#WildMustangs, #BLMRoundup, #SaveWildHorses, #MustangAdvocacy,
I am doing this project as a Fundraiser for Great Escape Mustang Rescue, Chama, NM and Longmont, CO
To learn more about the tragedy perpetrated upon the Wild Mustangs and Burros - please read this post.
This project keeps evolving... I combined it with exercises from Kabbalah and The Tarot, and then I decided to include the BOTA Major Arcana in case anyone wants to just color those in for their creative project.
I will include a printable file at the bottom, in case anyone wants to simply print this out and work from it.
As it turns out, Rudolf Steiner has a 13 Holy Night Process for the dates from the Winter Solstice through January 1st.
The last night has 2 in 1, and I believe that that is for the final artwork to be made as it bleeds into the following year, 2026.
Rudolf Steiner's 13 Holy Nights
The "Holy Nights" that begin with the Winter Solstice (around December 21) and extend through January 1.
This period, which Steiner did indeed refer to as a time of spiritual renewal, is sometimes associated with a more condensed practice of 13 nights (counting from December 21 to January 1)
In this context, Steiner and Anthroposophical tradition emphasize the Winter Solstice (December 21) as a crucial turning point in the spiritual year. The Holy Nights that follow the Solstice symbolize a time for deep soul work and spiritual reflection, marking a time when the earthly and spiritual worlds are particularly aligned.
The practice focuses on a 13-night cycle, with each night associated with a different aspect of spiritual development, self-transformation, or divine insight. The key principle is that during this period, the human soul can align itself with cosmic rhythms and engage in inner work that prepares it for the year ahead.
The "13 Holy Nights" Practice
Rudolf Steiner suggested that, beginning at the Winter Solstice (Dec. 21), these 13 nights offer an opportunity for deep reflection and inner transformation, and that each night corresponds symbolically to one month of the coming year. The spiritual themes or meditative content of each night aligns with the 12 months of the year, and the 13th night represents the “gateway” to the future year, perfectly falling at the end of 2025, for the beginning of 2026, for the Art Work portion of this exercise.
Here’s an outline of how this might unfold in the 13-night cycle, beginning with the Solstice.
Practical Aspects of the Practice:
During the 13 Holy Nights, practitioners might engage in several practices:
1. Daily Meditation: Focusing on one theme each night, meditating on its meaning and how it relates to one's life.
2. Dream Journaling: The Holy Nights are also a time when spiritual influences are believed to affect our dreams, and recording them can help track insights.
3. Creative Expression: Some people express their inner reflections through art, music, or other creative outlets, which can amplify the meditative work.
4. Contemplation and Prayer: Using prayer to seek deeper alignment with spiritual beings or guidance from Christ.
5. Rituals: You might light a candle each night, read spiritual texts, or create a quiet space to allow for contemplation.
6. And, lastly, create the substrate for the work of art you are going to be creating monthly from the New Moon through the Last Quarter of the Moon, each month in 2025. As I have mentioned, mine is going to be themed about the Wild Mustangs and Burros of the USA that are being mercilessly rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management and I will be donating them to a fundraiser for a local non-profit that works with these horses.
The Importance of the 13th Night
The 13th night is often seen as a culmination of the spiritual work of the previous nights. It’s a time when all of the reflections, insights, and meditations come together, serving as a gateway to the new year. Steiner emphasized that this final night is an important moment for spiritual commitment—a time to deepen one's connection with Divine Purpose and to prepare for the spiritual tasks of the upcoming year
Combining the 13 Holy Nights with the Tarot's Major Arcana & The Kabbalah
Paul Foster Case agrees with me, that we should be able to combine all 3 traditions with no discrepancies - that they are in fact, meant to be done in combination.
Combining the 13 Holy Nights with the Tarot's Major Arcana and the Kabbalah provides a rich opportunity for self-reflection and spiritual development through the winter solstice period. The Holy Nights run from December 21 to January 1, each night being connected with a specific theme of spiritual insight. By associating each Holy Night with a Tarot card from the Major Arcana, we can deepen our connection to both traditions.
Here's a proposed way to combine the 13 Holy Nights with the Major Arcana, and the Kabbalah, starting with December 21 and ending on January 1: (This is a sample of the document)
1st Holy Night: December 21 (Winter Solstice)
Capricorn
Related to January
Begin the Artwork during New Moon: December 30, 2024 through the Full Moon – January 13 and onward through the Last Quarter before the next New Moon.
Contemplate Capricorn
Cardinal Earth, Saturn (Limitation)
Cosmic Birth and Renewal
This night marks the spiritual birth of the Christ being into the world of human consciousness. It’s a time to reflect on the cosmic significance of light and rebirth.
Focus: Renewal, the potential for spiritual awakening, and inner illumination.
Kabbalah Night 1: Winter Solstice - Keter (Crown)
Theme: Divine Unity, Source of All Creation
Kabbalistic Focus: Keter is the highest Sefirah and represents the divine will or source of all life. The Winter Solstice marks the moment of deepest darkness, but also the return of the light, as the days slowly begin to lengthen. On this night, focus on the deep sense of unity, oneness with the Source of all, and the primal creative energy that exists before all manifestation.
Practice: Meditation on the infinite nature of the Divine, visualizing the divine light that emerges from the darkness, and feeling the interconnectedness of all beings.
- December 21 (Winter Solstice) – The Fool (0)
Theme: A new beginning, innocence, and potential.
Connection to Holy Nights: The first night marks the beginning of the soul's renewal cycle. It’s a time of opening up to new possibilities and trusting the unknown. Just as The Fool steps into the unknown, we are invited to let go of past burdens and start afresh.
Dr. Paul Foster Case, founder of the Builders of The Adytum and creator of the B.O.T.A. Tarot https://www.bota.org/ said that it was by coloring in the deck that you would DRAW in the images into your subconscious, so this could be an activity to do during this time, following the colors...Yellow is the predominant color of the Solar Plexus, which is the Will - this card is about giving your will over to the Higher Will...
If you would like to participate in this please feel free to download the document I created for it here.
The following instructions are available in the document.
I still intend to make 13 Paintings that I will donate to Great Escape Mustang Rescue for their fall fundraiser.