Christmas is older and more magical than we think. In this blog, we delve into the folkloric and psychedelic roots of Christmas—a story about nature, consciousness, symbolism, and wonder in the darkest time of the year.
Christmas is a strange, gentle break in the year.
The days are short. The light is low.
The world feels quieter, as if everything has paused for a moment.
And almost imperceptibly, we move along with it: we seek warmth, togetherness, meaning.
Lights appear in windows.
A tree moves from the forest to the living room.
And somewhere deep down, we know: this moment is bigger than just cosiness.
Winter, fire, and stories
Long before Christmas was called "Christmas," this period was already a sacred moment in the year: the winter solstice. The point at which the longest night had been reached and the days began to lengthen again. The deepest darkness was over. The light returned.
That moment was celebrated with peace and attention. With fire that brought warmth in the cold. With silence that invited listening. With stories that provided direction at a time when nature seemed to be retreating.
Rituals helped people to slow down and remember:
Letting go of what no longer served me
Being grateful for what had been
Making space for what wanted to emerge
In that world, nature did not play a supporting role, but rather the leading role. The seasons, the trees, the animals, and the stars were not distant symbols, but living mirrors of human consciousness. What happened outside had meaning inside.
When the Christian celebration of Christmas later emerged, those ancient rhythms did not disappear. They were incorporated, disguised, and passed on in new forms. The birth of light in the darkness was given a different name, but retained the same essence.
Like the Christmas tree, which remained.
Green, even in winter.
A sign of life when everything seems to stand still.
What was once a sacred tree in the landscape became a tree in the home. A center of attention, of gathering. And what used to be received from nature was now symbolically passed on: gifts under the tree, as a reminder of abundance, even in times of scarcity.
Christmas thus became a layered ritual. A fusion of old and new. Of solstice and birth. Of nature and meaning. And perhaps that is why it still touches us — because, beneath all the modern layers, it reminds us of something that is deeply rooted within us:
That after every dark period, the light returns.
And that true renewal begins with slowing down, paying attention, and connecting.
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Start the new year fresh!
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The red and white mushroom
Something striking grew in the winter landscapes. The fly agaric. A bright red mushroom with white spots. As if presenting itself — not hidden, but visible. A contrast to the snow, moss, and pine needles. A silent invitation to look.
The fly agaric, Amanita muscaria, was no ordinary mushroom. It belonged to transitions. To moments when the familiar let go for a moment and the boundary between worlds seemed to become thinner.
In low to ritual doses, Amanita was associated with a dreamlike state of consciousness. Perception shifted. Thoughts slowed down or took unexpected turns. Time and space felt less defined, as if one were moving in the realm between waking and dreaming.
Shamans did not view the Amanita as something to be consumed thoughtlessly. It was approached with respect, preparation, and intention. As a guide in exploring consciousness—a tool for breaking through ingrained patterns, shifting perspective, and connecting with layers of experience that normally remain in the background.
Not to escape reality, but to understand it more deeply.
Not to numb, but to remember what was already there.
From shaman to Santa Claus
Fast forward a few centuries later.
There he is: Santa Claus.
Dressed in red, trimmed with white. Warm boots. A long beard. A figure who feels both familiar and mythical—as if he has wandered out of an old story and into our time.
In many ways, he bears a striking resemblance to the shamans of old. A traveler between worlds. Someone who appears during the darkest period of the year, precisely when people need light, direction, and meaning. His gifts are tangible, but they also carry something else: attention, wonder, a moment of magic.
The similarities are subtle but persistent.
The colors: red and white.
The surroundings: snow, fire, pine trees.
The moment: the return of light after the deepest darkness.
Where the shaman once brought stories, insights, and rituals, Santa Claus now brings gifts and rituals that still do the same thing: connect, surprise, and remind.
The story changed in form, language, and context.
But the essence remained.
The fly agaric – Amanita
The Christmas tree and the presents
Bringing a Christmas tree into your home is actually a remarkable ritual. And yet, for millions of people, it feels like the most natural thing in the world.
This is no coincidence. Long before Christianity, trees played a central role in rituals and myths. They were seen as a living connection between worlds: with their roots deep in the earth and their branches reaching for the light. Evergreen trees, which show signs of life even in winter, symbolized resilience, continuity, and hope.
In Northern European and Siberian traditions, shamans gathered their sacred gifts from nature in winter. The fly agaric mushroom often grew under coniferous trees such as pines and spruces. What was found under the tree was seen as a gift from the earth — something rare, powerful, and valuable.
That symbolism lives on in our current Christmas tradition. Where mushrooms were once found under the tree, gifts now lie. Not as a random place, but as a ritual gesture: the tree as the centerpiece, the gifts underneath as a sign of abundance, even in the darkest time of the year.
It was never about possession itself, but about meaning. Not buying for the sake of buying, but giving for the sake of giving — an echo of an ancient winter ritual that reminds us of sharing, connection, and trust in the returning light.
The reindeer and the sleigh
And then there are the reindeer.
Symbols of strength, endurance, and cooperation—animals that feel at home in snow and cold, where humans must fight to survive.
They play a special role in ancient Northern stories. They accompany the shaman on his journeys, not as a means of transport in the physical world, but as a guide in the inner world. Journeys through consciousness, dreams, and insight.
In that light, reindeer "flying" is not a literal story, but a metaphor.
A symbol for letting go of fixed patterns of thinking.
For transcending the familiar.
For the ability to rise above the everyday, even if only for a moment.
Then: fly agaric mushroom under the tree (outside)
Now: gifts... (inside)
Christmas as a time for reflection and togetherness
Perhaps that is precisely why Christmas still touches us.
Why, year after year, it opens something in us — even when we think we are "done" with it.
Beneath all the layers of commerce, incentives, and obligations, Christmas has always remained a ritual of awareness. A collective moment when the pace slows down. When the outside world becomes quieter for a moment and attention shifts inward.
We gather around the table.
We share food, stories, and memories.
We look back on what was—on what worked, and on what we would rather have let go.
And we look ahead. We make intentions, cautiously spoken or kept quietly to ourselves. Good intentions, yes—but actually it is an ancient act: giving direction to what may yet come into being.
In the darkest days of the year, consciously or unconsciously, we seek the same thing that people sought thousands of years ago. Meaning in the darkness. Light that does not have to come from outside, but can arise from within.
Christmas reminds us that delay is not stagnation, but space.
Space to feel.
To connect.
To realign.
A Microvibes thought for this time
At Microvibes, we don't believe in quick fixes or magic pills.
We believe in living consciously, staying curious, and listening to what nature has been whispering to us for a long time.
This story is a memory.
That slowing down is powerful.
That awareness grows in silence.
And that some old stories keep coming back because they still have something to say.
So this Christmas, when you're sitting under the tree and the lights are twinkling softly, take a moment. Breathe. Look. Feel.
You may discover that the real magic never disappeared—
, it just took on a different form.
✨🎄🍄
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Start the new year fresh!
Take advantage of big discounts on truffles, microdosing, and macrodosing products this month and start the new year feeling refreshed and energized!
* NEW: the Microvibes gift card
* Space and truffle package with a 25% discount
* Truffles up to 20% discount
* 10% discount on all stamps
* Free sacred wood with every order
