Grace of Gratitude

For food in a world where many walk in hunger
For friends in a world where many live alone
For peace in a world filled with fear and anger
For love and a place that we can call home
For the meal that what we are about to receive
Let us be truly thankful

A New Stoic Practice - Winter Solstice

[As the aim of this series of essays is also to establish a Stoic approach to the received cycle of celebrations, each will in turn present a practice that will seek to honour both the historicity of the celebration, as well as emphasizing a specific Stoic practice. Alignments with current societal practices are deliberate, adding meaning, but not necessarily changing, the habits and rituals that are already in place.]

The occasion of the winter solstice, with it's twin themes of birth and death, is for Stoics a clear reminder of our own mortality. Despite our modern society's obsession with youth and vitality, it is a stark fact that we all must die. The Stoic accepts this, and more, embraces it as a truth, like all others, that is neither good nor evil, but merely factual. For 'death shall have no dominion' over the Stoic, to whom death is a final, natural culmination and release.

Modern Stoics practice daily and weekly resignation, the release of the cares of the present into the hands of fate, or the Gods. The winter solstice is thus the Grand Release, the ultimate Memento Mori (Remember that you will die).

In the weeks approaching the solstice, the Stoic will finalize his or her preparations to depart this life. All small debts will be cleared, if possible. Arrangements for larger debts will made, and Stoic will ensure that all legal obligations and burdens are taken care of, such as the updates to will, testaments, insurances, funeral plans etc.

This is also the time to recognize, honour and celebrate the friendships and relationships that he or she may have. Holiday gatherings, celebrations and the preparation of gifts of gratitude are already part of many cultures' routines for this time of year. The Stoic is glad to participate with them, and understands the depth of meaning that these occasions can hold.

The grand fire, a feature of so many pagan and neo-pagan winter solstice practices, is for the Stoic the funeral pyre, the symbol of the final peaceful release. The Stoic does not, however, call into being the new sun, through sympathetic magic or other rite or ritual. The rising and setting of the sun, and indeed all universal cycles, are part of the logos, the perfect natural symphonic rhythm of which we all are but a single line of  melody.

Should the cycle restart the next day, then the Stoic has cause to celebrate their rebirth. Since all arrangements are already made for their departure, it is with complete freedom that the Stoic is able to join in festivities and joyous gatherings, as in days of old. This is also a time for reflection on the value of his or her life, and the contributions that can be made in the coming year.

With the coming of the new year, and the return to the regular routines of life, the Stoic is prepared to make new commitments, renewing responsibilities from the past year if there is work still to be done. Bearing in mind that all plans are tentative at best (which is seen the practice of Reservation that receives special recognition at the February Cross-Quarter), the Stoic begins the new year with solemn commitments to improve his or her life, and to make real positive change in the world.

More Mneme

The Virtues great will I express 

My actions right and true

To help all men learn happiness

And courage to pursue

I trust Intelligence Divine

To guide all Nature's ways

And make my light to fully shine

Thus peace will fill my days

With care all judgements I review

And ever mindful be

That I may say that which is true

The path to wisdom see

My Mneme

In my efforts to live the excellent aretes, to exercise utmost kathekonta, for the sake of universal oikeiosis,

I have the courage to face the world and its visicitudes.

By my faith in divine logos, my trust in providential phusis and my hope of fulfilling eudaimonia,
I receive the serenity of knowing all is as it should be.

Through my practice of careful aproptôsia, constant prosoché, and proper epilegein

I acquire the wisdom to choose my own path.

Definitions:

aretes = Virtues (sort of) it really means an excellent disposition of the mind, or the healthy and perfect way of being. we use virtuous, but it has some victorian baggage (victorian morality mostly) that is not part of it.

kathekonta = appropriate action, or the correct and right way to do something given all the available choices and options.

oikeiosis = our interconnection to each other and the univers, which brings with it the obligation of care and support.

logos = the active and creative Reason and intelligence that underlies the structure of the universe

phusis = Nature and all of the natural processes, from evolution to growth and change, and that which makes a thing truly what it is.

eudaimonia = flourishing, the fulfillment of our individual natures, being and doing what we are made to be and do, sometimes experienced as joy, caution, hope or flow.

aproptôsia = the Stoic practice of not assenting too quickly to judgements that correspond directly to representations.

prosoché = the exercise of self-attention or mindfulness.

epilegein = to add something to an impression, like "it is a bad thing' or 'i have no control over this'. It can be good or bad, depending on how you use it. (that is why I used the adj. 'proper')