Today the children woke up to a few special changes around the house signifying the beginning of Advent. We had an early morning tea party as the mist over the mountains was chased away by the dawn. We began our Advent garden, by gathering and placing treasures from the mineral kingdom into a little creche covered in moss. We went for a forest walk to collect pine boughs, made our Advent wreath and began a new tradition by reading the first chapter of “The Yule Tomte and the Little Rabbits” by Ulf Stark, a lovely book that we will read from everyday until Christmas.
In our family traditions Advent and Christmas are about celebrating the light in the darkness. The imagery in Waldorf pedagogy does this beautifully building week by week a connection between the celestial light of the cosmos and human experience on earth. Each week is a time to engage with the 4 kingdoms, of minerals, plants, animals, humans and notice what they bring to the earth, and through that foster gratitude for their unique gifts.By working from a place of stories, music, and crafts in connection with nature, Christmas can take on meaning past commercialism, which is inclusive to those who are religious or not. I love to think of the ancient Celtic celebration of mid-winter and see how those traditions became intertwined with the later Christian holiday. In that way the coming of the Child of Light is connected to the midwinter Solstice (or summer Solstice in the southern hemisphere), creating a narrative that highlights the magic of nature and our place as humans within that magic.
This week we will be exploring all things mineral, beginning with growing our own crystals from this amazing crystal growing kit https://dillydallykids.ca/products/4m-crystal-growing-experiment-kit.
We will also be working with my favorite material, mica powder, to make salt dough ornaments. Check out this link for full instructions into this lovely craft https://wildwattlefolk.com/
Wishing you all a nourishing and joyful season ✨💗
HeartSong 