Hetepu (Peace) Family.
I figured since this will probably be the last post of the year, we should probably end with a bang. You know?
Well, I am so grateful for the Maa Aankh because it has really helped me to achieve balance over the year, and see that you need both the invisible, metaphorical, spiritual reality and the visible, factual, physical reality in order to have an enjoyable life. If you are ruled by either one or become too polarized in one reality, your life will become a mental hell.
What am I talking about?
Well, guess what? It is December 21, 2012 and we’re still here!…lol
Sorry, to those of you who were holding your breath and expecting the worst to happen on the 21st of December. You know if we had a dollar for every time they claim that the world is going to end. We could really make a fortune. I hope by now, we have learned our lesson, which is that the physical realm is not only temporal but also unreliable. Especially when you take metaphorical and spiritual information literally and out of context. Since I have been alive, I have recalled the world ending in 1989, 1999, 2000 and now 12/21/2012. I think the next date the rapture, the ending of the world, the apocalypse, whatever you want to call it, is supposed to end is on 2020, so mark your calendar. I am being sarcastic and making pun of the situation to counter the anxiety and fear stirred up by the media frenzy. And to inject some humor as a remedy to nullify the silly comments from fanatics. It is time out for living in fear.
Now don’t get me wrong, something extraordinary is happening on the 21st of December (Dec. 21 – 24), as it has been for centuries. It is the Winter Solstice. Don’t worry I am not going to explain it and bore you with all of the scientific, metaphysical details, because unless you are really, really deep into astrology. You, like 95% of the world population, wouldn’t get it in the first place. Please don’t take this as an insult (it is not meant to be), because even the people who claim to understand this cosmic event don’t. I for instance, cannot in detail explain it and show you how it is calculated. But, I can follow my intuition like my ancestors did before me. I don’t need to calculate that around this time people get emotional and if they are either cheerful and giving or miserable. So, yeah something is happening. Now, don’t get me wrong, if you are into astrology and astronomy, that’s great. Natural science is one of the tools that the Divine uses to convince us of extraordinary events. In other words, some people need to understand the science before they can accept the spiritual reality, which is cool. I am like that for a lot of other things, but in this regards. I didn’t need the science to convince me of it because I am lover a folklore and folk traditions.
As I mentioned before, even the people that claim to understand the whole deal about the solstice don’t know how to use it, because they are too caught up in the metaphysics. This is why our ancestors and other people around the world have marked this event as a time for giving or called it Christmas.
I can already hear you saying it, “But Santa Claus ain’t real!”
But, isn’t it funny that this same old silly conversation comes up every year? What it means is that Santa Claus is real. No, there is no fat, jolly man riding a sleigh to the Bronx, Detroit, Baton Rouge, Houston, Kingston, Ponce.PR, then heads to Santo Domingo, DR and back to Bristol, whatever to slide down a chimney and drop off gifts, because my house didn’t have a chimney (smile) and I am not sure about you. If I saw some man sliding down my chimney (if I had one), time to ‘Ring Da Alarm…you know. So no, Santa Claus is not physically real but he is a real spirit that was conjured up. To express the importance of giving and ethical behavior in order to bring about a change in consciousness.
If people would learn how to get over their religious prejudices and ask themselves who else tries to convince us that he is not real. They will find that the original name of the holiday was Yule and Santa Claus’ real name is St. Nick, Sinister Claus and Good Ole Nick. Good Ole Nick or Old Nick is one of the names for the Devil. 
So, why are we taught to give him cookies and milk, which in the old days he was offered nuts, fruits and other gifts associated with “fertility.” It was a sort of bribe, so that the spirit would not wreak havoc in their lives during that time or the coming year.
Now, do you know who the real Santa Claus is? He is the European equivalent of Npu (Anubis shown above).
I know we have some skeptics but remember the old Santa Claus riddle/chant?
You better watch out,
You better not cry,
Better not pout,
I’m telling you why:
Santa Claus is coming to town.
He’s making a list,
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out
Who’s naughty and nice.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
He sees you when you’re sleeping.
He knows when you’re awake.
He knows if you’ve been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake!
Oh, you better watch out!
You better not cry.
Better not pout,
I’m telling you why:
Santa Claus is coming to town.
Santa Claus is coming to town!
Remember? You ‘Member, don’t act like you don’t (smile). Now keep this in mind, while considering Npu’s (Anubis) purpose.
