From an Aristasian blog: We had a wonderful Herthedi Service today! Honored Raya gave one of her inspired talks that really suddenly made it clear to me how the Day of Sai Herthe fits into the mystical journey that is the Year. We really should try to record these Services, as honored Raya says so many wonderful things that are nowhere to be found in Elektraspace or anywhere else. On the other hand, maybe it is part of the magic that these things are shared with the Family, with those who choose and make the time to be present and part of the Sacred Event. It is hard to summarize what honored Raya said as it was so inspired - but she was talking of the Star Fairy coming down the chimney, and of how in the Motherland folks take this kind of "legend" on a very serious level, whereas in Telluria, even religious people don't think there is anything very important about such "peripheral" traditions as opposed to Scriptural religion. Honored Raya said that many Tellurians would consider that taking these charming "folk" stories seriously is the sign of a less sophisticated people, but honored Raya said that it is in fact the sign of a more sophisticated people. A people that sees beyond the childish literalism of "it did happen or it didn't happen" to the much deeper spiritual truth that lies beneath the surface of the narrative. She explained how Nativity is about the Divine Light descending vertically from the spiritual realm to the manifest cosmos - entering the House, which is the world, through the vertical chimney (cheminée, camino - way) into the heart or hearth and thence as radiant light and warmth into the world/soul. The Day of Sai Herthe is, in a certain sense, the same Event seen from the perspective of the World, or House. In the Motherland - certainly in those places that follow the Fire Temple tradition (such as Rayapurh and Novarya), Sai Herthe's day is the only day of the year in which the sacred house-flame (from which, in more traditional times, every hearthfire, candle and lamp was lit and every flame that cooked food) was allowed to go out. It was ritually re-lit by a flame taken from the sacred Temple Fire. Thus the kindling of the World-hearth from the Spirit-hearth is enacted in the microcosm of the home and the great Event of the Coming of the Light is actualized on the domestic level. The "new year" element of the festival, although our actual New Year is three months away, lies in the fact that the home-fire is extinguished and re-lit at this time, the only time in the year, and so a new cycle begins (and, interestingly, the death and rebirth of the light in the home is an obvious reflection of Eastre, the true New Year).