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Many celebrate Christmas without knowing its core symbols and traditions date back to ancient Kemet (Egypt). We can see how these ancient African spiritual practices were later adapted and transformed into modern Christmas customs through careful examination of historical records and sacred texts like the Per em Heru (commonly known as the Egyptian Book of the Dead).
The Winter Solstice Celebration
The ancient Kemetic celebration took place during the winter solstice (around December 21st), marking when the sun reaches its lowest point in the sky, creating the longest night and shortest day of the year. This cosmic event held deep spiritual significance, representing a symbolic death, rebirth, and resurrection cycle as the sun begins its gradual ascent toward longer days.
This celestial observation formed the basis for profound spiritual metaphors about human consciousness and divine transformation. The ancient Kemetic people saw this cosmic cycle as reflecting humanity’s spiritual journey, from periods of darkness toward greater enlightenment and illumination.
Key Symbols and Their Origins
Several familiar Christmas symbols can be traced directly to Kemetic sources:
The Christmas Tree: The evergreen tree tradition stems from the ancient Kemetic “Djed pillar” and Ashet tree. In Kemetic tradition, this tree grew around the sarcophagus of Ausar (Osiris) and became a symbol of resurrection and eternal life. The practice of adorning the tree also has Kemetic roots – ancient Egyptians would decorate their sacred trees with symbols representing divine qualities and cosmic forces.
The Star: The star placed atop Christmas trees derives from the Kemetic “Amsu Heru” symbol, representing the completion of spiritual circuitry and divine illumination. It symbolizes humanity’s achieving its highest spiritual potential.
Santa’s Hat: The distinctive red and white hat associated with Santa Claus appears to be a commercialized adaptation of the ancient Egyptian “Pschent” – the double crown representing the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. This crown held deep spiritual significance as a symbol of unity between heaven and earth, spirit and matter.
The Sleigh: Santa’s magical sleigh has parallels to the sacred boat or “sledge” used in ancient Egyptian ceremonies. During festivals of Ausar, this divine vessel would be drawn in procession to symbolize the revolution of the sun and celestial bodies.
Spiritual Significance and Modern Meaning
These symbols weren’t merely decorative – they represented profound spiritual teachings about human consciousness and divine potential. The ancient Kemetic understanding saw humans as both earthly and divine beings, capable of achieving higher states of spiritual awareness through inner transformation.
The winter solstice celebration provided a cosmic moment to align with these transformative energies. Through ritual and ceremony, participants could experience their own symbolic death to lower consciousness and resurrection into higher awareness.
Cultural Appropriation and Recovery
Over centuries, these profound African spiritual traditions were appropriated, stripped of their original meaning, and commercialized. The process began with Greek and Roman adaptations and continued through Christian reinterpretation. What were once powerful symbols of spiritual transformation became secular holiday decorations.
However, understanding these origins allows us to reclaim the deeper significance of these symbols. Rather than rejecting Christmas traditions entirely, we can appreciate them as preserved (albeit altered) fragments of ancient African wisdom about human spiritual potential.
Modern Relevance
The core spiritual teachings embedded in these ancient practices remain relevant today. The winter solstice still marks a powerful time for introspection, the release of old patterns, and commitment to higher consciousness. Properly understood, the symbols can still remind us of our divine nature and potential for transformation.
Whether or not one celebrates Christmas in its modern form, understanding its African origins provides important historical context and spiritual depth. These ancient Kemetic teachings remind us that we are all capable of resurrection – of dying to lower states of consciousness and being reborn into greater wisdom and awareness.
This knowledge isn’t meant to diminish anyone’s current holiday celebrations, but rather to enrich our understanding of these traditions’ deep roots in African spirituality. By reclaiming this wisdom, we honor both our ancestors’ profound spiritual understanding and our own potential for transformation and enlightenment.
The next time you see a decorated evergreen tree or Santa’s distinctive hat, perhaps you’ll remember their origins in ancient African spiritual practice. These symbols can serve as bridges to understanding our shared human heritage and the perennial wisdom about consciousness and divinity that our ancestors worked to preserve and transmit across millennia.
As we approach contemporary winter holidays, we might draw inspiration from ancient celebrants who used this cosmic moment to align with forces of renewal and resurrection. Their sophisticated spiritual science still has much to teach us about human potential and the eternal cycle of death, rebirth, and transformation.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- https://amzn.to/3RPRN2K – Ka Ab Ba (Kabala): Building the Lighted Temple/Metaphysical Keys To The Tree Of Life
- https://amzn.to/3tfEijr – Secrets of Race & Consciousness
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