In the UK, we tend to think of Christmas activity as mostly falling between the 24th and 26th of December, but for around 1,500 years it was a 12-day festival, ending at midnight on 5th January, to make way for the 6th of January which is the special festival of the Epiphany.
In the Christian calendar January 6th – the Epiphany - means the day people mark the arrival of the Wise Men to visit Jesus.
The word Epiphany comes from the Greek term mean ‘revelation’ or ‘to reveal something significant’, or to have a lightening bolt moment when we deeply understand the true nature of something.
The ‘Epiphany’ in this case for the Wise Men was the moment they saw Jesus (he was ‘revealed’ to them) but also on a spiritual level, was the revelation to them that baby Jesus was a significant and important being. Unlike our primary school plays, the Wise Men were not kings, but were more likely what was known as ‘Magi’ which means astronomers or sorcerers. They used the stars to predict the future – so an ancient form of what we call astrology.
The three mystical Magi visited Jesus and each one gave him a gift – Gold to represent the wealth and riches of kings; frankincense (or what we now call incense) which is burned across traditions during acts of worship, meditation, or spirituality; and myrrh which was an oil used to anoint dead bodies and a symbol that we all one day will die.
In the spirit of the Epiphany today, I have some challenges for you to consider:
The first challenge is to reflect on what gifts the universe given you to help you this coming year. Try to think of three things – something or someone ‘golden’ / precious to you; ‘incense’ – what part of your spirit, personality or nature will help you connect with your deeper self and the mystical world? Lastly, what is your ‘myrrh’ gift from the universe? This is something that reminds you of the preciousness of life, and to make the most of the time you have on this planet.
The second challenge is to look to the future. As epiphany is about revealing, what do you want to reveal about yourself to the world this year, in order to be your truer self? As well as an internal revelation, we can also find the beauty, depth or understanding for things outside ourselves. What significant idea, event or person do you want to develop a deeper understanding of this year to discover its true nature?
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