The fires are burning again. My home is once again filled with the delightful smells of incense, and the altar is once again filled with the spirit of the Gods. To the East is burning his offering, Helios Lord of the rising Sun, her offering, Eos of the rosy fingers, and her offering, Selene of the setting full moon.

The air is cold, and I stand there nude before them as I seek to feel them all around me. I can feel it, like the energy of a new birth or the excitement of a burgeoning love, it gives me strength and fills me with a sense of pride and completion.

I have purchased a few gifts, a capitulation to our cultural tradition of gift exchange at this time of year, and I have chosen them carefully to say thank you to those who have made my life worth living this year.