10 Great Reads of December on Paganism, parenting, social justice, and celebrating the season

A monthly round-up of the best links shared and discussed on our active Facebook and Twitter streams.

On Paganism and bringing babies into the world:

1. “This Life Is Important” by J. Brown: “As a professional yoga teacher, I almost never use the term: “Life Force.” It just feels too woo-woo or cheesy and triggers my revulsion for new-age fluff. However, in attempting to describe the experience of witnessing my wife giving birth to our second child, I can think of no other term that fits more accurately. I observed what appeared to be waves of energy.”
2. “Being A Pagan Father” by Alyxander Folmer: “I thought that the discovery of my impending fatherhood would bring some kind of profound spiritual revelation. Instead the biggest realization I’ve had is that my Smart Car has no back seats, and that’s suddenly a problem…”
3. “How To Hold A Ceremony For an Unborn Child” by: “Too often when an unborn child is lost, the grieving of parents or would-have-been parents is invisible to the rest of community; there is no funeral or other occasion to acknowledge the pain. And yet a ceremony can bring tremendous healing and a sense of closure that the heart can hold and manage.”

On racism, social justice, and parenting:

1. “How To Parent On a Night Like This” by Carvell Wallace: “It’s hard to continue. I wish it was my kids bedtime. I wish the dishes were done. I wish the house was clean. I wish America wasn’t racist. I wish Mike Brown was in police custody. I wish Darren Wilson admitted guilt. I wish America admitted guilt.”
2. “Parenting Around Ferguson and Social Justice” by Lydia Crabtree: “Don’t push your child if they don’t agree with you one hundred percent all the time. Walk them through the process of thinking about the issues without having a judgement about how they should think about those issues.”
3. “Mamas And Babies #blacklivesmatter” by Lilith Dorsey :“My thoughts, prayers, and love go out to the mothers, from one mother to another, now and always. Because I believe #blacklivesmatter “

On celebrating winter solstice and the New Year:

1. “Winter Solstice Meditation” by Molly Meade: “This year I cocoon with my new baby. Though I have three other children, this new baby was the first child whose development and arrival perfectly mirrored the wheel of the year.”
2. “Family Winter Solstice Ritual” by Molly: “We have celebrated the winter solstice together as our primary family ritual for the last eleven years.”
3. “The Divine Mother and the Holy Child“: by Harita Meenee: “The goddess holding or nursing an infant was given the epithet Courotrophos in ancient Greek.”
4. “Wishing Upon A Star” by Inga Bohnekemp: “Today, I want to share with you a beautiful, mindful way to ring in the New Year as a family: Wishing upon a star.”

*And a bonus very popular article about how medical advice against infant bed sharing creates rather than prevents dangerous situations: “Dire Warnings Against Infant Bed Sharing Backfired” by Melissa Bartick: “The fact is, across the United States and the world, across all social strata and all ethnic groups, most mothers sleep with their infants at least some of the time, despite all advice to the contrary, and this is particularly true for breastfeeding mothers.”  + the follow-up article “Five Things You Need To Know About Sharing A Bed With Your Infant“