Beware of Justin Case! A Ghost of Christmas Eve.

Two dark ghosts of Christmas eve stalk us in western societies today.  I feel it's my obligation to shine light on them; their names are Justin Case and No T'enough.  

But no doubt, you'll have felt their presence already...

  Justin Case waits for us to venture out just for sticky-tape, timing it so we see our neighbour arriving home with their arms full of chocolate boxes.   "What if so-n-so drops by, or doesn't like what you've already got him?", Justin Case whispers in our ear.  We shudder, thinking it to be the cold winter wind. But his malicious seed has been planted.

No T'enough is friskier, more spiteful.  He fills our facebook pages with others excited plans!  He causes restaurants and directory assistance and shops telephone lines to be impossible to get through on!  He sends premature "Out of office" replies and causes our mobile phones to cut out mid-conversation.  He is a mischievous sprite who delights in the gathering together of flurried souls, fighting to buy the last roll of gold wrapping paper. He needs to do very little, for when we join with others under his influence, we all feed on that flurry, the competition, the inner desperation.  Then, his work is done.

If you have been touched by the cold grip of the Ghosts of Christmas eve, here's help:

1. Breathe.  Name them.  Tell them you're not afraid.

2.  My personal remedy; don't do so much today.  You've probably got enough- so there!, No't Enough.  You don't need any more "Just in case".

3.  Powerfully cleansing is to make your own cranberry sauce.  A bag of cranberries, 3/4 cup of sugar and 1 cup water simmering on the stove with the zest of half an orange brightens, warms and wards off these creeps of doubt.  But don't rush out to buy these... just a pot of water with orange peel, cinnamon and a few cloves will do the same trick.

4.  I also love to clean the house on Christmas Eve.  you could try it too- it's wonderful for finding hidden goodies perfect to wrap up in that last scrap of paper and ensures you wake up feeling excited and proud tomorrow, instead of with a regretful hangover from a ghastly- ghostly?- day of excess today.

wishing you love & beauty this Christmas,

Samantha

xoxo.