during a very specific time of year. What is the frikkin hurry folks?

I'm no gardener, but my earth and herb loving friends know that everything comes and goes in its own time....as it should. This is the way the cycle of life turns.....the Wheel of the Year moves and we honor Life, Growth, Death and Rebirth. You just can't rush that.....and yet, so many of us do. How do you honor the cycle of life when you keep skipping past the parts you don't like as much as the others?

I believe, often, it is people who are unhappy with their lives as they are right now, who are the ones who constantly push toward their next favorite season. I get that it is a comfort, somehow, to squeal about looking forward to all things Samhain/ Yule, etc....when you are not looking at why your life is stagnant right now. Why aren't you enjoying this day and this season more? Instead of working with the challenges and lessons each season brings, many try to 'skip' over the boring stuff and get right to the celebrations and gifts. So sad...for you rob yourself of the joy of THIS day and THIS season every time you look too far ahead or refuse to budge from where you once were. Today is a gift that has lessons and joy for you...but if you are already counting your pumpkins/turkeys/lights/eggs/trees etc....you are missing so very much!

As Pagan/Wiccan/Witchy folk....whether rural, urban, coven or solitary...what is supposed to set us apart from the many religions we aren't a part of is our desire, ability and commitment to living according to the Wheel of the Year...not the sales schedule for Walmart. I challenge you....what are you really celebrating, as a Spiritual person....what does it mean when you are consumed with things to come and not what IS in the here and now? Of course you can love Yule/Christmas all year round...but why are you preparing for it 6 months ahead of time? I honor my ancestors all year round, but there is only one time of the year for Samhain/Dia de los Muertos.

Since my move from NJ to So California, I am cognizant that the cycle of the year is observed differently here than it was in Jersey. I want to learn how each season moves...the ebb and flow...the change in the wind, the water, the earth, the sun... Every day I notice something different about the plants, the birds, the bugs....and each new observation keeps me grounded and reverent for the place I am right now and I'm in no hurry. I  am happy to avoid the creep as much as possible...even when I see it all around me. I will commit to trying to find the joy in this day and in this season and keep myself more grounded in the here and now. I hope that you will do the same!