Reclaiming The Easter Holiday Weekend

 

And I never thought I'd feel this way

And as far as I'm concerned

I'm glad I got the chance to say

That I do believe, I love you

A heartfelt expression of concern and support for those, who like myself, have experienced, escaped, and recovered from fundamentalism mainstream Christianity toxicity and abuse.  Today's holiday of Good Friday as well as Sunday's Easter may be a bit of an emotional trigger, bringing up old memories of past trauma, at times feeling trapped in the shoulds of control of Christian fundamentalism.  I know it has been such for me and is somewhat at present, although has been more in past years.  Because of this, I invite you as well as myself to find ways to heal and reclaim this weekend for our own joy, so that we can move forward with our lives, honoring the memories both pleasant and negative as vital lessons in our evolution, but releasing in order that we may become whole and complete within ourselves.

For that reason, I decided to give a brief run-down of other ancient religious beliefs and practices surrounding the history of this weekend.  Perhaps, it can help give a healthy new perspective and bring some clarity, insight, and possible forgiveness for those that wounded, whether intentional or not.

According to the New Unger’s Bible Dictionary: “The word Easter is of Saxon origin, Eastra, the goddess of spring, in whose honour sacrifices were offered about Passover time each year. By the eighth century Anglo–Saxons had adopted the name to designate the celebration of Christ’s resurrection.”

Tammuz & Ishtar

The story of Tammuz and Ishtar, also known as Damuzi and Inanna, is perhaps the true origin of the Easter story, a Sumerian legend dating back to 2100 BC, details the suffering of Ishtar, after the passing of her beloved Tammuz, which results in her descending into hell to return to him. Through her journey, she travels through seven gates, is stripped bare, left naked and bowed low, and finally is judged, killed, and hung on display.  Because of her absence, the earth becomes infertile, crops cease to grow, animals no longer reproduce, thus without some form of interceding, the earth will die.

After three days of this suffering, Ishtar's assistant, Enki, creates two creatures to carry the plant of life and water of life down to the underworld to sprinkle upon Tammuz and Ishtar, resurrecting them, bringing them back to earth for a period of 6 months of revival and new growth.  After that 6 months, Tammuz returned to the underworld and Ishtar once again followed him, until the two creatures were again sent.  Thus, the cycles of winter death and spring life were explained.

Eostre

Similar to the origin story of Tammuz & Ishtar, it is believed that the word "Easter" stems from the celebration of the Goddess of Spring, Eostre, otherwise known as Ostara, Austra, and Eastre, highlighting the theme of renewal.  Ostara, or Eostre, is commonly celebrated on the Spring Equinox, the day of the year where both light and dark are equal.  As the bringer of light after the long winter of darkness, Eostre is often featured with a hare, representing the arrival of spring and fertility.  

It has also been told that Eostre found a wounded bird in the woods and healed it by transforming it to a hare.  However, still partially a bird it continued to lay eggs for gifts to the goddess as a token of gratitude.  The egg is also a symbol of fertility.

The Encyclopedia Britannica clearly explains the pagan traditions associated with the egg: “The egg as a symbol of fertility and of renewed life goes back to the ancient Egyptians and Persians, who had also the custom of colouring and eating eggs during their spring festival.” In ancient Egypt, an egg symbolised the sun, while for the Babylonians, the egg represents the hatching of the Venus Ishtar, who fell from heaven to the Euphrates.

I hope the above historical stories of the origin of spring and Easter help to bring healing to any lingering traumatic memories surrounding this weekend.  I know that studying these stories has helped bring clarity, a fresh perspective even on the Jesus story, and thus healing and release.  I hope the same for you.

Be well, my friend, and be at peace.  Embrace the arrival of spring, the abundance of new life it will present, and continue forward on your journey towards your wholeness and evolution.   Know that our deconstruction of our faith, the heart-break of leaving behind something we were so assured would be eternal, tragedy of losing close friends and family who once proclaimed love unconditional, the darkness, anger, despair of being on the outside, that is our suffering and crucifixion, our dying to self...yet know this even more, through death comes rebirth and through the journey towards healing, we have now our Easter morning, full of new life of fertility and growth, abundance and joy.