Does it make sense now, while people try to bribe and offer Npu or Santa Claus sweets?
The Yoruba “Opener of the Way” is the orisha Elegba and in Brazil
he is represented by a number of Exus,
which by were all once upon a time identified as the devil by Europeans,
because of their trickster-like spirit (in Brazil he is still recognized as the devil).
Npu, Elegba and Exus sacred numbers by the way are 3 (multiples of 3) and “21.” It is also
interesting to note that December is the last month of the year, which forms a sort-of crossroad.
To this day, all Afro-Diaspora practitioners know to leave a small offering for Npu (in the Kamitic tradition), Elegba or Exu because he is known for causing confusion in the future, if not done otherwise. This is why Europeans called this trickster spirit the devil and started doing this ritual around Christmas to “Open the Way” for the coming new year.
It’s funny. Folks have me laughing when they say Santa Claus isn’t real and that the real meaning of Christmas is about the birth of Jesus. But, they still miss the point!
What did the three Magi do? (Insert Jeopardy music now).
Answer: They gave gifts.
Christians created Christmas in an attempt to destroy and stamp out the Yule pagan holiday. What they didn’t know is that if there is a legitimate spiritual truth behind a tradition, meaning you don’t have to metaphysically understand it to get it, but if you can feel it. That tradition will survive and coexist right alongside the new one, which is why Santa Claus keeps appearing right next to Christmas.
But, even people who claim to be spiritual miss the point and will say they don’t celebrate Christmas because it is a made up holiday.
Instead they will meditate because it is all about solstice. I am like, “Okay. What are you meditating for?”
Answers: “Gifts…”
Of course, “Spiritual People Be Like,” the only gifts they want is to be more spiritual. Proof that they still don’t get it. I can’t fault them because I use to think the same silly way until I asked to be more spiritual and end up having no choice but to be spiritual and broke. That’s why I can joke about it now. It was all because I didn’t ask for the things I really wanted, like maybe some money would be nice, a new car even better, clothes, etc.
Ha ha ha, I mean, ho, ho, ho.
Yeah, I can laugh now, because I know and that’s why I am trying to tell you how to take advantage of this time.
This is why the only people that seem to get it and the only people that are keeping the tradition alive are…wait for it…. Children.
That’s right; children aren’t polarized by physical scientific beliefs or on the other extreme by spiritual beliefs. That’s why they keep getting the things that they want. It isn’t until people start to shatter children ‘s imagination by saying, “Santa Claus ain’t real” or the other extreme, “The true meaning of Christmas is the birth of our savior” that children lose the ability to conjure up this spiritual force. That’s why I am so fond of folk traditions like Three Kings Day (El Dia de Reyes Magos as it is celebrated in Puerto Rico), which goes a step further by having children offer even the camels the three magi rode grass for them to eat, so that the magi can give them a gift as well on January 6.
Many of us have to learn that we can’t always understand energy or ritual practices that focus solely upon manipulating energy, intellectually, because our universe isn’t just composed of the intellect. What do I mean? I mean you don’t need to understand how offering candies; cookies or sweets to a spirit will bring you luck, blessings, etc. for the coming new year. It is a spiritual practice, which means that you have to have faith.
So, the thing is that we have to do, is to learn how to tap into your metaphorical repertoire in order to benefit from this celestial event as well.
It is not difficult. We have a very rich Kamitic heritage to take advantage of.
The nativity scene can easily be transformed to the Kamitic scene, because Oset wandered about looking for Osar
and gave birth to Hru in the wilderness. Right? So, the infant Jesus can easily
become the Child Hru (For those who want to cling on to the metaphysics).
But, you might want to place under the little effigy some cutouts of what
you want for the coming year such as romance, better finances, etc., then alongside of it an offering for Npu.
Any ritual you choose to create will work fine.
I mean what’s the purpose of metaphysics, if it can’t improve our life through ritual means anyway. Right? Just a thought.
By the way, I woke up with this message at 3:33 a.m. Tua (Thanks) Npu.
Hope that helps. Have a productive and safe winter solstice.
Hetepu…see you next year.
Derric “Rau Khu” Moore
For more info on how to apply the shamanic principles based upon Kamitic philosophy and Afro-Spiritual practices see the soon to be released:
MAA AANKH Volume 2: Discovering the Power of I AM Using the Shamanic Principles of Ancient Egypt for Self-Empowerment and Personal Development