Ep339: Christmas & the Winter Solstice - Dr Thomas Clough Daffern
Dr Thomas Clough Daffern is a philosopher, educator, peace activist, and peace officer for the Council of British Druid Orders.
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Dr Daffern explains the meaning of Christmas and the Winter Solstice, reflects on cyclic time and indigenous wisdom, and shares his own recent reckonings with death and loss.
Dr Daffern reveals the esoteric and mythic symbolism of the Christmas tree, mistletoe, gift giving, and even Father Christmas himself.
Dr Daffern also shares his thoughts on the current world situation, why he is an optimist about the future of civilisation, and why he believes it is the moral duty of those with knowledge and power to share it with the world.
Intro
How Thomas spends this time of year
The worst year of Thomas’ life
Death of Thomas’ daughter
Reckoning with death
What the traditions say about the current world situation
Druids and cyclical time
Increasing wisdom in the world
Sophia-phobia
Why Thomas is an optimist about the future
The meaning of Winter Solstice
Christmas and Mithraism
Megalithic civilisations and prehistorical religion
The Golden Bough and indigenous European wisdom
Death and rebirth
Rituals and symbols of Christmas
Symbolism of the Christmas tree
The meaning of “Christmas”
Symbolism of mistletoe
Symbolism of present giving
Thomas comments on peace in the Middle East
Is symbolism and the esoteric only for an elite minority?
The aristocratic hippy and sharing wisdom
The moral duty to share knowledge and power
Symbolism of Father Christmas / Santa Claus
Concluding thoughts
Previous episodes with Dr Thomas Clough Daffern:
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Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James