So, my friend, as you ponder this weekend, the memories that may arise, remember this and with me proclaim proudly:

I AM RISEN!
I AM RISEN INDEED!

That's What Friends Are For

Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure
Cause I tell you, that's what friends are for
Whoa, good times and the bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for

Easter. And We All Shine On!

This week I sat in a coffee shop writing.  I sat at the window looking out onto the patio.  A man on the patio was reading his Bible, enjoying the sunshine and the morning coffee. I laughed at him, no, let me explain, I didn't laugh at him directly.

I laughed at the life-style of which he is in, the life-style I used to prescribe to, try to conform myself towards.  A year ago or more, I might have packed up my computer and moved to another table so as not to see him, his activity bringing up flashbacks from that spiritually oppressive time of my life.  Even further back, I would have left the coffee shop entirely, unable to explain the uncontrollable shaking consuming me.

But instead on that day last week, I laughed.  As I recalled the controlling ways the church turned the loving words of God and Jesus into methods of dominating and submission, I laughed at all the absurd ways they did just that.  Instead of feeling that cold feeling of suffocation overwhelm me at the memory, instead of feeling the heartbreak over the friends I'd lost still in that life-style, I laughed. It's all rather absurd when you think about it.  And, after all, laughter is the best medicine, right?

A few days before this coffee shop encounter, a woman I work with, a teacher, had casually mentioned that Easter was first a pagan holiday, not primarily Christian.  It resonated within me as I reflect on how this last year I'm starting to embrace the earlier spiritual aspects of my younger self.

Then, Good Friday comes around.  A friend on Facebook requests assistance with what book to study in the Bible.  Without much thought, I answer him with what I recall being taught.  "Start in the New Testament and read a chapter a day," I post.  And truly, I was not bitter or sarcastic.

That night, at dinner, I talk to my boyfriend, Michael, about the Good Friday and Easter weekend packages of years passed.  I tell him about how on Good Friday we'd do our best to whip ourselves into some emotional feeling of contrition, remorse, while inwardly we felt nothing or at best, the opposite.  Instead of just attending the Good Friday service and allowing whatever was taught to hit us as it would, we had to fit ourselves into the mood of everyone else, conform so as not to lose points with the leadership and other attendees.  Then, come Sunday morning, high on coffee and jelly bean sugars, we'd praise Jesus with "He Is Risen" and you best hide any feelings of depression and unhappiness behind strained smiles of forced mirth.

I say to my boyfriend, "Was our faith genuine?" Yes, it was.  "Was the emotion genuine?" Most likely not.

But, still looking back there were times of sweetness even despite all the production that went into the Good Friday and Easter weekend package.  The Bible and its profound sweetness did hit me and did leave a lasting effect.

For when all is said and done, I bear no ill will or dislike to the Bible.  After reading other spiritual texts this last year, I have come to the understanding that it is one of the World's Spiritual Texts and should be honored as so.  ( A side note of import: This is my personal discovery and is not something I need to or will enforce on others spiritual paths.  I have had enough doctrinal viewpoints enforced upon me thus I won't do it to another. We all have our paths to spiritual and self-discovery, my path is not to dictate yours nor is yours mine.  Nor will enforcing one's views on another cause them to follow.)  Thus, when I saw this man at the coffee shop reading his Bible or my friend posting his request on Facebook, I can respond with love at that fond memory.  I recall mornings spent at coffee shops, my bible open, pouring through the words reaching down deep into my heart, penetrating and cleansing my soul, the sunlight hitting my face, the coffee warm to the taste.  I read other spiritual texts now with similar profundity.  I treasure those memories myself spent in personal bible study as a strong undertaking of my spiritual journey.  I will not condemn anyone else's personal study and reflection of that Holy Book despite my harsh experiences with the church and the organized religion of Christianity.

I forgive and in that forgiveness, I let go.  By letting go, I recall only the good memories, the sweet memories of deep Bible reflection and healing from it, sweet friendships over coffee, pizza, and other goodies, long, heartfelt prayers and good laughs.

Happy Easter and happy spring to all.  And, no matter where you are or what you believe, may blessings and love fall upon you.

Instant Karma