In this episode of the Breathe Love & Magic podcast, you’ll hear a fascinating tale about the origins of Santa.

You Won’t Believe Who Santa Really Was!

This encore presentation from 2021 will open your eyes to legends and lore about the origins of Santa. As you discover how the idea was borrowed from indigenous people in the northern most areas of the globe, you’ll be amazed at where all the details came from.

From Nordic lands to Russian and Mongolia, ancient peoples welcomed a Goddess who flew her sleigh across the sky. She did this on the darkest day of the year at the time of the Winter Solstice to bring the sun back to earth.

Better still, find out how the reindeer that flew her sleigh into the night sky were all female! One of the most interesting facts is that only the doe keeps her antlers during the cold winter months. Forget Donner and Blitzen and think Heather and Heidi.

Why the Church Turned Santa into a Jolly Man

It’s time to give the female shamans and deer credit for this celebration. What once honored the Deer Mother and the cycles of the year, shifted to a male dominated Christmas story hundreds of years ago.

Why you ask? It was all in an effort to woo and convert Pagans to Christianity.

Learn about how female shamans connected with the Deer Mother for the good of the people. We’ll explore lore, legends, and ancient rituals traditionally lead by women to celebrate a Happy Winter Solstice.

Honoring the Deer Mother harkens back to a time when the earth was much colder and reindeer were far more common.

Siberian legends include the deer and the shamans using the red and white psychedelic mushrooms to journey. They went to the upper levels where they communed with the Gods.

This is one reason Santa and reindeer are associated with red and white designs.

Tracing Santa Through Art History

Traditions have been traced back through art including rustic symbols and drawings. The art shows a reverence for the life-giving deer that provided sustenance including milk, fur, clothing, etc.

I was thrilled to find this story last year and thought I would share it again in 2022, to help more people discover this surprising bit of pre-history.

Here’s my complete post from last year with amazing photos, originally published by Danielle Prohom Olson on her incredible blog GatherVictoria.com.

Her headline read:

Doe, A Deer, A Female Reindeer: The Spirit of Winter Solstice (2021)

Happy Winter Solstice!

The post Happy Winter Solstice 2022 – Santa Was a Woman! appeared first on Intuitive Edge.