I never knew much about advent growing up in a household with, as my mother famously called herself, a “fallen Catholic” (whatever that meant) and a culturally Jewish but Atheist step dad. My father didn’t take us to church or temple either, although he’d have probably told you he was agnostic.

To me, advent meant colorful calendars with tiny windows and doors, and most importantly, daily chocolates!

It wasn’t until recently that I began to understand advent in a mystical way, as a means to support our self-transformation, and encourage our personal connection to the divine.

Essentially, what these 4 weeks before Christmas are designed to do is provide a time to intentionally clean out in preparation for receiving the light.